Coming to the House of the Lord
Book of Psalms 122 Verses 1-9
Up until October 7, 2023, when Israel’s war began, millions of people traveled to Israel, most of them were Christians.
Some few go now but not many.
Most Christians are headed to Jerusalem because everyone knows Jerusalem is special.
Some people say “It just feels like home” even though they had never been there before.
We know that our Messiah walked all over Israel, but He was crucified at Jerusalem.
As Christians, we know that our spiritual roots extend to Jerusalem!
We will spend a thousand years in Jerusalem serving the Lord, but we will spend eternity in New Jerusalem.
The redeemed of all the ages who will walk through those pearly gates of New Jerusalem to bask in the glorious presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
One day that trumpet will sound, and we will hear and heed the call to worship in God’s true House.
Let us listen to these clear instructions to all believers.
Psa 122:1 A Song of degrees of David. I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.
We know that David rejoiced to go to the house of the Lord!
There was no Temple yet in Jerusalem, but David had built a Tabernacle in which the Ark of the Covenant was placed.
2Sa_6:17 And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.
David was a man after God’s own heart.
David loved to be in the presence of God.
We know the Lord had chosen to put His name in Jerusalem many years before this.
Deu 12:11 Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the LORD:
Every Christian should have a great desire to go to the House of God and even go more often because of the things we see today going on in Israel.
Israel is God’s timepiece!
So, let us see if this phrase could have another meaning.
It could be describing to us the restoration of Israel when the Lord returns to restore this Earth as it was in the day of Adam.
Amo 9:11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:
Amo 9:12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.
The phrase “that day” points toward the future.
In fact, it is probably referring to the time when the Lord Jesus will restore Israel as it was in the days of King David.
This means all the land God gave to Abraham.
So let us see which way the Scriptures go.
The Israelite men had to go to the Temple three times a year according to the Law of Moses.
For believers today, we should be in God’s House every time the doors are open to Praise our Savior!
We should know how to act in God’s House!
1Ti 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
We should go to God’s House often and know that it is a command of God.
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Those who do not go to God’s House often are sinning against the Word of God!
We ought to rejoice when the appointed time comes to go to God’s House.
The Jewish feasts were special times, the highlights of the year and they celebrated the opportunity to go to God’s House.
I live in the Bible Belt and when I meet people on the street and ask them about Church most of them will claim to be saved, but they do not attend church regularly.
Many others go to church, but it seems to be a dreadful duty to them. They just as well stay home!
It should be a joyous occasion every time we go and hear what God has to say!
We must make being at church to be joyful, but it cannot be that way unless we love the Lord.
He is always at church to worship with us and even the Holy Spirit is always there because He lives within us.
Heb_13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
God has a purpose for everything He does.
What was God’s purpose for the founding of Jerusalem?
Psa 122:2 Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.
Psa 122:3 Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together:
Psa 122:4 Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD.
Psa 122:5 For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David.
***The most important reason for going to Jerusalem was the fact that God had chosen Jerusalem as the place where He would establish His name!
Deu 12:5 But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come:
Deu 12:6 And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks:
Deu 12:7 And there ye shall eat before the LORD your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the LORD thy God hath blessed thee.
Psa 87:2 The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
Psa 87:3 Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.
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.
There should be no doubt that God loves Jerusalem!
We can also understand that Jerusalem is a picture of the New Jerusalem, but we will not know the full picture of this until the Lord Jesus sits on the throne of David in Jerusalem.
We could also say until the Lord Jesus sits upon the throne of David to rule this world.
God will dwell among His people in the New Jerusalem!
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 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
***There is a second reason:
Jerusalem had strong, closely guarded walls.
Jerusalem was a secure city.
2Sa 5:9 So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward.
Most people felt safe when they were inside the walls of Jerusalem.
***There is yet a third reason.
The walls of Jerusalem were solid walls.
Jerusalem was without a doubt the City of God!
Psa 48:8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah.
This same God Jehovah is the same God today, still full of power and majesty.
Psa 48:14 For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.
When the gates of the city came into view of God’s children, they knew they were almost home!
Israel was a nation of tribes, and they were all essentially one family. Their leaders were each the sons of Jacob who became Israel. They may have forgotten that for a while, but they are bound to remember when it becomes time to choose the world or time to choose God’s family.
***There is a fourth reason.
As a nation of tribes who had a common ancestor, then they needed a place to gather in the name of God.
Each tribe may operate independently but they could come together in unity because they all had the same God!
When they gathered together for the feast to give thanks to the Lord they obeyed the testimony of Israel, the laws that God had given to them.
Exo 23:14 Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.
Exo 23:15 Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)
Exo 23:16 And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.
Exo 23:17 Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD.
There is a great feeling of relief that comes from knowing that you have been obedient to the Almighty Living God.
Jerusalem was the appointed worship center where they came in unity.
God ordained this physical location on our planet for Israel to gather to worship Him.
The world may refuse to acknowledge this, but it does not make it any less true.
Anyone, anyone who tries to alter this ordination of God deserves the punishment that God will place on them!
***A fifth reason also comes to us.
Jerusalem was also Israel’s political center, much like Washington DC is the political center of the United States of America.
We could say the United Tribes of Israel, and this is who they are when they are obedient to God!
In Jerusalem was the location of the Throne of Judgment.
One of the King’s most important duties was to render judgment and execute justice.
The thrones of the house of David would extend until it will be the Lord Jesus Christ, King Jesus, who will sit upon that throne in Jerusalem.
2Sa 7:13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
2Sa 7:16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
2Sa 7:17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
The Jerusalem of old is a picture of New Jerusalem to come in many ways.
When the Apostle John was on the Isle of Patmos, the Lord Jesus showed him the New Jerusalem.
John reported what he saw.
Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
God’s people will rejoice in New Jerusalem, and all the painful things of this life will have passed away.
Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
This new city will be full of God’s Glory.
Rev 21:10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
Rev 21:11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
We will all be secure within the walls of New Jerusalem.
Rev 21:12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
Rev 21:13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
Rev 21:14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
All God’s people from every nation and every tribe will come together in New Jerusalem.
Rev 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
Rev 21:24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
We see that God has a plan and those who are against Him cannot stop it!
The greatest privilege after salvation is the privilege to stand in God’s House in New Jerusalem!
There will be a gathering of family members who have gone on before us and those who will come after us.
The Word of God will be exalted because we will understand the things that God has done.
We will praise God like never before because we will truly have the mind of Christ.
We will understand that we are safe and secure throughout all eternity.
Today, especially because of what we see and what we know, we need to pray earnestly for the peace of Jerusalem.
*****Psa 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
Psa 122:7 Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.
Psa 122:8 For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.
Psa 122:9 Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.
If you are a Christian, you will love Jerusalem.
If you are a Christian, you will be on the side of Israel.
If you are a Christian, you will pray for the peace of Jerusalem and all of Israel.
To the Eastern part of the world, Jerusalem is called the Holy City and it is.
The Apostle Matthew used this phrase in Scripture and so did the Apostle John.
Mat_4:5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
Rev_21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Nehemiah, Isaiah, and Daniel used this phrase in the Old Testament all speaking of the same Jerusalem.
Shalom is living happy, untroubled, with a sense of fulfillment.
Shalom and its related words are among the most important theological words in the Old Testament.
Jerusalem has not seen peace throughout the Bible.
The closest this city of God came to peace was in the time of King David, but Jerusalem will finally see peace in the time of King Jesus.
David prayed for peace in Jerusalem asking for peace inside the walls of his city.
David was praying that God would bless the leaders of Israel and would protect them from the wickedness of this world.
How many of us pray such prayers?
David prayed for the peace of Jerusalem for the sake of his family friends and those of all of Israel.
We should remember that King David was responsible for the peace of Jerusalem in his day.
It is one thing to look out for your own self and that of your family, but it takes a lot more to look out for each individual in an entire city.
David next prayed for peace in God’s House.
If we consider all denominations to be the Church today, we can certainly see that there is no peace in God’s House.
We may brag about the church that we attend, but the truth is many denominations are throwing the Bible away and listening to what the world has to say rather than what God has to say.
The Pope the leader of the Catholic Church is one way today and another way tomorrow.
The Wesleyans have thrown out the truth of the Gospel.
The Methodists have forgotten the methods of truth.
The Protestant church has forgotten about those who protested for the truth.
The Southern Baptists have left the truth for lies.
We could go on and on, but the truth is God’s House is not at peace and the church is no longer holding back the evilness and the wickedness in this world.
We know that Israel is at war, so we surely know we need to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and all of Israel as the world turns its back on reality.
The fact remains there will be no peace in Jerusalem until the return of Christ!
There will be no peace in the Church until the Lord Jesus returns to separate the wheat from the tares!
There will be no peace in this world until King Jesus speaks with that sword in His mouth and brings an end to the time of Satan!
Today the Temple of Jerusalem lies in ruins part of it under the Muslim Dome of the Rock.
The Jews have to pray at what is called the Wailing Wall most of them have never been able to even go upon the Temple Mount.
Even so-called Christian sects in Jerusalem haggle over shrines and the Arabs and Jews are at each other’s throats.
The world refuses to recognize that land belongs to the Jews because God gave it to them and God is going to give it back to them.
Those nations that surround God’s people trying to rid this world of them will find that the shoe is on the other foot at the appearance of King Jesus.
The fact is that the Arab nations will almost destroy this world just to annihilate all the Jews, but King Jesus will settle this issue forever before this happens.
We can be with Him, or we can burn in Hell with all other unbelievers.
I choose the Lord!
Amen
Jesus Christ
Exalting the Lord Jesus in Our Lives
The Prominence of God’s Servant
Book of Mark Chapter 9
Prominence means something or someone who stands out above all others.
The problem with humans is, just about every one of us think we are better than anyone else and this is a great sin.
When we compare ourselves to other people, we will always get a false result.
When we compare ourselves to the Lord Jesus, we will find that we always come up short!
We must understand that the Lord Jesus, the true Messiah, is exalted above all others whether they are prophets, priests, preachers, millionaires, billionaires or even angels.
We must exalt the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives in order to be saved!
In the time of Jesus, the Pharisees were guilty of exalting themselves above all others including the Lord Jesus Christ.
What were some of the things that they did?
Luk 11:43 Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.
Luk 11:44 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.
Those that exalt themselves are all hypocrites.
We see it in the government we have today that many of them have exalted themselves above all the common people, and it seems we are content in our roles of deplorables. When Hillary Clinton said this thing, she was referring to our stupidity to allow us to place ourselves in that position.
In other words, we are the contemptible lowlifes who have messed up our nation and our own lives and we need people such as her to take care of us.
I agree on one point only. We have voted for the wrong people to run our government. In this we have been very stupid!
She is no more than some wicked witch!
I was dumb for many years but then I met the Lord Jesus Christ and I am no longer dumb!
We have allowed the hoax of evolution to dictate the rules of science so long, that the common people have not realized that every so-called proof of evolution has been shot down by true science but they will not change what is written in those books.
The Bible is a Book of Faith and if we do not soon push our faith in the truth of God, we may not be able to.
A lack of faith in the Word of God is moving through the Church so fast, that many do not know what to believe anymore and they listen to the secular world for answers and to false preachers who have become millionaires off the pocketbooks of gullible people.
These false preachers will not take a stand on the truth of God and this is what the world wants to hear.
*Mar 9:17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;
Mar 9:18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.
The Lord Jesus along with Peter, James, and John had just come down from the Mount of Transfiguration.
The Lord had shown these disciples how He would appear if He removed His humanity from His being.
We call it a “glorified body”!
Mar 9:3 And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.
Not only did the transfiguration show the disciples how the Lord Jesus appeared without His humanity, but it also showed them what all, we that are saved, will appear like after the Rapture or after our death.
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.
Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Rom 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
What will we go through to get this glorified body?
Php 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Php 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
Praise the Lord, this is the promise God is giving to the true Church.
The true Church are all those who follow in the steps of Jesus Christ!
As the Lord reached the bottom of the mountain, one of those who had been following Jesus and had remained at the bottom of the mount with the other nine disciples of Christ.
These disciples had performed miracles before, especially of healing.
This was not a power they had but a power that the Lord Jesus had allowed in His name.
This man was describing some terrible things his son had been going through all his life.
We know there are many out in the world today that are called deaf and dumb and it appears that this young man was listed as dumb.
Dumb means he could not speak and I believe he could also not hear.
How did this happen? He had a dumb spirit living within him!
Now we have the power of the Holy Spirit within us once we are saved, but we are not complete without the Lord Jesus.
Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Col 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
I believe that this is the condition of being saved, but not being Christian.
To be Christian is being like Christ!
It is a terrible situation to be like this young son and not be able to take care of yourself, but also needing someone near all the time to keep him from causing harm to himself.
No matter what we think of this thing and how it began, the one good thing was the fact that because of his condition, he was brought to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Had he not been in this condition, he would have never met Jesus, nor his father and nor could his family see what can happen when we meet Jesus.
This young man was about to be “Born Again” to new life.
None of the disciples of Christ had been able to help this young man.
The first problem I see is, that this father knew Jesus was near and he should have waited on Him before going to His disciples.
He had no faith in the followers of the Lord.
All he needed was a little patience and a lot of faith!
When Jesus came down the mountain, He had seen this great crowd that had gathered, but He had also seen that a group of scribes were questioning His disciples and He knew this was not good.
We would probably call this intimidation and ridicule, and Jesus first delivered His disciples from this intimidation.
Before the scribes answered Jesus, this father came with his great need for his child, his son.
We should understand evil spirits did exist in the time of Christ, and they still exist today and the answer to rid them is to be saved.
This young son seemed to be deaf and dumb, but also had epilepsy and was demon possessed.
It seems that this evil spirit had made these things worse because it was in the presence of Jesus.
How did Doctor Luke see this thing?
Luk 9:38 And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child.
Luk 9:39 And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him.
How did the Lord Jesus respond to them all?
*Mar 9:19 He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.
With all the things that the Lord has done for us, “how can we not have faith”.
Without faith we cannot be saved!
Php 1:19 For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
It is not so much the amount of faith we have, as it is the kind of faith that we have and the fact that we have that faith!
Mat 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Mat 17:21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
The lack of faith “grieves” the Lord Jesus Christ.
Since we have the Spirit of Christ in us, then it grieves the Holy Spirit.
Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
When we upset the close connection we have with the Holy Spirit, how can we expect our relationship to the Lord to get closer or get better?
This shows us how affectionate the Holy Spirit is toward us if He can be grieved by our lack of faith.
Our lack of faith shows our lack of love for our Savior!
The job of the Holy Spirit is to keep us upon that path of righteousness, that righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord Jesus casts out demons by the power of the Holy Spirit!
Without faith, we have no power in our lives!
The lack of faith means that the Church has no power and I believe this is the biggest problem in the modern Church today.
The Church lacks the power to stand up to this world, so the Church compromises with the world which is compromising with the Devil!
There was a multitude that followed Jesus and there was not one among them, that had the power to cast out this dumb spirit, this demon.
Not the father, not the crowd, not the disciples and not the Jewish religionist.
There was a lack of faith in this entire crowd!
The Lord was grieved at the condition of this young boy who was helpless, under the power of this evil spirit.
You see, John 3:16 describes the love Jesus Christ has for us and it is because of this great love that His heart is touched as He witnesses our suffering in this world.
Jesus cared for this father as much as He cared for his son and He knew this father was also suffering for his son, yet this father did not have enough faith that the Lord could heal his son.
Jesus asked this father all these questions to get this father to focus on his dilemma.
To focus upon his need.
To focus upon Jesus who could fill his need.
To focus on Jesus so much, that his faith would increase enough that his son could be healed.
We should ask ourselves these questions every time we put a name on the prayer list.
