Heaven is a real place

The Prodigal Son

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Jesus Uses Parables to Preach the Gospel

Book of Luke Chapter 15

We have answered this question before, but what is a parable?

The Webster dictionary describes a parable this way: “A fable or allegorical relation or representation of something real in life or nature, from which a moral is drawn for instruction”.

In truth, a parable is not a fable nor an allegory.

One commentary says: A parable makes it evident that an essential feature of the parable lies in the bringing together of two different things so that the one helps to explain and to emphasize the other.

To make it simple, a parable was often used in a more restricted sense to denote a short narrative, under which some important truth is veiled.

In these parables, it proves the great love God has in seeking lost sinners and His forgiveness for them if they will only repent and return to Him.

Luke Chapter 15 begins with the Parable of sinners coming to Jesus, and next the Parable of the Lost Coin.

We could say that Luke Chapter 15 is one of the most important chapters in the Bible.

Our lesson spends its time on the Lost Son, whom we call the Prodigal Son.

Praise the Lord, for He knows how to find lost things!

I was once one of those lost things that He found.

The Pharisees and the scribes of today see searching for the lost as a waste of time.

What does God say? Luk 15:7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

Luk 15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

If we make a few substitutions, we can better understand this parable.

1) The lost son teaches us about sinful living and true repentance.
2) His father represents our Heavenly Father.
3) The other son in this parable teaches us about the self-righteous and those who reject the truth.

Remember this is the Lord Jesus speaking.

****Luk 15:11 And he said, A certain man had two sons:
Luk 15:12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.

We could say the problem in this family is a problem of relationships.

The problem of the relationship of the father to his two sons.
The problem of the relationship between the two sons and their father.

One son will represent the sinner.
The other son will represent the Pharisee who was always against Jesus.

The father represents the love of God for both of these sons.

The Lord Jesus Christ died for every sinner and every Pharisee and all others on Mount Calvary.

Those in the past, those who live now, and those who would live in the future. This also includes every Israelite.

The truth is that man’s love is narrow, shortsighted, and selfish.

We do not see much love in the world today.

God’s love is boundless, profound, reconciling, and unreserved.

Both of these sons, in their own way, sin against the love of God.

When we reject our Creator, we are sinning against His love!

There are so many differences between these two sons, so it is hard to believe they are brothers.

The one thing they have in common is that they have the same father.

The youngest son is rebellious, as we see in many of our youths today, driven by the desire to leave home and treat his parents as if they do not exist.

This son wants to make grown-up decisions and be his own, but no person alive then or today becomes so mature that they can declare their independence from God.

This reminds me of all those politicians and preachers who claim to know the truth of God, but they do not uphold the truth of God’s Word when dealing with the lost.

How can any so-called Christian defend any kind of immorality when God says it is an abomination?
How can any so-called Christian defend any sin when God says for us to repent of our sinful ways?

No one can claim they are saved and in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and then defend the sin, the wickedness, and the immorality in our nation or in our world; no matter what they say, they are liars.

Even in Israel at the time of Jesus, it was the custom for the property to be divided among the sons after the death of the father, with the firstborn getting a double portion.

Today, if there is a last will, the possessions of that father would be divided according to that will.

This foolish young man convinced his father to divide his estate, which he did, and gave to both sons their inheritance while he was still alive.

He was declaring that to him, his father was dead!

The young man immediately exchanged his property for money.

On that day, land and animals were a sign of wealth and not money.

He had no intention of honoring his parents in their old age, which in that day was the responsibility of the sons.

He severed his relationship with his father and wanted nothing else to do with his family.

There have been many such sons and daughters who have done this today, and a great many of them have come back home because independence and the world are not what they thought they were.

This is the picture of the sinner who wants to do with his life what he wants to and to heck with everybody else.

*Luk 15:13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
Luk 15:14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

In most family homes, the children are first trained to help keep the home clean, and they will have more responsibility as they get older.

This young man wanted his independence from any such responsibility. He wanted to do his own thing and live as he wished.

This father gave his son what he asked for.

There is no clearer way to deny God than to give in to your own will and ignore the will of God!

What do we see? He wasted all that his father gave him on riotous living.

