God’s Blessings

Repent Submit Be Blessed

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Repentance, Submission, and Blessing

Book of Job Chapter 42

What we will see in this last chapter of the Book of Job is that although Job had not sinned, there were many things that he did not have the right understanding of about the Lord.

Job did not have the Bible that we have today to guide Him, Job only had those things of knowledge that had been passed down from his forefathers and what he could learn talking face to face with the Lord.

Job was not very many generations from Noah, so the fear and the power of God should have been near to Job’s heart.

We should clearly understand that we are to take the Word of God He has given to us, to learn all we can about our God and fools not to do so!

We are only temporary residents of this place called earth.

My mom is 91 years old, but many of us will not live that many years, but we will live eternally with the Lord so this little time we live now, is nothing compared to eternal life.

2Co 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
2Co 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

The one thing every child of God knows is, that our Heavenly Father has a plan, and we are smack dab in the middle of it and we will not be left out of God’s plan.

We serve a Great Big God of All Power and we are blessed that He is a Loving and Merciful God!

The greatest wrong we do today may be the fact that, we speak too much before we have the right understanding!

This becomes really serious when we are speaking of our Lord and Savior.

*Job 42:1 Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
Job 42:2 I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.

What is awe? Awe is fear mingled with admiration or we could say, fear mingled with reverence.

Psa 4:4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.

Psa 33:8 Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
Psa 33:9 For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

In the days of Job, the rainbow had much more significance than it does today for it reminded the people of the awesomeness of God.

Today most people do not give the rainbow a second thought, but we should!

If we do not have these same thoughts that Job had, then we are the sinners, not Job.

There is nothing that God cannot do except sin. God cannot sin and God cannot lie, and God cannot be unrighteous!

It can never be said that God will do foolish things and it be true!

God can hear the smallest whisper because God can hear the thought that is in our heart before it gets to our mind and causes some action good or bad!

Job admitted he had talked about things that he had not clearly understood.

*Job 42:3 Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.

What is the one greatest thing that Job had learned in all this?

We have no right to question the ways of God!
We have no right to complain to God for the things we go through!
We have no right challenging God’s wisdom!
We have no right challenging God justice!

We should think about these things as we have seen the results of the recent elections!

Did we vote according to the Word of God?

God does what God does anytime God wants to do so!

What did Job learn?

That he must bow in humble submission before His Creator and admit, it is God who is sovereign!

Isa 14:24 The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:

Isa 46:8 Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors.
Isa 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
Isa 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
Isa 46:11 Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.

To be honest, we must accept all the things that God does as the right things to do, no matter how we feel about them!

Jehovah is a righteous God!

We may not ever understand all the Word of God, but the more we study ourselves, the more we listen to the Preacher, the more we attend Sunday School, the more we will understand how our Lord works in this world.

In fact God will never go against anything He has given to us in writing!

We do need to have an accurate Bible written, according to the Greek and Hebrew Manuscripts of the Received Text.

We will never understand the Bible unless the Holy Spirit lives within us and we will never have the Holy Spirit live within us, until we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Savior.

The world can never know the truth of the Scriptures unless a child of God, led by the Holy Spirit, teaches them and of course the Holy Spirit is the greatest of all teachers and He will always, “always” lead us to Jesus the Messiah.

God has every right to demand we live according to His Word!

*Job 42:4 Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.

We must also understand that we must be willing to live without our questions being answered!

This is what “faith” provides!

Faith allows to go on with our life knowing that everything that God does is the right thing!

We serve a righteous God!

When our “faith” is strong our suffering will be short!

Satisfaction comes with the knowledge of the truth!

We must clearly understand, that because we have accepted the truth of God, the truth of the Lord Jesus, we are the children of God and the Lord knows best what we need in this life, and He has prepared us a place for us to live in our eternal life, where there will be no problems at all.

Another thing we must know is that we are not perfect, and we always have some sin to repent of.

Our thoughts are not always pure!
Our actions are not always right!
Our non-actions can be sin!

There are always some things that we have not done knowing we should have done!

You see, the closer we get to the Lord the better we will be in this life!

The more we know about the Lord the better we will be in this life!

When we pray, we should have a greater knowledge of the Lord’s answer, if we are familiar in what the Lord has done in the past.

If we are God’s child, then we can know that He will answer our prayer and we will get what we ask if we ask in faith.

The key to our relationship with the Lord and answered prayer is our “faith”!

As one man wrote “we should be crushed under the weight of God’s “greatness”, if we think about it!

*Job 42:5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.
Job 42:6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

As God had said, Job was the most perfect man on the earth at that time, yet Job had never grasped the greatness of God.

I believe we all fall short in this category!

It is a true statement “that we need to get off self and get on the Lord”.

We are nothing more than a sack of dirt, yet in the eyes of our Savior and our Creator, we are the most brightest shining jewel, upon this earth.

He is not going to harm us!
He is not going to allow this world to harm us until it is time for us to go home!

The Lord never said it was going to be easy being a Christian in fact, the Lord said just the opposite.

Joh_16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

We need to be over-comers of all the things that happen to us in this world!

The Lord teaches us to hate evil.

Joh_7:7 The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

The works of this world are always evil in some way!

The world sees an act of goodness as the first step of domination.

We must see sin as something that needs to be eradicated from this world!

We cannot allow corruption to be victorious!

For the most part we tolerate sin, when we need to express that hatred for sin the Lord teaches us to have.

This does not mean that human being, but it does mean that sin!

If Jesus testified of the works of sin, then if we are “like Christ” (Christian) then we need to testify of the works of sin!

The world does not see that being a Christian is being like Christ Jesus!
The world does not see that being a Christian is to live according to the Word of God!

We must always repent of any sin that we have, and this does not mean to tolerate the sin of others!

We are not found sincere in these things unless we have submitted to the Lord!

Now God speaks to Eliphaz.

*Job 42:7 And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.

You see it was right for Job to reject the error of these three so-called friends and Elihu.

The things they had said to condemn Job, were wrong!

It was Job who had said things that were right according to the truth of God!

Eliphaz had been a bad example for those other three who followed after him in accusing Job.

We see that Jehovah had chastised Job, but His wrath was against those three men.

God’s own children will never see God’s wrath upon them!

This is another type in the Book of Job.

God does chastise His children and will keep His children from His wrath to come.

Rom_5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, “we shall be saved from wrath through him”.

But the children of disobedience will see the full force of the wrath of God.

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_2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

Job had remained true to God through the assault of these worldly men!

Eliphaz was a type of the world and those with him were his followers.

And the Lord does not ever change, He will reward those He has justified, and He will punish those who are disobedient sinners who refuse to accept the Lord Jesus Christ, and refuse to repent!

When we have been “justified” by the Lord it does not matter if we are wrongly judged by the world.

The world thinks we are all hypocrites, anyhow!

We are not of this world just pilgrims passing through this world!

The world that rejects the ways of God cannot then judge the godly!

1Co 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

Then God shows mercy to these men rather than “judgment” at this time.

*Job 42:8 Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.

As I said at the beginning of our lessons in the Book of Job, we see Job was considered a Priest in his day.

This is also another proof of Job’s innocence.

Here again we see that Job was told to do these things before the 613 laws were given to the Jews.

2Ch 29:21 And they brought seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven he goats, for a sin offering for the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And he commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer them on the altar of the LORD.
2Ch 29:22 So they killed the bullocks, and the priests received the blood, and sprinkled it on the altar: likewise, when they had killed the rams, they sprinkled the blood upon the altar: they killed also the lambs, and they sprinkled the blood upon the altar.

That word “folly” means foolishness, but it also means wickedness.

Those who defend these three men should know that Jehovah said they were wicked!

Wicked people do wicked things, insisting they are only trying to help, just as corrupt people do corrupt things insisting that is was only for the good of our nation, and everyone to vote in our recent elections and they do not see the wrong in doing so to achieve their goal, a quest for power.

This is the same goal of the Antichrist, “power”!

These three men did exactly what the Lord told them to do, and we can be sure Elihu was watching and listening just as he had been doing all along, but was probably not near 30 years of age.

*Job 42:9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them: the LORD also accepted Job.
Job 42:10 And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.

Before Job could offer up a sacrifice for these three men, he would have first had to offer up a sacrifice for himself and God had accepted that sacrifice along with this sacrifice for these three men.

Remember these three men had been inspired and used by Satan, and God put a stop to it, and again placed that hedge of protection around His child Job.

What did Solomon teach after such things?

Ecc 9:7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
Ecc 9:8 Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.
Ecc 9:9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.
Ecc 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

We also see that the Lord also took Satan out of the picture for the rest of the days of the life of Job!

