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How to Regard God’s Servants

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

How To Regard God’s Servants

1 Corinthians Chapter 4

I liked the statement in our lesson that said churches that go against the Word of God are trying to construct a shambles out of man’s wisdom and the things of this world, rather than a mansion in Heaven.

Some mega churches are doing this today. In fact, there are many churches in many denominations doing this today.

The one thing we know about those who preached in the Church of Corinth were some of the best men of God at that time.

1) Apollos was a Jew who knew the Scriptures very well and was an eloquent speaker.

2) Cephas was the Apostle Peter, led to the truth by the Lord Jesus Christ.

2) Paul, the great Apostle to the Church called by the Lord Jesus himself, just as the other Apostles were called.

These were all ministers of Jesus Christ.

This word minister means “chief servant” of God, and each one must be called of God to be His ministers.

Exo 28:1 And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.
Exo 28:2 And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.
Exo 28:3 And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.

Heb 5:4 And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.
Heb 5:5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.

It is the Lord Jesus Christ who gives each of them directions.

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.

The Lord Jesus gives us all these same directions.

I cannot understand any denomination that rejects any teaching of our Holy God.

Some people in this Church in Corinth had been blessed, probably led to the Lord by Apollos, so they spoke up for Apollos.

Some people in this church had been blessed by Cephas, and Cephas, the Apostle Peter, is the only one that the Bible says led over three thousand to the lord in one day.

Some people said they had been blessed by Paul, who can be said to be the greatest Christian of all time.

All these men had the same “Gospel Message” because there is only one Gospel!

*1Co 4:1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
1Co 4:2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

Paul said none of us have any qualifications on our own, but our just servants of the Most High God.

This church should have had only one question, which is, were these men of God faithful to the Gospel, not whether they were eloquent or philosophical.

Sermons are to be much more than just material for discussion.

There is no discussion on the mandate of God.
There is no discussion on our means of salvation.
There is no discussion on the Lord Jesus Christ and the work that He did for our salvation!
There is no discussion on the truth of God, our Creator.
There is no discussion on the Virgin Mary and the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ.

A steward is a person who manages the property or affairs of another person. A good steward will deal with these things in a way that other person will benefit from it.

We are all to be stewards of the Word of God, so Heaven will benefit from it.

God has already warned us not to add to or take away from or twist His Word into some other meaning than what it says.

The Word of God is settled in Heaven and must remain as it is written!

No servant of God is to be elevated above another servant of God; we are all in this thing together, yet each servant is to be esteemed highly for the work’s sake.

We are all to be faithful to God’s calling.

Every minister of God’s Word is to be faithful, and this is essential.

In reality, God’s man has no other requirement.

1Ti 1:11 According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.
1Ti 1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

What is our Pastor to our church?

1) He is a servant of God.
2) He is a steward of the mysteries of God.
3) He is a steward to be faithful to his Master and our Master, the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are not to judge our Pastor beyond these things.

*1Co 4:3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.
1Co 4:4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.

Every man of God who is truly called and speaks the message of God that comes from the true Word of God does not care what the world says about him. Their judgment is meaningless in the plan of God.

Every “Born Again” child of God has been judged by God and is then justified by God.

To be justified is to be forgiven of our sins and pardoned from guilt and punishment, and is an act of God’s “grace,” and this comes by the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ.

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

Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Rom 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Rom 5:11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

If we are in the will of God, answering God’s calling, then we are free from the guilt of our past lives.

Justify means just as if we had never sinned to begin with. This is an action of God’s “Grace”.

How the world judges us becomes irrelevant.

No judgment of man can overrule the judgment of God!

Paul adds that he is not aware of any action he has taken that would seem to be a dereliction of his duty to serve the LORD.

Paul understood that he was still a sinner saved only by the “Grace of God”.

No doubt there may be many sins which we commit without being aware of them, so God and God alone has the power to pronounce sentence upon our doings.

God did not call us to be “judges”, God called us to be free servants!

*1Co 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

Just because we are God’s children, this does not give us the right to judge anyone else, lost or saved.

This does not mean that we will not recognize the lost and the saved by their actions: Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Mat 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Mat 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
Mat 7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Mat 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mat 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

We must learn not to judge because only the Lord can know the heart of man.

No one but the Lord can know the real motives behind the way we live our lives.

Only the Lord can know the darkness that is in us!

Jer 16:17 For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes.

It is only when the Lord Jesus returns that He will judge this world!

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.

Because my name is written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life, the Lord Jesus is my Master; only He has the right to judge me!

Worldly judges love to judge according to their own beliefs and not by the laws of the land as we are seeing today.

*1Co 4:6 And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

Some of the members of the church in Corinth had begun to judge other members in the same way a court-appointed judge would judge.

They were judging according to the gifts they saw in each Preacher, when it is God alone who can judge those He has called to the ministry.

God says they were just a bunch of puffed-up airbags who were doing their best to divide the church.

The pure fact is that we are not ourselves living according to the Word of God, how can we be examples for other believers?

Paul said he and Apollos could be looked upon as examples of true stewards of the Word of God who also lived according to the Word of God.

The one standard for every Christian is the Word of God!

God did not give us His Word to think about and meditate upon; God gave us His Word for us to live by.

This should be the message behind every sermon from every God called preacher to teach us what God expects from our lives.

We are never to think above what God has written for us.

If we all live according to the written Word of God, we will all arrive at the same place.

The Apostle Peter said we have the most important words that have ever been written, and they are the truth.

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:
2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
2Pe 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

It is the Word of God that lights up our path to live in this life: Psa 119:105 NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Not one Christian is more important than another in the eyes of God!

*1Co 4:7 For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?

I truly believe we have the best pastor in our area or any other area, but we must realize that when we begin comparing one pastor with another, we are bordering on sin.

Indeed, we can sometimes receive more from one preacher or teacher than from another. We must then apply this teaching to our lives, or that message was fruitless.

It is a sin when a believer begins to think that no other preacher can preach like our favorite preacher, because this is meaningless in the work God has asked us all to do, and leads to a divided church.

It is in God’s design that makes each one of us different from another.

Who makes us different from others?
Why do I think I can judge one person over another?
Why do I think I have grown so much Spiritually that I can judge one preacher over another?
Who gives us the gifts we receive to serve in God’s army?
Why do I feel that I can exalt myself and make myself superior?

How many of us would dare to answer these questions without taking a hard look at ourselves?

We should be able to see that God the Holy Spirit provides us with the gifts we have, and he chose those gifts for His reasons because only He knows how to make the House of God the strongest it can be

Rom 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

1Co 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
1Co 12:4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
1Co 12:5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
1Co 12:6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
1Co 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

How could we ever believe that we could be lord over God’s people?

How can we ever believe that God has appointed us to hand our approval or disapproval to any brother or sister in Christ, much less to God’s preachers!

There is never an excuse for any church to become divided if it accepts the truth of the Word of God!

Why was Paul writing all these things to this church?

*1Co 4:14 I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.

These were strong words from the Apostle Paul, but keep in mind every letter written to the churches was then passed around to every church that was established, just as we are reading these words today.

It is never the job of our Pastor to shame us.
It is always the job of our Pastor to warn us of just what God says.

There would be no divisions in the Church if we paid attention to what God has said!

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

The Holy Spirit takes the Word of God and uses those words to sanctify us and to perfect us.

This why the Word of God is so important!

*1Co 4:15 For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.
1Co 4:16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

We should be able to notice the love the Apostle Paul had for this church as he refers to them as his children.

We all know we got some harsh words from our parents as we grew up, but those words were words for us to learn from.

Paul had led many of these Corinthians to the Lord, so in this sense, he was like a father to them, and Paul was warning them rather than causing them shame.

No genuine preacher would ever fail to warn the flock that the Lord has given to them.
No wise congregation would ever reject or attempt to silence that warning of a caring and loving Pastor.

We can only know if our pastors preach the truth if we study our Bibles.

If our Pastor is true to the Word of God, it will show in his lifestyle, and he will be an example for us to follow.

As the men of the Church, we should all try to set the example as fathers to the children of the Church.

We should set a good example as husbands to our wives.

We should set the example as the heads of our family.

This is what our Lord Jesus did every day of His life in the flesh: He set the example and lived a perfect life without sin.

The Apostle Paul lived a life of commitment and self-denial for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul gave all he had in his service of the Cross of Jesus.

2Ti 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
2Ti 1:13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
2Ti 1:14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.

If we truly know our Savior, then we will certainly know the truth of those who preach to us!

*1Co 4:17 For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.

We must understand Church growth.

It is not the number of people in any church; it is the number of people in the church who are no longer babes in Christ and are committed to serving the Lord.

It is the Spirit of God that provides for the growth of His people, and He uses that man of God who is committed to the Word of God and the will of God.

Peter and Apollos were performing their duties, and they could not be held responsible for the events occurring at the church in Corinth.

Timothy was also led to the Lord by the Apostle Paul, and Timothy could show by example what he had been taught by the Apostle Paul.

There was a great contrast between the preachers and their so-called followers.

These Corinthians were judging the preachers who had given their time to this church, but not many of them bothered to follow the Word of God they were taught.

Many profess to be Christians, and the Bible says we can know them by their fruit.

The fruit would be the way they lived their lives.

Paul took responsibility for this church and its welfare.

Though he could not be there in person at this time, he sat down and wrote an epistle to them.

Paul sent this letter by Timothy, a young preacher who was solid in his faith.

Every preacher of the Gospel must be driven to provide whatever is needed for the growth of each Christian in his flock.

If there is anything in the life of the individual Christian that will hinder the growth of that individual, then it is serious to the Lord!

Timothy was a faithful servant called of God, trained by the Word of God and the Apostle Paul, and a great example of faith.

Remember, we all need discipleship to grow in the “Grace of God”.

Amen

The Wise God

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

A Wise God and Carnal Christians
 
Book of 1 Corinthians, Chapters 2 and 3
 
 
What is “wisdom”? According to the dictionary, “wisdom” is the right use of knowledge.

Then, this being true, there must be a wrong use of knowledge.
 
Scriptural wisdom comes from our Creator and is in opposition to carnal blindness: Jas 3:13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
Jas 3:14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
Jas 3:15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
 
Wisdom is the knowledge of things in their proper nature and relations with the power of using them in the most useful manner.
 
This wisdom can come only from God!
 
Jesus Christ in His glory shows us the power of God.
 
Jesus Christ in His humanity shows us the wisdom of God.
 
1Co 1:24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
 
The world says the preaching of the Word of God is foolishness, but preaching the truth of God is far wiser than all the wisdom of mankind.
 
1Co 1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
 
We know that many in this Church at Corinth had forsaken the Lord to chase the world, and though Paul could not return to this church at that time, he had written this Epistle.
 
1Co 2:1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
1Co 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
1Co 2:3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
1Co 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
1Co 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
 
The Church of Corinth was deeply divided.
 
They could not decide what kind of preacher they wanted.
 
They were undecided about which one of God’s servants contributed most to the church.
 
They did not understand what preaching really is.
 
We must understand what preaching is all about!
 
1) A prophet of God revealed God to man.
2) The preacher’s job is to reveal man to God.
 
Heb 7:24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
Heb 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
 
Preachers are to follow our Great High Priest the Lord Jesus Christ with the power to lead each sinner to Christ.
 
Heb 7:27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.
 
Because the Lord Jesus had no sin and He died for all our sin, we can be freed from all our sin.
 
Heb 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
Heb 10:13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
Heb 10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
 
We can see that each Preacher is to preach Jesus and the work that He did for our salvation.
 
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
 
Sound preaching is not eloquence.
Sound preaching is not about superiority. Not elevation, preeminence, not rising above his congregation.
Sound preaching is not human wisdom or philosophy.
Sound preaching is declaring the testimony of God, which is Jesus Christ and Him crucified for us!
 
Jesus Christ, “all in all”. All other subjects, political and philosophical, are insignificant.
 
Preaching is about saving souls!
 
The success of the Gospel does not depend upon the skill of the preacher, but on the demonstration of the Holy Spirit.
 
1Co 2:6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
1Co 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
1Co 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
 
Those who are perfect are those who understand the Doctrines of Christianity.
 
Those who are perfect are those who are no longer “babes in Christ”.
 
Those who are perfect are those who understand the mysteries of godliness.
 
The Apostle Peter wrote: 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:
2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
2Pe 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
 
The Apostle Paul wrote:
 
Rom 16:25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
Rom 16:26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
Rom 16:27 To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.
 
Had this evil world understood the reason Christ came to this earth, we had better believe they would not have crucified our Savior.

They would have locked Him away.
 
The truth is, this evil world does not understand the truth of God, the Gospel, today, after all these years.
 
Col 1:26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Col 1:28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
 
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not going away!
 
To those of us who are saved, we understand the truth of God is that only those whose name is written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life will get to see and take part in the things God has prepared for His children.
 
1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
1Co 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
 
Only the Holy Spirit knows all things of God, and He will come to live in every believer in the salvation work of the Lord Jesus Christ and share His wisdom with us.
 
Just as no one really knows what is on our mind unless we say, it is the same with Jehovah.
 
This is what the Bible teaches us, what is on the mind of our Creator, our God.
 
We can know nothing about our God unless He tells us.
 
We cannot penetrate the Spirit world without God’s assistance.
 
No person has ever seen God, no matter what some people have claimed.
 
As Christians, we see God in our hearts, but we will one day see Him face to face.
 
We will be able to see Him because of the work Jesus Christ did to reconcile us to our Heavenly Father.
 