He tried to live in luxury.
He was wanton, he became immoral, and lived without moral restraints.
He was licentious, giving in to festive indulgences, which meant he lived the party life, ignoring the laws of his upbringing.
He ate only the best foods this world had to offer, no matter the cost.

He chose a country that was far different from his father’s home.

He chose a country that was full of wickedness and immorality, where he could live a worldly, fleshy life.

We could say he was living for pleasure.

We know that King Solomon tried this lifestyle and found it a vain way to live.

Solomon had much more money than this prodigal son.

What does the word prodigal mean? One that expends money extravagantly or without necessity; one that is profuse or lavish; a waster; a spendthrift.

In a short time, this son had spent every dime he had, as he had wasted his inheritance and was now broke in a foreign country.

He had nothing left on this earth to help him.

The world we live in is only nice to those who can afford it, but this world will take away everything that you have and laugh at you.

When you wrap your life up in pleasure, you will find that the pleasures of this world get old fast.

There is only pleasure in sin for a season.

Isa 21:4 My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me.

This young man had found out that the world we live in is a corrupt world.

I used to think we live in a nation that could not be corrupted, but I know no better.

A certain political group has corrupted our nation, and they fight with the strength of the Devil to keep it that way.

Proverbs 11:19 says so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.

Not only was he dead broke with no help, but a famine came to the country he was now living in, and he, being an illegal immigrant, would suffer even more.

He became a slave and could only get the worst jobs.

*Luk 15:15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
Luk 15:16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

We should know that a Jew was forbidden by law to attach themselves to a Gentile.

Even if we disregard this, the humiliation of cleaning hog pens was a terrible pain for this young man.

The attitude of the Jews toward swine was also governed by the Law.

Lev 11:7 And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.
Lev 11:8 Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.

In typology, those hog pens give us the picture of sin when a man is enslaved to it.

Sin will enslave us!

Pro 5:21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.
Pro 5:22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.
Pro 5:23 He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

His bodily hunger became so great that he would have eaten the food that was given to the swine.

The Greek text of the Bible says those husks were the pods of the carob tree, which was used for the feed of animals.

Some say it had a sweetish taste, but it would tear your bowels up, and only the very poor would attempt to eat it.

This young man came to his senses.

*Luk 15:17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
Luk 15:18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
Luk 15:19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

He had sunk as low as he could go. Trying to do things his way just was not working out.

When he could only see how his freedom had turned out, he began to think about home and the only one who had loved him, his father.

Heaven will be so wonderful that God considers any person who rejects the Lord Jesus to be mad or insane for wanting to live in this unreal, wicked world.

Our world is not only vain, but it is also fake.

Our nation has been known as the land of opportunity, but it is fake.

Only Heaven is the true land of opportunity.

Ecc 9:5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
Ecc 9:6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.

Inner conviction began to lead this young man to repentance.

Repentance is the beginning of reality and the basis for building a sound life.
The beginning of repentance is thought, thinking about the need to repent and turn back to God.

The Holy Spirit will first convince us that we are sinners.
Then He will put in our hearts that there is a God who loves us.
It is the heart that will convince us of our lost condition.
It is the heart that will bring us to confession.

This is how the Holy Spirit works to bring us under conviction.

God is Light, and God is Love.

As Light, He works in the Heart to convince us of our lost condition.

As Love, we can see in Him in His Goodness.

1Pe_5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

This son knew one thing for certain. If he remained in his condition, he knew he would perish!

His sin is staring at him in the face.

When we sin against God, we have sinned against His Love for us.

He began to think about his father and how his father had many servants, but not one of them were slaves.

They were hired help, taken care of, and fed from his father’s table.

He realized that he was no longer worthy to be considered a son and sought to just become one of his father’s servants.

He knew he needed to get moving before he perished.
He knew he would have to turn from his sinful life.
He knew he would have to turn toward and move toward God.

This is repentance!

When we repent, we must turn from this world and turn toward God’s New Heaven.

This begins after confession of our sin!

It was time to do this before another day passed.

*Luk 15:20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
Luk 15:21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

Many a soul on this earth realizes their sinful life and realizes that they are not worthy to receive forgiveness, but they feel they cannot be forgiven, so they remain in their misery or seek an early death, having no hope.