Once Job was healed and his grief ended, we see that Job was accepted again by his friends and family who had also been influenced by Satan.

*Job 42:11 Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.

Job had suffered for no wrong that He had done and when we suffer in this way God smiles! Why?

Because we are growing to be more like His Son.

Again we see Job as a type of Christ.

1Pe 2:19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
1Pe 2:20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
1Pe 2:22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

Job was humbled by his conversation with the Lord and he now knew much more about the ways of God.

These are the reasons that the Book of Job, and all the wisdom books are in the Bible.

This is why the Book of Job is considered a wisdom book, because we can learn the ways of our God and we are very wrong when we do not try to learn about Him.

We need to understand the way the Lord deals with sin and His children.

We say the patience of Job and Job was a great man of God, but I still do not understand why the Lord puts up with us.

I do not know how God could have sent His Son to pay for my sin and all our sin.

Notice how Job’s friends and family return, still blaming God for bringing evil upon Job, still not claiming God to be a righteous God.

They do now show the signs of true comforters.

1) They came in respect. We must show respect to our brothers and sisters in their time of need.
2) They brought food. We should bring food because many will not fix for themselves.
3) They brought money. When possible or when needed we may have to provide for their necessities.
2Co_8:14 But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:
4) They came with the intention to comfort. We must come as comforters and not accusers!

Yes, God allowed these things, but we should be thanking God for these valuable lessons we have learned and can learn for the Book of Job.

Notice how God will always make us pay for the harm we cause our brothers and sisters.

Their comfort was not in their money nor that gold, their comfort was in remembering that they should have supported Job from the beginning and not have abandoned him.

It is God who blessed Job!

*Job 42:12 So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.

Notice how Job was now twice as rich as he had been before.

We do not know the time frame for all these things that happened to Job, but I do not think it was a long period of time.

We see that God knew exactly how many animals Job had before they had vanished.

God knows more about us than we know ourselves!

As the children of God there are some things we need to understand!

1) All our earthly troubles will sooner or later have a blessed ending.
2) Our success in this life is not what we have in the beginning but what we have at the ending.
3) Our afflictions are not penalties but for correction and sanctification.
4) At the end of this day if it ends in peace, we should be devoutly thankful and press onward till we reach that ending that sums up our lifetime upon this earth, remembering that we need to cling to our integrity as a “Born Again” child of God.
5) All true blessings come from our Heavenly Father!

Jas_1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

The Lord also blessed Job again with seven sons and three daughters and this time we know their names.

*Job 42:13 He had also seven sons and three daughters.
Job 42:14 And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch.

The greatest treasure that God allowed to be restored was children.

Job again had seven sons and three daughters.

Some would say why not 20 as with the animals.

Job had the knowledge that those first ten were in Heaven!

As head of the family, it was still Job’s job to try to make sure that these ten would live righteously and when Job got to Heaven and when their time on earth ended there would be twenty of Job’s children in Heaven.

Jemima a beautiful child meaning “as beautiful as the day” some also say it has the meaning of “dove”.

Jezia (Cassia) meaning, “sweet-scented”.

Psa 45:8 All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.

Kerenhappuch (Kehren Happook) meaning “horn of cosmetics” taken from the Hebrew words meaning “ivory” or a ray of light added to “glowing” as in “glowing eyes”.

No doubt Job’s three daughters were the fairest in all the lands in their day!

*Job 42:15 And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren.

In the day of Job it was the men who were left an inheritance and the women were expected to marry and that husband provide for his wife but Job decided to go against the grain and he equally left all ten of his children an inheritance and Job was rich, that inheritance was great.

So many say that the Bible does not treat men and women equally but we see God always treats everyone equal but he also insist in the order of the family with the man the head of the family in a Christian home led by the Lord.

There will be order in the Church the Lord the Head of the Church and that Christ called man of God to be the shepherd of the Church.

But God was not through blessing Job.

*Job 42:16 After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, even four generations.
Job 42:17 So Job died, being old and full of days.

Job lived to see his grandchildren, his great grandchildren, and his great-great grandchildren and Job’s life was full.

Full meaning, abounding in love and grace and peace for a hundred and forty more years.

Jas 5:11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

The Lord Jesus was very compassionate and merciful also, but today He has patience greater than Job as that old accuser is constantly in His ear accusing those Jesus died for.

Rev 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

The Lord’s patience has an ending and according to many scriptures the Lord could return at any time and redeem His children!

Amen!

The Blessing of Reconciliation

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Blessing of Reconciliation

Book of Ephesians 2:11-22

Reconciliation is a change from being an enemy to becoming a friend and it is mutual between both parties.

Before we begin this lesson today, we must clearly understand God will never compromise His position or go against His Word to become our friend.

It is we who are sinners who must make a change. It’s called “repentance”!

Today many of the church are trying to compromise with the sin of the world, and going against the Word of God.

That congregation may feel they have done the right thing, but God will never approve of such things!

We can never compromise the Word of God because His Word is settled In Heaven and it cannot be changed on earth!

We need to understand what God has already done:

1) Before Jesus Christ, God dealt with man through the Jewish nation. Since Christ (the Messiah) has come God has dealt with humanity on a world-wide scale in those who would follow the Lord Jesus Christ.

Note: Those who claim there were writings before the time of Moses have forgotten the Tower of Babel, where God scattered all people to their different locations and certainly there would be many similarities, but the 66 books we have are the complete and the whole truth.

God takes the Jew and the Gentile (all others than Jews) and creates a new race of people called the Christian by this evil world!

2) Before Jesus Christ, God dealt with nations but after the Messiah, God is dealing with the individual through Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit.

Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Heb 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

3) God is no longer dealing with earthly divisions of nations. God is dealing with a new nationality a new body of people, the Body of Christ, the Church! These are the same ones who will join Christ in His New Kingdom!

These are all those who have been born again into the family of God.

These are the same ones who can look back and see how far they have come, since accepting the work of the Lord Jesus Christ for their salvation.

*****Eph 2:11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
Eph 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

As Christians we should be able to look back at the miserable condition we were in before coming to know the Lord Jesus Christ in a personal way.

The word Gentile means all others but the Jews. (Sometimes even called Heathen)

The word uncircumcision means all those who are not in the covenant that God made with the Abraham.

The word Circumcision would mean Jews, but only the Jews who are under the covenant God made with Abraham. (would include some Proselytes)
Circumcision involved the removal of a certain piece of flesh by some other human being, with that skill.

The most important statement in this Scripture is, “that we were without Jesus Christ”. “We were cut off and separated from God”!

To be a Christian is to say, “I am not what I once was”! “I am a used to be”

We were not only lost through our sin, but we were one step away from eternal death, eternal separation from God!

When we remember these things, we should feel joy.

1Co 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

Col 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
Col 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
Col 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

As Christians when we look back, we can see that we once lived in spiritual misery!

When I look back, I can remember many days that I thought I was having fun, but I can remember just as many days I was in total misery!

The Jews intended to keep God to themselves and this led to their own downfall!

No one, nor no one nation owns God!

The Jews rejected God’s Son, and it brought their destruction, a destruction that just recently has shown signs of recovery.

God turned to the Gentiles and this allowed the Jews to grow again. The Jewish nation has always grown through adversity!

The all-time greatest event by far in the history of our world was the visit of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ!

If the world cannot accept this, then this world will see the wrath of God while still living in a world with no hope.

In this season of the birth of Jesus Christ, there far too many who suffer from SAD. This is Seasonal, Affective, Disorder and the cause of this thing which brings so much “depression” into their lives is a lack of light. Many believe it is a lack of sunlight because of the winter months but , they suffer from a lack of the Light of Jesus.

Do not fall into this trap of depression but come to know the Savior, who is also the Light of this world!

Those so full of depression and live without hope will stand before God in their own person and be separated from Him forever.

Those who have trusted in the work of the Lord, the light of this world will stand before God, with Christ, and will live eternally with God.

To be without Christ is to be lost and to have no hope!

Isa 45:19 I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.
Isa 45:20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.

To know Jesus Christ is to be washed in His blood and freedom from sin!

*****Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

The world is so blind not to realize that it is “sin” that separates humanity from a loving God!

It is sin that separates one group of people from another.

It is sin that destroys families!!!!!!!!

Sin not only has broken harmony with God but has continued to bring this world toward destruction!!!!!!

Only Jesus Christ can bring us near to our God, the only God.

We are made nigh to God “by the blood” of our Lord!

The blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is the blood of the everlasting covenant that can never be changed nor made to be void!

Jesus Christ came to this earth to give every human being an opportunity to draw nigh to God!

God loved each of us enough that He was willing to forgive us of all our sins.