“Do we have enough faith that Jesus can heal these people”?
So they brought this son to Jesus.
*Mar 9:20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.
We must understand that the earnest Love that Christ has for us is also the key to His miracles!
2Co_7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
We must understand that as Christians we are representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ!
If we cannot represent the truth of Christ Jesus then, we are not Christians and we do not reflect the truth of God!
It is really that simple!
We do not have the power of Divine healing as an individual!
We do claim the presence of Divine power in the Church!
When the Church has lost the presence of Divine power then mankind will question and despise Christianity, and we see some of this today.
The Holy Spirit has never left the true Church, but we must realize we have grieved the Holy Spirit and we must return to the Lord for Divine power to be restored to the Church.
This is why fasting and prayer is much needed in the Church today!
We must fast and pray until the Divine power of the Lord has been restored to the Church.
As Christians, we must make the world to know that we are not going to give up the raising of our children by our own standards and the standards of this wicked world.
As Christians, we must also not assume so easily that our children are innocent, good, and harmless, as they are under the control of Satan until they are led to the Lord.
Jesus Christ rebuked this entire crowd for a lack of faith just as the Holy Spirit is grieved at the entire Church for a lack of faith today!
How long had this young son been in this condition?
*Mar 9:21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.
Mar 9:22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.
Obviously, the Lord Jesus knew the answer to the questions He was asking, but he was asking these questions of the father to inspire hope and confidence in the work of the Lord.
You see, if we have faith as that of a mustard seed, then we will cry out for God’s mercy and God’s compassion.
There is no way that the Lord Jesus will turn away from a cry of mercy and compassion!
These are the traits of God that brought Jesus to us to begin with!
Luk 18:13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
As we see what is going on in our world, we should be grieved to a point that we act and minister just as our Lord Jesus did!
We need to show His compassion.
We need to show His mercy.
We need to show His forgiveness.
We need to show His grace.
We need to show His love.
We need to believe in all these things.
*Mar 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
What does our faith mean? It means we are taking God at His Word!
All things are possible to the Son of God who has all of God’s Power, but we must trust that God has this power!
We have made God to be some small God, when He is truly the God of All Power!
We must believe that this world is full of sinners and we must include ourselves.
We must accept that there is a punishment for our sin!
We must accept that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only remedy for that punishment.
Heb 6:13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,
Heb 6:14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.
Heb 6:15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
Heb 6:18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
Heb 6:19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
Heb 6:20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
How did this man respond?
*Mar 9:24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
We see humility and faith.
Our hearts will be moved when we understand the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ!
We see His desire to have the blessings which our faith will secure.
We know that because of faith in the work of the Lord, we can flee from the wrath that is to come to this world.
We must seek forgiveness just as this man did.
We must long for the healing of the disease of the soul!
In other words, we must have a desire for salvation!
*Mar 9:25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
Mar 9:26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.
The Lord Jesus healed this boy when He saw the crowd running toward them.
We notice that the Lord Jesus had pulled this father and son aside while He led this father to the Lord.
The Lord likes to get one on one with those who doubt Him to teach them the truth.
This crowd had not only followers, but also deceivers and naysayers in the mix.
It was the Words of Christ that healed this boy.
It was the Words of Christ that broke the Devil’s power.
Satan cannot stand before the Word of God!
It is the Word of God and the Divine Power of God that has spoiled the principalities and the powers of evil.
These are the same things we will war with all our days!
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;
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;
Col 2:15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
How will the Lord end the evil in this world when He returns?
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.
Rev_19:21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
We see that when the Lord speaks things happen!
There is nothing in all of God’s creation that can disobey the Words of the Lord and get away with it!
It is only us puny humans who have tried to defy the Almighty God, the rest of His creation is in strict obedience!
Isa_40:22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:
Isa 40:28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
We see this evil spirit made one last effort to disrupt and discredit the power of Jesus Christ by trying to kill this boy, but the Lord would not allow his death.
*Mar 9:27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.
Mar 9:28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?
These disciples wanted to know why they had failed, what was the cause?
The Lord Jesus had previously given them the power over evil spirits and they had been successful with it.
As Christians there is only one reason, we do not feel the power of God in our lives!
That reason is, that we are not living close enough to the Lord!
We feel like we can do spiritual things under our own power so, we see the reason the answer that Jesus gave.
They needed to pray more and fast!
These are the ways to get closer to the Lord.
Earlier, Jesus had said that His disciples need not to fast because He was with them.
The difference now was, that they had been sent out two by two and had done some things under the power of God.
They began to feel that they had this power themselves, and they began seeking things such as food before the Lord.
The modern Church is in this same rut today!
The power of the Church is almost non-existent because they have strayed from the foundation of the Church, which is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Fasting and prayer is the only solution to this problem and of course obedience to the Word of God.
God must be so important in our lives that we are willing to give up anything that could sustain our lives and give that to the Lord.
We must place our lives in the Lord’s hands and let Him dictate our life as He wishes.
Deu 4:29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
When our power from being a Christian is waning it is always because our faith is lacking!
*Mar 9:29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.
While the Lord Jesus was up on the Mount of Transfiguration, He seem to be too far from some of His disciples who felt they could do things without the presence of the Lord and this is impossible.
It was not that this demon inside this boy was so powerful, it was because the disciples of the Lord were so weak!
It is important to see here how Satan attacks.
He will tear us and cause all sorts of bodily harm.
He will cause us to fall from the “grace” of God.
He will cause changes to our language and filthy language will come out of our mouths or nothing at all.
He will send us wallowing in the foam of our own sin.
Only the Lord Jesus can restore us if our faith in Him remains!
Remember Jesus will do no mighty works if there is no faith!
What is another one of the signs of the end times?
Luk 18:7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
Luk_18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
The Church needs to earnestly pray and fast until our faith is restored!
We will not be able to do this until we know i n our minds that the Word of God is the unchanging truth!
Amen
God Our Deliverer
A Deliverer To Lead
Book of Exodus Chapters 3 and 4
We should understand that when God wants someone to step up and lead His people, He will make His will known to that person and even to those that need to be delivered or led to freedom.
We should also understand that when God selects us to do something then He will empower us to do that thing!
When Moses defended that Israelite to the death of that Egyptian, he thought no one had seen him.
God knew He was going to choose Moses, so this thing had to be made known.
God will not allow the sin of His leaders to remain hidden from the public!
This thing ended the first 40 years of Moses life as a prince in Pharaoh’s court.
Moses went to the Midianites because they were in fact distant kin to the Israelites, and he felt he would be welcomed there and he was, and it was at this time he found himself a Gentile Bride.
Great typology can be seen in the life of Moses.
After learning much about the military and the ins and outs of government, Moses next spends 40 years as a Shepherd with his Gentile Bride.
We can see that God had His hand upon Moses all the days of His life.
We should also understand that we may never know the process God uses to select people for specific uses.
All Christians have been called by the Lord Jesus Christ as we learned from Matthew Chapter 28.
Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
We are told how we are to live after we are saved:
Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
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.
But God does call others for specific special purposes such as the Apostles, including the Apostle Paul, and here we see Moses, but there are many more.
Moses had lived the life of a prince until he became a murderer.
We should understand that YHWH, Jehovah, the I Am of the Bible, does not need anyone’s help to accomplish what needs to be accomplished.
He allows His creation, the humans to serve for Heavenly rewards.
Moses would spend the next forty years leading a rebellious nation to become a legitimate nation called Israel.
God has had His hand upon Israel since that day.
*Exo 3:1 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
It is this Moses, who was called to be the Deliverer of Israel, and yet not a word was said to him until he was 80 years old.
Mount Horeb is actually a chain of mountains with Mount Sinai being called the Mount of God.
God had been watching Moses and placing him in certain positions to learn how to lead a nation.
God uses this method with most of those He calls.
It is a shame that what we get to choose as leaders here in America, they are most all career politicians who know nothing about how real people live.
They make laws that they excuse themselves from following.
It was refreshing to see a man such a Donald Trump come out to lead our nation for those years he did, and we need more like him, but the water of the political swamp is so deep it is hard to overcome.
Moses had been in God’s training camp for 80 years and it was time to put him to work, but remember God will not force anyone to do what He ask of them.
We learn many things here of the workings of Jehovah God.
Moses married a gentile woman who had dark skin and there was nothing wrong with that.
The color of the skin is never mentioned in the Bible in a negative fashion.
The 613 commandments had not been given to Israel at this time.
We did see Jochebed and Amram the parents of Moses had married both descendants of Levi which would soon be a commandment of God for reasons that God will state for us as they lived in the Promised Land.
Moses had left the riches of Egypt to live the poor life and he was happy with his new life.
Moses had left a throne behind to walk as a shepherd.
Again we see the typology in the Scriptures as the Lord Jesus Christ left the wonders of Heaven to walk as the true Shepherd here upon Earth.
What does a shepherd do?
They see that the sheep have food and water.
They guide the sheep to safety.
They seek and save any lost sheep.
They protect the sheep even willing to give their life for the sheep.
They keep the sheep separated from the goats.
We should know that God’s call does not come to any particular profession.
God seeks particular hearts, hearts that are willing to serve.
It takes a particular people to be servants of the Almighty God!
It takes people of great “faith” to succeed in the army of God!
*Exo 3:2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
Exo 3:3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
It would be a great sight to see an object in flames and yet no burning was occurring.
This should bring to mind those three Jewish boys and Jesus, walking in the flames of that oven that belonged to Nebuchadnezzar.
It should also bring to mind that those in Hell will burn for eternity, but Hell’s flames cannot consume them, but they will feel the pain of those flames.
As we read this passage, we should note that this Angel of the Lord is the Lord Himself.
In this verse it says, “the angel of the Lord”.
When Moses observed this great thing, he knew that he needed to take a closer look.
If Moses had just passed on by, with no concern for this thing, God would have chosen someone else to lead the Children of Israel away from bondage to Egypt.
*Exo 3:4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
Now if we read this verse carefully, we will begin to see that it was the Almighty God who was speaking from that burning bush.
What is the first thing we need to do when God calls out to us? We need to respond.
Moses was seeing a portion of the Shekinah Glory of God.
We will notice that once the Lord began speaking, He had much to say to Moses.
This message was urgent because the Lord called Moses’ name twice.
There are only ten places in the Bible where we see this double calling.
Where we see the title Lord written in all capital letters, we know that we are speaking of Jehovah the God of the Bible! (God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit)
*Exo 3:5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
Moses was approaching a place of Holiness.
Moses was approaching the perfect God and our perfect God considers all His creation to be evil at this time.
Holiness belongs to God alone!
Isa 6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
It is from God’s Holiness where we get God’s “Goodness”!
Luk 18:19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.
This is also a place where the Muslim mock Jehovah by taking their shoes off to do a mocking prayer to Allah or the Prophet Mohammed.
The Muslim Allah and Jehovah are not the same God. Allah can mean multiple gods and it does.
There is only one God, and His name is Jehovah who to Israel is (Yahweh)!
We can only be made perfect by the “Grace” of God, Jehovah through the Lord Jesus Christ!
We begin to be “Holy” once we are a home for the Holy Spirit!
We cannot be servants of God unless we are called of God, realizing that we are filthy sinners and repent and be filled with the Holy Spirit.
We cannot even repent until we are filled with the Holy Spirit, because we will not understand the Word of God.
Jehovah said let’s be clear about this Moses!
*Exo 3:6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
We had better understand that when we are in the presence of God, we had better be respectful.
God is my friend, but He is not my chummy friend!
God is my Heavenly Father, but He is not just “the man upstairs”!
I must be respectful, humble, and reverent.
God has a sense of humor, but He can never be the center of my jokes!
God is my Heavenly Father, but He cannot be my grandfather. God does not have any grandchildren!
We make a serious mistake when we always seek the arm of God when we should be seeking the face of God.
Luk 12:29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
Luk 12:30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
Luk 12:31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
We serve the only God who can truly fulfill His promises!
God would say this same thing to us today. “I am the God of Abraham”.
Rom_4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Rom_4:16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
Those who have the “faith” as of Abraham are those who are saved by “Grace”!
We serve a God who knows all things that go on in this world!
*Exo 3:7 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
Exo 3:8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
Exo 3:9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.
Exo 3:10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.
Can you just imagine the prayers going up from God’s people just in a place called Afghanistan today?
Add to that all Christians in North Korea, China, Iran and the many other places where good Christians are doing their best just to survive the cruelty of this world and their corrupt governments.
God hears their cries, and He will not hold back very much longer.
We should be calling out to God also! Maybe not just for ourselves but also for them!
God was deeply concerned about the suffering of these people and at this time a Deliverer could lead them to safety by the hand of God.
Note: This is the very first time in the Bible that Jehovah called these children of Israel, “His people”.
Jehovah has been connected to Israel ever since that day!
So has the Christian, if you can see that all these things are written for those who love the true Deliverer, the Lord Jesus Christ.
It was God’s intention to deliver Israel from bondage just as it is God’s intention to deliver all those held by Satan in bondage.
We have to want to be delivered!
We must make our voices to be heard in Heaven!
Note: “I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians”.
We should understand that God is able!
God is able to do everything He has said He would do!
God has the physical power to do as He wishes in this world that He has created by Jesus Christ!
Where would the nation of Israel dwell? In the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
These people were so wickedly evil and immoral that God decided they did not need to live.
Our world is approaching this type of wickedness today and God will do the same thing!
We will read further of this Promised Land and know that we also are promised a land much better that any land of this earth!
Since God had claimed these descendants of Abraham, He certainly would not allow them to be oppressed for very long.
Moses knew this Pharaoh very well for he had once called him grandfather.
In my words Jehovah said, “look Moses just be my voice and I will do all the work it will take to redeem my people”
How can we miss the typology of Jesus Christ here?
After making many excuses, Moses says when they ask me for your name, what should I tell them?
*Exo 3:13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
Exo 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
Were these people ignorant of God?
We could ask this same question today and the answer is that yes, most people are ignorant of the Lord Jesus Christ, and this is the only sin that cannot be forgiven.
God did not come down to deliver these people because they were all believers.
God came down to deliver them because He made a promise to Abraham!
Many of them remembered Abraham, but they did not remember the Almighty God!
These people had lived in Egypt and understood the many gods of Egypt and to Moses, at this time he knew he needed a name to tell them.
God settles things really quick for Moses.
At this time Moses did not believe he would be accepted, nor did he believe some new god would be accepted.
We can just imagine the anger of Jehovah, but Jehovah does what Jehovah wants to do anytime Jehovah wants to do it!
We might ask ourselves just why would such a God as our God Jehovah want to deliver anyone on this earth?
What does this name “I Am” mean? Jehovah is saying, I am the true God who is beyond the reach of human intellect, and I cannot be contained by my own creation!
For our own benefit, why would we want a God who will not reveal Himself.
Jehovah says this is just who I Am!
Jehovah is independent of His creation.
Jehovah is absolute, He is complete in Himself.
Jehovah says “I Am” eternal and I can make you eternal also!
Jehovah says “I Am” unchangeable for there is no need for Me to change everything I do is perfect.
Jehovah says “I Am” life!
Jehovah is the One God who seeks to have a personal relationship with us, caring for us, and providing for us.
Moses continues with his excuses.
*Exo 4:10 And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
Excuses are said to be pleas that are offered to be free of guilt or to seek a pardon because of some fault we think we have.
Moses made every excuse he could think of to try to avoid what the Almighty God had told him to do.
The thing we must realize is that the Lord God Jehovah, will not ask us to do things that He will not equip us to do!
Excuses are in fact rebellion!
What did Moses mean?
I try to teach a Sunday School Class and I can relate to these words Moses used here, for I definitely am not an eloquent speaker.