The mysteries of the Gospel are no longer mysteries to true Christians.
 
Mat 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mat 13:12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
Mat 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
 
We know how to get to Heaven!
We know how to earn rewards while we are still upon this earth.
We know that we have a job to do while we are still in these bodies.
We know we are to assemble with like-minded Christians.
We know we are to be witnesses of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We know the next sound from Heaven will be the Trumpet of Gabriel calling us home.
 
Every gift of wisdom we receive after we are saved comes by the Holy Spirit!
 
Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Rom 11:34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Rom 11:35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
 
The spirit of the world, which we did not receive, can only tell us what men have invented or what the Devil has whispered in their ears.
 
With the spirit of the world, no one can know anything related to the things of God.
 
The spirit of the world is in contradiction with the things of God!
 
1Co 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
1Co 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
 
There are only two types of people on this Earth!
 
1) The Spiritual man, whose spirit is the temple and dwelling place of the Spirit of God. We can know the thoughts of God because we are living in union with His eternal mind. All God’s gifts are freely given.
 
1Jn 2:20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.
1Jn 2:21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
 
Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
 
2) There is the natural man who possesses only the intellect and conscience of ordinary humanity and who is under the power of the Devil. The natural man will have to pay his way into the filth of the Devil.
The natural man receives not the things of the Holy Spirit. He cannot receive them, and he cannot know them.
 
Just as the deaf man cannot enjoy music and the blind man cannot enjoy beauty, the natural man cannot know the truth of our Creation nor the truth of our Creator.
 
We know that the Holy Spirit has given us all the Word of God, and we also know that the world rejects the truth of God the Holy Spirit!
 
The spirit of the natural man is dead to God!
 
If we never have a revelation of the Holy Spirit after we are saved, we know that He has already given us the truth of God.
 
Only the Word of God can interpret the Word of God.
 
All we have belongs to God!
 
1Co 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1Co 3:2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
 
Paul is saying that these brethren of the Church at Corinth were still acting like men in the flesh rather than Jesus Christ.
 
They were living as though they were nothing but flesh, they were still living at the human level of life.
 
They had never gotten beyond the affairs and the material things of this life.
 
Many Christians still live this way today and remain baby Christians all the days of their salvation.
 
We know the flesh has no good things about it: Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
 
When we are in the flesh, we cannot please God: Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
 
When we are under the Spirit of God, we are removed from being under the influence of the flesh: 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.
 
Even a Born-Again child of God can be carnal for a season!
 
1Co 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1Co 3:4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
 
We all know that the more we read and study the Bible the more we will grow in the Spirit.
 
It is those who refuse to read and study the Scriptures who get caught, who so easily bring the world into the Church because they have remained baby Christians.
 
They are divided by their own beliefs, and they bring that division into the Church.
 
It is carnal Christians who are the downfall of many churches!
 
Carnality brings envy and strife. Envy leads to jealousy, and jealousy leads to division!
 
Carnality begins when the members of the Church walk and act like the men of the world!
 
Whole denominations are divided today because of baby Christians are bringing the world into the Church.
 
Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
 
There is only one remedy: Gal 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
 
We give ourselves to the Lord just so we can serve Him.
 
Not as slaves but as willing servants who honor the truth of God!
 
1Co 3:5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
1Co 3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
1Co 3:7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
 
Those who minister the Word of God are never to be lords over God’s people!
 
They are here to give us the LORD’s message, but that message will never be different from the Word of God that He has already given to us.
 
We are never to forget that the LORD is in the soul-winning business, and this is the same occupation as the Church.
 
Ministers are the instruments of God for this purpose!
 
Ministers are not to be praised other than for preaching the truth of God, the message of the Lord Jesus Christ.
 
The Gospel is always to be the focus of their attention; anything else is second to this.
 
The building of schools is second.
The building of hospitals is second.
Feeding the world is second.
Soul winning and discipleship are to be the main functions of the Church period!
 
The servants of God are nothing compared to God.
 
No preacher or pastor or whatever they are called has any cause for glory, praise, honor, or recognition.
 
There is no reason for any servant of God to feel pride until all the work is done.
 
We are to respect our pastor.
We are to love our pastor.
We are to thank God for our pastor.
We can esteem our pastor because he has the most difficult job on this earth.
 
Our pastor preaches four times a week to the Church.
He leads Bible College one night, which is separate from this.
He often goes to other churches and preaches even more times.
 
We know that one pastor waters because someone before him has spread the seed.
 
We can be a part of this, but we must never hinder the work of the ministers of God!
 
The growth of the Church is in the hands of God.
 
We are to honor and praise the Lord and not our pastors and preachers!
 
2Co 3:1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?
2Co 3:2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
2Co 3:3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
2Co 3:4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:
2Co 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
2Co 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
 
If our Lord Jesus is not sufficient, then the Church will soon perish from this world.
 
1Co 3:8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
1Co 3:9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.
 
All preachers and pastors or whatever they are called in the many denominations, are equal in God’s eyes if they preach and teach the truth of God’s Word.
 
Every one of them is personally responsible to God.
 
Each one will be rewarded for what they have done and not what some other minister has done.
 
Trying to be like others is not his job.
 
His job is to be what our Heavenly Father called him to do.
 
Not one of them has been called to go against the truth of God’s Word. (Let that sink in)
 
We are all called to be the ministers of God’s Word!
 
We are all to be coworkers with God.
 
As much as we can, we are all to be more like Christ Jesus as we grow in the Word of God.
 
So, those who plant the Seed of God and those who water the Seed of God are one tool in God’s Hand.
 
Joh 4:36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
Joh 4:37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.
Joh 4:38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.
 
The Lord Jesus Christ is the sole Agent of God’s salvation plan.
 
I know that this statement will upset a lot of religions, but this is the truth of the Word of God.
 
This is why Christianity differs from religion!
 
Some would say that God requires us to spread the Gospel, but the truth is that God wants us to give ourselves freely to the work of Jesus Christ.
 
Mar 16:19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
Mar 16:20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
 
We are God’s fellow workers.
We are God’s husbandry.
We are God’s building.
We are laborers together with our Savior!
 
Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Source of all that concerns His Church, and we are His Church.
 
We never belong to our Pastor or any pastor or preacher, or evangelist, or the Pope, but we belong to God the Father through His Son Jesus Christ.
 
It is a family affair to spread the Gospel!
 
Mat 9:36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
Mat 9:37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
Mat 9:38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
 
The truth then is that many of God’s family lack the compassion to be a laborer in God’s family.
 
The Pastor and all believers are to be workers together with our Holy God!
 
Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
Eph 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
Eph 2:21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
Eph 2:22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
 
The Lord Jesus is the only foundation of the true Church.
 
1Co 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
 
Though Jesus Christ is rejected by the world and religion, He is the only foundation of God’s Church.
 
Mat 21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
 
Jesus Christ is the same Stone that will fulfill prophecy.
 
Dan_2:45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
 
All foundations, whether they be of the remnants of all previous world powers, will fall to the humble Shepherd who will be King of kings and Lord of lords, the Lord Jesus Christ.
 
Jesus Christ Himself is the only foundation upon which men can build their lives.
 
1Co 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
 
There are two types of preaching that we hear today.
 
1) One type of preaching leads to permanent results.
 
This preaching is for the glory of God and builds upon Jesus Christ.
This preaching is for the well-being of mankind.
This preaching leads to permanent results.
This preaching leads to rewards for that preacher.
 
2) The other type of preaching is not according to the knowledge of God or Jesus Christ.
 
This preaching is for the glory of the preacher.
This preaching is not for the well-being of man.
These preaching leads to fuel for the fires of Hell.
This preacher will burn in the hottest part of Hell, closest to the Devil.
 
1Pe_4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
 
The inspection of the Church is very near.
 
The Church began so that it could be finished by the time of the Rapture of the Church.
 
The Lord Jesus is soon coming to approve or disapprove of those in the Church.
 
Mat 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
Mat 13:25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
Mat 13:26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
Mat 13:27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
Mat 13:28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
Mat 13:29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
Mat 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
 
Then our Lord and Savior will accept the true Church into His Heavenly family while those who belong to Satan will burn!
 
Amen

A Divided Church

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

A Divided Church

1 Corinthians Chapter 1

As we begin our look into the First Book to the Corinthians, we also meet the Apostle Paul.

We know that Paul was the writer that the Holy Spirit used to preserve these words for the Church of today.

Why was this letter to the Corinthians needed?

1) To remove divisions in the Church and bring the Church back as “one” Body of Christ.

Was Jesus Christ ever divided in His teachings? No. And neither should the Church at that time, nor should the Church be divided today!

2) To deal with immorality that was entering the Church from this immoral world.

3) To answer any questions the Church might have, because this was a church filled with baby Christians. They needed to grow in Christ.

Every “New Born” Christian needs to spend time in discipleship.

The Lord Jesus spent three years with the Apostles and three years with the Apostle Paul in discipleship training.

We all need to be discipled!

The things that happened in Corinth are things every church has to contend with in this wicked and immoral world.

This city had a large population of people coming from all parts of the world.

Most ships traveling from the East or from the West would stop at Corinth.

Most roads of commerce crossed at the City of Corinth.

This made the City of Corinth a wicked and corrupt city.

Corinth became an intellectual and cultural center as well.

All these things together made the City of Corinth a potential place for worldwide missions.

If a church could be established in Corinth, the Word of God could spread all around the world.

This place first needed to meet the Almighty Living God!

This church at Corinth was established, and like all baby Christians, they needed discipline.

Paul began as a gentle shepherd over his flock and moved on to greater things.

1Co 1:4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;
1Co 1:5 That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;
1Co 1:6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:
1Co 1:7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
1Co 1:8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

*1Co 1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Every Pastor, Preacher or Priest is called to be a brother to all other believers and the Apostle Paul used the word brother when he was addressing this church.

We all have the same Heavenly Father, and we all are saved by the Lord Jesus Christ, and we all are filled with the same Holy Spirit, and we are all to have the same Word of God, and it is time that the Church to unite around these things, for we are in the last of days.

We are not better than anyone else in this world, but we can say we are better off only because our names are written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

If your name is written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life, you are already a saint of God and set apart for the Lord.

The true Church belongs to God!

The false church belongs to the Devil!

Isa 48:11 For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: “for how should my name be polluted”? and I will not give my glory unto another.

No one can approach God but through the Lord Jesus Christ, and those who think they can be are still lost.

If you feel like you have lived your life good enough for Heaven, then you are self-righteous and still lost, no matter who you are.

Super-spirituality and pride have no place in the House of God!

We can only be in the Church because of the Grace of God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

God’s “Grace” is the free gift of God, and God is extending His “Grace” out to all who will accept it today!

The Church must be unified behind these truths today; these truths will never change!

This message must be tender and full of love!

The word “beseech” means, come let’s share these truths together.

Our faith binds us to the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ and not the things of this world!

Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

We must approach each other with the “love of Christ”.

We will never agree on everything in the Church, but we must hold the truth of Jesus Christ in our hearts!

Php 2:2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Php 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

We cannot allow the teachings of this world to tear us apart when those teachings go against the truth of God.

Everyone must repent from the teachings of this world about salvation, which this world knows nothing about.

We all must be in the same mind, as we will all be judged by the same Word of God!

*1Co 1:11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

The word contentions here mean strife, the struggle that had become violent along with quarreling.

These are works of the flesh.

There was no peace in this church in Corinth!

When men divide the Body of Christ, then it is Christ who bleeds; Christ is not divided.

This Chloe was probably a lady in Ephesus, from where Paul wrote this Epistle, because we know Paul would never have mentioned the name of a member of the church in Corinth.

She is probably a Christian, maybe even the wife of Stephanus and possibly the mother of Fortunatus and Achaicus.

1Co 16:17 I am glad of the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus: for that which was lacking on your part they have supplied.

Or Paul got this information from one of her slaves, but not from her.

If we are seeking glory other than the glory of the Lord, we will never find it because it does not exist!

There will be a perfect union in Heaven for all God’s children, and division here on earth could cause some not to get there.

If we are to live a true Christian life, we must draw upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and it is the same for every Christian.

The unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ are at our disposal.

Each and every one of us is called of God, but not to cause divisions or strife inside the Church or outside the Church.

When news of a divided church reaches another nation, then the testimony of that church will not be good enough to win souls.

Our one job is to win souls for Jesus Christ. if we have problems, then the first place to seek help is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Mat_6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Next, we should seek an audience with our Pastor.

*1Co 1:12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
1Co 1:13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

I think we have the greatest church in our area, and for certain, we have the best Pastor.

Most of us cannot wait to hear the message God has given him at every service.

Occasionally, he will take time for rest, or he will preach in some other place of worship or for some other reason, but if the congregation finds out that he will not be here the size of the congregation will shrink because someone else will preach.

In many ways, this is Pastor worship rather than the worship and praise of the Almighty God.

We come to Church to praise our Heavenly Father and to worship Him in Spirit and Truth, no matter who is preaching the message of God.

If we trust the Lord, then we know that person will also preach a message that God has given to them, and those who did not come because our true Pastor was not there, miss out on that message.

Is this not the same thing that Apostle Paul is saying here in this Scripture.

Jesus Christ is not divided, and these things must never divide our congregation.

We are all going to have differences of opinion from time to time, but we all have the same Word of God, and we all strive to get to our true home in Heaven.

There is only One Heaven!

We cannot bring the Lord Jesus Christ down to the level of man!

We all know that we must have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ to get to the Glory World, and again Our Lord Jesus is not divided in fact, He is very blunt when speaking His own words which we see in Red letters.