God had already said that the wages of sin was death and this problem had to be overcome and only He had the power to do this!

Since we as individuals could not solve this problem without our own death and since there had never lived a perfect human being, then God had to do this thing Himself!

God had to provide the perfect and ideal man who was willing to die, so all mankind could get an opportunity to be saved that they never had.

The Lord Jesus Christ came to this earth to die for our sins. This was His mission. But while He was here He took the time necessary to see that all the world would have the knowledge of salvation, then named the “Gospel” which is the “Good News” of God’s plan of salvation!

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.

1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1Pe 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
1Pe 1:21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

God had to physically show us all just how much He loves us!

Rom 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Rom 5:7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us

It is the Lord Jesus Christ who has made a way for us to be at peace with a God who despises sin!

*****Eph 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Eph 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

The Lord Jesus Christ did not purchase our peace because the Lord Jesus Christ “is our peace” in His person, simply because Jesus Christ is the Peace-Maker!

Jesus Christ has broken down the wall that was between the Jews and Gentiles to form the Church, the Body of Christ.

What was the Apostle Peter’s greatest lesson?

Act 10:28 And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; “but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean”.

The majority of our world still have not learned this lesson!

We are all in this thing together and together we can be a force for peace, that peace being in Jesus Christ.

There are no barriers in the Church caused by God, there are only those barriers we put up ourselves.

All those who come to Jesus Christ by faith, not only receive the free gift of salvation, but all receive a common love, a common purpose, and a common work.

Rom 12:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

If we go back to the Tower of Babel we know that those who had forsaken the commands of God, the Heathen, were scattered all over this world and had wandered far from God.

Gen_11:9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

God then chose one people who became Israel to continue to bring forth the true Word of God not like the distorted writings of others.

In fact, it is the Jews who took so much care to preserve the Word of God!

Because Israel later forsook God, God then forsook these people for a time. Remember Israel was just one speck on the globe and God’s plans included all people who would call upon His name in this entire world.

Rom_10:13 For “whosoever” shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (red and yellow, black and white, they are all precious in His sight)

1Ti_2:4 Who will have “all men” to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. (all humanity)

The Jews not only had the Word of God, but they had the laws of Moses. There 613 laws that the Jews tried to keep just for one year and then they could be forgiven and then begin a new year, but it was impossible for any human being to keep all those laws.

Just to break one of those laws would mean they had failed and the wages of sin was death even at that time.

This is the thing that the Lord Jesus Christ abolished with His own death on the Cross at Mount Calvary, where He also spilled His life saving blood!

Mat_5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, “but to fulfil”.

God would never destroy the Law because all the Word of God is perfect, but the ceremonial law was imperfect in that it was not the answer to salvation.

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.

It was only the Lord Jesus Christ who could do these things because He was also perfect.

No one has to ever approach God through laws and sacrifices or works or ceremonies of any kind.

The only way to approach God is “by faith” in the work of His Dear Son!

Those that still choose to try to reach God by some law need to realize that they must obey all the Law everyday of their lives, which is impossible.

Rom 7:1 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?

That word enmity is the opposite of friendship. Those who remain in opposition to the truth of God!

We do not have the right to choose what manner we will worship our God and He has established that we will worship Him by faith in the work of His Son!

There is no way to worship God beyond this truth!

It is Jesus Christ that has broken down the wall of partition between all mankind and God!

*****Eph 2:16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

What is it to be incorporated?

We must be united in one body. This is the Church. This is the Body of Christ

We must be incorporated with Jesus Christ before we can be reconciled to God!

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.

That word reconcile means to change thoroughly, (from enemy to friend), to restore the relationship that Adam once had with God, before sin entered his life.

Gen 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

In the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, the veil of the Temple was rent into from the top to the bottom and a way was made into the throne room of God because this is the only way we can approach the throne of “Grace”, it is by His Dear Son.

Col 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

There is just no way to realize all the things that Jesus Christ finished when He gave us His life to reconcile us to His Father and our God!

Joh_19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

As believers we are not only free from sin, but we are forever free from the punishment for sin.

God is the One who has done the reconciling, we had absolutely no part in this work. God is the One who reached out to humanity and not that mankind reached out to God!

From the very moment the Lord Jesus was born upon this earth, His actions were there to teach us peace.

Luk 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Luk 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

The Virgin birth.
The Manger.
The swaddling clothes.
The shepherds.
Many other things.

The Lord Jesus had to wait until the age of 30 according to Jewish law to be a relevant preacher and during His short time of 3 and 1/2 years, He preached not only to the Jews but to the Gentiles.

We certainly must understand that by the Holy Spirit, The Lord Jesus Christ is still preaching every day to all those who call on Him through “Faith”.

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.

Jesus Christ will preach to those who love Him until we meet Him face to face!

*****Eph 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

Those who reject the power and the truth of the Triune God certainly do not understand the truth of God, because only the believer can understand the riches of God’s Word.

Through Jesus Christ all mankind can have access by the Holy Spirit to our Father in Heaven.

There is nothing confusing about these words!

The Doctrine of the Holy Trinity is at the center of all Christian Doctrines!

This is a thing we know of our God, but it is only part of His Wonderful Character. Three natures but One God!

It can be called the mystery of mysteries to those who are lost but also the absolute understandable truth to the true Christian!

He is also Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier in three persons but One God!

The source of all things is One God, whose name is Jehovah!

Exo_6:3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.

Through the Lord Jesus Christ, all those who believed, have “Faith”, can one day come face to face to Jehovah God!

Jesus Christ is the only One who can open the door into God’s presence!

Jesus Christ is the only One who can cause us to be citizens in Heaven!

*****Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

The household of God begins as the Church here on Earth and ends in the New Heaven throughout eternity.

1Co 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
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.

How did we all begin before we met the Lord Jesus Christ? we must remember verse 12.

Eph 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

How did these things change?

Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

If we be Christ’s, it is because we have the “faith” of Abraham!

1Jn 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

We are not angels, we are not Jews, “we become Christians” if we follow the example that Christ has given us but more important we become Saints.

There is no other way to become a Saint of God!

As Saints we are set aside for God’s use as He sees fit!

We speak of people and we speak of nations but as saints we are citizens of the New Nation that God is creating!

A nation that consist only of one family, the family of God.

We are adopted children who will be before the Lord continuously throughout eternity!

To understand adoption, we should understand we have a new relationship with God forever.

Our relationship is as a Father to His newly born child, “a baby”.

We will always, even throughout eternity, have moment by moment contact with our Father.

We will have a special relationship, a family relationship, with all the other of God’s children.

We are no longer under the authority of the powers of this world but are now under the authority of our heavenly Father!

We have already been adopted and we are waiting our Lord Jesus to pick us up and take us home to be presented to our Father!

Our big Brother, who is our God, will soon come to take us home.

1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

And we will be just like Him!

1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

All because we have faith in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ and the words He gave to those 12 Apostles and by understanding that God had said these things could happen all along.

*****Eph 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

Notice how God builds His Church to house His Saints.

Every building needs a solid foundation!

The greatest of buildings also have a Chief Cornerstone!

Each “Born Again” child of God are then the building material to construct the greatest of buildings which is the Church.

Psa 46:5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

Remember that word dispensation actually means “house-management”, God personally manages the building up of His house.

Remember the Tower of Babel how those people tried to build a building that would reach into Heaven, but this could never be done because it did not have the proper foundation.

God also builds His army by making the Lord Jesus Christ the Captain of our salvation.

Heb 2:10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

God has written the Words of salvation by His Personal Author.

Heb 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

The Church that God builds will be “fitly” framed together!

*****Eph 2:21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

To have a perfect understanding here, we must remember the Temple that King Solomon built how the stones were so perfectly cut that when they were put together they did not require any mortar because there were no gaps.

Mortar would represent sin in this example.

Those who reject the Old Testament, reject some precious examples that God used to explain the “Gospel” to the Jewish People.

Those that reject the Old Testament reject that salvation came by “faith” such that Abraham had, just as it does today. A faith such as Abraham had in the truth of God!

We cannot reject any part of the Word of God and “yes all denominations”, we must understand “a literal translation” of the Word of God!

Just had to throw that in.

The whole structure of God’s Church rises like a great pile of “everlasting living” materials into an Holy Temple of the Lord!

This structure is dedicated to Jesus Christ and will be inhabited by Him in New Jerusalem!

The Church is alive today and the Church will always be alive because it cannot die!

Every living member of this Church will always have a function and a purpose.

Every believer from every “Age” since the time of Adam, will have a part in this Holy Temple of God!