I believe this is the reason the Holy Spirit works in me to prepare a lesson every week.
I am not at ease when I stand before any size group of people, but I know I do not stand alone.
Without God’s help, I could not stand before my class every week.
Moses felt some of these same things and he was standing for a moment in the Throne Room of God.
I am not sure, but I believe Moses is the only man in the Bible that did not fall on his face in fear as they stood before God.
We must understand we should be very careful in the way we approach the Living God!
What God required was not a man who was an eloquent speaker.
God requires men who will speak the unchanging Word of God!
Remember God had already shown Moses how He had control over the human body by turning Moses’s hand to a leprous hand.
Leprosy will spread all over the body eating away at the flesh.
Leprosy is a type of sin in the Bible and leprosy will eat away at the flesh until it causes death.
God had told Moses how He also had control over our environment.
So God said to Moses, “who made you”?
*Exo 4:11 And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?
If we cannot understand that Jehovah God is our Creator, we will never get very far with Him!
God has reasons for everything He does!
It is true all of our sicknesses come because of the curse which comes by sin!
Gen 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Gen 3:18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
Many things happen to our bodies because of this and many from other man-made remedies.
It is also true that God can heal anybody from any sickness or any deformity at any time if He so desires.
Ask Isaiah:
Isa 35:5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
Isa 35:6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
Ask Jeremiah:
Jer 1:8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.
Jer 1:9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
Ask Ezekiel:
Eze 33:22 Now the hand of the LORD was upon me in the evening, afore he that was escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb.
Eze 3:26 And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover: for they are a rebellious house.
Eze 3:27 But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house.
One preacher said when we want to serve the Lord “just get out of His way”.
Just agree that the Lord can do all things and then put Him to the test and agree to serve.
*Exo 4:12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.
If I can get out of the Lord’s way on Sunday morning, then He will be my mouth and He will do the same for every teacher and preacher who preaches the truth of God.
When we make excuses, we are being irreverent and ungrateful to our Holy God!
You see the Lord offers opportunities!
Opportunities to build treasures in Heaven.
Mat 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Mat 6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
God is always looking for those with a servant’s heart.
God is always looking for those who are teachable.
God is always looking for those who make themselves available.
As Christians we are already filled with the Holy Spirit.
Moses did not have this option, but if Moses chose to obey, God the Holy Spirit would be with him all the days of his life.
We know how Moses chose and we know that Moses became one of the greatest characters in the Old Testament.
We know that by the power of God, Moses led the Children of Israel out of Bondage and took them on their journey to the Promised Land.
Exo 14:21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
Exo 14:22 And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
You see Moses had to have “faith”!
Heb 11:29 By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.
Before these things could be true, we see Moses beg Jehovah and the Lord relented and gave Aaron to be the spokesperson and Moses as a type of God.
Exo 4:13 And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.
Exo 4:14 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.
Exo 4:15 And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.
Exo 4:16 And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.
God will have His way and it would pay for us to less like Moses when the Lord calls us to be His servant!
God looked into the heart of Moses and knew He had selected the right person!
It was Moses who had to believe God!
Amen
King Jesus Came To Save
Jesus Was Born as a King
Book of Matthew Chapter 1
The Book of Matthew. Nowhere in the Bible nor in this blessed book does it say the Matthew was the writer, but the evidence is very strong that he is.
Before the year 100 A D, the early Church historians had already accepted that Matthew was the writer by the Holy Spirit of this great book.
Remember:
2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
The key word in this passage is “ALL” which includes the Book of Matthew and the writer Matthew.
Matthew wrote in the Hebrew tongue also using the Hebrew dialect so the early Christians which before 100 A D were mostly Jews could completely understand.
In fact we can say that the Book of Matthew was written to the Jews the Hebrew children.
We can also say the Book of Matthew was written to the Church because Matthew was a Christian writer.
Matthew was claiming the Messiah who came to save the entire world.
The Lord can save anybody, anywhere, anytime!
The Great Deliverer had arrived just as God had promised!
The purpose of the Book of Matthew is to show us the Lord Jesus Christ is the true Messiah but also Savior, and soon returning King of kings and Lord of lords.
Matthew begins by proving that the prophecies of the Old Testament will be fulfilled by the Messiah who is the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Book of Matthew is built around the teaching of the Gospel in a way that is not complicated and easy to be understood.
The Lord keeps salvation simple. You come to Him with a repentant heart and ask for His forgiveness and He will forgive!
Matthew teaches us of our soon coming King.
Matthew begins with the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ.
*Mat 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Matthew begins with proof of the reality of the humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We see the genealogy that was extracted from public archives which were carefully preserved and placed under the special care of the Sanhedrin.
The Sanhedrin are the supreme council of the Jewish people in the time of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Sanhedrin Council can be traced, in the Mishna, to the seventy elders whom Moses was directed to establish with him making seventy-one.
Num 11:16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee.
Num 11:17 And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.
We see that this council was directly established by the Lord.
The one main question that would be asked by ordinary Jews was “Is He Of The House Of David”.
The name most used by the Jews and by foreigners was: “thou Son of David” used 16 times in the “Gospels”.
Mat 15:22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
Matthew proves that the Lord Jesus is the Son of David and also the Son of Abraham, being then also the son of Adam.
This genealogy extends from father to son whereas, in the Book of Luke the genealogy extends from son to father.
Say what we will about the differences in these two genealogies, the fact remains they both trace the Lord Jesus back to King David, therefore making the Lord Jesus the rightful heir to the throne of Israel according to the commandment of Jehovah God.
The “Virgin Birth” was the means used our Heavenly Father used to cause this to happen!
Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
The doctrine of the humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ is equally important as the doctrine of the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ!
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.
Our Heavenly Father gave to King David the promise of eternal government!
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.
This is the Lord Jesus that fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies!
*Mat 1:16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
If we read closely this line of genealogy, we cannot help but see the “begats” stopped at Joseph. We see that Joseph had a father who was named Jacob after his forefathers, but Joseph did not begat the Messiah. By the power of the Holy Ghost, Matthew simply states that the Messiah was born of Mary just as the prophecy had stated and Joseph had to adopt Jesus placing Him next in line for the throne of Israel that did not exist at that time, as Israel was a conquered nation under Roman power. Rome was very cautious of anyone claiming to be King especially of the Jews.
*Mat 1:17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
We should understand that Matthew divided the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ into three sets, each containing fourteen steps of descent because it was a practice familiar to readers of Jewish antiquities.
1) The first period of Israel’s history symbolizes God giving birth to Israel through Abraham and giving dominion through King David.
2) The second symbolizes Israel losing its dominion and being enslaved as a result of God’s judgment upon sin.
3) The third period of Israel’s history symbolizes Israel’s ultimate triumph through the Messiah and and God’s liberating power, still in our future.
Matthew continues by the Holy Spirit to the birth of the Messiah.
*Mat 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
The Bible explains in great detail the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ according to prophecy.
Remember what the Prophet had said:
Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
This precious young lady had been admired by many and yet slandered and abused by many more in her time and in our day.
An espousal in the time of Christ was betrothing by promise. Today we would say engaged. An engagement can be broken at any time, but an espousal could only be broken by divorce.
Both the man and the woman, because a true marriage can only take place by one man to one woman according to the Scriptures, would promise to stay pure, they both being “virgin” until the time of the wedding.
This Scripture says it so plainly. Mary being espoused to Joseph, “before they came together”, she was found to be pregnant with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Even today the world just refuses to believe such a thing even when in our day any virgin can become pregnant by artificial insemination.
Adam was born without a mother or a father and so was Eve.
These things are not hard to understand if we just trust the Word of God.
If we are to be believers, then we must believe!
The birth of Christ was by the Holy Spirit!
Never before had a man been born “through the Holy Spirit”!
It is important that we trust the truth of the Word of God!
It is also important that we believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was 100% man but also 100% God.
Jesus was born of a virgin by the Holy Ghost.
Our Messiah was not of man but of God.
Emmanuel means “God with us”.
The Greek word for Christ and Messiah is the same word “Christos”.
Messiah is the Hebrew word and Christ is the Greek word and both refer to the same person and they both mean the exact same thing!
The “Anointed of One”. The Anointed One of God!
When the Lord came to this earth as the Messiah “Christ” the Hebrew people were praying dearly for Him to come because of the oppression of Rome.
We know the God always hears the cries of the oppressed!
Life was hard in those days!
People felt that God could not wait much longer.
This is the same feeling we have today!
In fact the believers knew the prophecies of Daniel and knew that time was near,
Many claimed falsely to be the Messiah.
Even Barabbas was an insurrectionist who was leading a rebellion against Rome before he was captured, though we do not see where he claimed to be the Messiah.
He was certainly a murderer as was the government of Rome!
Many believed that Christ would come by the line of King David and free the Jews from the oppression of Rome.
Many believed the Messiah would be a great military leader.
Many believed the Messiah would be the great Spiritual leader who would bring righteousness to all the earth.
Many believed the Messiah would be the One who would bring Peace to all the earth.
All these things are true, but we must wait upon God’s timing.
Jesus the Christ is the Messiah!
Mat 16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Mar 14:61 But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?
Mar 14:62 And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
Joh 4:25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
Joh 4:26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
The name Jesus shows that He was a man.
The name Christ shows that He is God’s “Anointed”, God’s very own Son!
He is the true Prophet:
Deu 18:15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
Deu 18:16 According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.
Deu 18:17 And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.
Deu 18:18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
Deu 18:19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.
Compare:
Luk 7:16 And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.
He is the Highest of High Priest:
Psa 110:4 The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
Compare:
Heb 7:23 And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:
Heb 7:24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
Heb 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Heb 7:26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
Heb 7:27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.
Heb 7:28 For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.
He will be King of Kings and Lord of lords:
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.
Compare:
Joh 12:13 Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Joh 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
Joh 18:37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
Joseph, not understanding at this time, but still loving Mary did not intend to make her a public example.
*Mat 1:19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
As men, we can understand the predicament of Joseph, but not many of us would be as understanding as Joseph.
I can tell each of you though, until you have had a visit with the Holy Spirit, you will never understand these things.
Joseph was certainly a righteous man and he did not want an ugly divorce to be with Mary all her days.
Joseph did not want to expose her to a public disgrace!
You see, an espousal was so important that Mary would have been exposed to authorities and she would carry this the rest of her life.
Joseph struggled with his decision. Joseph was in a predicament!
The birth of Christ Jesus was a predicament for Joseph.
Joseph loved Mary dearly and he did not want to see her hurt, but like most men he lost his trust in her being a faithful wife.
As a man of God, Joseph was not Mary’s judge, God was.
We must understand that love covers a multitude of sins!
1Pe 4:8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
In the Jewish marriage there were three steps.
1) There was the engagement. The parents usually determined who their children would marry.
2) The betrothal. At a certain time, the couple would agree or disagree with the engagement. If they agreed the betrothal was legally binding.
3) The marriage. The consummation of the couple would take place.
We know that Joseph did not consummate his marriage to Mary, until after the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ!
We all wish our young people would take more time in their decision to marry and to live together before marriage is sin!
While Joseph thought on these things, he had a visit from on High.
*Mat 1:20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
Mat 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
We should understand that when the Lord has something for us, he will not leave us in the dark about it.
Joseph was born in the line of King David.
Joseph thought of nothing else but about his marriage which showed his great love for Mary his espoused wife.
Joseph went to the Lord seeking answers and the Lord responded by sending the angel Gabriel.
We know Gabriel as one of the three archangels of God.
Gabriel spoke to Joseph as in a dream and gave Joseph the answer to his thoughts.
Maybe not the answer Joseph thought, but the answer that was the right thing to do!
Joseph did not feel like a king, but he might be king of Israel if not for Rome.
Joseph would not have claimed the throne because it would have caused his death.
Joseph was awakened to the fact the Messiah would come and come to his own household as a babe born of Mary.
At this time Joseph was just a carpenter.
We must get alone with God when the decisions we are trying to make, go beyond us and we need help.
We might be surprised at the message we hear from the Lord as was Joseph.
The Messiah would be born JESUS. (Jehoshua) which means Savior, Deliverer.
The Messiah would first come to save, but not first as King, though He would be born as King once Joseph adopted Him.
Since Jesus cannot die, he will be King forever!
He will save His people from their sins!
The Hebrew form Joshua means Jehovah is salvation. Jesus would be this Savior!
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Why was this done? To fulfill prophecy!
*Mat 1:22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
Mat 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
When God says something is going to happen then we can trust that it will happen!
The Lord Jesus Christ came first to save.
He returned to Heaven as the High Priest to those who believe!
This same Jesus will return as King!
Act_1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Just because most of the world rejects this truth does not make it any less true!
Prophecy is the Word of God, not the words of men!
Prophecy is the future revealed by God Himself!
The prophet is a messenger of God and not the spokesmen of God!
Prophecy must come true or God would be a liar!
It is impossible for God to lie!
Heb_6:18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
Matthew began by saying this is way the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about.
a) Mary was found with child by the Holy Spirit.
b) What is conceived inside her came by the Holy Spirit.
c) All this was done according to prophecy. Isa 7:14
d) All this took place to fulfill prophecy.
Matthew did not give us the details of the birth of Christ.
It is important for us to know that the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah are fulfilled in Jesus the Messiah. (Jesus Christ)
The Jews needed to know the Messiah was born of a virgin just as proclaimed by the prophets!
The Lord Jesus Christ was not born out of wedlock as proclaimed by the naysayers.
Joseph took Mary to be His wife even though he did not consummate his marriage to Mary until after the birth of our Lord and Savior.
*Mat 1:24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
Mat 1:25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
You know when the Lord gives you something then you can be at peace of mind as you go about life.
Joseph was going to Marry the love of his life and raise a family and none of that had changed.
There would be one addition to the family that Joseph had not planned on, but it would not change his responsibilities.
Joseph already obeyed God as did Mary, and none of that would change.
When we trust the Word of God it is not important what the world thinks!
Not many people would ever believe what the Angel Gabriel had told them both.
Mary had some assurance from her cousin Elisabeth who had also received a great miracle.
Joseph was merciful and gentle toward Mary even though the child she carried was not his own, but He would be raised as his own.
Joseph forgave as he was forgiven, and he had the attitude of a believer.
We know Joseph raised his son well as any father would because the Lord Jesus was also known as a Carpenter, which showed that Joseph loved his son and was preparing Him!
Mar_6:3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
His family also considered His brothers and sisters!
Oh what a Savior!
Amen
The Lord Speaks to His Church
The Message to the Lord’s Churches
Book of the Revelation Chapter 1 verses 1 through 11
The Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ was written by John the Apostle close to the end of the first century according to the Roman Calendar.
The Book of Revelation is the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ!
It is not about John the revelator!
Many call this book the Book of the Apocalypse, but we have just studied the Books of Ezekiel, and Daniel, and Zechariah which books give us much information about the apocalypse.
The Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ is written to the Church, and is about the future and not about the past!
In particular, this book was written to seven churches in Asia which are the church in Ephesus, the church in Pergamos, the church in Smyrna, the church in Sardis, the church in Thyatira, the church in Philadelphia, and the church in Laodicea.
These churches represent not only seven type of churches, but also seven periods, or seven ages of the Church of Christ.
The Number seven will also be a key number as we study this great book of the Bible.
The number seven represents the number of completeness.
Though many people refuse to read the Book of Revelation, this book is intended to be an encouragement to the Church.
We must remember God has a purpose for every piece of Scripture in the Bible!
God has some things to say about our future and the future of the Church, and He wants us to know them!
God wants us to keep our focus on the Lord Jesus Christ, Our Savior, and our Redeemer, and the soon coming King of the Jews.