I am certain that we all have our favorite teachers in our church.

If we say we belong to Jesus Christ, then we had better act like we do!

We can never place our Lord Jesus at the level of ordinary teachers, even if they are our favorite Preacher or teacher.

Every believer belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ, if not, then you are not saved!

We do not know everything about our Savior, we only know what the Holy Spirit decided we needed to know to get us saved.

John 21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

The God of the Bible is unlimited in knowledge and power, and I just want to be close as I can to Him in His house.

The closest I can get here upon this earth is in a Bible believing Church with a Bible believing Pastor!

These are things we will get to know over the next million years when we join Him in Heaven.

We need to agree on the salvation plan of Jehovah God, and then, we can discuss those places where we differ from one another without them dividing us.

Sometimes we just have to agree to disagree while keeping our relationship with our Savior sound!

It is the work of the Lord Jesus Christ that unifies us, all of us.

Joh 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

The Church is a long way from what the Lord says here in this passage today!

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, and we had better keep that straight in our minds!

There is only one Head of the Church, and there is only one Church, and this Church is to follow the One Word of God!

We are to be Christians because we follow the work of the Lord Jesus Christ that He did, so we can be saved.

Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, “which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them”.

If we say we are liberals, or Catholics, or Baptists, or of any other title, then our parting spirit is sin!

We are all to be Christians!

There is only One who was crucified for our sin, the sin of us all.

We all have the same mandate: Matt 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
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.

*1Co 1:14 I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;
1Co 1:15 Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.
1Co 1:16 And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.
1Co 1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

It was for this very reason that Paul did not like to baptize new Christians. He agreed with Biblical Baptism with all his heart, but he did not want to be put on some pedestal for baptizing the most people or have the most converts.

Paul said if we in any way make the Lord Jesus less than the Head of the Church, we are striving toward the death of the Church.

We all have a calling of some manner in the Church so. Let’s do what the Lord called us to do!

1Co 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
1Co 12:14 For the body is not one member, but many.
1Co 12:15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
1Co 12:16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
1Co 12:17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
1Co 12:18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

There is a place to serve for every member of the Church!

Paul said: he was to preach the Word of God which are the Words of Wisdom and not preach the wisdom of words.

Divisions in any church cannot be resolved by words of human wisdom. The cross alone is the answer to a divided church!

*1Co 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

There are only two categories of people in this world!

1) Those doomed to perish.
2) Those who have been saved from perishing.

As the years pass and we get older, we get closer to the grave and Hell or we are getting closer to Heaven, the Glory World.

We are never just sitting still! We are perishing or we are saved.

We cannot say “being saved” because it is a finite event and is eternal.

Perishing means to be in a lost state in the world that comes after death. Hell is a real place, people!

1) Salvation is a once-for-all experience meaning once we have been saved it is then in the past and unchangeable and we can live the rest of our lives at peace with God.

Luk 7:50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

2) Salvation is a continuous experience. It occurs right now, in the present.

The verse we are on right now, verse 18, ” For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God”.

3) The redemption experience of our salvation is still in the future.

Rom 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

Those who reject these things are not very wise!

*1Co 1:19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
1Co 1:20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
1Co 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
1Co 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

Mankind seeks to conquer evil through science, technology, and the religion of human effort.
Mankind tries to conquer nature, disease, suffering, corruption and death and we never had this power and never will.

As a people, we want a life that is full and free, but we want to dictate how we want it.

We always want to stand on the mountain and say, “Look what I did”.

Most of this world is just not willing to live by the Word of God and what Jesus Christ has said.

Science has not brought love, joy, and peace, but only to a few foolish people.
Technology has not brought love, joy, and peace to anyone.
Good works only make us self-righteous.

The first thing we begin to understand about Jehovah is that He loves us enough to provide a way to save us.

He has offered up the perfect sacrifice for us.

On that cross, the Lord Jesus Christ took all our sins upon Himself, and then He took our punishment for having sinned upon Himself.

Jehovah sacrificed Himself for us, and through this sacrifice, God saves us!

Those who want to approach God by some other means will always fail because this is God’s plan.

The leaders of this world have never tried to solve the world’s problems of sin and evil because it is just too prosperous for a few rich men who pull the strings on national leaders, and today on local leaders and our government become corrupt and refuse to change.

Only the cross has the power to change the hearts of these men.

There are some truly smart people in our world, but they spend their time on things that cannot change our world and make it a better place.

The cross is the wisdom of God, the way God has chosen to save this world and to save those who have faith that he can do as He promises.

If this world were to turn to the cross just to see the perfect demonstration of love and sacrifice, then this world would be a much better place.

All our leaders know how to do is inquire and argue. We see it played out every day in our Senate and in our Congress and nothing gets done because they love corruption too much.

It is the same in most of every nation.

Even the Jews want to see some great sign from God after they have already seen and read about all the great things God has shown them.

Even as they have just had their fiftieth birthday as a nation, they refuse to believe that it was Jehovah who caused this to happen.

Isa_66:8 Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.

The next sign this world will see is the sound of the trumpet and the Church leaving this world.

The Jews still stumble over the truth of Jehovah!

*1Co 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
1Co 1:24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
1Co 1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

We should understand that what we teach about the Lord Jesus Christ is the reverse of what the Jews and the world demand.

Instead of a Messiah as ruler of all the earth, triumphant over all His enemies, we teach how a condemned criminal is our Savior and soon coming King and LORD.

Christians teach that our one argument is the death and then the life of the Messiah.

Isa 8:13 Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
Isa 8:14 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

Jesus Christ is the power of God!

The Jews and many in the world feel like they are the chosen seed of God, and they reach God because they have a godly heritage.
They still believe that they can be good enough to be acceptable to God.

They believe that if they work hard enough, they can bring the Kingdom of God to this earth.

They believe that the Golden Age of Earth is still in the future.

The truth is, we can never be good enough to be acceptable to God.
The penalty for our sin had to be paid for by the perfect sacrifice of God’s Son.
That we trust in that sacrifice.
That true belief in God’s Son gave all He had to save this world for eternity.

When religion looks upon the ugliness of the cross, the ugliness of sin, and suffering instead of glory, they are repulsed.

Who are the blessed of God? Mat 11:6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

The world continues to stumble over the simplicity of the cross, but the world is missing the message of the Cross.

2Co_11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

It is the Cross of Jesus Christ that God’s way is wiser and stronger than the way of religion and the way of man!

This is why Christianity is by faith and not by religion.

Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Rom 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

* 1Co 1:26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
1Co 1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
1Co 1:28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

Which group of people does God save?

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.

Our faith must lie in the fact that our life must be governed by a will that is far above this earth, and we receive the help of the Holy Spirit to guide us.

My Pastor has said many times that we receive the Holy Spirit for our employment and not for our enjoyment.

It is the Holy Spirit of God who does the calling.

Act 7:51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.

It is the Holy Spirit who remains with us throughout eternity

Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

It is the Holy Spirit who will make our old bodies live again in glory.

Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

We are called according to God’s purpose for us.

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

God does not call many who are dependent upon themselves, we would say self-righteous.

God calls simple and humble people.

Those who believe they can save themselves may not be called, or at least God will not waste much time on them when He already knows what they will do.

God’s calling is not arbitrary and not without reason.

God knows who will accept Him and who will not.

God has a reason and a purpose for everything He teaches us!

God smiles every time one of His nothings nullifies the somethings of this world.

God has given each one of us the free will to decide or reject Him.

If we are arrogant enough to think we do not need God, then He will not help us.

God sent the Lord Jesus Christ to save those who know they cannot save themselves.

God saves all those who want to spend eternity with Him in His House.

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.

*1Co 1:29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
1Co 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
1Co 1:31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Not many simple and humble people will boast about anything.

The truth:

1) Man will never be able to control sin and evil in this world.
2) Man will never be able to bring peace, assurance, and control to the human heart.
3) Man will never bring eternal life beyond our few short years upon this earth.

We have nothing to brag about and no right to glory in the things we do!

God’s wisdom is in the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are nothing to God unless we are “Born Again” in Jesus Christ.

By the fact that the Lord Jesus arose from that grave to show us the power of God it becomes wisdom to follow in His ways.

It is by God pouring His Spirit into us that we can know the truth.

He is the Spirit of Righteousness, which means He knows no evil and by His power we can be sanctified which is working our way toward Holiness.

The Lord Jesus paid the price that God required for our sin, and if we believe in this, we are reconciled to God.

The entire work for our salvation is of God.

Our only work is to accept this great gift of God, so if we glory, let us glory in the Lord!

Amen

Judgment is Coming

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

From Judgment to the Presence of God

Book of Joel

Joel is another of God’s prophets that we know very little about and is called a Minor Prophet.

Joe 1:1 The word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.

We know that the message of the minor prophets is just as important as that of the Major prophets. They are called Minor Prophets because their message is shorter. We know that the Holy Spirit used Joel to give Israel and the Church a message good throughout all the Ages.

2Ti_3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

The purpose of the Book of Joel is just like the message of all the writers chosen by the Holy Spirit, to turn the hearts of God’s people back to the LORD.

LORD being Jehovah. Jehovah designates God’s nature as He stands with mankind as the only almighty, true, personal, Holy Being, a Spirit, and the Father of all Spirits.

Num 16:22 And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?

Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Joh 4:25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
Joh 4:26 “Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he”.

Our Lord Jesus says He is Jehovah in the flesh, the Father of all Spirits.

We will see that Joel may not mention Judah by name, but he begins with a description of God’s “judgment”.

Joel mentions the Day of the Lord more than any other Book in Scripture:

The Day of the Lord is the day of the Lord’s vengeance: Isa_34:8 For it is the day of the LORD’S vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.

From Joel: Joel 1:15 Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.

From Joel: Joel 3:14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

From Obadiah: Oba_1:15 For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.

There are other Scriptures by other Prophets as important as these.

Our lesson begins with repentance.

What is repentance?

Repentance is first a change of mind.
It is second, a change of purpose.
It is then a change of life, and these things come with the promise of a remission of sin.

Repentance is walking in the opposite direction from the way we walked as sinners.

Repentance is coming out of the darkness of the Devil and into the Light of Jesus Christ.

Luk_24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

We can only do this if we have a true sense of our own guilt!

Psa 51:1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
Psa 51:2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Psa 51:3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
Psa 51:4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

We need to study all of Psalm 51 to learn how to truly ask for forgiveness.

What we know is that far too many who started with Jesus Christ are now forsaking Him!

This was readily seen during the time of Covid 19.

*Joe 2:12 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
Joe 2:13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

The Prophet Joel gives us much information on the coming “Day of the Lord,” but before God’s Day of wrath, He will first call for repentance.

There is more to repenting than just saying you are sorry!

Jas 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
Jas 4:9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
Jas 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Joel is believed to be one of the prophets during the time of Joash who had Zechariah stoned between the courtyard and the altar on the Temple Mount.

How do we question our God, who pleads with His people to return to Him?

Anytime Jehovah calls for repentance then it is not too late to do so.

What we know is the Lord is patient, but His patience will one day run out.

2Pe_3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Rom 9:22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
Rom 9:23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
Rom 9:24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

God is tired of seeing the tearing of garments and wants to see the tearing of the hearts.

We must reach that point in our life where we hate sin but not the sinner.

We might ask ourselves why we should turn to the Lord.

1) The Lord is full of “Grace and Mercy” and has pure love for us.
2) The Lord will repent of His promised wrath if we repent and turn to Him.
3) He will answer prayers. Which means He can restore our economies and our bodies.

We may not understand the true power of Jehovah, but over and over in the Scriptures, God tells us exactly what he is going to do, especially on the Day of the Lord.

Returning to the Lord also means returning to worship of Him.

Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Those who say we do not have to attend Church to be saved are one hundred percent correct, but after we are saved, we should do our best to obey all the Word of God, and it says not to forsake the assembling of the Church.

This passage says we should be assembling more and not less, for we know we are in those end times.

Every person who calls upon the Lord is to attend Church worship services and be sanctified, which means “set apart” for the Lord’s use.

In this day of Joel, the Lord told the priests and preachers to pray specifically that the Lord spare the people from the coming judgment on those who refuse to repent.

*Joe 2:14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?
Joe 2:15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:
Joe 2:16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
Joe 2:17 Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?

If we know anything about the Word of God, we know the Lord could return at any moment to get His Church, and His wrath will begin once the Church has been removed.

There may not be much time for anyone to repent, so now is the right time to repent, and it is certainly time to be sincere about it.

Sin is an inward thing that comes from a sinful heart, and repentance must come from the heart.

We must be sorrowful for any law of God that has been broken!

Until the Lord returns in “judgment” means we still have time to repent!

Repentance is essential to escape the “Day of the Lord” and the ‘Judgment” of God!

In the time of Jonah: Jon 3:9 Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
Jon 3:10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

The Bible would not say these things if they were not true, but His judgment and His wrath are also true.

Things will get so bad in the “Day of the Lord” that there will be people who say, “Where is God?”, but they should have already considered what He said.

With repentance comes the Lord’s pity.

*Joe 2:18 Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people.

If we truly repent, no matter what we have done, the Lord will pity us. This is His promise!

Will we still suffer for our sins? Yes, but we are now justified, and our name is written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Chastisement leads to repentance.

We should know that the Lord is always jealous of His land, and the Lord will provide well-being for His land.

All those who attack Israel will find this out soon enough, but the Lord is jealous for all His creation.

Maybe this is why we see so much turmoil in the lands today, which we call climate change.

It is a Holy God who controls all our climate: Mar 4:39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

Things could be so much better if God’s people would return to the Lamb of God!