It is the Lord Jesus Christ and only the Lord Jesus Christ who places every believer in their required position! (He decides this not us)

With every believer being filled with the Holy Spirit, what a magnificent building it will be! Glory, Glory, Glory

*****Eph 2:22 In whom “ye” (you) also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

This “you” represents each believer, each Christian, in the church in Ephesus.
This “you” also represents the Church itself.

Each and every Church that is built with these same guidelines is a building structured for God’s purpose!

Each member is an essential, living, stone, placed into this building.

The stability of the Church lies in each stone placed by the hand of God into the exact place, so this building can carry the load, each stone carrying its own load therefore fulfilling the purpose of the Church!

The Holy Spirit of God will dwell within each believer to conform this glorious work of the Lord to an image of God’s will in this evil world!

A church is not a church if the Holy Spirit is not in control of its members!

Psa 68:16 Why leap ye, ye high hills? this is the hill which God desireth to dwell in; yea, the LORD will dwell in it for ever.

The place that the Lord has chosen is the same place we need to be!

Amen

Will God Bless a Nation

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

God’s Blessings to Obedient Nations

Book of Isaiah Chapter 60

We should all understand that there is no one more secure than those who place their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ!

The truth is, in the last days of human history, the Lord Jesus Christ will return to set up God’s Kingdom on this earth for 1000 years!

It is after this that God will create a New Heaven and a New Earth for all His people and the history of this world will be over and no other books will be written about this earth, it will not exist as a place for the living!

Rev_19:3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.

Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

Rev 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

Throughout history, the city of Jerusalem has been destroyed time after time but it has always been rebuilt.

There was the Assyrian destruction, the Babylon destruction, and the devastation by Rome recorded in the Bible and many battles surrounding Jerusalem since that time.

The nation of Israel is so tiny, one would wonder why it is constantly in the news today.

It is really very simple. Most all this world hates the God of Israel and not Israel itself!

It astounds me that so many in America ridicule the Christian because of our faith in Jesus Christ and say we all worship the same God. If that is so true then why is the Nation of Israel always under the attack of all Muslim countries?

The truth is Jerusalem will continue to be the focus of the world, simply because of what God says and the rest of the world trying to stop what God said He will do! They will find that this is impossible!

If everyone in the world truly believe we all worship the same God, then why does this entire world try to end the future of Jerusalem as described by the Word of God.

What does God say?

Rom_3:4 God forbid: yea, “let God be true, but every man a liar”; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

What else does God say?

*****Isa 60:1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.

It is said that in the East that the Sun does not rise as we understand the rising of the Sun. In the East, the Sun leaps above the horizon.

When those people feel it is time for sunrise, then suddenly it is already up in all its glory.

We should clearly understand that this is the same way the Lord will return. When we know that we live in the last days before the Lord returns at any moment the Glory of the Lord will appear in the Eastern Sky.

Why the Eastern Sky? So, the world will clearly see that the Messiah is much brighter than the Sun He created!

Of course, we also know that the only thing that will happen before this day is, the Lord will meet the Church in the clouds!

Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

There is still coming a day when Jerusalem will be lit by the glory of God and in New Jerusalem there will be no darkness at all.

The world seems to think that light comes before darkness but this is backwards and this has always been backwards.

God brought light into a dark world!

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Gen 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Gen 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

And why will the Lord appear in all His glory and bring a new light to Jerusalem because again after the Church has been removed, this world will be in total darkness, not because the Sun does not shine but because this entire world will be in the darkness of sin and depravity!

God again will bring light to darkness, when He brings the glorious Light of the Lord, into this dark and evil world!

*****Isa 60:2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

We may think of New York City as the one point of light in this world but the fact remains that it is the city of Jerusalem that is the one point of light on the entire surface of this earth!

Jerusalem is still known as the city of God!

Even those of Islam and other false religions, call Jerusalem the Holy City!

Psa 68:15 The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan; an high hill as the hill of Bashan.
Psa 68:16 Why leap ye, ye high hills? this is the hill which God desireth to dwell in; yea, the LORD will dwell in it for ever.

What did Moses ask of God?

Exo_33:18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.

How did God respond?

Exo 33:19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.

God did not say to Moses, let me show you how powerful I am.
God did not say let me show you all my infinite wisdom.
God did not say let me show you all my glorious possessions.
God simply said to Moses, “Let Me Show You My Goodness”!

The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is God’s Goodness, (Good News) and God’s Goodness comes from God’s “Mercy”!

The “Glory” of God’s goodness is seen in the “gift” of His Son!

When the Sun arises in the morning, it will always show God’s creation in it’s true colors.

When the Son of God first came to shine His Light upon this earth, He opened our eyes to the truth of the Word of God!

We should clearly understand that the Church has no light of its own, that Light is of Jesus Christ!

We will see that again darkness will cover this earth after the “Rapture” of the Church and again this earth will be covered in spiritual darkness.

Just as Egypt lay in “thick darkness” by the words of Moses, the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

When Jerusalem is lightened again by the Lord, the glory of God will shine from King Jesus on the throne of God!

Again, the Lord will arise upon this earth and His glory will be centered on the city of Jerusalem. (Zion)

We know that the Lord ascended from the Mount of Olives and this same place is where He will return.

The Book of Leviticus describes this event.

Lev 9:23 And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people.
Lev 9:24 And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.

It is Jerusalem that is destined to first receive the Light and the Glory of God, when the Messiah returns but the whole world will be witnesses!

There is nothing that can stop the return of the Lord because it is destined by God Himself!

Isa 59:20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.

Rom_11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

God has made this “Covenant” (this guarantee) with the children of Israel.

Isa 59:21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.

But many Gentiles will also flow into the City, lit by the Glory of God!

*****Isa 60:3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
Isa 60:4 Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.

It is the “Glory of the Lord” the King of kings, the Lord of lords, that will draw all nations to Jerusalem!

The Millennial Kingdom will be a time of worship and centered in Jerusalem it will be the place of worship!

It is these Gentiles who make sure that the “remnant” of the Jews gets back home.

This could also mean that some of the Jews will carry dear Gentile friends to be with the Lord, just as Oriental mothers carried small children on their hip with their arm around them to keep them from falling.

This could also describe Jerusalem as the Mother of all the children of God!

In any case, it is the flow of God’s people that remain after the 7 years of tribulation and the wrath of God, into the Holy City!

The Holy City of Jerusalem will not only be the center of worship but it will also be the center of world-wide commerce!

*****Isa 60:5 Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.

Once we are enlightened by the Word of God, our eyes can be opened to the truth!

The eyes of God’s chosen nation will be opened and they will flock to the truth of God!

Hos 1:11 Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

Rom 11:15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

The entire world left after the 7-year Tribulation Period will flock to the “City of God”!

Isa 2:2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

Those that cannot come by land will come by sea along with all commerce by sea.

We know that most of the wealth of this world is now used for evil purposes or hoarded for personal gain but in the time of Christ, all the wealth of this world will finally be used to promote the truth of God and the care of those who have a great need.

The wealth of this world will be used in the service of the true Church!

What cannot make it by sea will come by land!

*****Isa 60:6 The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD.
Isa 60:7 All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.

It could be said that this not only represents the world financial system, operating under the leadership of the Lord but we can see that this area represents those that remain of Ishmael being turned to Christianity and those that remain of the daughters of Lot.

They all shall show praise to the Lord. Notice this is Jehovah, the Holy God of Israel and not those imaginary gods they had been led to believe!

The truth is there will be no one in the world of that day, who will be homeless.
No one will be naked in need of clothes.
There will be no one starving for lack of food.

There will never again be a famine of the Word of God!

Repeatedly we also see the descendants of Ishmael return to the Lord.

We should also understand that these animals are not brought to the Lord for sacrifice but to be included in the service of the church!

All people will gladly present their offerings to the Lord!

The Lord does not need anything we have but He will always accept offerings that come from the heart!

And then “Who are these fly as a cloud”?

*****Isa 60:8 Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?

In fact, has we have seen in other lessons, those that would return to Jerusalem are in such a great number, they are compared to the clouds.

Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Those that come to the Lord will be as the gentle dove!
They will be loving.
They will be harmless.
They will be meek and humble.
They will return as if they had lost their mate and had found Him again.
The dove mates for life and so does the true Christian to the Lord Jesus!

*****Isa 60:9 Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.
Isa 60:10 And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, “but in my favour have I had mercy on thee”.

Just as in the days of Solomon, all will try their best to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear His wisdom.
Just as in the days of Cyrus, it will be the Gentile world that will finance the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple for another time after the wrath of God.

Even much greater than the wrath of God, is His mercy!

During the Church Age, we actually live in the day of God’s “Mercy”!

God has provided a means for eternal salvation for each and every believer because of His “Mercy”!