King to the Jews and Redeemer to the Church. The Church has never needed a King, we have always needed a Savior!
It is God’s purpose to lead “whosoever will” to repentance and salvation, and on to a glorious inheritance and redemption given to all the true followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.
As we will see, the Book of Revelation is a book of interpretation of the Old Testament.
The Book of Revelation is a book of final things. We could say a book of destiny.
The Book of Revelation is also God’s last words to this world!
Jehovah and His Son now speak to us through a preacher, by the Holy Spirit, and by His written words!
There are no lost books of the Bible, and there will never be a new book added to the Bible!
The Book of Revelation is not just a book of prophecy.
It is a not just a book history.
The Book of Revelation is not just a tiny look into our future, because only Jehovah God knows all our future!
The fact remains that the Book of Revelation can only be understood if we can take the words of the Old Testament Prophets, and the Book of Psalms, and the Words of our Lord Jesus Christ, to be the truth.
The Book of the Revelation is to be studied!
Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Rev 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
So this what we will attempt to do on certain portions of this Blessed Book of the Revealing of Christ Jesus.
*****Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
Rev 1:2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
Immediately we see again that God the Holy Spirit has given these words to the Apostle John, with most of these words coming from Jesus Christ Himself.
We should know that this great Book is given to the Church for a special blessing and certain things that God the Father wants the Church to know!
What is the truth of our Lord Jesus Christ? He spoke only the words that His Father gave to Him to say!
Joh 12:49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
Joh 12:50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.
All of us would be much better off if we would just speak the Words that He has given to us in the Scriptures!
We should keep in mind that the Apostle John got a view of all the things that happened in the Book of Revelation, but he saw things that he did not understand, and he described them as best he could.
Besides being with Jesus and spending a lifetime preaching the Word of God, John was still just a fisherman saved by the power of God’s Grace.
We have already seen verse three, but let’s talk more about it.
*****Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
People are always talking about how to get a blessing from God and here we see how to get some of those blessings.
That word read means a little more than just reading, it means to know which means to study also.
We have it in our power to make our lives better, if we will just read the Word of God and study those Scriptures and then apply them to our lives daily!
We do not need some great institution of learning to teach us, but we do need the Holy Spirit to teach us!
In John’s time, the Church was in its beginning stages and the Lord wants us to know the same things that had their beginning in John’s day, are still going on today and are much worse, so much of God’s wisdom will teach us that the Lord could return at any moment.
Many things had to come to past.
The Church had begun to have a firm foot in the world of that day.
These seven churches were established and are models, good and bad how the Church had begun to influence the entire world.
The Age of the Church was beginning to move around the world, everywhere where people gathered.
These seven churches that will be mentioned, gives all churches the opportunity to change to be a better church and those guidelines come from the Lord Jesus Christ who is the foundation of all the Church.
1Co_3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
It is really without understanding how there can be so many denominations and so many differences between Bible believing Churches.
I understand the many churches that will not accept all the truth of God, but I do not understand all those who say they believe all the Bible.
We can narrow all the Bible believing Churches down to these seven churches mentioned in these Scriptures.
We can also see that every church member has this time to decide just which church group they want to be in, after they hear what Jesus has to say.
*****Rev 1:4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
We begin to see the number seven and this is the number for completeness.
The number seven is also a symbol of blessedness.
A symbol of Holiness.
A symbol of Rest and a symbol of perfection!
What does the Lord wish for every church? He wants them all to remember they are all established by His “Grace”.
We sometimes forget just what “Grace” means!
Grace is the undeserved favor 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.
2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
2Ti 1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:
What comes with the “Grace” of God? Peace
Our salvation originates by the “Grace of God”!
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.
The very first benefit of God’s Grace is “peace”!
What does that word “peace”, as written in the Scriptures, really mean?
It does mean quietness and tranquility, but it also means happiness in life and prosperity.
These are the things God wishes for each one of us, if we lay our heart to the truth of the Scriptures.
Most everyone of us will settle on the word prosperity and associate it with money, but this just takes away from what God means.
When God uses the word prosperity, He means to patiently wait on the riches that come to all those who make the Lord first in our lives.
If not, then prosperity becomes no more than an idol!
Who is that which is, which was, and which is to come?
Isa 41:4 Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.
He is the Great “I AM”!
Exo 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
And His Son is exactly like Him!
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;
Heb 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Heb 1:4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
1) In the past, the Lord Jesus is the one person who led a perfect life. He was the only One who could pay our sin debt.
He is the One who conquered sin and death!
2) In the present, our Lord and Savior is the spiritual leader of the Church. He sits at the right hand of God because God the Father has given to Him all power. He rules in Heaven and He controls all of nature here on earth. He walks in the midst of seven golden candlesticks holding the seven stars in His right hand.
3) In the future, as true Christians we must never doubt our future because it is Christ Jesus who holds our future in His hands. He promises that we will meet Him face to face and live with Him forever and it is He whose will for us is to be His family.
Jesus likes it up close and personal!
What are those seven Spirits before the throne of God? Let’s just look at what God says.
1) Rev 1:4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
There are seven Spirits before the throne.
2) Rev 3:1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
It is the Lord Jesus Christ who has those seven Spirits.
3) Rev 4:5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
Those seven Spirits are seven lamps of fire burning before the throne.
4) Rev 5:6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
Those seven Spirits are seven horns and seven eyes.
So these are the things we know about those seven Spirits. The only thing we can say is, these are seven Spirits God uses in the work of His church on this earth.
And Jesus Himself is the “faithful witness”!
*****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,
Rev 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Jesus Christ is our Savior, our only Savior, and the only Savior for this entire world!
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.
I know that this causes many in the world problems, but it does not change the truth!
There will never be another Savior in any age!
1) Jesus Christ is that “faithful witness” sent by our Heavenly Father! He is the one person we can all depend upon! We can trust everything that Jesus tells us and that He teaches us. He will never lead us astray! He came down from Heaven!
Joh 8:14 Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.
Joh 8:15 Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.
2) Jesus Christ is the only person who arose from the dead and will never ever die again. The Bible speaks of others who were risen from the dead, but they also died again. Only the Church will be like our Lord and will one day rise from the dead so that those bodies can be glorified as that one of the Lord!
1Co 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
1Co 15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
3) Jesus Christ is the Prince that is over all the rulers of this earth! When Jesus arose and went back to Heaven, He was exalted to be the right hand of God. He is the prince who holds all the power of God in His hands!
Psa 89:27 Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.
We must not fear what any man says, it is Jesus Christ who has Supreme Power over this earth, and He will return when He is ready!
Psa 24:1 The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
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.
Jesus is delaying His return to give everyone at least one opportunity to be saved by faith!
4) Jesus Christ is our Redeemer! He loves us! He washed away our sins with His own blood! We have been washed in the sinless, perfect, blood of our Savior!
We cannot make Jesus love us any less than He loves us now!
We cannot make Jesus love us any more than He loves us now because His love is a perfect love!
We have been “loosed” from sin!
The chains and bondage of sin have been broken and we can never be trapped by our sin ever again!
We will one day stand before God in sinless perfection because of what His Son has done for us!
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.
5) He hath made us to be kings and priests to our God! During the Millennial Reign of Christ, some in the Church will be kings. Some will be priests. All of us will be used in some manner and it will be a wonderful time to serve the Lord!
In fact we may do these things with Christ throughout eternity!
1Co 6:2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
1Co 6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
We will have open access to our Heavenly Father not only now, but forever!
*****Rev 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
What is the theme of the Book of Revelation? The return of Jesus Christ! The entire Bible is about the first and the second coming of our Lord and Savior!
1) The Lord Jesus will first come with the clouds to “Redeem” those that He has purchased with His blood.
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.
Mat 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
2) Next, every eye will see Him. It will not matter where you are located upon this earth, you will see the Lord Jesus when He returns!
The glory of the Lord is so bright that even the sun will be as a candle to His brightness! His glory will surround this earth and His Church will be with Him also in glorified bodies but not as bright as our Savior and, we will never be as bright as our Savior!
All the angels of Heaven will also be with Him and the Angels will be in their full glory!
Every eye that remains upon this earth will witness the glory of our Savior!
All those who have rebelled against the Lord Jesus will wail at His coming!
They will then know that all the things said about Jesus in the Scriptures, by His witnesses, by His true preachers, will all have been the truth!
Mat 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Mat 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
Mat 25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
Mat 25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Mat 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Who is this regal Redeemer and Judge?
*****Rev 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
It is the “Almighty God” who returns to this little speck of dust called earth, just before foolish humans attempt to destroy the Jews and in doing so would have destroyed the entire earth.
It is a fact that, all the major powers upon this planet have weapons aimed at each other just waiting on someone to be the first to fire weapons of mass destruction! How foolish!
It just takes one accident and the world would be at war and destroy this planet we call earth.
Just recently the Air Force found certain men who smoke marijuana who also were in control of missile silos containing nuclear warheads.
It takes one accident by any one person and these weapons could be fired and war would begin!
Jesus Christ is the “Alpha”. Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet.
Jesus is the beginning because He is the very One who caused the beginning of all creation!
Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
All things find their purpose, their meaning, and their significance in Him, the Lord Jesus Christ!
Jesus Christ is the “Omega”. Omega is the very last letter of the Greek alphabet.
Jesus Christ began all things and He is the only One who can end all things!
No matter how chaotic our world seems to be, all things are still under the control of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He is not the cause of our problems, but He is certainly the answer to all our problems!
We are a foolish people to not place all our trust in the Lord!
Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Jesus Christ is the glue that binds all His creation together to Him!
Jesus Christ is the Lord of all creation!
He is the Lord who is, and came to die.
He is the Lord who was, and He died and then He arose.
He is the Lord, who will return and to restore all things.
He is God eternal!
He is God unchangeable!
If Jesus came today, He would be the same person He has always been!
He will always be that person described to us in the Holy Ghost inspired Word of Jehovah God!
Isa 41:4 Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.
Isa 41:5 The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came.
Isa 43:10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
Isa 43:11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.
Isa 43:12 I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.
Isa 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
Isa 44:7 And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them.
Isa 44:8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.
The Apostle John, A Christian, a “Born Again” child of God, a man chosen by Jesus Christ to be an Apostle, and also chosen to be a live witness of all the things in the Book of the Reveling of the Lord Jesus Christ.
*****Rev 1:9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
The first vision of the Apostle John is a vision of Christ Jesus.
It is this first vision that proclaims that that this message is for the Church, beginning with those seven churches in Asia.
Jesus the Christ wants all the Church to know that this message comes directly from Him!
John was on the Isle of Patmos.
It is said that it was the Emperor Domitian that banned John to this tiny island where there would be no one to preach the Gospel.
This Island is only about 40 miles from the City of Ephesus but an old man like John would never have made that distance alone.
Patmos is just a rocky, barren, isolated island about 10 miles long and six miles wide.
John was banished simply because he would not quit being a witness for the Lord Jesus Christ!
It is said that John was liberated only when Domitian died.
The truth is that, in our darkest hours, it is then that we realize that we are not alone at all.
John was the last of the Apostles and the only one who God called home only after he had lived to a ripe old age.
All the other Apostles were murdered and all for the same reason, they would never reject the Lord Jesus Christ!
John says he was our brother in Christ and our companion to all believers.
The Apostle John was a believer just we are believers today, but he was a far better witness than all of us are.
John was a witness seven days of the week. The only time he was not speaking of Jesus was when he was eating and sleeping, and he asked the Lord always to bless His food!
We are brothers to each other, and we are brothers and sisters to the Lord Jesus Christ.
There are no in-betweens. There can be no true queer nor any lesbian Christians!
Of what tribulation does John speak?
The Apostle Paul writes that this tribulation, is the things that cause us trouble as we live for the Lord. Not the seven years of tribulation!
Act 14:21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch,
Act 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
It was while John was upon the Isle of Patmos that John witnessed and wrote the Book of Revelation.
We might say that John would not slow down enough to write this Great book of the Bible, so John needed a place of solitude.
John was never alone, but it was a special day that Sunday when Jesus came calling in the Spirit.
*****Rev 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
Rev 1:11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
Many still question why we worship on Sunday rather that Saturday. The Apostle Paul and the Apostle John make it very clear that we observe and gather on the Lord’s Day and it was on Sunday when the Lord walk out of the tomb risen from the dead.
We would be wrong to assemble on any other day, but the truth is we are to worship the Lord every day!
What was John to write? The things that he saw.
We must remember, John lived in the First Century. The things John saw would be from our time or on into the future, and he could only describe them from his historical point of view.
What did John hear on this day? A voice but a voice as of a great speaker. A speaker that spoke with authority.
In fact it was the Lord Jesus Christ. The Alpha and the Omega and the First and the Last!
We have today our English translation of everything that John saw on this vision into the future and into our future.
We should understand that these seven churches in the First Century give us a picture of entire group of churches in that period.
We should understand that this is the same picture we have of the Church today. There are still those seven images of the Church.
Another thing we can understand is that there are seven Church Periods or Church Ages and it is easy to see we are in that Laodicean Age today.
The Church Age is coming to an end!
The Church must continuously discipline itself, to remain a Church built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ!
Some say there are two Bibles.
One is the Bible that is written on paper and the other is the Bible written upon our heart and these two must match!
But the truth is Christianity in human life is far better than cold ink!
Heb 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
This is the beginning of lute-warmness, when we do not walk the language of God in our hearts!
When we walk in our own thoughts and ways and not according to the Word of God, we begin to place ourselves into one of these church groups and we then need to hear what the Lord has to say here in the Book of Revelation, the Revealing of the Lord Jesus Christ!
It is not in our lesson plan but verse 12 says the Church is like a candle stick and a bright and shining candlestick is worthy of the Lord but one that is dim, or is flickering, or is partially out, or is out, is not worthy of the Lord!
Mat_5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Your light will not shine unless you are in a steady walk with the Lord according to His Word and His Ways!
Let’s remember these things as we get started in this great Book of the Bible.
It is in this Book where we find those wonderful words of our Savior, It Is Done!
Amen
Let’s Pray!
Jesus King of the Jews
The King of the Jews
Book of John Chapter 12
How do we know Christ will be King of the Jews and King of this world?
Psa 2:6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
Psa 2:7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
Psa 2:8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
Because God said so!
Psa 24:7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
Psa 24:8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
Psa 24:9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
Psa 24:10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.
Over and over again the Bible says so.
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.
This day comes after the Rapture and the Rapture of the Church is the next thing on God’s agenda!
Zec 14:9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.
Let’s begin:
*****Joh 12:12 On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
Our story begins with Jesus returning to Jerusalem for the last time.
He had fellowship with Martha, Mary, and Lazarus who the Lord had raised from the dead.
Mary had anointed the head of Jesus as preparing Him for His death.
Judas had shown his true colors over the money.
And we know the poor will always be with us, so we will always have someone to help.
The Chief Priest had decided that not only would they kill Jesus, but they would also kill Lazarus because he drew a large crowd of onlookers.
Many of those that had been at Mary’s and Martha’s house decided to go to Jerusalem with the Lord.
Of course this would be the last Feast of the Passover that Jesus would observe, and the Lord began this trip on Sunday.
Many had come to Jerusalem for this feast and many more had come because they had heard Jesus would be there.
The Jewish historian Josephus estimated that over 2 million people came to this Passover. it is known that at least 256,000 lambs were sacrificed at this Passover and each lamb represented at least 10 people who were cleansed of their sin for one more year.
Many Gentiles were there also.
We should understand that all these things were known of the prophets and were told to the Jews throughout their many generations.
Mat 21:4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
Mat 21:5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
*****Joh 12:13 Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.
These palm branches were a symbol of victory and we certainly have victory in Jesus but for the Jews it was not time. We should also understand that this was a command of the Lord for this particular feast.