We should know that compassion is what the LORD will show to repentant people!

It is also the Lord who provides all our needs and who can end wars.

*Joe 2:19 Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen:
Joe 2:20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.

The LORD promises mercy to all those who return to Him!

It is called the “Grace of God”.

Material prosperity can be restored.
Respect and honor can be restored.
Peace and national security can be restored.

These are just the little things that come to us when we love the Lord Jesus Christ.

Many of us see these words as the end of the War of Armageddon.

What had God said?

2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
2Ch 7:15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.

In type, this happens in verse 17.

The LORD is still waiting for His people to repent and pray this prayer!

God the Father fulfilled His promise to send the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is in Jesus Christ that everyone can receive the gifts of God’s Mercy and God’s Grace.

It is in Jesus Christ that this world will be restored for one thousand years.

This is the reason Our Lord Jesus came to this earth to offer reconciliation, and He will return as King of kings and LORD of lords and all the promises that were made will be fulfilled.

*Joe 2:32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

Every denomination of the Church knows that “judgment” is coming, and once it has taken place according to the Word of God, it will be the end of human history!

The only thing that is left for all people to do is to repent!

Just before the Lord returns will be a time of unparalleled tribulations.

Those who are wise will not be victims of these tribulations because the LORD has given us a way out.

Those who love the LORD have the gift of the Holy Spirit.

We are not paying attention if we have not seen wonders happening in the heavens.
We are not paying attention if we have not seen wonders happening on this earth, no matter what scientists call them.
We should be waiting for something like an eclipse of the Sun and the Red Moon.

We of the Church know that our time is really short and we need to be working on our families with the testimony of Jesus Christ.

The Day of Salvation is now!!!!!!!

*Joe 3:1 For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,
Joe 3:2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.

The Valley of Jehoshaphat is the valley between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives.

We should understand that the scattering of God’s people and the division of God’s land are an insult to the property of God.

Notice God says, “My people” and “My land” and He adds “My heritage”.

As I think upon this passage, I can recall the spot where the Lord Jesus will return.

Act 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
Act 1:10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
Act 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

When the Lord returns, He will return to the Mount of Olives to the place where He had ascended.

Zec 14:1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
Zec 14:2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
Zec 14:3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
Zec 14:4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
Zec 14:5 And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.

I believe that this is the day the LORD will judge all the nations that have gathered to destroy Israel.

And Joel continues:

*Joe 3:12 Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.

Every nation that has opposed the Kingdom of God, as well as all those hostile nations that surround Jerusalem, are to be awakened.

Joe 3:9 Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:

Up until this time, the lord has been standing, but here, we see that He will sit on His seat of judgment.

Isa 50:8 He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me.

The Lord says Bring them on, He is ready to meet them.

Joe 3:13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.

The Lord says it is far past the time to harvest the fruit of the earth because it is rotten.

Rev_14:18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.

God has already condemned these nations.

Multitudes and multitudes are in the valley of decision.

The nations have made their decision, and Jehovah will pronounce His decision at that moment.

Once the LORD begins, He will not end until it is over for wickedness and evil.

*Joe 3:14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
Joe 3:15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.
Joe 3:16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

Multitudes in the Hebrew suggest the confused noise of a great multitude.

Isa 17:12 Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!
Isa 17:13 The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.

On this day, there will be many cosmic disturbances. All the heavenly bodies will be darkened, and this does not mean an eclipse of the Sun or the Moon because it concerns all heavenly bodies.

Isa 13:10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.

Why? It is the Day God will punish this world for its evil.

Isa 13:11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
Isa 13:12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.

The entire Solar System will shake violently.

Hag 2:6 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;
Hag 2:7 And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.

Jer 25:31 A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.

It certainly will not be a good day for the militaries of those evil nations.

There is much more that can be said about the Day of the Lord, but this would be a complete study in itself.

We can see that the Lord will certainly judge the nations of this world.

*Joe 3:17 So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.

Israel will finally wake up to the truth of Jehovah as they see the work of the Messiah, who is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Rev_5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

This will be the time for Israel to repent!

Mat 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
Mat 25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
Mat 25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Mat 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

*Joe 3:20 But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.
Joe 3:21 For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion.

Israel will become the honcho nation in this world for one thousand years, and Our Lord Jesus will sit upon the Throne of David and rule this world with a rod of iron.

Zec 14:8 And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
Zec 14:9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.

Amen

Revival or Disobedience

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

A Revival Digresses to Disobedience

Book of 2 Chronicles Chapter 22

Throughout society today, there is a desperate need for people to commit.

We will never serve the Lord as we should unless we commit to Him.

Without committing to the Lord, nothing of lasting value can be achieved.

If we want rewards when we get to Heaven, we must commit to the Lord Jesus Christ.

If we want blessings from the Lord while we are still here upon this earth, we must make a commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus said it like this: Jhn_15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: “for without me ye can do nothing”.

Unless we are committed to the Lord Jesus, we will never have a personal relationship with Him!

Without commitment, the Lord is not with us, and we are left to ourselves as we walk through this life, and we may not have His help at all.

We saw in our lesson last week that King Ahaziah of Judah had been killed by King Jehu of Israel.

He was the youngest son of King Jehoram, but all his brothers had been killed by Arabian marauders.

He reigned for only one year, as he was killed by King Jehu.

He was the son of Athaliah, who was King Ahab’s daughter and King Omri’s granddaughter, who were kings of the Northern Tribes of Israel.

She was the daughter of Jezebel, wife to King Ahab.

Ahaziah lived an evil life before the Lord.

He went to the kings of Israel for advice on ruling the people of Judah and Benjamin, and not to Jehovah.

He was killed during the time he went to visit King Joram by Jehu, as we learned from last week’s lesson, as God commanded.

2Ch 22:7 And the destruction of Ahaziah was of God by coming to Joram: for when he was come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.

It was at this time that his mother, Athaliah, decided that she would rule Judah, and she went on a killing spree, murdering all her grandchildren.

*2Ch 22:10 But when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah.
2Ch 22:11 But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons that were slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest, (for she was the sister of Ahaziah,) hid him from Athaliah, so that she slew him not.
2Ch 22:12 And he was with them hid in the house of God six years: and Athaliah reigned over the land.

We do not have to be rocket scientists to realize that the Devil was trying to break the promise to King David and stop the miracle birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If Satan could cause just one of the promises of God to be wrong, no one would trust the promises of God to be a fact, and none would trust the Word of God to be true.

Ahaziah had a wicked father and a wicked mother, and he followed in their footsteps.

He, like Ahab, his father-in-law, was just a puppet that his mother controlled the strings.

Today, many people, including many so-called Christians, follow the example and the advice of people who are focused on the world and not on the Word of God.

When we start following the world in the passions and the pleasures, which are short-lived, we will influence our family and friends to do the same.

If we seek the advice of the world for our lives, we will likely follow the world in our decisions.

The Lord Jesus teaches us to do this instead: 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.

By the providence of God, a one-year-old child was in the right place at the right time in the hands of someone who loved the Lord.

2Ki 11:2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons which were slain; and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain.
2Ki 11:3 And he was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years. And Athaliah did reign over the land.

The miracle of God’s “Grace” at this time was Joash, who was a baby one year old.

This Jehoshabeath was the wife of Jehoiada, who was one of God’s priests and the Chief Priest of the Temple. Her name means “the Lord is her oath”.

Jehoshabeath was for salvation, Athaliah was out for destruction.

Jehoshabeath served God’s people; Athaliah served herself and the world.

We can also see that this nurse of the baby Joash helped save the life of this baby, and we do not even know her name.

At the age of seven years, Joash became King of Judah.

*2Ch 23:1 And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah the son of Obed, and Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, into covenant with him.
2Ch 23:2 And they went about in Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the chief of the fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.
2Ch 23:3 And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said unto them, Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as the LORD hath said of the sons of David.

The history of King Joash is actually the history of Jehoiada the priest of God.

In fact, the nation of Judah appreciated him so much that he was buried amongst the good kings of Judah, which we will cover in the next chapter.

We could ask ourselves; how will the other members of the Church remember us once we are in Heaven.

Can it be said that we have done good.

Our first obligation is to the Lord Jesus Christ.

God sees everything we do, and He knows us better than all others can.

Doing good to His House means we behave in His House according to the standards He has given to us.

1Ti 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest “know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God”, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Jehoiada secured the support of the military.
Jehoiada gets the Levites to return to the Temple.

If we know what the Lord has told us in the Word of God, then we can place our faith in what He said because God does not ever change.

Because the Temple is the location of this gathering, we know it is done before God.

Anytime we are doing business in the House of God we are inviting God to be a part of it!

In this seven-year-old boy lies the hope of the future of Israel and the future of the Church.

Did this priest realize what the Scriptures said?

He knew the promises he made to King David and this is where he placed his faith.

Today we place our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ because He is the only hope of our living in the glory world!

Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Col 1:28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

What had the Prophet Isaiah prophesied? Isa 3:4 And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.

Joash became the next King of Judah.

Later, we will see Manasseh made king at twelve years old and Josiah, who was king at eight years old, and Jehoiachin, who was king at eight years old.

What did King Solomon write in: Ecc 10:16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!

*2Ch 23:11 Then they brought out the king’s son, and put upon him the crown, “and gave him the testimony”, and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, God save the king.

They followed the Law of God in making Joash King of Judah.

Deu 17:18 And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:
Deu 17:19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:
Deu 17:20 That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.

King Joash would rule for forty years, and he would do what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days that Jehoiada lived.

2Ch 24:2 And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest.

He repaired the Temple that had been abused by wicked kings and priests.

2Ch 24:7 For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God; and also all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD did they bestow upon Baalim.

This work was financed by tithes called a Temple Tax and offerings that were freely given by the people.

Then Jehoiada reached the end of his days.

*2Ch 24:15 But Jehoiada waxed old, and was full of days when he died; an hundred and thirty years old was he when he died.
2Ch 24:16 And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God, and toward his house.

Priest Jehoiada had lived for one hundred and thirty years and this would be since the time of King Solomon and lived thru six other kings before he died.

Jehoiada does not die from disease or accident, but he dies of old age.

He had served God and his nation all those years.

No one since Joshua had lived these many years.

The influence of this great priest is shown when he is buried among the kings of Judah.

People ask all the time, “How much can one man do to help a nation”?

This priest, this one man, held back sin and helped his nation return to the Lord all the days of his life.

In many ways, this priest was in type like the Holy Spirit.

2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2Th 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

Once Jehoiada was gone, the evil that was in Judah began to influence Joash and turned him away from the Word of God.

When there should have been revival, the people of influence sway the king to go against the Word of God.

*2Ch 24:17 Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them.

This same thing has happened in America. The Church is allowed some freedom because our nation mostly honors the freedom of religion.

The Devil looks upon this thing and insists upon having those same freedoms.

This was not the intent of the founders of our nation, and our whimsy governments allow the worship of the Devil or any other false religion.

I do not consider Christianity to be a religion.

Christianity is a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ!

Without this personal relationship, there is no Church!

Those people in the Church who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ serve religion, and religion cannot save you!

This King turned against the teaching of Jehoiada and allowed these people in leadership positions to serve idols.

*2Ch 24:18 And they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass.
2Ch 24:19 Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the LORD; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear.
2Ch 24:20 And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you.
2Ch 24:21 And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD.

What did the Lord Jesus say to these leaders of Israel?

Mat 23:31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
Mat 23:32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
Mat 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
Mat 23:34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
Mat 23:35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
Mat 23:36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

There is a great many who believe that Zechariah the son of Jehoiada is the same man that the Lord Jesus is referring to as written in the Book of Matthew and the Book of Luke, where there is no name given for his father.

Luk 11:47 Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.
Luk 11:48 Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.
Luk 11:49 Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:
Luk 11:50 That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
Luk 11:51 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

The Spirit of God came upon Zechariah, and he pronounced judgment upon these wicked men and the King that had been saved by Jehoiada turned upon God and the Son of Jehoiada and murdered him in the court of the house of the Lord.

The Lord Jesus said between the altar and the Temple.

Judah could not prosper during the reign of Joash.

Jehovah promised justice to Judah.

Zep 1:4 I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests;
Zep 1:5 And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham;
Zep 1:6 And them that are turned back from the LORD; and those that have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for him.

Before we do anything in this life, we need to seek the face of God to see what He says about it!

2Co_6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

Amen

God’s Judgment

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

 Judgment on the House of Ahab

 Book of 2 Kings

 There are many disagreements in the many denominations of the Church about the “Judgment of God,” but we are all united in the belief that there will be a final “Judgment”.

 Death is a reality for every member of the human race.

 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.

 We should understand that this Scripture refers to the physical death of the body, but not the soul.

 The soul can be described as the life-principle of a human being, and the life-principle of every human will live on after the death of the body.

 The Lord Jesus says this about the soul: Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

 The soul can be said to be the immaterial nature of every human!

 The soul can only be seen by God, who gave it!

Sometimes, the real me on the inside of this sack of flesh will be looking out, and I will want to do something, but I cannot get this flesh to cooperate. It gets worse as I get older.

 At death, the soul and the body will separate: Jas 2:26 “For as the body without the spirit is dead”, so faith without works is dead also.

 With the body now dead, it is the soul that will face the judgment of God, as our verse in the Book of Hebrews says.

 No one is exempt from this death. Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

 We must be very clear that because Jehovah is holy, He must judge all that is unholy, or He would no longer be holy Himself!

 “Judgment” is an expression of God’s character!