God will restore Israel because of His “Mercy”!

These are the two promises God has made with His created humans and He just ask us to trust Him and why not, what in this world is so promising as the Word of God!

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

There have been many kings who have tried to take Jerusalem throughout history who have tried to make the city of Jerusalem the dominant capitol of this world and they have failed.

These include Solomon, Cyrus, Darius, Artaxerxes, Alexander the Great, Constantine, Theodosius, Charlemagne, just to name a few that we may know, but when the “King of kings” sits on the throne of Israel the city of Jerusalem will truly become the “City of Peace”!

During the time of the Messiah here on this earth for those 1000 years, God will rule with a “rod of iron” that is used with “Mercy” and “Grace”!

Therefore, the gates of the city of Jerusalem will be continuously open!

*****Isa 60:11 Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.
Isa 60:12 For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.

During the 1000 years of the Millennial Kingdom, this world will actually know what peace is all about!

There will be no fear of enemies entering the City of Jerusalem nor any other city.

When I was growing up, we could roam anywhere and were safe in doing so.
Those days will return for the children born during the Millennial reign of the Lord!

All who seek the Lord will be able to see Him in person!

Those who are poor will kneel, side by side by those who were kings at the feet of the Lord.

There will be no disagreement with anything that the Lord will do or what the Lord will say!

Rev_19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

Many call New York City the city that never sleeps and it is sin that keeps this city awake but Jerusalem, when the Lord Jesus sits on the throne, will never sleep because of righteousness!

There will be no lawlessness at all because, all who will not serve the Lord will perish!

Those who say that a loving God would never do such a thing are fools who ignore the truth of God!

Psa 2:10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
Psa 2:11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
Psa 2:12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

There only be one law and that will be the Law of God, in fact it will be much like Heaven on Earth now under the direct law of God.

The Lord Jesus died on Calvary’s cross because He was rejected! During the Millennial reign of Christ all those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ will be removed from this earth and will perish!

Jerusalem will be a place of beauty!

*****Isa 60:13 The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious.
Isa 60:14 The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

We know the Temple of the Lord will have been rebuilt and Jerusalem will be a place of beauty!

It can be said that similar materials used to build the Temple of Solomon will be used to build this new Temple, some say the Temple described by Ezekiel. (Ezekiel 41-42)

This Temple will also be a place of reverence, for our Lord Jesus will honor this Temple with His presence!

The truth is, it was many of the Jews who persecuted the Church and since these have been converted even they will serve in the Church and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords!

There will also be Gentiles of many nations who will do the same!

Jerusalem which is now home to most every religion on the face of this earth, will again be known as the City of the Lord, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel!

The city that has been called so may names such as barren and desolate, will become a true thing of beauty.

In truth, the door of salvation has been wide open since the Messiah, Lord Jesus Christ first came to establish His Church!

The world is just so full of darkness that most cannot find the doorway to Christ, because of the darkness of sin in their lives!

Mat_7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

God will soon execute judgment upon all that is evil and all darkness will be removed and the way to the Lord will be clearly lit!

Some things will still never change:

1) Access into God’s presence is still only granted to those who call on the name of Jesus Christ!

The Lord Jesus Christ is “that Gate”, “that Door” that leads to eternal life!

Joh 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
Joh 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Joh 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

2) Access into God’s presence is granted only to those who now know the truth of God’s Word, this will never change!

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.

3) Access into God’s presence is only allowed to those who turn away from sin and turn toward the Lord. (Repent)

Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Heb 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
Heb 10:21 And having an high priest over the house of God;
Heb 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

These things will never change in any age since the time of Christ.

And the city that has seen so much turmoil since the time of King David will then become the City of Peace!

*****Isa 60:15 Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations.
Isa 60:16 Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

Zion was once forsaken by her Maker, as a wife is forsaken because of her adulteries.

Jer_13:27 I have seen thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, and thine abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean? when shall it once be?

It must be that same Maker who would make Zion an eternal excellency and a joy for many generations!

Jer 30:17 For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.
Jer 30:18 Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob’s tents, and have mercy on his dwellingplaces; and the city shall be builded upon her own heap, and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof.
Jer 30:19 And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry: and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small.
Jer 30:20 Their children also shall be as aforetime, and their congregation shall be established before me, and I will punish all that oppress them.

God will always do what He says He will do and it is this very thing in which we must place our “faith”!

Now, the wealth of the world will be used to promote the “Gospel” of the Lord Jesus Christ centered upon Zion, Jerusalem!

*****Isa 60:17 For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness.

Time and time again, the gold of the Temple had been stolen or given away and replaced with brass and so with the silver and the other valuables but now all these things would be returned to do what they were intended to do!

Jerusalem has gone through so many hands and devastation all these years that in reality much of the world hates this city.
Even today not many, including many Jews, even want Jerusalem declared the capitol city of Israel.

In the day of the Messiah, Jerusalem will become the most prized possession of all the citizens of this earth and all the nations of this world will provide to make this so!

All the government of the world, will be centered in Jerusalem and true peace will be the theme of the government and righteousness will be the law of the land!

Righteousness is not only doing things right but it is doing things that are morally right!

Righteousness is the character of God!

Psa 119:142 Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth.

For 1000 years this world we live in now, will undergo a major transition.

*****Isa 60:18 Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.

The truth is there will be no prisons, no jails, no police officers and no need for a military because there will be no violence in the streets when the Lord sits on His throne in Jerusalem.

Isa 2:4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

Isa 11:6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
Isa 11:7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
Isa 11:8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.
Isa 11:9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

Isa 35:8 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.
Isa 35:9 No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:
Isa 35:10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

This will be a world that has repented because it will only have in it a people who have repented and returned to the Lord!

The prophecies of God will continue to be fulfilled!

Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Isa 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Salvation comes by the purpose of God through the Lord Jesus Christ!

It was the Lord Jesus Christ (Messiah) who came to this lost world to restore those who would commit themselves to Him to that harmony of God which had been lost because of the sin of Adam! (Disobedience to the Word of God)

Salvation is our wall of protection because it is assured by the Lord!

Praise is our gateway into the presence of God!

God warns us today to think about these promises before it is too late:

Psa 50:22 Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.
Psa 50:23 Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.

To be saved is to live in the “Glory” of the Lord forever!

*****Isa 60:19 The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.
Isa 60:20 Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.

Without the darkness that sin has brought to this world all who have committed themselves to the Lord during the Tribulation period will see a new light!

Gen 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Gen 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

That Light was the Son of God at that time and it will be the glory of the Son of God who will light up this world in the 1000 years He will sit upon His earthly throne!

Eze 43:2 And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory.

Just as light enters a dark room, The Lord Jesus Christ will scatter all the darkness of this world, leaving no place for it to hide there will not even be a shadow of darkness.

There will be no ignorance of the Word of God. The truth of God will be constant and there will also be no shadow of change in God’s Word!

What we find if we look is, that the Word of God is consistent from the Book of Genesis through the Book of Revelation and we have never seen our God change in anything that He has said or that He has ever done.

This will always be true!

When all the world does the right things according to the Word of God, we will once again know the paradise of God!

*****Isa 60:21 Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.
Isa 60:22 A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time.

Once again, the world will be a people planted by their Creator, the work of the hands of God!

Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Gen 2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

In truth, we all as sinners have realized that pain and sorrow are the only fruits of sin. Once sin has disappeared all sorrow will go with it!

I have said many times that we cannot truly enjoy a good day until we have been though a bad day.
We will never know the truth of joy until all sorrow is gone from this world!

When the Lord Jesus Christ was upon this earth the Church began with 12 fishers of men and by the end of the 1000-year Millennial Kingdom it will have grown into a strong nation!

None of these things will find their completion until the Lord returns, first to take His Church out of this world and second to rid this world of sin!

When it is time, the Lord will come quickly!

What is the Lord waiting on?

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.

The Lord will not return until that very last soul is saved to end the Church Age!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

Forgiveness Brings Blessings

/ Bobby Mayfield / 2 Comments

Blessings Through Forgiveness

2 Corinthians 2

We know our Churches face the challenges of this world just to survive and that is bad enough, but when there is internal turmoil and divisiveness inside the Church body, then that is even worse.

Satan will try His best to make the power of the Church go away in this world and he has in many places already.

In 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul had addressed many issues that had divided the Church in Corinth.

By ignoring blatant sin among its members, the Corinthian church was further contributing to division and weakness in the members of this Church.

The Apostle Paul had given practical instructions from the Word of God on for how to deal with immorality in the church.

Today we are reading why Paul could not return to this Church at this time and why he wrote the second epistle to this Church at Corinth.