Lev 23:40 And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.
That word Hosanna means “save now Lord, save me now”.
Even through all these things, Jesus was not considered to be the Messiah, but it was OK if Jesus would come as the King if He could take away the tyranny of Rome.
We must understand that Jesus would never come to be the Conqueror nor to straighten out the problems on this earth!
Jesus did not come to be the Provider, to feed, to house, and to give good health!
Jesus did not come to accept all mankind, no matter what each man does!
Jesus did not come so men could continue to do as they please!
Jesus came to save a world that was lost in its own sin!
Jesus came to reconcile all sinners back to God!
Jesus came to teach us that God is Holy, God is righteous, and God is pure, and this is the only way God will accept us into His household. Only by Jesus the Christ!
The truth is most of mankind are not interested in being set free from their sin.
We all hold on to our sin like it is the most important thing we can do even when it is destroying us and our families!
*****Joh 12:14 And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written,
Joh 12:15 Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt.
There is a great story about this young colt:
Luk 19:29 And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,
Luk 19:30 Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither.
Luk 19:31 And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him.
Luk 19:32 And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them.
Luk 19:33 And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt?
Luk 19:34 And they said, The Lord hath need of him.
Luk 19:35 And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon.
Luk 19:36 And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way.
Riding this young colt that had never been ridden tells us a lot about Jesus.
1) He surely had control of all animals.
2) The colt is a noble animal and it was used by Kings and their emissaries, to symbolize that they came not to conquer but they came in peace.
They were showing that they had peaceful intentions.
Jesus is certainly the promised King but first He as the Messiah was coming as the Savior and truly peaceful intentions.
We see that God is a God of love and reconciliation.
These people should have seen this also, but they were too blind to see!
Col 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
Col 1:20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
3) Just as a colt is used to serve and carry the burdens of mankind, Jesus came to serve His Father and carry the burdens of all who will believe upon Him.
Mat 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
4) This colt, that had never been ridden, was also a symbol of sacredness.
Animals and other things that were used in the Jewish system of worship, had to be animals that had never been used in any sort of labor before.
Num 19:2 This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke:
Jesus Christ is that Sacred Hope for all people, the Messiah promised of God!
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?
Joh 11:27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
Even the chosen 12 could not grasp the meaning of these things at this time.
*****Joh 12:16 These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.
Not until the Lord had resurrected from that grave did the chosen 12, well maybe just the 11, because Judas had taken his own life, begin to understand these things that Jesus had taught them.
It is a wonderful thing to wake up to the fact that God has used you to help someone else to realize the truth of God!
This is what the Holy Spirit will do once He enters into the “Born Again” believer!
As we read and study the Scriptures the Holy Spirit will show us the meaning of those Scriptures and bring them to our attention in that hour of need.
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.
In fact since the recorded death of Christ Jesus and the known resurrection of Christ Jesus, no one can have an excuse for not understanding the mission of Jesus Christ and yes, He will return to this earth to complete His mission!
If the Holy Spirit abides in you, you will understand these things!
If we remember these same disciples who became the Apostles were of no use to the Church until they became filled with the Holy Spirit at that Pentecost that followed the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So what is the truth of the death of our Lord?
*****Joh 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
One seed properly planted will yield a great quantity of that same seed. That seed had to die in order to do this thing.
It is the same with the death of our Savior. Christ Jesus had to die before He could produce the many followers who are called Christ or like Christ Jesus.
It’s important that we understand that Jesus had to die but He also had to resurrect!
Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
There are some things we must overcome before we can know the Lord and the main one being, we must die to ourselves.
This flesh that houses our soul will certainly die but while we are living, we must die to our flesh. This is the purpose of being “born again”!
The Bible even says to mortify our flesh, be done with it!
It is the cross that Jesus bore that leads us to take up our own cross and follow Him!
Rom 6:10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
Rom 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
*****Joh 12:25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
If you love your life more than you love obeying the will of God, you will certainly lose that life that you cherish so much for an eternity.
Most people do not understand that our life is in our “soul” and not in the flesh!
Our flesh is no more than jacket covering our true self!
Our soul was given to us by our Father in Heaven and our soul is hungry to return to Heaven caring not for this place we call earth.
Rom 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
God will soon call all His Sons and daughters back home!
*****Joh 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
The Lord gave His life for all those who live in this world. It has been more than 2000 years since this took place because our Father in Heaven has prepared for a crowd.
The sad fact is that the death of Jesus Christ will not give new live to everyone because in the salvation plan of the Lord, He chose to add “Faith”. and many will not believe.
The Lord has more than enough “Grace” to save all those in entire world but only those who believe will know God’s “Mercy” and God’s “Grace”!
We must accept the Lord for “Who He Is”!
We must accept the Lord for “What He Says”!
We must accept the Lord for “What He Has Done”!
When we do these things, our Glorious Father in Heaven will honor us, and we will be allowed to join Him in Heaven!
Then the Lord Jesus knew His time had come!
*****Joh 12:27 Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.
Jesus had already said “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die it bringeth forth much fruit”.
The one thing we know for sure is that Jesus was not having second thoughts on what He had come to do!
Jesus had never known sin and the hour had come that He was to take on to Himself, all the sin of this world, past, present, and future.
This thing was staring Him in the face, the time had come to do this thing.
Jesus had come to die, and it was now time to do this thing.
There will never come a time that the Trinity of God will show any disagreement because these three are One.
God is absolutely perfect, so there is no room for change.
The Lion had to become the sacrificial Lamb in order for the truth of the Gospel to be real.
Our God has the absolute power to make us all believers but in order for “faith” to emerge then His death must be real, and it would then be our own choice to believe or not believe, which are the two groups of people that will remain.
Right now there is a third group and that group has not yet heard the “Gospel” this the job of the Church to tell the world that there is a Savior and His name is Christ Jesus!
Jesus willfully obeyed His Father to show the world that we to are to be obedient to our Heavenly Father!
Joh 10:17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
Joh 10:18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
Jesus knew that only in complete obedience could He be glorified because this would glorify His Father and He would then also be glorified because they are One God!
Heb 10:5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
Heb 10:6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
Heb 10:7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
Heb 10:8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
Heb 10:9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
God came to this world and took on a body of flesh that He might establish a New Covenant with every believer, a Covenant of Peace and then Life, not a life like we have now that is fading away, but eternal life that will last forever!
*****Joh 12:28 Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.
Joh 12:29 The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.
God will answer every prayer that is in His will! Notice God answered in an audible voice but only those who believe can understand what God says.
Jesus prayed according to God’s will and this is another example that God will do as He says!
1Jn 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
1Jn 5:15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
God accepted the prayer of Jesus on behalf of all mankind but not all would believe.
You see when the Lord prayed out loud then our Heavenly Father had to obey His Son or the Scriptures would not be true!
You know there is coming a day where all believers will hear that sound of a trumpet and leave this world behind. I do not know what the unbeliever will hear, all I know is they will have missed a great opportunity for being so stubborn, clinging to their sin!
*****Joh 12:30 Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.
Joh 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
Why is this world so confused about the Lord Jesus Christ when everything He did, He did for us all!
These people heard a response from Heaven when Jesus ask for a response. These people were confused about the Lord, so they were confused about the Father in Heaven and nothing Jesus would do would change this but one thing we know is that Jesus put every effort into reaching these Jewish people, but they would not listen.
One thing we must consider is that the Our Father speaks from Heaven then something changed. God does not use empty words!
God accepted that Jesus would die for all our sins and all our sins would be blotted out in the books He keeps on each one of us but only if we believe in the things that Jesus did for our salvation.
We already know that these same people had recognized Jesus as the King of the Jews that the Prophets had written about, but they were not sure that Jesus was the Messiah that was also told of by these same prophets.
Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Verse 31 says Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
We must understand this world we live in is not what it should be because it is under the influence of that old serpent who is Satan!
This world we live in will be destroyed and the Lord will make a new world and we need to understand this truth.
It is true because God says so and God cannot lie!
We must understand that when Jesus was lifted up upon that cross, it set all these things in motion.
The beginning of the ending of this world that will lead to the beginning of eternity in a brand-new world!
Jesus Christ has judged this world to be imperfect.
Jesus Christ has judged that this world is short of God’s glory and God’s will.
In other words, because of God’s holiness we could never live in this world with Him for eternity.
God will create a perfect world.
Because Satan rebelled in Heaven then Heaven would also have to made new, a perfect Heaven!
Because Satan spent time in the heavenly bodies then they too would be made new and perfect.
Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Rom 8:20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
Rom 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Rom 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
It was the cross that set all these things in motion!
*****Joh 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
Joh 12:33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.
If we follow Jesus with our own cross, then Satan has been defeated in our lives as well!
It was on the cross where Jesus destroyed the power of Satan.
1Jn 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
It was at the cross where we can claim victory because Jesus Christ is our victory!
*****Joh 12:34 The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man?
Joh 12:35 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
Joh 12:36 While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.
The people misunderstood the coming of the Messiah.
It is certain that God cannot die because He is self-existing.
God had to take on the form of man in order to defeat Satan because Satan had defeated mankind by deception.
The man that had been blind since His birth was the example Jesus chose for us to understand.
Just like that blind man we are all spiritually blind from our birth.
This man would only live a short time before his death.
It is the same for each of us. Once we know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior our flesh can still only live a few years before our death.
Without the everlasting Light of the Lord, we would again walk in darkness.
When we are children of the Light, no darkness can come upon us and if we burn brightly our light may shine so some others can also become children of the Light!
Only truth can defeat a lie!
Even though Jesus had done so many miracles and had spoken all these words of truth, He could not be accepted as the Messiah.
The truth is if you can be satisfied with the things of this life then nothing the Lord says will change your mind.
It takes faith in something much better, and hope in the promises of God that sets the Christian apart from this world.
*****Joh 12:37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:
Joh 12:38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?
Jesus could have been accepted as King, but it was not time for that to happen.
In reality, to be an unbeliever makes no sense at all.
God has done everything He can do to cause us to believe!
His miracles were not enough for these people.
His compassion was not enough for these people.
His help was not enough for these people.
His signs were not enough for these people.
His healings were not enough for these people.
His truth was not enough for these people.
These are the same things that we have to decide upon.
Is God’s “truth” enough for us to place our “faith” in Jesus Christ.
What say ye?
Amen
Let’s Pray
Jesus the Bread of Life
The Bread of Life
Book of John Chapter 6
We should understand that by the time we reach that age when we can determine right from wrong, we soon also find that our soul is craving for fulfillment and we cannot know the end of that craving until we meet the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Book of Genesis teaches us that Jehovah God, our Father in Heaven is the giver of all life.
Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Mankind in the image of God(not looks) separated from the animals but God gives life.
Gen 1:30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
Gen 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
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.
Keeping these things in mind we will better understand the Lord Jesus Christ is indeed, the “Bread of Life”!
As I have already said, as humans we have this hunger for life down deep in our soul!
*****Joh 6:25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
On the previous day the Lord had miraculously fed many more than just those 5000 men. We already know there were some children among them and probably some women but to feed 5000 is still a great miracle.
This horde of people had decided that if Jesus was indeed the Messiah, then He should be King according to the Scriptures.
It was not time for this to take place because Jesus had first come to save.
Jesus had placed the 12 disciples in a boat and sent them back to Capernaum while He walked further up into mount.
We also know that this same night, Jesus had walked on the water and joined His disciples in the midst of the Lake Galilee.
Joh 6:15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.
Joh 6:16 And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea,
Joh 6:17 And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.
Joh 6:18 And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.
Joh 6:19 So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.
Joh 6:20 But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.
Joh 6:21 Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.
It is now, after these things, that we can pick up with our lesson.
This large group of men had determined that Jesus had joined His disciples even though they could not understand how, so they too went to Capernaum and yes, Jesus was there.
Their thoughts were not about life, they could only think of that next meal that they would not have to work for.
If Jesus was the Messiah, then surely He to, could rain down manna from Heaven as they had given credit to Moses rather than the Heavenly Father.
They had surmised that with Jesus as King, everyone would live not ever having to work because the Messiah would feed them.
God has this saying that stills true through today.
2Th_3:10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
Here again we see a comparison to the America of today where many who live have decided that everything should be free and given to them without them having to work for it! (It’s called Socialism)
We don’t need Socialism, we need a Theocracy where God is in control of all things concerning life.
We must understand that when we are to be witnesses for Jesus, we must also be willing to rebuke all those pretending to be Jesus or Christian.
These people were not committing to be disciples of Christ, they were hypocrites seeking only to fill their own bellies!
The truth is, we all have a great need of the Messiah.
To feel complete we must acknowledge this need.
We must realize that it is only Jesus Christ who can fill this need!
It is in all our best interest that we seek Jesus Christ until we find Him!
Isa 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
It is time to quit trying to find out how Jesus did the things that He obviously did and just accept Him as our Messiah and our Savior, and our Redeemer!
*****Joh 6:26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
Notice how Jesus sees right through their hypocrisy and tells them exactly what they are.
Very few churches are so direct to their flocks today because they might hurt someone’s feelings.
We must seek Jesus for the right reasons!
Let’s get real even when we get to God’s paradise, God’s Heaven, we can be sure there will be some work for us to do but much of our time will also be used to worship our Heavenly Father! I said time but time as we know will not exist!
Eternity is a place of no time or we could say, a never ending day!
We must understand that when we get the opportunity, we will all try to find the easy way to do things and the easy way very seldom contains “faith”!
Most all of us care to much about ourselves than to allow the Lord Jesus to work in our hearts!
The Lord Jesus Christ can certainly meet all our needs and He promises to do so, for those who believe upon His name.
We do not need miracles to convince us to follow the Lord. Our greatest miracle is when we are “Born Again” into the family of God!
The Lord our Savior is not some tool to be used but a person to be sought after and loved and worshiped!
Someone who can take 5 loaves and 2 small fishes and feed 5000 certainly has the power of God. This was not a fluke or some magic trick!
Everything in this world will pass away some day and the only thing that can be done to prolong this time is to give our lives to God right now!
Not even tomorrow is guaranteed!
There is not one thing upon this earth that will satisfy anyone forever not even all the riches that we can possess.
Eze 33:31 And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.
All those people that think this world will last forever do not see with their own eyes that our world is aging, and it will not last!
Peole talk about global warming rather than a dieing world.
*****Joh 6:27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
I believe it could be said that God hates the hypocrite!
The truth is we must be sincere when we are seeking the Lord. If we seek the Lord just for the things that He can provide, then that certainly is the wrong reason.
There are many benefits in serving the Lord but only after we have invited Him into our heart, filled with the Holy Spirit and become a Temple of the Lord.
1Co_3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co_6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
2Co_13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
We are not the children of God until we have been filled and sealed with the Holy Spirit!
We are fools to spend our lives trying to accumulate things that will perish, many of them in a very short time!
It is only “Faith”, “Grace”, and “Love” which will endure to everlasting life!
Our only work is to believe and then once “Faith” has guided us to the Lord, we need to work for life, as well as from life.
These things can come only by the Lord Jesus Christ because this is what Jehovah God sent Him to do!
You see it is God the Father who guarantees His Son is the Messiah.
It is God the Father who gives things that last forever. There is no other way to obtain the truth of God!
1Th 1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
1Th 1:4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.
Jesus Christ has a Heavenly appointment with each and every believer!
Jesus also has an appointment with each and every non-believer!
Jesus Christ is the answer to every question we may have about life but also death!
*****Joh 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
Joh 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
As we have grown up in the baby boomer age, we have found that we can have nothing without working for it.
We have learned that salvation is the free gift of God and sometimes we think this wonderful gift cannot be free but it is. It is free with “Faith”!