When we do this, we dishonor not only ourselves, but we dishonor our Heavenly Father, who is waiting for us with open arms, with healing in His wings.

Mal_4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

The greatest decision this young man would ever make was the decision to return to his father.

We need to reconcile ourselves with God!

Heb_2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

God is always ready to receive us!

God is omniscient, so this son was forgiven before he even confessed!

Repentance is the sign that we are sincere when we confess.

There is a movement in many places of worship to remove this step to salvation.

People want to be saved and then work on repentance, but repentance will not come without the help of the Holy Spirit.

God sees we are sincere when we turn from our wicked ways!

This is why the father ran to meet his son!

The God of the New Testament, the Father of all mankind, is most clearly revealed in His compassion.

When we take one step toward God, He will take two steps toward us!

Psa 34:18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

When this son returns to his father, he finds out that his father has never stopped loving him.

His heart had gone with his son even when he was far off.

This is the example the Lord Jesus was making.

1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

It was time for a feast.

*Luk 15:22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
Luk 15:23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
Luk 15:24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

This young son was now accepted and restored, but it would not have happened if he had not returned.

Before this son says just make me one of your servants, the heart of the father has taken over.

It is the position of our Heavenly Father that determines that we are still His sons and daughters.

Repentance is the key to returning to the arms of God.

When we walk through Heaven’s Gates, we will walk in as a son or daughter who has returned home!

Luk_15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

Our dirty, rotten, sinful clothing will be removed, and a robe of salvation will be given to us.

Notice an important point: the servants of this father knew exactly where this robe had been hanging in anticipation of the return of this son.

Not only do we have a mansion in Heaven prepared by the Lord, but there is also a Robe of Righteousness awaiting us.

Isa_61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

The best robe we will ever wear is the robe we receive when we get to Heaven.

2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

We will receive a ring as a sign of special honor and dignity: Gen 41:42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;

Those new shoes show that we now walk with our Heavenly Father.

Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

We should notice that this son receives much more than he received when he left.

That fatted calf is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, who was slain for our sins.

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:

There is much more that we can get from this parable of the Prodigal Son if we just take it to heart and remember our own salvation.

Amen

Rest in Jesus

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Rest in the Lord

Book of Psalms Chapter 37

Last week we studied a Psalm of David he wrote while in his twenties.

This week we study a Psalm of David written while he was in his sixties approaching the end of his life.

He had been through many wars.
He had experienced the results of his sin with Bathsheba who was now his wife and the mother of Solomon.

At this time David was doing a lot of meditating on rest much like all of us that have reached these same years in our own lifetime.

That word “rest” has more than one meaning.

Most people look at “rest” as to stop doing any work at all. Our bodies are at rest when they cease to move.

What did the Lord Jesus say about rest?

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

Our Lord Jesus says, “if we will submit to His teaching, we will find true rest”.

It takes far less labor to work in the toils of righteousness than it takes to live a sinful unrighteous life.

We could say our nation is at rest because we are not at war with any other nation but I do not feel at rest because of all the things happening in our world.

I think our leaders could do more to protect us from the turmoil that is certainly coming to our nation because of the lack of true leadership in the government that is now in place.

Jehovah told Israel that they could find rest when they reached the promised land.

Deu 12:9 For ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which the LORD your God giveth you.
Deu 12:10 But when ye go over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the LORD your God giveth you to inherit, and when he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety;

We know that this rest did not come until the time of King Solomon the son of David and it did not last long and Israel is not at rest even today.

There is another place where it says that Israel had rest for eighty years but even this is not a long time.

It is nothing like the rest that is promised to the Body of Christ when we reach Heaven, the true Promised Land.

This is the place where we can find rest for our souls.

Heb_4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

Rev 7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Rev 7:15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
Rev 7:16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
Rev 7:17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

These things sound like rest to me.

Even though the burdens of righteousness are not as heavy as the burdens of being in sin, there is true rest coming to us when we get to Heaven.

Let us begin our lesson today:

*Psa 37:1 A Psalm of David. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
Psa 37:2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

Many a Christian today suffers while the wicked seem to prosper as they live in sin.