 Today, we will see that many will face God’s “Judgement” as they die because they are evil and wicked, and they have refused to repent of that wickedness.

 We have already spoken some on the judgment of King Ahab and his wife Jezebel, but today we will see it as it takes place in the Scriptures.

 It was the Prophet Elijah who first informed King Ahab about how his life would end in judgment.

 We know that God had already judged Lucifer and the fallen angels, and the things written in the Scriptures will take place as they are written.

 We know that God judged the people on this earth with the worldwide flood in the days of Noah.

 God judged the people at the Tower of Babel.

 God judged the people of the Northern Kingdom, as we have been studying.

 God also judged the Southern Kingdom.

 We know that the wrath of God will be revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness!

The Book of Revelation gives us the horrible details of this “Judgement”.

 Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Rom 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

 As the Son of God, our Lord Jesus has the authority to render judgment when He returns, and He will only do this after He has removed His Church from this earth.

 Joh 5:27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

Joh 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,

Joh 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

 It would be Jehu who would be the hand of God’s judgment upon King Ahab and his wife Jezebel.

We will see that Jehu went farther than the Lord intended and in ways that were not intended.

 *****2Ki 9:1 And Elisha the prophet called one of the children of the prophets, and said unto him, Gird up thy loins, and take this box of oil in thine hand, and go to Ramothgilead:

2Ki 9:2 And when thou comest thither, look out there Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in, and make him arise up from among his brethren, and carry him to an inner chamber;

2Ki 9:3 Then take the box of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, Thus saith the LORD, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door, and flee, and tarry not.

2Ki 9:4 So the young man, even the young man the prophet, went to Ramothgilead.

2Ki 9:5 And when he came, behold, the captains of the host were sitting; and he said, I have an errand to thee, O captain. And Jehu said, Unto which of all us? And he said, To thee, O captain.

 Once Jehu was known to be the next King of the Northern Tribes of Israel, he had to move fast because he would be charged with high treason.

 Jehu was commanded by Jehovah to put a stop to the House of Ahab and being obedient to God and upon the right principles, he did not have to worry about opposition.

 What did the Lord actually say?

 1Ki 19:17 And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.

1Ki 19:18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

 What had God said to Ahab?

 1Ki 21:21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,

1Ki 21:22 And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin.

1Ki 21:23 And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.

1Ki 21:24 Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.

 This was Ahab’s last chance to repent. We know that Ahab did repent at least a little and Jehovah allowed him to die in a war with Syria “before his family came to judgment”, but the words of God’s prophet still held.

 1Ki 22:37 So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.

1Ki 22:38 And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of the LORD which he spake.

 *****2Ki 9:6 And he arose, and went into the house; and he poured the oil on his head, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the LORD, even over Israel.

2Ki 9:7 And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel.

2Ki 9:8 For the whole house of Ahab shall perish: and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel:

2Ki 9:9 And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah:

2Ki 9:10 And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her. And he opened the door, and fled.

 It was Elijah who had received the order from Jehovah to anoint Jehu as the new King of the Northern Tribes of Israel.

 Elijah anointed Elisha to replace him as a Prophet of God, and it was Elisha who anointed Hazael as King of Syria. Now, Elisha sent another prophet to anoint Jehu as the new king.

 God had allowed King Ahab to reign until his death.

 1Ki 21:27 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.

1Ki 21:28 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

1Ki 21:29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son’s days will I bring the evil upon his house.

 Once King Ahab had died, Jehovah fulfilled the promise He had made.

 1Ki 21:21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,

1Ki 21:22 And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin.

 The person Elisha chose to anoint Jehu as king was to do three things.

 Jehu was one of the captains of the Army of King Ahab and may have been the lead captain.

 1) This prophet was to take Jehu into an inner room and privately anoint him out of sight of everyone else.

2) He was to declare that it was Jehovah who had appointed him king over Israel.

3) He was to flee the scene as quickly as he could.

 For someone to declare themselves to be king would be considered high treason to the existing government.

 This is the thing that the Jews used to have the Lord Jesus crucified.

 Jehu was chosen specifically to execute justice on the house of Ahab.

 This was because Ahab had allowed Jezebel to slaughter the people of God and God’s prophets.

 Jehu was to kill all the descendants of Ahab and Jezebel.

 God had said this same thing would happen to other kings of Israel.

 Jezebel’s ending would be just as God had described.

 2Ki 9:10 And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her.

 The army of King Ahab became the army of King Jehu.

 Jehu was appointed to be a just ruler to execute justice.

There is a big difference between justice and murder!

 It is the same for every ruler that God allows to rule today.

 They are in place to execute justice, and they will be held accountable to God for how they do this!

 Executing justice does not always mean murder, which is a sin!

 However, how any ruler executes justice to their people will determine how Jehovah will execute justice to them!

 Whatever they sow, they will reap!

 The Lord Jesus Christ will execute perfect justice when He returns!

 2Ch 19:6 And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD, who is with you in the judgment.

2Ch 19:7 Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.

 Mat 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

 Joram, a son of Ahab, was now ruler of Israel, and Ahaziah was King of Judah, and they were both together.

 Because Athaliah was the daughter of Jezebel and the mother of Ahaziah, Joram, King of Israel, was the uncle to Ahaziah, the King of Judah.

 *****2Ki 9:21 And Joram said, Make ready. And his chariot was made ready. And Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out against Jehu, and met him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite.

2Ki 9:22 And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?

2Ki 9:23 And Joram turned his hands, and fled, and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah.

 The uncle and his nephew went out to meet Jehu.

 As only God can manage, these men met at the portion of land that had been taken from Naboth.

 If we do not believe in the providence of God, then we will never understand the Word of God.

 In reality, Jehu carried out a bloody slaughter throughout Israel.

 Did Jehovah command this to happen, or did He just warn King Ahab that this was going to happen?

 God will always allow us to repent.

 God will tell us what will happen if we refuse to repent.

 Hos 1:4 And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.

Hos 1:5 And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.

 We can see that the military of King Ahab did not think too highly of Jezebel.

 Joram was just like his mother, and Ahaziah was just like his mother Athaliah, the daughter of Jezebel.

 *****2Ki 9:24 And Jehu drew a bow with his full strength, and smote Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot.

2Ki 9:25 Then said Jehu to Bidkar his captain, Take up, and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite: for remember how that, when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father, the LORD laid this burden upon him;

2Ki 9:26 Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, saith the LORD; and I will requite thee in this plat, saith the LORD. Now therefore take and cast him into the plat of ground, according to the word of the LORD.

2Ki 9:27 But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house. And Jehu followed after him, and said, Smite him also in the chariot. And they did so at the going up to Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo, and died there.

 There are over fifty-two verses of Scripture that describe the slaughter of Jehu, so it must be important that we understand what God is saying here.

 Jehu took out King Joram with one shot of an arrow through his heart, and his body was cast into the field once owned by Naboth where the birds would eat him.

 It is Verse 26 that tells that the sons of Naboth were also slaughtered by King Ahab and Jezebel.

 Now Jehu turns his attention to King Ahaziah of Judah, best described in the Book of 2 Chronicles:

 2Ch 22:7 And the destruction of Ahaziah was of God by coming to Joram: for when he was come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.

2Ch 22:8 And it came to pass, that, when Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab, and found the princes of Judah, and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah, that ministered to Ahaziah, he slew them.

2Ch 22:9 And he sought Ahaziah: and they caught him, (for he was hid in Samaria,) and brought him to Jehu: and when they had slain him, they buried him: Because, said they, he is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart. So the house of Ahaziah had no power to keep still the kingdom.

 The death of Ahaziah and his sons left Judah without a king, and this is when Athaliah took it upon herself to become Queen of Judah by her treachery. She murdered her own children and grandchildren.

 2Ch 22:10 But when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah.

 Only one son had survived, who was Joash, who continued the promise made to King David.

 2Ch 22:11 But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons that were slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest, (for she was the sister of Ahaziah,) hid him from Athaliah, so that she slew him not.

2Ch 22:12 And he was with them hid in the house of God six years: and Athaliah reigned over the land.

 Jehu decided it was time to take care of Jezebel.

 *****2Ki 9:30 And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window.

 A tire was a headdress, an ornament for the head, generally of gold or precious stones, a tiara.

 Jezebel was old by this time, but made herself look like royalty in an attempt to impress Jehu.

 She had been the cause of the death of many prophets of God.

 *****2Ki 9:31 And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?

2Ki 9:32 And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side? who? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs.

2Ki 9:33 And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down: and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trode her under foot.

2Ki 9:34 And when he was come in, he did eat and drink, and said, Go, see now this cursed woman, and bury her: for she is a king’s daughter.

2Ki 9:35 And they went to bury her: but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands.

2Ki 9:36 Wherefore they came again, and told him. And he said, This is the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel:

2Ki 9:37 And the carcase of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel; so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel.

 The end of Jezebel was just as Jehovah had said.

 Her blood had splattered everywhere, she was trampled, and the dogs had eaten her until nothing but her skull, her hands, and her feet were left.

She would be as dung as her remains passed from the dogs in the nearby fields of Jezreel.

 She was buried in an unmarked grave, and no one mourned for this wicked woman.

 It was then that Jehu turned his attention to the seventy sons of King Ahab.

 The Scripture says seventy sons, but it may mean sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons.

 *****2Ki 10:10 Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spake concerning the house of Ahab: for the LORD hath done that which he spake by his servant Elijah.

2Ki 10:11  So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsfolks, and his priests, until he left him none remaining. 

 Jehu may have considered himself to be the arm of God, but in reality, we know that God does not need our help for His Word to be True!

 Zec 1:6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

 Mar 13:31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

 Jehu wrote a letter to the officials of Samaria and Jezreel, telling them to choose the closest relative of King Ahab and make him king of Israel and to prepare for war.

 This only terrified these officials, who were afraid to confront Jehu.

 Since they had switched their allegiance to Jehu, Jehu wrote another letter demanding that they execute justice against the seventy sons of King Ahab for treason.

 They were to bring the heads of these seventy sons to Jezreel the very next day.

 The word of Jehu was honored.

 Jehu made out that he was on a special mission for Jehovah to remove any blame for himself seeking the sympathy of the people.

 Jehu was not a godly man.

 *****2Ki 10:31 But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.

 He was just like Jeroboam.

 King Jehu went beyond the justice that God had intended, and he became a murderer.

 God wanted justice throughout the Northern Tribes of Israel and not just the elimination of one family, though God knew what Jehu would do.

 To murder is a terrible sin because it takes the life of a person out of this world.

 The hearts of many who are left behind also suffer much pain and grief, and in many cases hardship, because it was the male who was the breadwinner on that day, while the wife took care of the children.

 Jehu caused a terrible number of single-parent families.

 God never instructs His children to murder. God still says that they will suffer the consequences of this evil.

 For the wages of sin is death!

 Amen

Obadiah God’s Prophet of Doom

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

God’s Prophet of Doom
 
Book of Obadiah
 
 
The name Obadiah means the servant of Yahweh. Obadiah was a servant of the Lord.
 
We may read a lot of things about Obadiah but in reality all we know is what is written in the book that carries his name.
 
There were several other men who were named Obadiah but we do not know of any of them being the Prophet Obadiah.
 
The Book of Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament and he is called a Minor Prophet but the message of the Minor Prophets are just as important as the other prophets.
 
This book is still given to us as a message from the Holy Spirit.
 
From start to finish the Book of Obadiah is a prophecy of judgment and doom on the people of Edom.
 
The enmity between Israel and Edom began when these to twin sons of Isaac were still in the womb of their mother.
 
Gen 25:22  And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD. 
Gen 25:23  And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. 
 
The hostility of these two brothers continued for years.
 
Remember Jacob bought Esau’s inheritance for the price of a bowl of stew.
 
Edom was a source of pain for israel throughout Old Testament history.
 
When Moses was leading Israel to the promised land Edom refused to allow them to cross their land.
 
Num 20:18  And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the sword. 
Num 20:19  And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without doing any thing else, go through on my feet. 
Num 20:20  And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand. 
Num 20:21  Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.
 
These things only got worse as time went by.
 
God told Israel to treat the Edomites like brothers: Deu 23:7  Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother: thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because thou wast a stranger in his land. 
Deu 23:8  The children that are begotten of them shall enter into the congregation of the LORD in their third generation.

God expects brotherly love from each of us and we are not to hate our enemies.
 
The Edomites did not do the same: Eze 35:5  Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an end: 
Eze 35:6  Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will prepare thee unto blood, and blood shall pursue thee: sith thou hast not hated blood, even blood shall pursue thee. 
Eze 35:7  Thus will I make mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it him that passeth out and him that returneth. 
Eze 35:8  And I will fill his mountains with his slain men: in thy hills, and in thy valleys, and in all thy rivers, shall they fall that are slain with the sword. 
Eze 35:9  I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not return: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
 
The Edomites were israel’s longest standing enemy and more prophecies are directed against this nation than any other in Scripture.
 
After Jerusalem was defeated by Babylon the Edomites entered Jerusalem to loot whatever valuables and food that had been overlooked by Babylon.
 
Worst of all they murdered survivors trying to flee from the Babylonians and handed over others to be tormented.
 
This did not set well with Jehovah and the Edomites would be destroyed and snuffed our forever from history.
 
The purpose of Obadiah was to warn the Edomites and was their last chance for repentance.
 
We should be able to see that the enemies of God’s people will be severely judged.
 
In the end the message of the Prophet Obadiah will apply to all people and all nations who dare to persecute God’s people.
 