Today we live in a nation where most everyone expects things to be free, but the free gifts of God are rejected more than ever. Who could figure that one out?
Those doing good works will not impress God one little bit and will not get you saved unless they come to Jesus!
Those doing all bad works is an abomination to God and these people cannot be saved until they accept the Lord and repent of their evil.
Those doing some good and some bad works also cannot be accepted.
You see doing any sort works to impress God will not work at all!
The problem being, we just cannot get our minds to think right!
Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
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.
The truth is, we must believe on the One who God sent, Jesus Christ!
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
We must understand that there no amount of works we can do to impress God if we do not believe that He is God!
There is only the “One Work” that we can do and that is to believe all the words God has written to us!
The “One Work” we can do to impress God is to believe Him!
There is no sustainable life in anyone until they meet and then trust in the Savior!
There is no sustainable life in anyone until they accept the truth of life in the Book of Genesis!
Our world had a beginning and it was not billions of years ago but just as God has said!
Without our “Faith” in the things of the Messiah, the things of our Creator, and the things of our Savior, we are simply living a life of death that will end in eternal death for ever separated from our Creator.
There are far greater things that come by the Messiah than ever came by Moses to the Jews.
The things Moses did for the Jews cannot compare to the things the Lord Jesus Christ has done for whosoever will believe Him!
When we acknowledge our Creator in Spirit and in Truth we are then pleasing to our God!!!!!
Do we need a sign from God for Him to prove Himself? There are signs all around us every day and we ignore them!
*****Joh 6:30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
Joh 6:31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
We should remember that just one day before Jesus is asked to do this thing, He fed over 5000 people with the 5 small loaves and 2 small fish. The lunch that a loving mother had fixed for her child.
Jesus had also made some mighty claims.
The one thing we should understand about proof. Proof is useless unless it is accepted as the truth!
After Jesus had fed the 5000, He was gladly received as King by these same people but to be the Messiah, they wanted more proof!
The truth is we get so attached to the things around us in this world, the physical pleasures and the material goods we are blinded to the truth of God, yet none of these things are permanent as is all the things of God!
We become a very foolish people when we ask things of God that He simply will not do. Nothing is impossible for God, but God has no desire to prove Himself over and over again especially when the proof is in the promises He makes and the Word He has given to us!
It all boils down to “Faith”!
Things that we see with our eyes can truly be deceitful!
When we give credit to some man for the things God has done we are also doing wrong.
Moses was chosen by the Lord to be a great leader of these Jesus and He was, but it was not Moses who rained the manna from Heaven. These who faced the Lord this day did not have a clue about the manna other than what was said about it in the Word of God.
Just the word “manna” indicates it was a gift from God!
Deu 8:16 Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;
Deu 8:17 And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.
Deu 8:18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.
When we demand that we first see a miracles just, so we can approve of them we go against the truth of God.
The biggest gripe of this people was that the manna fell from Heaven every day and everyone got all they wanted to eat every day. They had witnessed Jesus feed the 5000 but it was just a one-time event and they were hungry again.
Sounds just like the world of today. “Give me, give me, give me, until I am satisfied”!
It would take much more than this for them to believe that Christ was the Messiah, which Christ did offer when He said it was He who was the true “Bread of Life”. They then became “religionist”!
The truth is man never has enough to quench their desires to have much more. This is why riches are so dangerous to our soul!
There is an emptiness within each of us, a vacuum, a lack of purpose that can only be filled with the Lord Jesus Christ!
You will not realize this until it happens!
Jesus Christ is the only source of “Spiritual Satisfaction”!
How did the Lord respond to these false beliefs?
*****Joh 6:32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
It is obvious that we can see a fault of mankind. Mankind just has this great craving for someone to continuously give to them. In America it is the theme behind hypocritical leaders and higher education gone a muck.
They exploit this fault, this craving in most all mankind that cannot be satisfied. The emptiness of man that can only be satisfied by the filling of the Holy Spirit.
As for the Lord, these people were foolishly trying to compare Moses to Him and there can be no such comparison.
1) We must not get confused. Moses did not lead this nation through the wilderness. They were led by a cloud by day and a fire by night. Moses was only the first follower.
Exo_13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
Exo_13:22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.
Exo_40:38 For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.
2) These people were talking about the “Manna” that also came from the Lord.
Exo_16:15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.
This “Manna” was of course for their nourishment and the proof is in the people who survived those 40 years in the wilderness but there was a lesson involved that was being taught by Jesus this day with these who had followed Him.
This “Manna” could only bring temporary life and the true “Bread of Heaven”, is indeed the Lord Jesus Christ who brings with Him eternal life!
It is only by Jesus Christ that all our cravings can be met!
It is only by Jesus Christ that our hunger can be satisfied!
It is only by Jesus Christ that we can be at peace with this world and at peace with God!
We must look beyond this life we have in this world, which is limited.
We must look beyond the things of this world which are only temporary.
The true “Bread of Life” is not physical but it is “Spiritual”.
God does promise to provide for our physical needs just as He did those Jews who traveled for 40 years in the wilderness and just as He does today.
We seem to forget that this body of flesh we live in will one day perish but the soul is eternal, and it is the soul that is so valuable to our Heavenly Father.
Psa_30:3 O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit
Psa_42:2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
As the soul is permanent, then the food for the soul must be permanent.
*****Joh 6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
We see that the “Bread of Life” is a person and not food.
We all as humans must have nourishment to survive this earth and it does not matter what part of life we come from.
Ecc 5:9 Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.
Our Heavenly Father is the source of all things upon this earth because it is His rain and His sunshine and His seasons that allows this life to succeed but we also know our life span is just too short.
The “Bread of Life” is something else entirely!
Jesus Christ is that “Bread of God” that came down from Heaven and can preserve our soul from eternal death!
Jesus Christ is the Author of our salvation.
Jesus Christ is the Supporter of our salvation.
Jesus Christ is the Maintainer of our salvation.
Jesus Christ is the ‘Foundation” of our Salvation because it is He who is the Bread of God sent down for Heaven.
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.
What was the initial response because Jesus had not yet claimed to be that “bread of God”!
*****Joh 6:34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
The purpose of bread is to continue in a life that we already have.
Their request was for God to send them that “manna” from the time of Moses, for all their remaining days.
In other words they felt like they would be fine as long as they did not have to purchase their own food.
This life we now have will eventually lead us to death as our bodies age and we can no longer accept that nourishment into our bodies.
It is a fact that when we need the “Bread of God” we cannot obtain it except by the Lord Jesus Christ!
We can get nothing from God that is permanent until we can know His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ is our Lord!
We must submit to our Savior!
When this takes place we find out the truth!
*****Joh 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the giver of all life because there no life without the Lord there is only death! By coming to the Lord means believing that this true, and it will be true.
The Lord also supports and maintains the life that He gives to each of us, physically and Spiritually!
It is an absolute fact that life is meaningless without Jesus Christ!
Jesus Christ is certainly the true “Bread of Life”.
Jesus Christ is truly the “Bread of God” come down from Heaven.
Jesus Christ is the true Manna from Heaven that meets every need of each individual and each family!
Our soul hungers for the truth. We have a craving to know what we are missing. Both these things are settled the very moment we come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and our Redeemer.
We all crave life but at the same time many of us just do not understand life.
Every need of this life can be satisfied by Jesus Christ.
Every need of the next life is guaranteed by Jesus Christ.
Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
These that followed Jesus almost daily had rejected Him and had refused the great wonders that Jesus had done right before their eyes.
1Jn 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
1Jn 1:2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
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.
Christianity is so simple that many cannot take it into their heart because they expected much more.
*****Joh 6:36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
If knowing the Lord Jesus Christ does not bring us to “faith” then we certainly cannot please God!
It is just not what we can get from the Lord. It is what the Lord promises us of our future plus what He provides until we get there!
If we need to see every little detail of the things that Jesus did, then where is our “faith”.
Even the soon be apostles had witnessed the feeding of the 5000 thousand, but they did not see how that bread and the two fishes had multiplied.
The one thing certain was that more than 5000 had been fed and there were 12 baskets of leftovers.
Where was their faith.
Faith is not seeing things, so we can believe!
Faith is believing so we can see Spiritual things!
Christian “faith” is an act of trust by which a sinner commits themselves to a Savior!
Was Jesus Christ exactly who He said He was, absolutely.
Does Christ do every day exactly what He said He would do, absolutely.
Will the Lord provide our needs in such abundance that we can live the easy life and never work, absolutely not!
The Lord will provide our needs, but the Lord came to provide a gift so precious that it overpasses anything that we could have upon this earth!
Joh 6:39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
Joh 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
The most important task we have is not so much to do good, though this is a small part of it.
The most important task we have is not even to lead souls to Christ, so they can be saved, but it is another part of it.
The most important task we have after salvation is to do the will of our Father in Heaven just as the Son of God has done!
Jesus Christ did everything according to the will of His Father!
Jesus has one more task to do for the church before He returns to deal with the Jews.
Jesus will raise up that old sack of bones we left behind and join it unto our glorified body.
These Jews only murmured in disbelief!
Jesus repeated Himself. A thing He only does to prove He is of the truth!
Joh 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
Simply put if we believe the work of the Lord for our salvation, right up to the end of our days we will be saved from a sinners Hell!
The Lord Jesus Christ is indeed God come down from Heaven to save every believer in this world!
We must believe that Christ came down from Heaven and is the true Messiah.
We must believe that Christ came to this earth to deliver us from a Spiritual death.
We must believe that Christ gave His own life so that we may be saved.
We must believe that Christ gave His life for all the world!
We must believe that Christ Jesus is the God of the Bible and there is no other!
Amen
Let’s Pray!
Being Faithful is Loving the Lord Jesus Christ
Counted Faithful
Book of 1 Timothy 1:1-20
Paul, the ambassador for Jesus Christ our King, is writing to his dear son in the “Gospel”, Timothy.
The most important job of the Church is share the “Gospel” of Jesus Christ and to make disciples just as Paul has made a disciple of Timothy and then went further in his teaching when God called Timothy to be a Pastor.
Anything else is secondary to this function.
1) The disciple must first believe the doctrine of Jesus Christ.
2) The disciple must rest on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for all our sins.
3) The disciple must be absorbed with the Holy Spirit.
4) The disciple must imitate the example of Jesus Christ so close, that he resembles Him. (This is what Christ-Like means, a Christian)
Timothy became such a disciple and later he was called of God to become a Pastor.
*****1Ti 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;
The authority to call anyone into the service of God must come from God Himself! We cannot call ourselves to be a Pastor!
We can rest assured that Paul, then named Saul, was truly an apostle specifically called by the Lord Jesus Christ.
Also notice that Paul knew that it is the Lord Jesus Christ who is God and Savior, one person of the Holy Trinity!
Paul also new that all our hope lies in the truth of the “Gospel” and in all the Word of God!
So, we must clearly understand that Jesus Christ is our only hope for salvation!
Jesus Christ is the love of God shown to us in His Son!
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Jesus Christ is the author of our hope.
Jesus Christ is the object of our hope.
Jesus Christ is the foundation of our hope!
God has provided the only means of salvation to every person since the resurrection of His Dear Son.
If God had not loved us and have a plan of salvation from the beginning, then no one could be saved!
Paul spoke with such authority because these epistles to Timothy and Titus will be considered the Pastoral Epistles and this is a specific calling of God.
Paul expected young Timothy to share these epistles with all the church.
All the epistles of Paul were passed from church to church!
The question comes up many times by those who are full of pride, why should the church make disciples?
The answer lies in the truth that all the world is enslaved by sin!
These people are gripped by spiritual death and are too blind to see it.
These people are doomed to face the judgment of God and they need someone to tell them the truth!
1Ti 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
Timothy needed to hear these things from Paul the Apostle of Jesus Christ, who was also the same messenger of God who had led him to the Lord.
*****1Ti 1:2 Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
Why is it so important that our children be taught the Word of God? Because on occasion you get a Timothy!
His mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois had prepared this young man in the Old Testament Word of God at a very young age as it was written in the laws of Moses. They had also been converted on Paul’s first trip to Lystra.
2Ti 1:5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
Timothy was just a child when Paul had first come to Lystra. He was probably no mare that 10 to 12 years old when Paul led him to the Lord. He was no more than 18 when Paul returned on his second missionary trip and had grown so much in the Scriptures that Paul took Timothy with him and treated him as his son.
1Co 4:17 For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.
Timothy became so likeminded in the Scriptures as Paul, that Paul said his mind was at one with Timothy.
Php 2:19 But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state.
Php 2:20 For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.
From this point on, Timothy would travel with Paul or would be sent by Paul to other locations.
Timothy may not have reached the age 30 years old, when Paul left him at Ephesus to correct the errors in doctrine that had made their way into this church.
The problems in Ephesus was not only from the Judaizers but many of the Greeks tried to bring parts of their pagan worship into the Church
**Timothy had been saved by the “Grace” of God just like every Christian is saved.
The “Grace” of God is revealed in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ died, to redeem us from all our sin.
Jesus Christ died, to raise up a peculiar people a people set apart for His use.
Jesus Christ died, to stir us into good works like the works that He did.
All these came because of the ‘”Mercy” of God.
The “mercy” of God came to us because of His compassion for us, His love for us, and His pity for us!
God has mercy for us because He truly cares about all His creation, especially we of human race..
God sees our needs and provide our needs and the greatest need we had, was to be in harmony with our God!
Because of God’s “mercy” He has withheld His judgement of us, even though we deserve His wrath.
All those who do not know the mercy of God do not know God at all!
The peace of God means, we are bound together with the Lord Jesus Christ and secure in the love of God!
If we know the peace of God, we can then be at peace with God!
Timothy knew all these things and was a willing young Pastor to serve God, wherever he was sent!
*****1Ti 1:3 As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,
1Ti 1:4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.
What was Timothy’s job at Ephesus? Timothy was charged to defend the truth of the “Gospel” of Jesus Christ.
This must be the charge of every Pastor, Missionary, and Evangelist!
This must be the same charge to every “Born Again” child of God!
It is a fact, that all false teachers teach a false doctrine because, they cannot know God. Only those filled with the Holy Spirit who will only come by acknowledging the truth of Jesus Christ that can have such knowledge
Paul had gotten the Macedonian call at this time and the Holy Spirit was at work in Paul, yet he felt Ephesus could not be abandoned at this time, so it was Timothy who had to stay there to lead this church back to the truth.
Paul had warned this church that false teachers would come, and it is also a fact that we need to understand, false teachers will make an attempt to cause problems in every church!
We simply must guard against all those who attempt to corrupt the Word of God!
We must demand that our teachers and preachers teach the truth of the Word of God and the “Gospel” of Jesus Christ!
We can see that Timothy even at this young age, was strong enough in the Word of God, that Paul trusted him to work that truth into this church.
There is also no one on the face of this earth who has the authority to change the Word of God!
In the day of Timothy there were many of the Jewish faith who made attempts to stop Christianity.
There were also many from the pagan Greeks who wanted to incorporate Christianity into their own beliefs.
Some say this was the beginning of the Catholic church.
Tit 1:10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
There were many who taught fables rather than the truth of God.
Tit 1:14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.
There were those that wanted the Christians to abide by the Laws of Moses.
Tit 3:9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
The true Word of God, does not contain fables as some say! Fables are any fictional teaching of the Scriptures.
The Lord Jesus taught using with parables, but He never taught using fables and neither should any man of God!
There is nothing contained in the Hebrew or Greek Scriptures that suggest the use of fables!
2Pe 1:16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
2Pe 1:17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
That word “genealogies” is the teaching of those who take comfort in their godly heritage.
As Christians we can look back to the faith of Abraham because the Scriptures point us to him.
The truth is, we cannot be saved just because Abraham had such a great faith.