Our lesson today has some answers to this question of; “why do bad things happen to good people while the bad people seem to prosper”.

David wrote this Psalm when he was living in his later years after seeing many things throughout his life.

Last week’s lesson David was a young man probably in his twenties.

Today David was in his late sixties when he wrote this Psalm.

David had been King of Israel for more than thirty years and had witnessed many things in his lifetime.

Most of us, who have called upon the name of Christ, realize that our lives were in turmoil until we placed our trust in our Savior.

One of the things we have realized is that we cannot overlook the presence of evildoers in our world.

They are bent upon our destruction.

Even in the United States that we love, Christians are now considered to be as bad as terrorists.

We will have to deal with the personal wrongs committed against us by ungodly people!

The Holy Spirit says, “fret not thyself because of evil doers”.

We must not wear ourselves out because of these things. Their day of grief is certainly coming.

To fret also means, besides stop worrying, we should not be murmuring or complaining to God or to each other about these things.

To fret is an inward ailment that affects our bodies and our souls.

The Lord tells us to not get upset because of these wicked people.

We must not let our emotions get the best of us.

We will become angry at the injustice of their successes.

The Holy Spirit reminds us that they will not endure and Judgment Day was coming to them.

As far as King David, he had realized that all his old enemies were now gone or dead and it was he who was prosperous as King of Israel they who suffered.

Mighty things happen in our lives when we trust in the Lord.

*Psa 37:3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

The most crucial decision we can make in our lifetime is to trust in the Lord and do good.

Our faith in the Lord can cure any ailment!

Our faith in the Lord has placed us on the winning side.

When we yield to fear we cannot do good, and when we put our effort into doing good, we will not yield to fear.

Working for God will keep our minds occupied.

The Holy Spirit teaches us:

Php_4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Again for the Jews they could dwell in the land God had promised to them.

For the Body of Christ it is Heaven that has been promised to us.

We are only strangers and pilgrims on the land called earth.

Everything we invest our time and our money in will fade away but the blessings we receive from the Lord are everlasting.

As we grow in our faith, we will find that there is immense pleasure in serving our Lord and Savior.

*Psa 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

We just cannot allow this world we live in to rob us of the joys of serving the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is a fact that the more faith we have in the Lord the more blessings we can earn here upon this earth but even more of the treasures of Heaven.

Joy is mentioned as part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Gal_5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Eph_5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

For the Body of Christ it is simple. If we have the Holy Spirit living within us then we are to follow in His ways and not our own ways.

We can see how those that are determined to go their own ways are destroying our nation today.

Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

If we delight ourselves in the Lord, He promises to answer our prayers.

For those who cannot ever seem to get a prayer answered, this is a very important part of this lesson today.

It takes a full commitment to the Lord to get our prayers answered.

*Psa 37:5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
Psa 37:6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

To commit to the Lord is to place our lives in His hands and get busy serving Him.

This means all our cares, all our necessities, all our business, and all our wants, are we to give to the Lord so He can manage our lives according to the Word of God.

When we are facing severe trials, many of us falsely conclude that God is judging us just as we read in the Book of Job but this is not true.

A child of God has already been judged and determined to be a child of God.

If we commit ourselves to the Lord, He will answer our prayers and when the world attacks us, He will vindicate us.

As things get worse for the Christian, the best thing we can do is to remain close to God and continue to serve Him.

The fight with wickedness belongs to the Lord.

We are to be obedient Christians and stand our ground upon the truth of the Word of God

Our time upon this earth is growing short.

What did the Holy Spirit tell Timothy?

2Ti 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
2Ti_3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

Then Paul told Timothy to just continue serving the Lord.

We must simply understand that everything happening in our world is going on according to the plan of God but we should remember that God is not the cause of these evil things but He does allow these things happen according to His plan.

No one can stop God’s plan and no one can change God’s plan!

These things of God will become as visible to mankind as the light of the sun at noonday.

Righteousness will win in the end!

The truth of God will become so clearly seen it will make the Atheists cry, but they still will not come to the Lord, but will hate Him even more.

For God will send to them a loss of memory and they will rebel against each other.

It will be the same for all false religions.

Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Rom 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Rom 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Nothing changes for the Christian as we are to patiently wait upon the Lord and rest in the truth of the Word of God.

*Psa 37:7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

We are never to complain about the way the Lord deals with this ungodly world, even though some of our family members are in that group.

We can teach them the plan of salvation, but they have to make their own minds up about salvation.

The Body of Christ is to quietly submit to the entire will of God and patiently wait upon His help.

To rest in the Lord is to place ourselves into the hands of God and be useful.

Remember that there is no one who can remove us from the hand of God and God will never cast us away.

Isa 30:15 For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.

Israel would not do this and it cost them dearly, but the Body of Christ must not be like Israel.

Our strength comes by being obedient to this passage as our time grows short.

It does not matter as we see the rich get richer.

It does matter that our confidence remains in the truth of the Word of God!

Ecc 5:8 If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.

It is hard to see the corruption going on in our own nation and the only tools we have are our prayers and our vote.

Obeying the Word of God must still be our goal remembering that our prayers are the greatest tool we have.

Come voting time we are to vote according to the truth of the Word of God, but it is God who will put our next president in place for His own reasons and our job remains for us to be obedient to all the Word of God.

1) We must trust in the Lord.
2) We must delight in the Lord.
3) We must commit ourselves to the Lord.
4)We must focus on the Lord and His faithfulness rather than upon the ways of this wicked world.

God has already judged them and they will find out that Hell is a real place.

We may get disheartened in what we see of the wicked side of our world while many of us struggle every day, but this is not the attitude God wants from His people and we must be obedient to the Lord.

*Psa 37:8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
Psa 37:9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.

Discontent is not only foolish but it can be dangerous because it could lead us to deny God’s providence.

We see many so-called Christians today who have joined the evildoers because they are not content with the Word of God and the actions of God.

If we dwell upon the prosperity of evildoers, we are apt to envy them and envy leads to strife, division, and hatred.

Jas 3:16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

It is foolish to rage against the ungodly whom we see prosper, since they will certainly be cut off eventually.

I can tell you that it makes me mad every time I see where a super-rich person gives billions to charity, when that charity supports wickedness, when if it were given to a wise church and maybe souls could be saved.

They would be better off if they gave that money to pay down our national debt rather than just throw it away to support apostasy.

We can see that we are taught to live in inner peace even though we see all this wickedness in our nation and in this world.

The truth is that God will deal with the wicked and God will take care of His children.

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

Jesus says we have more important things to concentrate on than the wickedness of this world.

*Psa 37:10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.

We should ask ourselves why in the world would we be envious of wicked and evil people.

We must never allow the prosperity of the wicked prevent us from living a higher standard established by Jesus Christ Himself.

What is the truth of each Christian?

*Psa 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
Psa 37:24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.

God blesses the righteous, He does not bless the wicked!

God has put every good person in a particular course of life and we must travel that course with the wisdom from Heaven.

If we remember those first baby steps when our children began to walk, we should understand the walk of a baby Christian.

One step in the wrong direction can cause them to fall.

It is the same for the baby Christian.

It is not long before a small child can walk with confidence.

That babe in Christ can soon walk in confidence when they walk in the wisdom from Heaven.

God orders and establishes the details of everyone of His children.

Pro 16:9 A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.

We live in a world that is getting more dangerous every day.

We must be aware of these things but we are not to be too concerned about these things.

As Christians we may not always have what we want but we find out that we have enough when we trust in the Lord.

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

Most all of us can relate to this verse because we have seen many things as we have aged.

It is true that we have never seen the righteous deserted by God.

God will never forsake His children!

I see a lot of people standing on the side of the road begging but in many case today this is a business operated to make money and it has caused harm to some that were really in need.

I not seen where any of these were Christians because a true Church will help the needy in that Church.

Because God is merciful then we are to be merciful if we want to be like Him.

*Psa 37:26 He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.

As Christians we are not to hoard anything that the Lord has loaned to us.

Everything we have was given to us by the Lord and we are to share some of these things with others if there is a need.

By helping others we bring God’s blessings not only upon ourselves but also our children who follow in our footsteps.

The truth is it is better to be righteous than to have any of the world’s possessions.

*Psa 37:27 Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.
Psa 37:28 For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.