The biggest reason the Church faces so many challenges is because even though we are a saved people, we are still human and we still live in these sinful bodies of 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.

The Apostle Paul understood these things better than most other Church leaders.

One lesson we should learn is, that our Pastor should not be the cause of pain in Church discipline, this is the responsibility of the church body.

It is the “Body of Christ”, the Church members that should bear the pain of Church discipline, guided by the Pastor and sticking to the Word of God in every step!

*****2Co 2:1  But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness. 
2Co 2:2  For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me? 

We can actually see the love that Paul had for this church.

We need to clearly understand the purpose of Church discipline!

The purpose of Church discipline is:
(1) To bring glory to God and enhance the testimony of the “body of Christ”.
(2) To restore, heal, and build up sinning believers.
(3) To show the need for sound doctrine.
(4) To win a soul to Christ, if the sinning person is only a professing Christian.
(5) To silence false teachers and their influence in the church.
(6) To set an example for the rest of the body of Christ and promote godly fear.
(7) To protect the church against the destructive consequences that occur when churches fail to carry out church discipline.

Until the Church in Corinth had done these things it was not so important that Paul made another appearance to this Church.

It is never so important for a Pastor to pour his heart out to people who reject the Word of God, his time is better spent on those with receptive ears and open hearts!

Paul was committed to the purity of the Church and he would have been even more severe if he had come and none of his directions had been followed.

Heb 12:11  Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

These things had brought much ridicule to the Apostle Paul and it would be best if if he was not attacked again.

Our Pastors do not deserve to be attacked for preaching the whole council of God!

AND, The “Body of Christ” must stand up and insist on the truth of God coming from the pulpits.

*****2Co 2:3  And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all. 

Paul’s reason for writing was that if those in sin would repent, then there could be joy to all when he returned instead of more sadness on the part of Paul himself.

We can be sure that Paul was following the lead of the Holy Spirit in this case and had not done this thing on his own.

It is also best that the Church put the Lord first, for He is the foundation of the Church and put an end to all controversy.

We would be foolish to believe that everyone in the Church is saved but we cannot allow our Pastor to be the center of any controversy by undisciplined members!

*****2Co 2:4  For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.

Paul had shed many tears over the things that were going on in this Church.

SO, Paul was writing this time to show his love for them all.

The purpose of the Pastor is to reach out to this lost world, lead the lost to Christ and then disciple them to give them strength!

This must be the goal for every Pastor!

This must be the exact same purpose for all the “Body of Christ”!

Just as Paul wanted no part of controversy, the same then should go for the Church.

Paul had only one desire for his children in the Lord.

Rom 1:11  For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, “to the end ye may be established”; 
Rom 1:12  That is, that I may be comforted together with you “by the mutual faith” both of you and me. 

We must realize that it only takes one person to stir up trouble in any Church.

*****2Co 2:5  But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. 
2Co 2:6  Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.

We must never forget, Church discipline has only one goal and that is to restore that one who has fell from “Grace”.

Church discipline is not to run people off that we simply do not like!

There was a single person who had caused grief for this whole church.

It could have been that one who been so immoral but we also know that there were those in this church who had become opposed to the Apostle Paul and there is always a ring leader and some think this is the one because immorality is not mentioned in these Scriptures.

The truth is there was some one in this Church that was attacking God’s man and causing much grief and pain and bringing this Church near to collapse.

**This thing had to be dealt with.

1Co 3:17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 

**This man had to be stopped so God’s man (Paul) could do what he was called to do.

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. 

We are not called to judge a man called of God to preach.

Many today are Mama called and Daddy sent!

If God is his master, then God will cause him to stand or he will fall.

**This Church at Corinth had many problems like all Churches do but this controversy could cause this Church to fail.

Php 1:27  Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; 
Php 1:28  And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. 

We know we have a good Pastor here at Gethsemane and we simply cannot allow anyone here in our church to stir up any controversy because of the message he preaches.

But we also must be willing to forgive everyone who repents of their evil doings!

Remember it is not the Pastor who disciplines, it is the Church, the “Body Of Christ”.

Paul had insisted this Church deal with this problem before he would return and they had.

But it was just as important that if this person repent that he also be forgiven and welcomed back into the family of God.

BUT, Some now felt that this should not happen and this person never be allowed back into the church.

We must first understand that church discipline is never to be about legal matters because church discipline is to only be about the will of God for His Church. The Church belongs to God!

The government disciplines those who break those laws

There will always be different opinions about church discipline and just like everything else we must depend on the Word of God to know what to do in these things.

What we know:

1) There was a man causing controversy in this church, in fact so much controversy that the Pastor had to ask this church to deal with it.

2) This church followed the advice of the Pastor and dealt with this problem.

3) Not everyone agreed that discipline was needed.

Not everyone agreed with the amount of discipline.

Some even believed that it was never to responsibility of the Church to do such things.

The pure fact is, that church discipline should have taken place before this controversy was allowed to fester and divide this church but also according to the Word of God.

AND, If this church had not done the right thing then the Apostle Paul would have stepped in and remember Paul had all the powers of the Apostles just as Peter and John and the other 9.

We know that the 11 Apostles had chosen a 12th and this is no slight on another good man but Jesus chose His own Apostles.

Paul cautioned this church:

2Co 13:2  I told you before, and foretell you, as if I were present, the second time; and being absent now I write to them which heretofore have sinned, and to all other, that, if I come again, “I will not spare”: 

2Co 13:10  Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present “I should use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord hath given me to edification”, and not to destruction.

This church had forgotten the purpose of church discipline as most have today!

*****2Co 2:7  So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. 
2Co 2:8  Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. 

The Lord Jesus made these things pretty simple for us all:

Mat 18:15  Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 
Mat 18:16  But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 
Mat 18:17  And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. 

First: any believer who attacks God’s church and God’s preachers must be corrected most of all, for his own sake.

Second: this person must be restored to a point that he loves God and all the people of God.

**There must be “forgiveness”, if this person repented!

Luk 17:4  And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. 

**There must be comfort and encouragement given to this person, if he repented!

It would be shame and embarrassment to be told to repent or to leave the church.

1Th 5:11  Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
Th 5:12  And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; 
1Th 5:13  And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves. 
1Th 5:14  Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. 
1Th 5:15  See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. 

**There must be repentance from that offender! Once he had repented and demonstrated godly sorrow then the purpose of the discipline had been achieved!

If this person is not accepted back into the fold, these things could be more destructive instead of correcting, if “he be swallowed up in much sorrow”.

Act 20:35  I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. 

**The church must go out of it’s way to assure this person of the love of the church!

One of the greatest testimonies of the church is love. This is always notable to visitors. If we cannot show that same love for each other we are failing as a church.

If the mess has been straightened out, its time to get back to the work of God, the quicker the better.

Eph 4:30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 
Eph 4:31  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 
Eph 4:32  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. 

Joh 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 
Joh 13:35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. 

It is this love that shows the proof of each and every church!

*****2Co 2:9  For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things. 

Most of us when we think about Church discipline, we always forget the purpose of the Church.

As long as any church knowingly compromises with those who commit the sins of the world, then the church cannot focus on it’s mission and it’s ministry.

Any church that is being disobedient to the Word of God will allow controversy and division to rule in the church rather than God.

Remember the Church was purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ our Savior!

Rev_1:5  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and “washed us from our sins in his own blood”,

Eph_1:14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

These things being true, if that person or persons repent of their evil ways, then that same merciful love of God is to be shown to them!

The same condition of pardon and life that we have been given from the Lord, is that we believe that person or persons and offer that same mercy and love to them.

The Church is to be obedient in all things!

The Bible says: Let our conversation be as it becometh the “Gospel” of Jesus Christ.

We are always to love one another!

We associate sin with the soul but we are to hate the sin but never show hatred to the soul which is of great value to the Lord!

The Church is in the business of saving souls!

We can only be the fishers of men and only the Lord can save!

*****2Co 2:10  To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; 
2Co 2:11  Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

**Notice the Apostle Paul forgave this man in order to help this church but also to help himself.

The entire nature of the Lord’s Church is based upon forgiveness!

The Church exists only because God has forgiven our sins because of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ!

When the Church is unforgiving it is denying it’s purpose of existing!

The church that does not forgive and restore after repentance, needs to close the doors because it has no reason to exist!

This is when the true Pastor of that church should take the lead, as did Paul.

**Paul also forgave this person for the sake of Jesus Christ (“in the person of Christ”).

We must remember that Our Lord is so displeased with an unforgiving spirit that He will refuse to forgive anyone who is not forgiving themselves!

Jesus Christ expects us all to be just as forgiving as He is!