We cannot be saved just because we have godly parents or godly grandparents.
We must accept the Lord Jesus Christ ourselves in a faith such as Abraham had in trusting God, as our personal Savior and there is no other means of salvation period! *****End of discussion!
What did Jesus say?
Luk 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
It is only because of the love of God, that we get this opportunity to be saved!
*****1Ti 1:5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
1Ti 1:6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;
Those false teachers had put empty discussions of the Law ahead of the “Love of God”!
The church is to teach love for one another, just as God loves each of us!
What had Jesus said?
Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
When there is no love in a church, then there can be no church!
It is also a terrible sin to compromise the Word of God, just to get more members or to keep the ones you already have!
*****1Ti 1:7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.
The teacher or preacher must not allow ambition to cloud their understanding of the truth!
To make disciples as preachers and teachers, the church must focus on learning as well as teaching!
When those who do not know the Lord ask why we love the Scriptures, we should just say, “because we have a personal relationship with the Author”.
Tit 1:10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
Tit 1:11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.
Jas 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.
Jas 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
We must also understand that the Laws of Moses had their purpose in the day of Paul, just as they do today!
Those laws point out that we are all sinners who cannot measure up to our Savior!
*****1Ti 1:8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;
1Ti 1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
1Ti 1:10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
1Ti 1:11 According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.
The Scriptures were not written for those who already think they know it all. Nobody can teach these people!
The Scriptures were not written for those who want to do it their own way. This what Elvis said and the theme of humanism!
The Scriptures were not written for those so full of pride, who think they are much better than all others. Pride was the downfall of Lucifer (Satan).
The Scriptures were written for those who know they are sinners in need of a Savior!
False teachers will always put pride and self-righteousness above the Word of God!
False teachers would say, to be saved required you to give yourselves to Christ, but also you needed to add to this the obedience of Judaism to be truly saved!
False teachers will always reject that salvation can come only by the free gift of the “Grace” of God alone!
False teachers will confuse everyone on the gifts of God!
The law is good if it is used properly! The law teaches us what God considers to be sin. There are 613 Jewish laws and not just those 10 commandments.
Those laws can only teach us how far short we come when compared to the goodness of God which was in the Lord Jesus Christ!
False teachers will also teach that God had a set of scales to weigh our goodness against the things we do that are bad and whichever one came out on top would determine if you went to Heaven or to Hell.
But God says we have no goodness, “which is righteousness” to put on our good side.
Isa_64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and “all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags”; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
There is nothing wrong with being good, but no amount of goodness will get you saved!
God is a perfect God and we cannot come face to face with God until we are also perfect!
God gave all those laws to show all of us, that we had a great need of a Savior!
The Law was given to all those who are lawless and disobedient.
The law was given to the ungodly and sinners.
The law was given to those who are unholy and profane.
The law was given to those murderers who are so low that they would kill their own families.
The law was given to all those who commit fornication, and adultery, and homosexuals and all immoral people.
The law was given to all those who trade in slavery, and kidnappers.
The law was given to all liars and those who commit perjury.
The law was given to anything else that goes against the truth of the Word of God.
There is no one left out of this list because we are all sinners!
Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
False teachers just do not understand the truth of God or they will reject the truth of God!
God has made a way for every human being upon this earth to join Him in Heaven and that way is by the “Gospel” of the Lord Jesus Christ!
We must never be deceived. It is the truth of the “Gospel” that is the only way to become perfect enough to join God in Heaven!
1Co 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
1Co 15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
1Co 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
1Co 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
The Gospel is described as “glorious”.
The Gospel is described as “everlasting”.
The “gospel” is the unchanging, perfect, Word of God!
All those who come to know the Lord Jesus Christ in a personal relationship, will tell you how great it is to know the truth of Jehovah, the saving God!
*****1Ti 1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
1Ti 1:13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
There are no true ministers of the “Gospel” unless they are called by Christ Himself!
There are no true ministers unless they came by “faith”, trusting the Lord!
It was Jesus Christ who enabled Paul to teach the truth of the “Gospel”.
Enabled means to strengthen and give power to.
The power of Paul’s ministry came from the Lord Jesus Christ.
The power of every minister of the “Gospel” comes by the Lord Jesus Christ!
The power to continue in the ministry of the “Gospel” comes by the Holy Spirit who is the only path to the Lord Jesus Christ!
Joh 15:15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
Joh 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
There can be no self-made ministers of the “Gospel” of Jesus Christ!
Those that call themselves, can only serve to a humanistic false religion who will lead people into a false sense of security!
It is Jesus Christ who found Paul to be trustworthy, to teach the wonderful Word of God.
It is Jesus Christ who finds any of us to be trustworthy, to teach the truth of the Word of God!
If you preach or teach the truth of the Word of God, God knows those who are faithful to Him!
*****1Ti 1:14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
Paul had spent some time trying to destroy the Church but by the “Grace”, he had been forgiven.
Paul had committed blasphemy, hating even the name of Jesus Christ.
Paul was the persecutor who first set out to wipe the name of Jesus off the face of this earth.
Paul was injurious to destroy the rights of others who sought the Lord Jesus to be saved.
By God’s “Grace”, Paul was forgiven of all these things but all these things continue by others of the world today and yes, they can also be forgiven.
Paul thought he knew God and that Judaism was the true path to glorify God, but he had been wrong.
Judaism is not the way.
Islam is not the way.
Jehovah’s Witness is not the way.
Mormanism is not the way.
Religion means death.
Christianity is life and leads to eternal life because Jesus Christ is the God of the Bible and has all the authority of God because He is God!
The Lord Jesus poured out His “Grace” onto the Apostle Paul and Paul was gloriously forgiven of all his sin!
None of us are worthy of the “Grace” of God and we can thank God for giving us the Apostle Paul who remained faithful all his days.
God’s “Grace” is sufficient to cover any sin but one and that is the sin of not believeing that The Lord Jesus Christ is the God of the Bible!
We must remain faithful to the Gospel all our days to be of any use to Him!
In fact, when we remain faithful to the Lord, this is when He will pour out blessing after blessing to us all our days!
*****1Ti 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
1Ti 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
Why did the Lord Jesus come to this world? Jesus Christ left Heaven to come to this world to save sinners!
**The Apostle Paul is the greatest of examples of just how far God will go to save a worthless sinner!
It is an indisputable fact, that even the worst of sinners can be saved!
Jesus Christ would save the entire human race if they would only believe that His able to do it!
It is still “faith”, not just any faith, but “faith” in the “Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ”!
Luk 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Heb 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
**The Apostle Paul is also the greatest example of God’s “mercy”!
Paul was also chosen to be the pattern of mercy to all those in sin!
It was not easy in that day to bring the “Gospel” to the gentile nations.
The truth of Paul was that if God could save Paul, then God could save anyone!
Joh 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
**The Apostle Paul is our greatest proof of God’s “mercy”!
*****1Ti 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
When we know of the glorious salvation that Jesus Christ has given us, we to should break forth into praise!
**Our Savior is the unchanging King of all the ages.
Psa 145:13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.
**Our Savior is Immortal, which means He is incorruptible, He cannot age, He cannot deteriorate, He cannot decay within His being. He absolutely cannot die! He is immortal!
Mat 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
**Our Savior is invisible! He cannot be seen by people with physical eyes in this physical dimension!
He came, He took all our sin to the lower part of the earth, and He ascended back to His throne!
Joh 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
**Our Savior is the only wise God. “Yes Jesus Christ is the God of the Bible” the stumbling block of this world!
Jud 1:25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Eph 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Eph 3:21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
**Our Savior is the only living and true God who can interact with this world!
1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
1Pe 2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Timothy probably had not reached the age of 30 at this time and he needed to be encouraged to become the pastor at Ephesus.
*****1Ti 1:18 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;
1Ti 1:19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:
1Ti 1:20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.
Each and every believer is called to be in the army of God, but the calling of the Pastor is to do more!
Many a believer fail to realize, that as Christians we are in a great battle, in fact a war and our job is to fight a good fight.
Paul would have had Timothy to be like himself while he was also like Jesus.
2Ti 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
Timothy was sure he was called of God into the ministry and it was now time for him to begin his ministry.
Every Pastor must be called of God. To be a Pastor is not just another profession as many see it today. It is never another place just to make a living.
Just like every new Pastor, Timothy would find himself right in the middle of spiritual warfare. He had witnessed these many times already, but the Apostle Paul and other Elders had taken charge, but now he would be on his own but not forsaken by the Lord.
The truth is when a person is called into the ministry by the Holy Spirit, he or she must not reject the call. They must jump right into the battle and fight a good warfare.
To reject the call of God is to live in misery!
Sometimes we must be stirred up to get into the battle and Paul was doing this to Timothy here in this passage.
Each ministry is a sacred trust, a sacred commitment to the Lord!
The war we fight, is for the minds and the souls of the lost, some even being of our own family. We must jump right into this conflict if we are called of God.
The Pastor, the highest calling, is God’s instrument to not only be a fisherman of men but, also God’s instrument to teach and make other disciples.
Each Pastor must be faithful to fight a good warfare!
The greatest weapon of defense is the shield of “faith”.
Good conscience is that conviction that our course of conduct is right, and it is accompanied by an obligation to the truth of God.
Conscience is our sense of right and wrong!
Conscience does not come by training, because each of us are born with a sense of right and wrong.
Rom 2:14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
Rom 2:15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
Though conscience does not come by training or education, it must still be developed and matured!
A good and healthy conscience comes by living a godly and righteous life before our Savior!
It is Holy Ghost conviction, that works with our conscience for us to discern right and wrong!
It is that same conscience, under conviction of the Holy Spirit, that convicts us of sin.
Rom 9:1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
Rom 9:2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
The word conscience is used 31 times in the New Testament.
There is the good conscience.
There is the conscience void of offense.
There is the weak conscience.
There is the pure conscience.
There is the seared conscience of which we see more of today.
There is the defiled conscience which has been around since the sin of Adam.
There is the evil conscience.
And the most frightening thing we can do with our conscience, is to put it away.
If we put away our conscience concerning our faith, we will be shipwrecked.
Shipwrecked means our faith is destroyed!
Hymenaeus put away his conscience by denying the true doctrine of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Alexander the coppersmith also rejected the truth of God.
Paul delivered them to Satan which means:
1) They were excommunicated from the Church and left out in the world with the hope that they would come to the truth of the “Gospel” of the Lord Jesus Christ. (We never read where they made a change)
2) The were given back to the world, which is under the power of Satan.
The church would then pray that some circumstance would happen to them out in the world that they might repent and return to the church and accept the truth of the “Gospel” of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The truth is, it is impossible to commit sin and escape the chastisement of the Lord!
The Lord says we will reap what we sow!
There remains also the Spiritual power that inflicts punishment for sin.
Even modern medicine agrees that misbehavior causes physical, emotional and mental punishment.
And we must always remember that church discipline is put in place, in order that those who receive the discipline may return to Jesus Christ for forgiveness.
1Jn 5:16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.
1Jn 5:17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
The Lord always knows what is best for His Church!
Amen
Understanding Brotherly Love
Increasing in Brotherly Love
Book of Philemon
We think of the Apostle Paul as a great Christian, if not the greatest Christian who has ever lived, but it is a fact that this man named Philemon was counted as a great Christian by the Apostle Paul!
Philemon was a Christian, probably led to the Lord by the Apostle Paul.
Philemon was probably a native of Colossae and he had started a church in his own house.
Philemon was a respected member of society but he also held a prominent place in the Christian community.
No doubt that Philemon held some office in the church, some say he even became bishop of Colossae and was murdered by Nero but there is not much proof of this.
It is certain that Philemon would provide for any of the saints as they passed through this city!
It seems that Onesimus was Philemon’s runaway slave at one time and it is in his behalf that the Apostle Paul wrote this epistle.
This epistle that can teach us of how Christians should handle some of the things from our past and uphold our integrity before other Christians and even more so before those who are lost.
We must remember if you call yourself Christian, you place a target upon your back for this lost world to shoot their fiery darts!
It is probable that the Apostle Paul was imprisoned in Rome when he wrote this epistle and it maybe that Paul wrote this epistle with his own hands because it was a personal plea from one Christian to another Christian.
*****Phm 1:1 Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer,
Phm 1:2 And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house:
Phm 1:3 Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul was a prisoner at this time in Rome, where he wrote or at least dictated may of his epistles.
Paul was a prisoner to Nero on the outside but Paul was a prisoner of Jesus Christ on the inside!
We can see that Timothy had joined Paul while he was imprisoned in Rome.
To be a Christian is to be a prisoner of Jesus Christ because He purchased us from the slave market of Sin!
In our own way, we should all resemble Philemon and be fellow-laborers with the Apostle Paul in the cause of Jesus Christ!
Paul may have never been to Colossae but Paul knew this family very well.
Apphia was the wife of Philemon.
Archippus was the son of Philemon and was saved and working in his own ministry.
Most all Christians of that day gathered in the home of the Pastor and Philemon had begun a church in his own home.
And of course, all things still come by the “Grace”, the unmerited favor of God through the Lord Jesus Christ!
We can be sure that the Apostle Paul had his own prayer list and he also tried to keep up with the happenings of every church that was planted and was surviving at this time.
Not one Christian is of more importance than any other but we all have our prayer list just as the Apostle Paul.
*****Phm 1:4 I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers,
Phm 1:5 Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints;
Phm 1:6 That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.
If we have a personal relationship with our Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus, and are filled with His Holy Spirit, then we can also say, “I thank my God”.
If we have none of these things then we are only thanking the devil who is laughing at you all the time!
We must realize that there is a God and we must get up close and personal with Him, and that can only be accomplished by accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as your “personal” Savior!
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.
We should always pray for those who are called into the ministry and for those who have needs that only God can fill!
Jas 5:13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
Jas 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
Jas 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Jas 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
There can be no doubt that even when Paul was imprisoned, he did his very best to keep up with all the churches that had been planted and he had heard nothing but good news from the church in the home of Philemon.
It should be clear to us that if you are a child of God, then you are also a saint of God and this happened as soon as the Holy Spirit moved in!
Rom 1:7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, “called to be saints”: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The child of God, “born again” of Jesus Christ, does not need some committee, or the Pope, the laying on of hands, or any man to decide if they are a saint of God!
Philemon had a testimony so strong that even the Apostle Paul thanked God for fulfilling the purpose God had for him!
Our greatest purpose in the work of God is to communicate our faith to others! (we are all in this together)
Col 1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Col 1:11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
Do you want to humble yourself? Look in the mirror and ask yourself, “am I walking worthy of the Lord?”
According to the Apostle Paul, remember who is led by the Holy Spirit to say all these words, Philemon was doing this thing!
Philemon walked worthy of the Lord after his salvation!
In other words, Philemon understood what the Lord Jesus Christ has commanded us all to do!
Mat_5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
We use that phrase “servants of the Lord” but we must clearly understand our servitude to the Lord is being a servant to one another!
We are to be good “stewards” of the “Grace” of God!
When we face the Lord at the “judgment seat of Christ” we will see that the Lord has considered how we have accomplished these things!
All the “gifts” of God are to be shared with our brothers and sisters and our share of God’s “grace” shown to whosoever will listen!
We are always to be “refreshing” when we come together with fellow our brothers and sisters in Christ!
*****Phm 1:7 For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.
The truth is we can never know how far an act of love may travel!
Many of those in Colossae had witnessed the ministry of Philemon and these acts of kindness had traveled across the Sea to Rome and refreshed the spirit of the Apostle Paul who was bound in prison.
We as Christians can also be refreshed when we hear the good works of other Christians from far off places.
I love to hear the good news of our missionaries when they report the good things Christ has accomplished!
Another man once wrote:
We learn about Christ, by giving to others.