The greatest blessing we can get after our salvation is that we will live forever in a place so wonderful that we do not have the words to describe it.

This is the promise we receive from the almighty living God.

The Lord loves justice and He will see that those who abuse His children will be punished.

In fact this verse says that the children of the wicked will be cut off.

It is far better to be walking with Jesus Christ than to be walking in step with the world.

God will never abandon those who walk with His Son!

Nothing in this world can over power the Almighty God!

All those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ have no protection and will certainly perish in God’s judgment.

The children of God will be enjoying the inheritance that God has prepared for them.

*Psa 37:29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.

We can rest assured in the truth of the Word of God.

When we love the Word of God and hide it in our hearts, we will find the strength to resist the strong pull of our flesh to turn to worldly things.

In fact we will find out that our own flesh is the greatest enemy we have to face throughout our lifetime.

We cannot be perfect as long as we are in this body of flesh but we can live a life of righteousness if we depend upon the Lord to walk with us all our days.

Amen

Are You Ready to Meet the Lord

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Ready for the Day of the Lord

Book of 1 Thessalonians Chapter 5

Our last lesson was about the return of the Lord Jesus so we know for sure that He will return.

So, we should ask ourselves, are we ready for the return of the Lord?

We must not be confused about death and the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus died in our place so, in a real sense we will never die.

A true death is, to live forever without God in our lives, in suffering and despair.

Luk 13:28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.

This place of suffering is the same place where the Devil will spend his eternity.

Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

It is a fact there will be degrees of punishment in Hell.

Luk 12:46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
Luk 12:47 And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
Luk 12:48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

In Hell there will be a total absence of favor with God.
In Hell there will be an endless disturbance of life as a result of the complete domination of sin.
In Hell there will be endless pain and suffering in body and soul.
In Hell there will be pangs of conscience, there will be anguish, there will be despair, there will be weeping, and there will be gnashing of teeth.

A true life is living throughout eternity with God in our lives.

Believers will enjoy an eternal fellowship in the company of Jesus Christ.

Believers will live in fellowship, relaxation, joy, and happiness throughout eternity.

There will be a New Heaven and a New Earth!

Heb 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
Heb 12:23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Heb 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

The New Jerusalem will be a literal city because God has given us the measurements.

It is in the New Jerusalem where God will dwell in fellowship with mankind forever and ever!

How could anyone choose a place called Hell over a place called Heaven?

*1Th 5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
1Th 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
1Th 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

We will never know the exact day or the exact time of the return of the Lord but the Lord told us Himself that we should be able to tell when that time gets close.

Mat_16:2 He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.
Mat_16:3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?

The signs point to the soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ!

The day and the time of the return of Christ is not up for discussion the Lord has already said.

Those that set dates on the return of Jesus Christ cannot know what they are talking about!

Times can extend over many years but the seasons, the things that happen in critical periods of time can be looked at and observed such as Israel returning to the Promised Land and the things that are happening today, in Israel and all over the world.

Only God knows when the details of His return will be fulfilled!

The Lord is coming just as a thief in the night has planned his dirty deed. Suddenly and unexpectedly!

We know that the Lord Jesus will first come to meet His Church in the clouds.

Then at least seven days later, this “Day of the Lord” is that period of time in which the Lord will return to deal with wicked men directly and dramatically in judgment.

There is a day coming when God will punish those who have followed the ways of Satan, the Devil.

Every soul will come under judgment.

We can know that this will be the day when the earth has reached such a depraved condition that it is hopefully lost forever and sits ripe for the “judgment” of God!

Isa 13:9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
Isa 13:10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
Isa 13:11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

The day of the Lord will be on that day when the world of unbelievers feel that they are so secure that even a God cannot stop them.

Suddenly out of nowhere God will strike this earth!

It will be on a scale as it was in the days of Noah and the time of Lot.

Luk 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
Luk 17:27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
Luk 17:28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
Luk 17:29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
Luk 17:30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

The “day of the Lord” will be a day of catastrophic destruction.

The “day of the Lord” will be a day of no escape for all those who have always been above the law and ignored the Word of God.

Rom 2:3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

The “day of the Lord” will be a dark and miserable day for all those who are left upon this earth.