*Oba 1:1  The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom; We have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle. 
 
It is this first verse that we get the name of the author of this great book.
 
A vision, was one of the ways God revealed Himself to His prophets, sometimes by open revelations and other times by dreams.
 
Abraham, Jacob, Isaiah and many others were called with visions.
 
Even in the day of the Apostle Paul visions are mentioned.
 
2Co 12:1  It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. 
 
Act 18:9  Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: 
Act 18:10  For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city. 
 
I know the Lord still uses visions or dreams today.
 
This is the reason these prophets of God were called “Seers”.
 
1Sa 9:9  (Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.) 
 
Obadiah says he and other prophets were given this same message.
 
Jeremiah was one.
 
Jer 49:14  I have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent unto the heathen, saying, Gather ye together, and come against her, and rise up to the battle.
 
This word ambassador is the same person as a messenger who goes to the unbeliever with the message of God.
 
As Christians we are all to be ambassadors for Jesus Christ.
 
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.
 
Our home is now Heaven so we can be ambassadors to this earth and to every nation upon this earth.
 
We should be clear Jehovah gave Obadiah an actual picture of the destruction of Edom.
 
Not only did Obadiah get a visual picture of the destruction of Edom but Jehovah did speak to His prophet.

God gave Obadiah the words to say to Edom.
 
Oba 1:2  Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised. 
Oba 1:3  The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? 
Oba 1:4  Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD. 
 
These are the words of Jehovah.
 
The Edomites would be despised by the nations that were around.
 
No matter what they were into in that day, they would become a small people until they would cease to exist.
 
It was the Edomites who carved Petra and other cities out of sandstone rock.
 
They felt very safe and very secure in these cities.
 
To get to Petra you have to go through a narrow canyon that is only wide enough for one man and one horse to pass through in single file.
 
Any enemy could be stopped from entering into Petra. This where there pride came from as they had stopped many enemies at this narrow point.
 
They had begun to think like the Devil.(who shall bring me down to the ground)
 
Mal 1:3  And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. 
Mal 1:4  Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever. 
Mal 1:5  And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel. 
 
God described Lucifer: Isa 14:12  How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 
Isa 14:13  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 
Isa 14:14  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 
Isa 14:15  Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. 
 
No doubt pride is still our enemy even though we should be proud of our heritage with the Lord Jesus Christ we must be careful how we use it.
 
God says that pride in our heart will deceive us and we know that Satan’s middle name is “Deceiver”.
 
Obadiah prophesies against the Edomites because of their attitude of hatred against God’s people Israel.
 
The Edomites felt secure in their rock carve homes in Petra.
 
We know the eagle will make it’s home in high places that cannot be reached by most of its enemies, and the Edomites also felt this way.
 
In fact God said even if their nest was amongst the stars, He would still bring them down to earth.
 
We should understand that God will pour out His “judgment” upon the unbelievers on this earth, especially upon those who persecute God’s people.
 
What was God’s judgment?
 
The nation of Edom would be made a small.
The pride of the people of Edom would be cut down.
 
Their land would no longer protect them. Only the Lord can protect and secure any nation.
 
Our own nation could find this out it continues to persecute the Church!
 
Oba 1:8  Shall I not in that day, saith the LORD, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau? 
Oba 1:9  And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter. 
Oba 1:10  For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.
 
The enemy that God would use against Edom would be one of their trusted allies.
 
Anyone who continues to reject the Lord could see their own friends turn on them.
 
This so-called friend of Edom would take all their wealth and and all their valuable possessions.
 
All the treasures of Edom would be plundered.
 
God’s “judgment” would strip Edom bare of their treasures.
 
All the wise leaders of Edom would leave for other places or be slaughtered.
 
Edom would lose its army and become defenceless.
 
All who oppose the Lord and His people will certainly face the terrifying “judgment” of Jehovah God.
 
2Th 1:7  And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 
2Th 1:8  In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 
2Th 1:9  Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 
2Th 1:10  When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
 
Oba 1:11  In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them. 
Oba 1:12  But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress. 
Oba 1:13  Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity; 
Oba 1:14  Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that did escape; neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress. 
 
You want to get on the wrong side of God? Here is how you do it.
 
1) Become an enemy of God’s people.
 
Edom had a hatred for God’s people that had lasted for many years. It is the same for the so-called Palestinians today. They rejoiced at the destruction of Jerusalem. They committed every act of voilence imaginable in order to cause problems for the nation of Israel.
 
2) They were blood relatives of the Israelites but this meant nothing to them. They were filled with a bitter hatred and they would never come to the aid of the Israelites. They would give their support to the enemies of Israel.
 
3) They looked down on the Jews just as their are many in the world who still do this today. They would rejoice everytime they saw the Jews suffering. Remember the two witnesses that are written in the Book of the Revelation.
 
Rev 11:4  These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. 
Rev 11:5  And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. 
Rev 11:6  These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. 
Rev 11:7  And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. 
Rev 11:8  And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 
Rev 11:9  And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. 
Rev 11:10  And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. 
 
The Edomites rejoiced over every destruction that happened to the Jews.
 
4) The Edomites attacked and plundered the Israelites at ever opportunity. Even when other nations had defeated the Jews. As soon as they left the Edomites would sweep down and take anything that was left. It is an awful thing to steal from helpless people who cannot defend themselves.
 
5) The Edomites were guilty of murder. When Israel was attacked there would be survivors who fled to safety but the Edomites would ambush them and slaughter them.
 
6) The edomites were guilty of betrayal. Sometimes instead murdering those survivors they would hand them over to the enemy to make slaves of them. The Edomites were guilty of the worst sort of treachery.
 
God expects every person upon this earth to have a spirit of brotherly love and especially the Church.
 
Rom 1:28  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 
Rom 1:29  Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 
Rom 1:30  Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 
Rom 1:31  Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 
Rom 1:32  Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. 
 
2Ti 3:1  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 
2Ti 3:2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 
2Ti 3:3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 
2Ti 3:4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 
2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
 
These were the Edomites in their day and they will face the “judgment of God.
 
What are the laws of Jesus?
 
Mat 22:37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 
Mat 22:38  This is the first and great commandment. 
Mat 22:39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 
Mat 22:40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 
 
The Day of the Lord is much closer than we think!
 
Oba 1:15  For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head. 
Oba 1:16  For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been. 
Oba 1:17  But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.

We that love the Lord truly believe that we are in the “last days”.

God had made many promises to the Church which He will keep.

God has made many promises to the Jews which He will also keep.

In the “last days” of human history when the lord Jesus Christ returns to set up His Kingdom the prophecies of Obadiah will be fulfilled.

1) All nations will face the ‘Day of the Lord”! vs 16
2) Mount Zion, Jerusalem will be delivered from the hands of the enemies and Jerusalem will be made holy. It maybe called the Holy City today but it is not holy. Vs 17
3) God promised the tribes of Israel will inherit the land promised to Abraham and his descendants, those who truly love the Lord and are faithful to Him.
Gen 17:5  Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. 
Gen 17:6  And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. 
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. 

4) The divided nation of Israel will be reunited and Edom will be destroyed with no survivors. Vs 18.
There will be no one upon the earth that will oppose King Jesus.

5) Israel will reoccupy all the lands lost to other nations through the centuries. Vs 19-20

Godly leaders will govern Edom as well as all the nations that remain. Vs 21

*Oba 1:21  And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S. 

Every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer we ask God to send His Kingdom to this earth.

Mat 6:9  After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 
Mat 6:10  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

In the not too distant future that prayer will be answered!

Jesus Christ will return to this earth and every knee will bow to our Savior and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Obadiah is known as the prophet of doom but he is also the prophet of the coming Kingdom of God.

Amen

The Prophet Elisha

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

God’s Prophet of Miracles

2 Kings 2:9-14, 4:1-7, 6:1-7

What is making a commitment?

The act of pledging yourself to God and entrusting yourself to God.

Before Elisha became the powerful prophet that he was, he spent some time with the Prophet Elijah.

Elijah was somewhat like a father to Elisha, and Elisha was a devoted servant to Elijah.

We must have this relationship with our Heavenly Father, and we do this while trying to be more like the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

Elisha made a commitment to Jehovah and Elijah.

2Ki 2:5 And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
2Ki 2:6 And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.

The Prophet Elisha refused to leave the side of Elijah.

Now it was not Elijah who called Elisha to be a prophet of Jehovah, it was Jehovah who had called him through Elijah.

1Ki 19:16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.

We can all love and cherish our pastor, but this will not make us preachers.

We must be called of God!

Elijah knew his time had come to leave this earth, and God did this in a special way.

Elijah had used many ways to test the commitment of Elisha, and Elisha had passed every test.

It was Elisha who would spend the final moments alone with his beloved prophet.

For more than twenty years, the Prophet Elijah had witnessed to the nation of Israel.

Elijah had the power of God upon him.

*2Ki 2:8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.
2Ki 2:9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
2Ki 2:10 And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.

Somewhat like Moses at the Red Sea, Jehovah parted the waters of the River Jordan so his two prophets could cross on dry ground.

On this very day, Elijah would be raptured out of this world in full view of Elisha.

I say raptured because what does the word rapture mean?

The word rapture means to be “caught up”.

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.

Before the Tribulation, Jesus Christ will descend from Heaven, catching up the Church to be with Himself while the tribulation is unleashed on a world that refuses to repent and is full of unbelievers once the Church is gone.

The seventh week of the prophet Daniel is an outpouring of the wrath of God!

Dan 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Rev 14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
Rev 14:7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

The Tribulation is described in the Book of Revelation from Chapter 6 through Chapter 16.

Rev 19:2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.

That word “whore” means the false Church and those who reject our Creator, especially those who know the truth of God but have rejected Him.

Elisha asked Elijah for a double portion of the Holy Spirit that powered Elijah.

He knew he could not replace Elijah.

Elijah did not have the power to grant such a request because his power came from the Spirit of Jehovah.

In those days, the firstborn son in a Hebrew family was granted a double portion of any inheritance if they were found worthy.

Then, without any warning, Jehovah claimed His servant, Elijah.

*2Ki 2:11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

We must know that our lives are in the hands of the Lord to do as He pleases!

1) God knows when our work is done.
2) Death seems so low, but in fact, we are elevated to a higher service.
3) We are elevated, dignified, and glorified.
4) We do not enter into soul sleep or an intermediate state; we go to another world we call Heaven.

Elijah was carried up by the power of God.

When our Lord Jesus went back to Heaven, He went under His own power.

Elijah was taken up as in the rapture.

Jesus Christ just went back to Heaven, where He came from, to sit at the right hand of God.

The Lord Jesus is coming again first to Rapture the Church into the clouds and then to this earth at the end of the tribulation period of seven years.

Elisha saw with his own eyes that God’s people are all surrounded by angels.

2Ki 6:17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

*2Ki 2:12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.
2Ki 2:13 He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;
2Ki 2:14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.

Jehovah had used the Prophet Elijah to demonstrate to Israel that it was Jehovah who had the true power over Israel.

He will do the same with the Prophet Elisha, and it is these things that we must learn from the Old Testament.

If we cannot commit ourselves to our God, how can we ever overcome the obstacles that Satan will put in our path of righteousness?

1Co 4:1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
1Co 4:2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

Faithful is another word for commitment!

Gal 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Gal 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Elisha’s first call was to pick up the fallen cloak of Elijah.

Elisha was to replace the great Prophet Elijah.

The next proof to Elisha was the parting of the River Jordan.

This was an act of faith that he had received the power of God as he had desired.

Elijah had promised the fulfillment of this request, and God had allowed it to take place.

There were some eyewitnesses to this event, and they needed to see if Elisha truly had the power of God upon him.

Elisha began his ministry, and we will see more miracles from this man of God than from any other prophet of God.

*2Ki 4:1 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.
2Ki 4:2 And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.

Just as it is today, women who have lost their husbands or never had one to begin with will struggle to raise a family.

Many of them are like this woman who was married to a preacher, and all of a sudden, he had died, and he died owing money to a ruthless man.

We also see that these sons of the prophets did not separate themselves from society but had families and had family life.

So, this was something that God did not require. In fact, the Church is to be a close-knit family, just as all families should be,

This woman was left with a son and a small pot of olive oil and no money to pay the creditor.

The Jewish law of that time demanded that debts be paid, but God had His demands.

Lev 25:38 I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.
Lev 25:39 And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant:
Lev 25:40 But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubile:
Lev 25:41 And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return.

No Jew could be made a slave by another Jew according to the Word of God because they all had been slaves in Egypt.

We also know that the Word of God was abused then as it is today.

The Prophet Elisha knew what was going on here, and so did Jehovah, who watches over us all.

*2Ki 4:3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.
2Ki 4:4 And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.
2Ki 4:5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.

There are times when we will have a heavy need, and the Lord Jesus reminds us of what to do.

Joh 16:23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
Joh 16:24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

Elijah was now gone to Heaven, so this woman turned to Elisha and Elisha said: “Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few”.

God said: Go to your neighbors and get all the containers that they will let you have.

This woman took her small vessel of olive oil and began pouring it into the borrowed buckets, pitchers, and any other containers until they were all full, and she still had her vessel of olive oil.

When God offers His gifts, we must never be the reason that His gift falls short.

As this oil is a type of the Holy Spirit, we must understand that it is never a question of the amount of oil; it is always a question of the empty vessels that need to be filled.

God has enough of His Spirit to fill every human being upon this earth and keep them full!

2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
2Co 4:8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair.
2Co 4:9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
2Co 4:10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
2Co 4:11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

God’s oil can never run out!