**Paul also forgave this man for another great reason, to keep Satan from taking advantage.

1) Satan would take advantage with that man if the church had not forgiven him and he would become a witness against the church and remain out in the world.

He may also have fallen into depression and despair and be swallowed up in sorrow.

2) Satan would take advantage on the Pastor. The ministry of that Pastor or church leader would have become ineffective. God would no longer bless the ministry of such an unforgiving man of God!

3) Satan would get a foothold in the church for the same reason. God will never bless the ministry of an unforgiving church!

Just as Paul states we must always be aware of Satan’s techniques!

We should always consider that Satan has never had to change the way he does things, because his ways have worked for several thousand years, because we fall into his traps so easily.

Satan’s mission is to tempt and destroy people and we must never help him because we will be betraying the reason Jesus Christ went to the cross, which was to save people!

We must remember the Word of God, our enemy is never our fellow man.

Eph 6:10  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 
Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 
Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 

Satan is always determined to cause the church to fail in it’s mission!

1Pe 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 
1Pe 5:9  Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 

AND, We should never question Paul’s love for this church nor any church.

As men we can only be at one place at a time. Paul was lead by the Holy Spirit as it should be!

Besides, if Paul had spent all his time running from church to church at every little problem, his own ministry would have failed!

For this reason, God chose to give us these wonderful epistles to teach us the truths of God!

We need to listen as Paul describes what God had called him to do and in these things we can learn about our own Pastor.

*****2Co 2:12  Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord, 
2Co 2:13  I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia. 

A true pastor will always be gripped with passion to answer God’s call!

Every man called to preach, is called to preach “Christ’s Gospel”!

We see Paul as a pastor who was gripped by passion to preach the full council of God.

We see that Paul still had a deep concern for a troubled church but Paul also had to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit!

Paul had planned to go to Corinth but God had other plans and those attacks on Paul’s person had also made it an unwise thing to do.

Paul instead had sent his first epistle by Titus to this church but Paul’s passion to preach could not be quenched and he answered what we know of as the Macedonian call, but Paul was saddened because he had not heard back form Titus.

Notice Paul could not sit still while waiting on Titus!

We know that our own Pastor simply cannot sit still when he knows that there is another soul that could be reached for the Lord!

Notice when God’s called men are faithful to follow His lead, God will always open up another door for them.

What had God said?

Mar 16:15  And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 

How did Paul feel about his calling?

1Co 9:16  For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! 
1Co 9:17  For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. 
1Co 9:18  What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel. 

No matter what Paul was doing or where he was preaching or what church he was staring, he still had a great concern for troubled churches and we know for certain that every church has it’s own problems.

Paul said “he had no rest for his spirit”.

Here again we can see our own Pastor and see that no matter what he is doing or how busy he is, he has a great concern for his church!

Paul also had great “faith” in the Word of God as does our own Pastor!

*****2Co 2:14  Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. 

You see no matter what the world brings to hinder the “Gospel of Jesus Christ” if we follow in the will of God, and go through the doors that He opens there will always be victory!

The thing we need to remember is, just as Paul said the triumph was Christ’s, Paul may not have felt a great victory for himself in Corinth but he knew Christ was victorious in Macedonia!

When Jesus Christ has triumphed over us, we will certainly have victory in our lives. Paul felt this victory even in his sadness for Corinth.

We can all be apart of this same victory of Paul when we yield to the calling of the Lord Jesus Christ!

You see no matter who that Pastor or that missionary is, there can be no triumph without the Lord Jesus Christ!

Our one job is to make known the “Gospel” of Jesus Christ wherever Christ has placed us. This is our missionary field until God opens some other door!

As ambassadors for Christ, we must believe in Christ, trust in Christ, be called of Christ, serve in Christ, minister in Christ, live in Christ, move in Christ, and be in Christ!

It is never about us because it must always be about Christ!

When we do these things then we become a sweet savour to Christ.

*****2Co 2:15  For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: 
2Co 2:16  To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? 

It is obvious that not everyone will respond to the “Gospel” but that is not our calling. Our calling is to make known the “Gospel” to all people.

We are not to pick and choose who we witness to!

Everyone who is a witness for the Lord Jesus Christ is very precious to Him!

The message of the “Gospel” is either life or death to that one that hears it!

The the unsaved lost,”those who perish”, the “Gospel” we will then be the minister of death.

This is why the Christian is so hated!

The fact that they do not believe the Word of God is there own death sentence and all those who are dead to Christ now will remain dead to Christ throughout eternity!

This is another reason Christians are hated so, it is this message, but it is the Word of God.

AND, this is also the reason the world is trying to silence our true Pastors!

Joh 3:19  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 
Joh 3:20  For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 

All those who accept the truth of God and believe, will pass from life to life. These can live now and then live eternity with God!

Joh 3:21  But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. 

The Pastor who holds to the complete Word of God without compromise, is being sincere to his calling.

*****2Co 2:17  For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ. 

Without a doubt even in Paul’s day, he knew that there were many more who corrupted the Word of God than who preach the truth.

The true Pastor and the true Christian will always speak in communion and fellowship with the Lord!

The true Pastor and the true Christian will always have motives that are pure!

Our ministry is to serve God and help people.

Tit 2:7  In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, 
Tit 2:8  Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. 

The true Pastor always speaks in the power of God and the presence of Christ Jesus and is therefore able to share that fellowship with others!

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. 

Was Paul perfect absolutely not.

Is our Pastor perfect, he cannot be.

Are there any perfect pastors, preachers, missionaries? No

Our job is not to be perfect, our only job is to be true to the Word of God as best we can!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

God Still Blesses

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

God Still Blesses His Children

Text: Genesis Chapters 48-50  Our Focus Text: 48:3-5; 49:1,2,28,33; 50: 7-9,13,15-21

What we will see is that the Nation of Israel has begun:

Gen 49:28 says  All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.

God allowed Jacob to spend 17 more years with his entire family before he died. It had been 12 years since the famine was over and some say Jacob should have taken his family back home. He was not in the promised land.

The Bible says:

Gen 12:1  Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
Gen 12:2  And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
Gen 12:3  And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

We also know God told Abraham:

Gen 15:13  And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
Gen 15:14  And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.

No one could have known that this unknown nation would be Egypt. No one could have known when all this would come about, but it has begun as the scriptures are saying.

God’s Word will be fulfilled because God knows all things.

Isa 46:9  Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
Isa 46:10  [Declaring the end from the beginning], and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
Isa 46:11  Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.
Isa 46:12  Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness:
Isa 46:13  [I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.]

There is no one that can figure out what God is doing or how He created it all, other than we have His Word to tell us:

Ecc 3:11  He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

Joseph was still second in command of Egypt. We should believe that it would have been almost impossible for him to leave Egypt. He would provide for his family as long as he lived. The children of Israel were on the best land in Egypt and Pharaoh himself was paying them to do what they loved to do. They were herdsmen and shepherds. They did not have to roam to find grass for their own herds. In our way of thinking, they really had the best of both worlds. Not many of them would even want to leave Egypt.

The Bible says:

Psa 37:25  I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

Jacob had seen peace in his family for these 17 years but Jacob knew that he did not want to be buried in this foreign land. He wanted to be buried where Abraham, Isaac were buried. Jacob remembered what God had said to him:

Gen 35:12  And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.

Joseph was a faithful son and made a promise to his father that he would take him home.

You know when we die our bones may be buried in the soil of this earth but Jesus is coming back to raise us up and to take all of us home. Our souls will be reunited in a glorified body. Our home is in Heaven:

1Th 4:13  But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
1Th 4:14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, [even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him].
1Th 4:15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

Just as Jacob, when we die we will pass from time to eternity!

Jacob had played many parts in his life time:

1.) He had been a “trickster” with Esau:

Gen 25:30  And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
Gen 25:31  And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.

2.) He had been a “runaway” for this same Esau:

Gen 27:41  And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.

3.) He had been a “stranger” to Laban:

Gen 29:1  Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.

4.) He was “hire hand”:

Gen 30:28  And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it.

5.) He was God’s “prince”:

Gen 32:28  And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

6.) But he was the father of the nation of Israel:

Gen 49:28  All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.

Jacob left a rich heritage for his family. He had not done many things right but once he found God he grew in faith and reliance and through it all his family was regathered and all in one accord at his death.

Jacob had found peace by knowing God!

Jacob would be remembered, even in the time of Jesus:

The woman at the well ask Jesus this question.

Joh 4:12  Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

*****Our Text:

Gen 48:3  And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,
Gen 48:4  And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.
Gen 48:5  And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.

Gen 49:1  And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.
Gen 49:2  Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.

Gen 49:28  All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.

We know that Jacob became very emotional at this time near his death.

Gen 48:11  And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.