*1Th 5:4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
1Th 5:5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

A believers we live in the Light of Jesus Christ now, just as we will when we get to Heaven!

Rev_22:5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

The “day of the Lord” will not be a surprise to the Church because we know the Lord does not ever break a promise.

That word “overtake” means the Lord will return to this earth when He is least expected.

2Pe_3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

The true Church will not be caught off guard.

1) By studying the Word of God we are not in spiritual darkness of ignorance.

Rom 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
Rom 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Rom 13:13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

Joh 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

1Jn 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

What we do know is that we will welcome the “day of the Lord” as we would welcome the morning hours of a beautiful day full of light and full of joy.

To the unbeliever it will be a terrible day!

Amo 5:18 Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.
Amo 5:19 As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.
Amo 5:20 Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?

2) Being a child of God is being a child of the Light.

Joh_8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Joh_11:9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.

As the Lord Jesus returned to Heaven, the Church has now become the light of this world.

Mat_5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

We are not only the children of the Light.

3) We are the children of the Day.

We will escape the Judgment of God!

We are the receivers of God’s glorious salvation and His deliverance.

We are looking forward to the return of our Savior to take us home to be with Him.

We should be always praying and thinking about the things of God and our responsibility to reach people for Christ.

The “Day of the Lord” is so close that we can almost see it.

*1Th 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
1Th 5:7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

In this verse this sleep refers to spiritual sleep. When we are asleep, we are not aware of what is going on around us. When we are asleep spiritually, we are not alert to the things of God and are not aware of what God is doing.

When we are asleep spiritually, we will be caught off guard when the Lord returns to take us home.

We must be alert to the things of God.
We must continue to worship.

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

We must anticipate the return of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Mat_16:3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?

We are to live sober lives with discipline and control in righteousness and godliness.

It is certainly not time to quit on God!

We all know that the night refers to evil behavior.

We just need to stay away from those who are asleep to the truth of God other than to witness to them and this should be done in the daytime when no one should be sleeping.

We must stay away from those who indulge in sin and immorality and those who are worldly in their ways.

If a person carouses around in the darkness of the night, then he shows himself to be of the night.

When the Lord Jesus warns us of these things then we need pay attention to Him.

Rev 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

*1Th 5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
1Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
1Th 5:10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

We must remain mentally awake to the truth of God to protect ourselves from this deceitful world.

We must put on the armor of God because we are certainly involved in the war for our souls!

There is the breast plate of faith and love. The breastplate protects the heart of each soldier.

We must focus upon Jesus and His cause with all our heart.

Our faith will protect our heart when we really believe that it is the Lord Jesus who saves us from sin!

Love also protects our heart when we can see the love that Christ Jesus has for us!

We must focus on the truth of Jesus that we never have to die because Jesus died in our place on that cross.
We must know that we will never bear the punishment for our sin because Jesus took our punishment for us.

That helmet is the hope of our salvation.

Rom 8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
Rom 8:25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Without the Lord Jesus Christ there is no hope in the world!

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

The fact that Jesus Christ died in our place is the reason we can now have that hope that we will never die!

The reality of this hope is:

1) God has not appointed us to see His wrath on this unbelieving world!
2) God has appointed us to receive salvation from sin, death, and the judgment that is coming to this world!

There is now no excuse for us to fall asleep and return to this world of darkness when we have been saved out of it!

*1Th 5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

If we have received the Word of God as the truth then how can we deny what the Lord is saying here in these passages.

One of the greatest jobs of each believer is to comfort one another.

To edify is to build upon and not to pull down!

To edify is to preserve the unity of the Church.

Eph 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Eph 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Every part of the Church and every ministry of the Church must work together to become One Body of Christ!

What is the greatest problem in the Church today? The Church refuses to unite together around the truth of God, the complete truth.

Today, much of the church has descended into rules and religion that have nothing to do to the truth of a Holy God and have forgotten about faith and love!

*1Th 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.

We have seen many times that our own Pastor comes to us completely worn out from his labors and yet he still does his very best to give us the message that God has given him for us.

This is what that word labor means.

It means to labor to the point of exhaustion, then to keep laboring even if we have become weary.