We must take advantage of His offer to help us.

If this woman had a lack of faith and just gotten a few containers, her sons would have still had to serve the creditor, and she might not have ever seen them again.

Notice also that this thing was to be done behind closed doors.

This was a woman with a lot of faith.

*2Ki 4:6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.
2Ki 4:7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.

We must understand that being poor is not necessarily a disgrace.

Being poor, we can sometimes better understand the gifts of God.

We could say that the Bible is the poor man’s book because God certainly remembers the poor.

A poor woman with a devout heart can be the greatest prayer warrior in the Church and many are.

Psa 68:5 A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.

Psa 10:14 Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.

God’s heart is full of compassion for those who cannot help themselves and who depend on Him to meet their needs.

What did this poor woman do?

1) She informed a true man of God of her situation and sought his counsel.
2) She sought the help of her neighbors, humbly asking for assistance.
3) She sought privacy, giving God all the glory.
4) She got involved in the remedy, pouring the oil herself.
5) She had faith that God would meet her need.

Jesus said: Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Mat 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

We should understand that every circumstance we face in life could be a test and a means of Christian growth, whether they are good or bad.

To be honest, we can grow more during our bad times than our good times if our faith stays rock solid.

Indeed, we cannot have a testimony until we are tested.

The Bible is a lot of things to a lot of people, but it is surely a testimony of God’s power to help and to defend His people.

The Old Testament is full of things that God did for His people, and we know we serve this same God today.

*2Ki 6:1 And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.
2Ki 6:2 Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.
2Ki 6:3 And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go.

The place where these sons of the prophets gathered to study the Word of God had grown too small, and they wanted to build a bigger place on the shores of the River Jordan.

Notice that every man was to join in the construction of this new building.

Even Elisha would be with them.

By building this new place to worship near the place where they gathered the lumber, they would not have to transport these materials to the other place.

We can see that the Word of God was still working in the places of the Northern Tribes of Israel.

*2Ki 6:4 So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood.
2Ki 6:5 But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.
2Ki 6:6 And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.
2Ki 6:7 Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.

We may wonder why this story is in the Bible, but God has His reason for every word He gives to us.

We can understand Church growth.
We can understand the members of the Church helping with the construction.
We can understand the head prophet or the Pastor joining in with the work.
A united Church can accomplish so much more than a divided Church!

What is the purpose of a miracle of God?

We know that miracles did not happen at random throughout Scripture but occurred mainly in the days of Moses and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha, and Jesus Christ and the Apostles.

There are a select few that happened outside this time, but not many.

Miracles were given to authenticate God’s message.

God enabled His messengers to perform miracles to substantiate the new message they were given.

The word “miracle” means “power” or “work of power”.

Today, God does not work through a person for miracles to happen.

God may answer a prayer of a believer that requires a miracle, or He may perform a miracle in the life of a believer again as an answer to prayer.

So, a believer’s prayer is the most powerful gift we have today.

Here in our passage, we see that an axe-head called “the iron” came off the ax handle and fell into the River Jordan.

This man had borrowed this ax from his neighbor, and by Jewish Law, he was responsible for it.

Iron tools were precious and scarce on that day.

This happened often with the axes of that day.

Deu 19:5 As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live:

Elisha asked him in what part of the river it fell, and he showed him.

The River Jordan is not a clear river.

In this miracle, Elisha threw a stick down into the river and the axe-head did swim to that stick and that man reached down a picked up the axe-head.

For that man, this was quite a miracle.

Joh 3:27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.

This man had lost this axe-head while he was faithfully serving the Lord.

As servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, we must walk carefully before the Lord and take inventory of our tools lest we lose something that we need.

Without this axe-head, this man could only watch others’ work, and there are far too many of these types in the Church already.

If we honestly lose something and own up to it while doing the work the Lord has given to us to do, then God can recover what we lost and get us back into the race, as the Apostle Paul would say.

Amen

God Dealing With Wicked Rulers

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Dealing With Wicked Rulers
 
Book of 1 Kings Chapter 21
 
 
A ruler is someone who is in authority over other people. Here in our church our Pastor is the ruler because he is the man God called to lead us.
 
Can someone be so evil that Jehovah will condemn that person to hell?
 
We had better be clear on this question.
 
Jhn_3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
 
Many people do not believe this because they do not believe in a Divine Creator. They deny the existence of a Holy God.
 
Many people say they believe in a God, but they do not believe He will hold people accountable in a day of justice.
 
Many people believe that if there is such a day that they have done enough good to overcome the bad things they have done.
 
If we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation, then we need to believe what He says about these things.
 
Sixteen times in the New Testament the Lord Jesus Christ says the word Hell as in a place that exists.
 
This is more than any other person.
 
There is a coming judgment for everyone who has ever lived!
 
One of the major teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ is that there is a place called Hell, and we are condemned to this place called Hell already unless we repent and turn towards Him and His ways.
 
Today we will meet two of the most wicked people in the Old Testament. In fact, Jezebel may have been the most wicked woman to have ever lived.
 
In fact, the Word of God lists his marriage to Jezebel as the worst sin of King Ahab.
 
Jezebel is the first of the persecutors of the people of God.
 
This woman had four hundred and fifty false prophets who ministered under her care beside four hundred more false prophets who maintained her groves.
 
A grove was a wooden image or large idol of the goddess Ashtoreth.
 
She had other names which included Ishtar, Astarte, Alytta, Diana, the goddess of love to many people.
 
This Jezebel felt that she was the Living Goddess in her day.
 
The Lord Jesus Christ mentions this wickedness in the last of the Church Age.
 
Rev_2:20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
 
In our world today we see far too many people trying to tolerate what God hates, and they say it is because of His great love for all people.
 
We are never to tolerate what God say He hates!
 
We are to never allow this false teaching into the Church.
 
We are never to allow the teaching of this seductress into our Church.
 
What does the Lord Jesus promise about the teaching of Jezebel?
 
Rev 2:23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
 
1Ki 21:1 And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
1Ki 21:2 And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money.
1Ki 21:3 And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.
 
King Ahab was a wicked and evil man and the seventh king of the Northern Tribes of Israel.
 
His wife Jezebel had a very evil influence over him.
 
We first met the prophet Elijah in his dealings with King Ahab.
 
It seems that every king who heard from Elijah then wanted to kill him.
 
You cannot kill the Word of God!
 
He had warred with Ben-Hadad of Syria and in the end, defeated him with the help of Jehovah.
 
It was a time of peace that King Ahab had gone to his palace in Jezreel that he looked out his window which was upon the city wall, and he could see a vineyard that belonged to Naboth.
 
King Ahab had a love for herbs, and he wanted to turn the vineyard of Naboth into a garden for herbs and so he approached Naboth and attempted to buy or trade for this piece of land under his window.
 
Naboth responded to this king with an absolute no, but he explained himself.
 
Naboth still clung to the Word of God and God had told the Hebrews when they entered into the promised land that they were to keep that land in their families.
 
Num 36:7 So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel remove from tribe to tribe: for every one of the children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.
Num 36:8 And every daughter, that possesseth an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel, shall be wife unto one of the family of the tribe of her father, that the children of Israel may enjoy every man the inheritance of his fathers.
Num 36:9 Neither shall the inheritance remove from one tribe to another tribe; but every one of the tribes of the children of Israel shall keep himself to his own inheritance.
 
If we are deep enough in our convictions we will not give in to the ways of the world.
 
It may be that this thing might have ended at this point if not for the interference of Jezebel.
 
1Ki 21:4 And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.
 
King Ahab had done nothing wrong in trying to buy the vineyard of Naboth.
King Ahab had done nothing wrong in trying to trade a better vineyard for the land of Naboth.
 
His sin was covetousness.
 
Greed and covetousness are forbidden sin!
 
Covetousness is an inordinate desire for worldly possessions. It is the desire to increase the things you have by taking what others have.
 
It is a disorder of the heart and is associated with selfishness.
 
It is an irresistible desire to have what others own!
 
King Ahab showed childlike behavior when Naboth refused his offers.
 
Covetousness comes from the heart where all lustful and sinful desires are located!
 
Jas 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Jas 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Jas 1:16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
 
The Lord Jesus said it like this: Luk 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
 
1Ti 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
1Ti 6:7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
1Ti 6:8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
1Ti 6:9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
 
Here comes Jezebel to save the day for Ahab.
 
1Ki 21:5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?
1Ki 21:6 And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard.
1Ki 21:7 And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
 
King Ahab is one of those people in this world who always have to have their way.
 
He is a weak man who acts like a spoiled child.
 
Jezebel is a wicked tyrant who does not allow anyone to question her authority.
 
She promises her husband that she will get him the land of Naboth.
 
King Ahab could have had almost any piece of land in all his kingdom but not that one small piece of land that belonged to Naboth.
 
He was miserable because he could not get that one piece of land.
 
It should be obvious that it was Jezebel who had the true authority in the kingdom of Ahab.
 
Jezebel’s sin was the sin of Ahab. Ahab did not try to stop Jezebel even though he knew she would have an evil plan.
 
We know that Adam did not pluck the fruit from the forbidden tree, but he was still guilty when he took a bite from it in the hand of Eve.
 
Gen 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
Gen 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
Gen 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
 
We are trying to be like God when we make up our own rules and ignore the Word of God.
 
Jezebel devised a plan for the neighbors of Naboth to end his life making herself and King Ahab free from guilt.
 
It did not bother her to take a man’s life!
 
She paid for two false witnesses according to the Word of God.
 
Num_35:30 Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.
 
She sent letters to the elders and nobles of the city in King Ahab’s name using his signet ring to seal them.
 
They proclaimed a fast.
 
1Ki 21:12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.
 
In ancient times a day of fasting was sometimes set aside in order to show concern that a criminal or some evil threatened the city, but this did not come from Jehovah.
 
Fasting is for one purpose only and that purpose is to open the ear of God to a special need.
 
Isa 58:4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.
 
It is a sad thing but wicked and corrupt leaders can always find someone to do their bidding.
 
Today we see godlessness and corruption in our courts are like poison to our nation and I hope it is finally put aside for the truth.
 
Some high officials ask certain people to do things, and they just do them without asking for what reason.
 
What is going on in America today should not be happening, yet it is going on in the Church also.
 
There is coming a day soon where God says He has had enough!
 
It is the innocent who suffer just as Naboth.
 
Naboth was murdered under the cover of religion instead of covetousness.
 
Religion has been used and continues to be used today to cover up wickedness and terrible sin!
 
It was not just Naboth in this instance but his entire family.
 
Today innocence will not always be our security, but we have assurance that there is a judgment coming to the wicked.
 
1Ki 21:13 And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.
1Ki 21:14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead.
 
Naboth was accused of treason against the kingdom and blasphemy against the gods of Israel, which we know were golden bulls.
 
Naboth was innocent of both charges.
 
Naboth was stoned to death for being innocent.
 
We see a type of Christ in Naboth in this passage.
 
Naboth is a type of Christ, which means he is a foreshadowing and representation of Jesus Christ.
 
Naboth’s vineyard is seen as a representation of salvation.
 
Naboth’s story is an example where we can see Jesus Christ. Both Naboth and Jesus owned a vineyard.
 
God saw what happened to Naboth.
 
Naboth was killed simply because wicked people wanted what belonged to him — and not just any people, but the king and queen of Israel.
 
This thing, of course, displeased the Lord very badly.
 
God Himself would condemn Ahab for what he had done.
 
God condemned Ahab’s wickedness, in that he coveted, killed, and took possession of his victim’s land.
 
“So, [Ahab] died, and was brought to Samaria. And they buried the king in Samaria. Then someone washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood while the harlots bathed, according to the word of the Lord which He had spoken.”
 
God knew what happened and God did not let such injustice slip away.
 
What does Naboth teach us? Here are two things we can learn from him:
 
1) We must stand up for what is ours in Christ
 
Of course, this does not mean we should be stingy hoarders. What this means is that we must never let go of our inheritance in the Lord.
 
Many of us Christians today easily let go of our inheritance, trading it for some temporal pleasure and comfort. We do not stand up and rise as God’s children, we don’t fight for the salvation of our families, we stop praying for the will of God to happen in our nation and wherever we are.
 
We must take hold of our inheritance in Christ and never let it go.
 
2) Injustice may happen to us, but God sees it all
 
God saw the injustice done to Naboth and didn’t let it slip. No injustice can ever be hidden from God’s eyes, and we can rest our hopes on that.
 
We might feel angry at God for allowing bad people to do bad things to us, but the truth is that God is good and that He’s not our enemy. He’s watching us closely and is taking note of all that happens to us.
 
He will always ensure that justice will be served according to His way.
 
1Ki 21:15 And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead.
1Ki 21:16 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.
 
There are three villains in this passage.
 
1) Ahab who is a wicked and weak man.
2) Jezebel who is a wicked and strong woman.
3) The elders of Israel who were wicked and useful to promote wickedness in the government of Ahab.

This shows us that if our leades are wicked and corrupt then these things will spread throughout our nation.
 
We should be clear, just because Naboth had been murdered, that land did not belong to King Ahab.
 
It still belonged to the family of Naboth.
 
Ahab probably claimed the land because the crown at that time, could seize the land of an executed criminal.
 
None of these things were hidden from the Almighty Living God.
 
1Ki 21:17 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
1Ki 21:18 Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it.
1Ki 21:19 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.
 
You could substitute the word “wickedness” with the name “Jezebel”.
 
Ahab may not have known what happened to Naboth, but he certainly knew that Jezebel said she would take care of this matter.
 