Jacob had never expected to see his son Joseph ever again and yet God had reunited this family in the last years of his life. Not only had he seen his son but he had gotten to see the children of Joseph. This was a great blessing to Jacob and he was showing it.

Now Jacob was explaining to Joseph the promise of God in the land of Canaan. This is the land God had promised to the Nation of Israel. Jacob knew that Joseph would never return to Canaan while he was alive and it was Joseph that would get the blessing of the first born. He was the first born of Rachel but Reuben was his first born son.

Because Reuben had defiled the relationship by committing a sin with the concubine of Jacob, he would not get the blessing of the firstborn son.

Gen 49:3  Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:
Gen 49:4  Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.

Jacob used this opportunity to tell Joseph that he was adopting the two sons Ephraim and Manasseh, and by doing this thing they would get their portion of the land in the new Israel. This would be the same as giving Joseph a double portion. By a legal adoption this could not be changed.

Heb 11:21  By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.

In “type” we can see that this is a type of the Church being adopted and given a double portion of the inheritance of King Jesus as He will be the recipient of the promise to King David and Abraham.

1.) Abraham:

Gen 12:1  Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
Gen 12:2  And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
Gen 12:3  And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

2.) David:

2Sa 7:11  And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house.
2Sa 7:12  And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
2Sa 7:13  He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

Psa 89:3  I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,
Psa 89:4  Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.

Psa 89:29  His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.

Psa 89:33  Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.
Psa 89:34  My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
Psa 89:35  Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.
Psa 89:36  His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.

Psa 132:11  The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.

Act 2:30  Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
Act 2:31  He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
Act 2:32  This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

It is Jesus Christ that began the Church!

To continue we can see that Jacob had more concern for strength in the ways of God, character, and leadership than in the order of birth.

We also know that God is no respecter of persons as is proven throughout the Bible. God is a whosoever will God and does not limit His Ways to one group of people but to all people the exact same.

We hold these things in our own hands. All we need do is accept the free gift of Salvation and all these things will be given to each and every one of us.

The Bible says:

Joh 3:34  For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.
Joh 3:35  The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.

Joh 17:7  Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.

2Co 5:18  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
2Co 5:19  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

2Pe 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
2Pe 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
2Pe 1:5  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2Pe 1:6  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2Pe 1:7  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2Pe 1:8  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2Pe 1:9  [But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins].

AND IT IS STILL BY FAITH!

*****Our text:

Gen 49:33  And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and [was gathered unto his people].

Gen 50:7  And Joseph went up to bury his father: and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt,
Gen 50:8  And all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his father’s house: only their little ones, and their flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen.
Gen 50:9  And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen: and it was a very great company.

Gen 50:13  For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a buryingplace of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.

We can think what we want too but when the Bible says Jacob was gathered to his people it does not mean those that were left behind.

No, Jacob was gathered to to Rachel and Leah and to Abraham and Isaac and Sarah and Rebekah and all those that had gone on before him including Deborah the nurse to Rebekah.

All those that have gone on before us are in Heaven waiting on us to get there! Yet, if you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior you will never see them again!

Jacob was gathered up by all his family that awaited him in Heaven.

Genesis 50 tells us that Jacob had elaborate funeral. The Egyptians were experts at preserving dead bodies. Jacob’s body had been preserved in order for all these things to happen. [Later in the time of Jesus, the Jews would have a custom to bury their dead on the same day that they died].

As far as we know Joseph remained in his position of authority until the day he died. Joseph was moved to tears to hear that after all these years his brothers still carried their burden of guilt.

You know if we do not ask for forgiveness daily through prayer, we then will carry our burden of sin and there is no doubt that this brings Our Lord Jesus to tears when we carry a burden that He suffered so much for to free us of our sin.

There are many that believe that you can lose your salvation. This also brings Jesus to tears because it takes away from what He did for us on the cross. Once saved, you are truly saved. You didn’t do anything to deserve it and you cannot lose it. God does not take His gifts away.

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.

Joseph calmed their fears:

Col 3:12  Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
Col 3:13  Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
Col 3:14  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
Col 3:15  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

Jesus calms our fears;

1Jn 5:13  These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; [that ye may know that ye have eternal life], [and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God].

Our sin will not be remembered against us!

Mic 7:19  He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and [thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea].

Psa 103:11  For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
Psa 103:12  [As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us].

Isa 38:17  Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: [for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back].

Jer 31:34  And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: [for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more].

Rom 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Rom 8:3  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, [God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh]:

Tit 2:14  Who gave himself for us, [that he might redeem us from all iniquity], and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Tit 2:15  These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

God would not say these things if He did not mean them!

The only “predestination” of any human being, is that all are predestined to go to Heaven that believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

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.

Joseph lived to be 110 years old. He was about 17 years old when he came into Egypt. He was 30 years old when Pharaoh made him second in command of Egypt. He remained in that position for 80 years and for 80 years he served God and his people but he also served the Egyptians as fairly as the rest.

Psa 84:12  O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.

1Co 3:11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
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.

Joseph through a Holy God had saved many people from suffering death by starvation. He also helped change the course of history of many nations by preserving Israel.

We may think that one man or one woman cannot make a lot of difference in this world but when that one person is touched by the hand of God it can affect the world on a global scale.

Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God wrote:

2Pe 3:17  Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
2Pe 3:18  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

We will also notice that when Joseph died he had not asked to be taken out of Egypt for burial at that time. By him being so honored by the Egyptians it was to the advantage of Israel for him to be buried in Egypt. But he did make them promise to take his bones with them in the future when he knew God would call them out.

God’s promise to Abraham would be fulfilled.

Joseph would later be buried in Shechem:

Jos 24:32  And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and [it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph].

Jacob had bought this land:

Gen 33:18  And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padanaram; and pitched his tent before the city.
Gen 33:19  And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for an hundred pieces of money.

The covenant to Abraham had passed to Isaac, then to Jacob and now to these twelve sons. Joseph was not a patriarch in this same sense.

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.
Gen 17:9  And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.

The death of Joseph concludes the Book of Genesis but it did not end the story of God working with this nation but that story has just begun.

Joseph never got to read Romans 8:28:

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.

But we can see that when the Apostle Paul was inspired to write it so we could read it that God had already proven this to Joseph.

Joseph said:

Gen 50:20  But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

The brothers of Joseph had allowed fear to rule their lives for 17 years. How many of us have allowed our own guilt to rob us peace of mind just because we have not trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ.

We could never save our selves. We “never” could! We cannot keep ourselves saved. We can “never” do that! Only through the saving “Grace” of Christ Jesus” Our Lord can we get to Heaven. “Our only work is to be believe”. It’s not to blow up people. It’s not to harm those that do not believe as we do.

When we do not accept that fact [we are still living with a burden of sin].

Christ Jesus did all the work to get us saved and He said all that work was finished!

The Book of Genesis ends here but it is only the end of the book of the Beginnings. The last of the beginnings is the birth of the Nation of Israel.

God created and developed a World. God filled this world with creatures of all sort. Humanity is a story of people and their relationship with this Almighty God. We can still see how this world still tries to have their own answers for this Creator God. They will never know Him as He is until they accept Jesus Christ for who He is! The Supreme God and the Creator of it all.

Is God still searching for a faithful people?

Heb 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: [for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him].

When Genesis began we first saw “Elohim”.
Through Joseph we saw “El Shaddai”.
We will next see “Jehovah God”.

We have studied the beginning and we know God will complete what He has begun!

Php 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Joh 11:25  Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
Joh 11:26  And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

We can only discover what God intends for each of us as we see His blessings before our very eyes. Every blessing comes through faith. If we do not act on the truth of God we will remain LOST.

The Book of Genesis has taught us that God is absolutely necessary for a complete life on this Earth and Eternal Life in Heaven. Without God we will never understand this world we live in. The Book of Genesis teaches us that it is God who holds the secrets to life and He tells us all about it in His Holy Word.

Israel, since 1948 is still located in the promised land of God. It has nothing to do with America. It has nothing to do with the United Nations and it has nothing to do with all those surrounding Muslim nations.

Do you realize there was not one, not one Muslim in the world at the time of God’s promise.  There will always be trouble from those that deny the Word of God and make their own way!

Back at the beginning when Satan distorted God’s Word:

Gen 3:2  And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
Gen 3:3  But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
Gen 3:4  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
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.

There can be only one God!

Psa 12:3  The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:
Psa 12:4  Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?

Let’s take the new beginnings God gives us when we are saved and serve the Lord as long as we live. Joseph served 80 years that we can account for. I waited to late in life to attain that goal but I can make my own new record because I also have the newness of life through Jesus.

Let’s Pray!