It means to work beyond what we are capable of doing.

When we are doing a work for the Lord Jesus, this is the labor that is expected from God.

When we are doing a work for the Church, this is the labor that it takes to succeed in this world of today.

We are to know our church leaders, which means we are to acknowledge and appreciate each and every one of them and show them respect.

We have seen the evidence that few people labor as much as our Pastor and our church leaders especially our Pastor.

At the end of a tiresome day our Pastor still has to handle the business side of the church.

This is also the way of the Apostle Paul and I am sure the other apostles worked as hard to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ by word and by example.

1Ti 5:17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
1Ti 5:18 For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.
1Ti 5:19 Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.

In order for us to acknowledge our church elders we must be at peace with ourselves.

We should not criticize, murmur, grumble, envy and nor oppose our church leaders who are following the will of God.

We may at times have differences of opinion, but we are not to dispute those among ourselves as the Word of God will settle all disputes.

Leaders are not to act as lords over God’s children as we already have the perfect Lord who is Jesus Christ!

But we are to question anyone that acts contrary to Scripture!

Our Church only works when each believer is at peace with themselves and both that leader and that member are at peace with each other all according to the truth of the Gospel.

How did the early Church thrive and succeed?

Act 2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
Act 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

We are to warn those that are in the Church but are against the truth of the Gospel yet, we are to help those babes in Christ to understand.

*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.

We are never to allow unruly church members to destroy the peace of the church family!

We must warn those who are out of line in their disturbances of the church.

Anyone who is causing damage to their own soul must be warned just as any unbeliever.

The Lord will not tolerate unruly behavior in the Church!

Those who come to the church but who leave, going out into the world to do their own thing, should also be warned.

At the same time we are to comfort and assure those who are babes in Christ until they come to the knowledge of the truth.

We need to try to help all those who yield so easily to temptation, and are easily discouraged or defeated.

We need to cling to them as we cling to Jesus never turning loose of either one.

We are to be patient with babes in Christ and patient with each other as the coming of the Lord draws nearer.

It is certainly not a time to quit on the Lord!

We must never render evil for evil to anyone.

When we mistreat someone our testimony with that person is over!

With these things under control there are important things that every church member needs to be doing to make our church a true Church for Jesus Christ.

*1Th 5:16 Rejoice evermore.
1Th 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
1Th 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1Th 5:19 Quench not the Spirit.
1Th 5:20 Despise not prophesyings.
1Th 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
1Th 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

We need to be always rejoicing because our names are written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Our prayers are the main way for us to receive things from God. We need to live our lives so that we can always know that God will hear our prayers for if he hears them, He will certainly answer them in one way or another.

We should wake each day giving thanks to God for another day to serve Him.

If we are having a wonderful day then we need to thank God for it.

If we are having a dreadful day then we need to thank Him for helping us through that day.

We need to thank God for His presence and His power as we walk through our trials and tribulations.

All these things are in the will of God for our lives.

If we quench the Holy Spirit then we have lost the power of God in our lives.

If we ignore the Holy Spirit and go our own way then we have neglected Him.

If we allow sinful things into our lives, we will quench the Holy Spirit.

If we behave immorally, we quench the Holy Spirit.

If we do anything contrary to the Holy Spirit, we will quench the Spirit.

We certainly should not ever lie to the Holy Spirit!

If we quench the Holy Spirit, it is a sin that requires God’s forgiveness!

We must never despise the preaching of the truth of God.

This is what the world does and we are to come out from the world.

Neither are we to just blindly accept any preacher or what they say.

Every person is to be tested and proven by measuring the things they say by the Scriptures.

The Scriptures, the Received Text of the early Church are never wrong but some translations can contain errors unintentionally or intentionally.

We must know the Scriptures ourselves to know if we are hearing the truth of God.

1Jn 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
1Jn 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
1Jn 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

When we know we are hearing the truth of God, then we need to latch on to that person and keep that person as part of the Church of Jesus Christ.

We are also to abstain from all appearances of doing evil!

If we are near anything that has the appearance of evil, we need to flee from it!

If there is even the smallest suggestion that what we are doing could be seen as wrong then we are to flee from it!

Being a Christian has its own responsibilities!

Amen