This made Ahab just as guilty of the death of Naboth as was his wife and those elders.
 
God has this saying: Num_32:23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: “and be sure your sin will find you out”.
 
No sinner can escape the judgment of God!
No sinner can escape the consequences of sin.
 
Sin will search and find us no matter where we are at.
 
What did God tell Cain after he had killed his brother Abel? Gen 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? “and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door”. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
 
Every sin brings its own punishment and there has never been any deviation of it!
 
It is only a question of time!
 
There is no getting away from these words of the Holy Spirit!
 
Jehovah called upon Elijah to deliver another message to King Ahab.
 
Ahab did not think of himself as some murderer or guilty of anything other than being king and able to do as he pleased.
 
Ahab hated Elijah even though he had no real reason to do so.
 
What was God’s message to Ahab? “In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine”.
 
Why was Elijah so hated? Elijah only spoke the truth of God.
 
1Ki 21:20 And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.
 
Ahab was standing right in the middle of Naboth’s vineyard, a place Ahab had wanted so much.
 
Ahab even though he wqas King of Israel had no power over the man of God and he knew it.
 
Elijah possessed the power of a righteous man.
 
Ahab was a weak and wicked man.
 
Ahab was guilty of murder and stealing an innocent man’s property.
 
Jezebel and the elders of Samaria were all guilty of the same crime.
 
Not many would have stood alone against such wickedness, but the man of God was just being obedient to the Lord.
 
What did Jehovah have to say?
 
1Ki 21:21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,
1Ki 21:22 And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin.
1Ki 21:23 And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.
1Ki 21:24 Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.
 
This prophecy of Jehovah took place in the time of Jehu.
 
Jehu was made King of Israel by Jehovah and God used Jehu to punish the house of Ahab.
 
2Ki 9:23 And Joram turned his hands, and fled, and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah.
2Ki 9:24 And Jehu drew a bow with his full strength, and smote Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot.
2Ki 9:25 Then said Jehu to Bidkar his captain, Take up, and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite: for remember how that, when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father, the LORD laid this burden upon him;
2Ki 9:26 Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, saith the LORD; and I will requite thee in this plat, saith the LORD. Now therefore take and cast him into the plat of ground, according to the word of the LORD.
 
There is no escaping the “judgment of God”!
 
Ahab and Jezebel are suffering the “judgment of God” today and they will throughout eternity.
 
They are joined by all such people today.
 
Once we are born into this world we never cease to exist.
 
First, we exist upon this earth then at our death we continue to live in God’s presence, or we will live in a place that the Lord Jesus Christ called Hell.
 
Mat_10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
 
Where we spend eternity depends upon how we live our lives upon this earth!
 
Mat 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
Mat 3:12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
 
1Ki 21:25 But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.
 
There was not a more godless king than King Ahab. He allowed his wife Jezebel to lead him straight to Hell.
 
In fact, his wickedness reached its lowest point because he listened to his even more wicked wife.
 
Jezebel did all she could to stamp out the truth of Jehovah and Ahab knew this was wrong.
 
King Ahab should have recognized Elijah as his best friend and Jezebel as his worst foe.
 
We cannot ever be on the side of the world and think we are on the side of God!
 
Amen

My God is Jehovah

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Elijah-The Courageous Prophet

Book of 2 Kings Chapter 1

God’s Prophet Elijah.

The Hebrew name Elijah means “My God is Jehovah.”

We are all called to be Elijah’s today.

Elijah was a sight to behold. His hair hung down his back, and he wore a girdle of skin around his loins; sometimes, he placed a mantle over it.

A mantle would normally be a sheepskin worn like a cape.

We first meet Elijah when he confronts King Ahab of the Northern Tribes of Israel.

We know that Elijah had gone to King Ahab with a message from Jehovah.

1Ki 17:1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.

Elijah then escaped the vengeance of Jezebel.

1Ki 19:2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.

God provided the needs of Elijah with this small brook while ravens brought him meat to eat.

Next, God sent Elijah to Zarephath to the house of a widow woman where God prolonged her oil and meal until the drought was over and where Elijah restored the life of her son.

God used Elijah on other occasions

This is the Ahab who had as his wife Jezebel. Jezebel was the daughter of the king of the Zidonians whose name was Ethbaal.

The name Ehtbaal means enjoying the favor and protection of Baal.

Jezebel did everything she could to stamp out the worship of Jehovah.

She was a wicked woman.

She also had a daughter named Athaliah who married the King of Judah named Jehoram who was also the only woman who occupied the throne of Judah.

We will see the great influence these two wicked women had on the children of Israel.

Elijah was one of those people that if you ever met him, you would certainly never forget him.

Elijah may be the weirdest figure among the prophets of Israel.

One moment Elijah was a powerhouse for God and the next he was running for his life afraid of Jezebel because he had caused the death of her false priests who could not get their false god to cooperate with them.

Jehovah had special patience with Elijah and now he was serving the Lord with passion again.

It is probably three or four years or more before we see Elijah in our lesson today.

*2Ki 1:1 Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.

As the tribes of Israel divided the Moabites came under the control of Jeroboam but they had revolted as they saw the weakness of Israel.

King Omri of Israel regained control over them, and they were tributaries to King Ahab.

They now saw weakness in King Ahaziah and revolted again against Israel.

Ahaziah was another King of Israel who rebelled against the Lord God Jehovah.

Jehovah then sends a rejuvenated Elijah.

*2Ki 1:2 And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease.
2Ki 1:3 But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?

For some reason, King Ahaziah had fallen through latticework or a trellis work on a window or balcony in his upper chamber.

This means it was probably not the flat roof of the house, but it was high enough to cause him serious trouble.

His sickness was caused by the wounds he had received from the fall. Probably infection.

We know that this is the son of Jezebel, and he follows his mother in requesting help from her false gods which of course could not help him.

There was a noted chamber for Baal-zebub, the Lord of the Flies, at Ekron.

In the New Testament the Lord Jesus Christ was accused of serving Baal-zebub by the Pharisees.

Mat 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
Mat 12:25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
Mat 12:26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
Mat 12:27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.
Mat 12:28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.

Who in the world would go to the Prince of Dung, or the Lord of the Flies to seek medical help?

This is why Jehovah said they became fools for turning away from the true God.

This still applies today!

We know that Elisha was often found on Mount Carmel where there was most likely a school of the prophets.

It seems that Elijah may have also resided at this location.

The city of Samaria had been built and made the royal residence of the King of Israel.

We will even see that Samaria may be substituted and used as Israel for the kingdom of the ten tribes of Israel.

Elijah met these messengers from King Ahaziah, and he asked them “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you go and enquire of Baalzebub?

This is a good place for us to learn about our Savior.

If we consult with someone besides the Lord on important matters such as our health, we will never get the answer we seek.

We will consult with doctors, but we should not consult with anyone until we have talked it over with the Lord.

Elijah gave these men the answer that Baalzebub would give, there would be no healing of the King.

Jehovah would certainly not heal him.

*2Ki 1:4 Now therefore thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed.
2Ki 1:5 And when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are ye now turned back?

No matter who you are, when you are sick or have been in an accident, causing bodily harm, you will want some help.

Ahaziah was a man whose health was leaving him, and he knew it.

He did not have a personal relationship with Jehovah, so he sent for help from a false god.

Who in the world would go to someone called the “lord of the Flies” or the “prince of dung” and expect to be healed?

Baalzebub seemed to be his only help which meant he had no one to help him.

Deu_4:28 And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.

When we ignore Doctor Jesus, we deserve whatever calamity we are suffering because we dishonor Jehovah who only has the power to heal.

He made us and He knows what makes us tick!

God will vindicate Himself, in His own time before all unbelievers!

Notice also that almost every human will seek some higher power when they are too weak to help themselves.

Even atheism is a religion whether they agree or not. Even they believe in something!

Like almost everyone on a sickbed, this king wanted to know how this thing would turn out. I know I did, and I know where I am going when I die.

Jehovah is so much more than some fortune teller!

Ahaziah may not have ever met Elijah, but he had heard of him through his father, and he knew that the things he said would come to be true.

*2Ki 1:6 And they said unto him, There came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.
2Ki 1:7 And he said unto them, What manner of man was he which came up to meet you, and told you these words?
2Ki 1:8 And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.

It seemed to Ahaziah that the only way to stop the truth of Elijah was to kill him.

It should be clear to us that anyone who rejects the LORD and turns to a false god is foolish.

This is the biggest mistake that any person can make. All the world knows of the GRACE of the LORD even though they may not believe Him.

All the leaders of false religion know they serve false gods all tied to Satan, the Devil.

Those false gods have no life, no consciousness or power to help anyone so they are trusting fate.

Jehovah has a love that no one understands for all the people on this earth, but He also has His requirements.

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

God loves us all enough that He would never leave us in the dark, grasping and groping around to find our way in the dark.

Jehovah tells us only the truth in a world that is full of lies.

As time goes by, we see more and more of the truth of God come out into the open.

He is the only God who can help us and meet our needs!

In fact, Jehovah promises to meet all our needs!

King Ahaziah had been duped by his mother and his father was a weak man who was controlled by Jezebel.

Pro 1:24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
Pro 1:25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
Pro 1:26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
Pro 1:27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
Pro 1:28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
Pro 1:29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:

Where Jezebel, his mother had failed Ahaziah hoped to succeed. He sent a captain of his army with fifty soldiers to hunt down Elijah.

*2Ki 1:9 Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down.
2Ki 1:10 And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

We should know that when Jehovah tells us something then we can rest that it is fact and unchangeable.

If Ahaziah had repented, then Jehovah may have helped him, but to react with more stubbornness could not help him at all.

Fifty soldiers seemed like an awful lot of men just to kill one man, but Jehovah would not have allowed a thousand soldiers to take Elijah on this day.

It did not take long to find Elijah because he was not hiding.

He may have hidden from Jezebel, but his confidence had been restored.

We are only humans so, we can go through periods of weakness, but our strength is in the Lord!

No one was going to force this man of God to be arrested unless he chose to do so.

Fire came down from Heaven and destroyed this group of men.

The king would try this again.

*2Ki 1:10 And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
2Ki 1:11 Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly.
2Ki 1:12 And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

It should be very clear God allows us to come boldly to the Throne of Grace, but we had better not make demands when we get there.

It should have been very clear to King Ahaziah that Jehovah was not going to help him. He had been offered Ahaziah a path to repentance and he rejected it,

We should remember what God had said before He sent a worldwide flood.

Gen_6:3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man

We may not know how many times we can reject the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit knows when He is wasting His time on us.

Today we must understand that God’s help will come from the places where He says we can find it!

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

When God has spoken, He cannot then change His Word unless the sinner changes his ways!

The only strength we have to change Heaven lies in our direct contact with Heaven through our prayers.

This will not work if we have sin in our lives.

Psa 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

Another thing we must consider is that when God has told us to do one thing then we have no obligation to give in to the world.

Elijah knew he did not have to come down off that mountain under the threat of some king.

God will not do for one what He will not He will not do for another, and He will protect us in the same way as He did Elijah under the right circumstances.

Elijah was a powerful prophet who had the ear of God!

2Ti 4:18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Elijah called down fire from Heaven and fifty more soldiers and their captain perished.

There is a proper way to approach the man of God!

*2Ki 1:13 And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight.
2Ki 1:14 Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight.

Does God care about life?

Isa 66:2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

We can be sure that Jehovah holds our life in His hands!

We already know that God loves all His creations, especially those made in His image, but God still insists that we believe what He has to say.

Luk 13:1 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
Luk 13:2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?
Luk 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Luk 13:4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
Luk 13:5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

We seem to dwell upon all those who died in the Old Testament when we should concentrate on those who were spared.

God loved us enough to send His only begotten Son to die in our place just so we can live with Him throughout eternity. How can the world say God has no love for life?

The blood of Jesus was the full price for our salvation!

Psa 49:8 (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)

Heb 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

There should be no doubt in our minds that God will receive each of us if we just believe what He says!

There should also be no doubt that God will reject us if we refuse to be like Jesus Christ in valuing the lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Jesus came to save life and not to destroy life! Life is precious to our Heavenly Father!

Now we may not know what Elijah would have said but we do know what this angel from Heaven said.

*2Ki 1:15 And the angel of the LORD said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king.

What is one of the jobs of angels? To comfort and assure God’s people.

Act 27:23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
Act 27:24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
Act 27:25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.

Angels will also watch over our children.

Mat 18:10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

When we are in the will of God, He will protect us even from corrupt governments.

It works best for us when we go boldly to the Lord at any sign of trouble.

We can ask great things of God if we do it properly.

God loves us so whatever happens to us is the concern of our Heavenly Father!

No matter the trial or the temptation, the hardship or the misfortune He will not allow us to go through these things alone.

Elijah did not need to fear this armed guard or King Ahaziah.

What was God’s message to this king?

*2Ki 1:16 And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron, is it not because there is no God in Israel to enquire of his word? therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.

There is only one escape from the “judgment” of God, and it is through the blood of Jesus Christ!

Sin causes death!

The things we get the most from the Old Testament are God’s holiness, God’s justice, God’s righteousness, and God’s severity against sin stands out.

Elijah was God’s messenger to King Ahaziah, and he had no malice against this king, he simply gave him God’s message and the reason why.

We can be sure that the Gospel of Jesus Christ will never change just because people do not want to hear it!

Psa 1:5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
Psa 1:6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

King Ahaziah died just as the Lord had said. He never came off his sickbed.

Amen