We receive from Christ, by sharing with others.
By emptying ourselves, we can be filled with Christ.
The poorer we make ourselves in giving, the richer we are in the gifts of Christ.
To be charitable, is to know more of the wealth of Christ.
Those that know the most of Christ, are not the Bible scholars, but those who move in generosity among mankind especially amongst the saints of God!
We are servants to the Lord by serving others especially to the Church, the Body of Christ!
Gal 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Gal 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
We should be able to rejoice when we see blessings given to other children of God!
We should rejoice when we hear the good news of that missionary we support.
We must especially rejoice for each lost soul that comes to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior!
If Heaven rejoices for every saved soul, then why would we not join in?
Rejoicing is a sign that our “faith” was real.
Rejoicing is a sign that our prayers are answered.
Rejoicing is a sign that God is fulfilling the promises He has made!
The Apostle Paul could rejoice knowing that even while he was bound, the Word of God could not be bound!
We must rejoice because we are all brothers and sister in Christ, who are all doing “one work” in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ!
So now Onesimus.
*****Phm 1:8 Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient,
Phm 1:9 Yet for love’s sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.
Phm 1:10 I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds:
Onesimus, whose name means “useful”, had at one time been a slave in the house of Philemon, maybe before Philemon had come to know the Lord himself.
He had escaped and without a doubt had also robbed Philemon and had ended up in Rome.
We know that God works in mysterious ways and God had directed Onesimus to cross the path of the Apostle Paul.
Paul is saying that as a man, he had no business getting involved in the workings of a slave and his master but as one Christian to another Christian by Jesus Christ , who is all our Master and as an Apostle called of the Lord, he did have the authority of the Lord in such matters.
Paul is saying even with this authority, it was best to honor Christian friendship as brothers with the same Lord!
We should never make demands of our brothers and sisters in Christ!
Paul laid all these things out before he made his request to Philemon.
We cannot demand that other Christians do the same as we would do. We can try to keep each other on the right path of Jesus Christ!
Notice how gently and humbly Paul approaches his brother in Christ.
The greatest truth of each Christian is that once the Lord Jesus Christ has forgiven us of our sins, how can we as Christians continue to condemn one another? Christ never condemned anyone that loved Him. Those that reject the love of God condemn themselves!
Who are we to question the work of the Lord Jesus Christ?
It is for love’s sake that we deal with one another!
1Jn 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
1Jn 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
1Jn 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
1Jn 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1Jn 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
It seems that we forget that as Christians we are never to tear down one another but rather to build up!
Onesimus was a slave not only to Philemon but in the eyes of the law and in the eyes of the law, he had no rights at all!
The slave once escaped did not even have the right of asylum.
Until his death, Onesimus would always be a slave!
An escaped slave, in his despair would normally flee to a friend of his master, not to hide, but to seek intercession on his behalf.
Every slave needed an intercessor! (Sounds familiar)
We were all slaves to sin and separated from our God with no means within ourselves to make things right so we needed an Intercessor and that Intercessor is the Lord Jesus Christ!
Isa 59:16 And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.
There was no one upon this earth who could intercede on behalf of us so the Lord God came Himself, “his arm brought salvation to him”!
The Lord Jesus Christ had been the Intercessor for Onesimus to return him to the good “Grace” of God and the Apostle Paul would intercede for Onesimus between him and Philemon.
The slave of Philemon was now a profitable servant for the Lord and for the Apostle Paul.
Onesimus had not only delivered this epistle named Philemon but he had also assisted Tychicus in delivering the epistle to the Colossians.
Col 4:7 All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellowservant in the Lord:
Col 4:8 Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate, and comfort your hearts;
Col 4:9 With Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They shall make known unto you all things which are done here.
We know that all the epistles were read in every church but Paul first sent this epistle to Philemon.
It was the Apostle Paul who had led Onesimus to the Lord even while Paul was imprisoned in Rome!
Another name for Onesimus was “profitable”!
*****Phm 1:11 Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:
I think it is important to mention that slavery was never introduced by the Jews. Slavery already existed in the world of that day and God, through Moses had laws regulating its existence and its evils and restricting its duration.
It should also be important to know that slavery in America was never introduced by Americans.
It was the Afro people who introduce slavery to America, capturing and selling them own selves!
Slavery still runs rampant throughout this world. The most valuable source in this evil world is not drugs but human trafficking!
Nowhere in the Scriptures does God endorse slavery. In fact, stealing a human being to make them a slave was a capital crime for any Jew!
Deu 24:7 If a man be found stealing any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and maketh merchandise of him, or selleth him; then that thief shall die; and thou shalt put evil away from among you.
This law was not only for the Jew but for the Gentile:
Exo 21:16 And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.
Anyone that was treated as a servant had to be paid and treated humanely!
Lev 25:39 And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant:
Lev 25:40 But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubile:
Lev 25:41 And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return.
In fact, any person who had sold themselves into servanthood for a price could redeem themselves or they could be redeemed by family or friends which was encouraged by the Word of God,
When we study these things out in God’s Word, we find that the Lord Jesus is in “type” our “Redeemer” who purchased us all from the slave market of sin!
Obviously, the Gentile laws about slaves, differed from the Word of God, but God still expects everyone who places their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to be obedient to all laws but first placing the Word of God as the supreme law of their life even if it conflicts with man’s law!
Now back to Onesimus.
In the Gentile nations (God said heathens) there may have been value in a slave because they were purchased but there was no profit in them.
They served till they died or became useless. A slave in bondage did not ever increase in value! The only value was the work that they performed and that decreased as they aged.
Onesimus had escaped and fled from his bondage and had even robbed Philemon of something of some small value.
As Onesimus had fled to Rome, God placed the Apostle Paul in his path and Onesimus called on the Lord Jesus Christ, was washed in the blood of Jesus and was saved and restored to God.
Now could he be restored to Philemon?
There is no Christian who is hopeless and every Christian has great value in the eyes of God and that value increases as we get busy in the work of God!
Mat_6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Mat_6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
A Christian who begins to be good to himself will then good for others!
Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Onesimus was “born again” and a changed man!
Jesus Christ changes lives. Jesus takes a good for nothing sinner and makes them useful.
Jesus Christ takes a nothing and makes a something, just as in the act of creating our world when He made our world out of nothingness!
Onesimus had wronged Philemon and it was important to make things right with Him!
*****Phm 1:12 Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels:
Phm 1:13 Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel:
Phm 1:14 But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly.
Onesimus had traveled with Tychicus who carried the epistle to the Colossians but also the epistle to Philemon, not because Onesimus would not have delivered this epistle but because Tychicus could be another witness to the conversion of Onesimus.
It is said that Tychicus also carried the epistle to Ephesians at this same time. Tychicus was not a Colossian himself.
Col 4:7 All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellowservant in the Lord:
Col 4:8 Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate, and comfort your hearts;
Col 4:9 With Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They shall make known unto you all things which are done here.
Paul sent Onesimus to be at the mercy of his offended master.
Philemon, without consent of the law could treat his slave as he pleased and he held the power of life and death in his own hands.
That’s what we all do when we bow our knees and repent before the Lord, who also has the power of life and death of us all but He also holds the power of eternal life and eternal death.
A slave who robbed his master and then fled from his master was sentenced to death and we already know the wages of sin is death!
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
These are some of the things that make the epistle of Philemon such a great book of the Bible.
Onesimus had become very dear to the Apostle Paul, just as we have to our Father in Heaven toward His spiritual children!
Mat 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Mat 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Onesimus would have been a great help to Paul while he was imprisoned but Paul deemed it more important for him to return to Philemon who he had wronged.
Paul said of himself “Paul the aged” and with his bad health it was certain that he needed some help and Paul knew that if Philemon had been in Rome, he would have gladly stayed with Paul and been his help and so stated.
We can just imagine the Holy Ghost working on Paul as even in prison, he was more in bonds to the “Gospel” of Jesus Christ and in his own way, was spreading the Word of God to the far reaches of the world in the only way that was available to him at that time.
The words of Paul by the Holy Spirit added to all the other Scriptures inspired by the Holy Spirit were the hope of Israel but more important the hope of the entire world!
2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Just as Paul’s purpose was to bring the “Gospel” to the Gentiles, before Onesimus could go further in his own ministry it was his duty to return to Philemon.
In a sense Onesimus needed the permission of Philemon before he could be of service to the Apostle Paul and at the same time Paul was not asking for his return.
This was not a test for Philemon! This was a chance to show his willingness to show his goodness as a Christian.
For Philemon to get a blessing from the Lord, he could not show the appearance of restraining Onesimus as a slave but as a willing brother in Christ to share the work of the Lord.
It is important for us to restrain from all appearance of any evil doings!
1Th_5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
Paul, it should appear that Onesimus was a brother who had departed for a period and had come back home.
We all know the importance of the parable of the “Prodigal Son”!
We were all prodigals before we met Jesus Christ! Onesimus was no different!
These are the thoughts that Paul was teaching to Philemon and more important to all Christians everywhere!
*****Phm 1:15 For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever;
Phm 1:16 Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?
One of the greatest problems of Christianity is “forgiveness”. We seem to have very little problem accepting the stranger who we know nothing about their past but we struggle sometimes to forgive those, who God has forgiven but we know a lot about their sinful past.
In this sense, we are just hypocrites.
Mat 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
Mat 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
Mat 7:3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Mat 7:4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
Mat 7:5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
When God has forgiven someone, then who are we to say we will not forgive them!
We also know we should be able to see the truth of them by their works!
We cannot work our way into Heaven but we are to be obedient to the Lord after we are saved and promote the “Gospel” in every way we can.
It is these works after salvation that works toward our perfection!
Jas 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Jas 2:22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
We may think we can have a good relationship with just about anyone but in truth there should no relationship that can be as close as that one between brothers and sisters in Christ!
Amo 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
Two people that know and have accepted the Word of God as the inerrant truth, can certainly agree on most everything and develop a good relationship and it should be or “it must” be the same for the entire Christian community.
This is where God’s people have failed the most today!
Everyone wants to interpret the Word of God in their own fashion and ignore what God has really said! It is what God has said that is the truth not those who twist the Word of God into something false!
Onesimus was prepared to accept whatever relationship Philemon offered and Paul was pleading on behalf of Onesimus that his relationship with the Lord would bring about a renewed personal relationship.
Two people with a personal relationship with the Lord should have no problem having a personal relationship with each other!
After all, it is the Lord Jesus Christ who is pleading with God and who intercedes on our behalf so that we can have that personal relationship with our God, our Father in Heaven.
Why cannot we do the same for each other!
When we are in the Lord, we are to give our flesh to the Lord as His servant. Not a servant to Him, but a servant to the Church and to one another!
If Philemon counted the Apostle Paul as his partner in the “Gospel” then he should count Onesimus as a partner in the “Gospel” also!
*****Phm 1:17 If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself.
Phm 1:18 If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account;
Paul was an Apostle of the Lord with all the powers of an Apostle yet he never tried to abuse this power.
God has this simple rule for us all to follow in those who are called to be the Christian leaders.
Heb_13:7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.
We are to follow them in “faith” while considering their conversation to see if it lines up with the Word of God!
If it truly lines up with the Word of God then we are to be obedient to those who have rule over us!
Caution: We are never to take the Word of God out of context! We must never allow this power to be abused in any way!
We must also remember once we have been forgiven we are wrong if we are not just as forgiving!
Mat 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Mat 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Philemon certainly did not have to submit to the wishes of the Apostle Paul but in this case Paul was right and again God has given us a great example of the Christian life!
Then Paul said, “If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account;”
There is no doubt that Onesimus had robbed his master and then run away and therefore he certainly had an unpaid debt.
Even we as Christians deserve the debt of our brothers and sisters or of anyone else to us, to be repaid!
God says thou shall not steal and these laws still hold true! We are never to take something that belongs to others!
Paul said he would assume any debt that Onesimus owed to Philemon.
The truth is we all had a debt we could not pay and the Lord Jesus Christ told our Father in Heaven, “just put that on My account”!
1Jn_4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1Jn_2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
We all faced the wrath of God and by the death of Jesus Christ, “in our place”, we that believe have been 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.
Paul was saying to Philemon, we as Christians all have this same ministry toward one another.
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;
If Paul could not live what He preached, then none of His epistles could be accepted as the truth.
If is the same with Christ Jesus, if He did not fulfill all the prophecies of the Old Testament and walk in innocence upon this earth, then the Bible would be only an old history book.
If it was the same for Paul and the same for our Lord we can be sure it is the same for us all!
Mat_5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
These are simple things that cost us blessings with the Lord but they ruin our testimony as Christians.
To be Christian is to be like Christ and making Him our Lord!
Joh_13:13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
If Christ is our Lord then we need to obey the things He has told us to do! (Simple as that)
Luk_6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Again, we should understand the outcome of Onesimus was in the hands of Philemon according to the laws of the land at that time regarding slaves.
Paul dearly wanted to Philemon to make the Christian decision, as the Lord has already justified both Onesimus and Philemon and their sins blotted out in Heaven!
*****Phm 1:19 I Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it: albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides.
Phm 1:20 Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord.
Phm 1:21 Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say.
As far as Paul was concerned this epistle to Philemon was also an “IOU”!
Paul made sure his signature appeared on this document as proof of his intent to repay Philemon for his losses.
Paul wrote to Philemon with ink.
The Lord Jesus Christ wrote to His Father in Heaven with His Own Blood!
Act_20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
The truth is, in the Colossae of that day, no one in that day would want to be caught with a lawless slave and yet Paul said this is my partner.
The greatest truth in this epistle besides our debt to Christ is, just how much do we owe that person that led us to the Lord!
Another thing Paul was saying that the “born again” man who had returned to Philemon would now not only be profitable to Philemon but also profitable to the Lord!
In truth Onesimus was so much better a slave when he returned to Philemon and he was of so much greater value, that , a debt could be said to be owed to the Apostle Paul.
Again, a true born-again Christian who is now in harmony with our Father in Heaven is of such a great value that the Father may owe a debt to the His Son, Jesus.
Joh 17:4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
Joh 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
Joh 17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
Heb_1:4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
And the Father will allow the Church to share in that inheritance and in the glory of Christ!
Heb_9:15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
If there is one thing we lack today besides “faith” then it would be “confidence” in our brothers and sisters to do the right thing every time!
If there is one thing that each new child of God needs, it is to be received by his brothers and sisters in Christ!
We must also understand that Paul was not accusing Philemon of anything. Paul was trying his best to show his confidence in Philemon and that he would do the right thing.
We must all hope for the best outcome as each child of God goes through the burdens of the world but a brother or sister in Christ should never be one of those burdens.
We are not to think bad about our Church family without true biblical evidence!
A godly love will always cause the right actions!
1Co 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
1Co 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
1Co 13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
1Co 13:7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
As we can see the Apostle Paul had much more love for each child of God than we can imagine.
It was important to Paul that each child of God do their best to show the love of God in everything they did!
It is important for us to know that no one is excluded from the “Grace” of God, except those who exclude themselves!
No one is excluded from the glory world except those who exclude themselves!
The Lord God Almighty is standing with arms open to receive all those who call upon His name and only those who reject the Word of God will miss His embrace as of a loving Father!
And Paul begins to close:
*****Phm 1:22 But withal prepare me also a lodging: for I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you.
We know that without “faith” we cannot please God.
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.
We already know that the Apostle Paul accepted the will of God and moved to wherever the Holy Ghost moved him. Paul had his own plans changed many times, the Macedonian call being the most well-known.
Here the Apostle Paul was showing Philemon his “faith” in answered prayer.
If by prayer Paul was released from prison, he would have loved to come to Colossae just to see the good works of Onesimus!
God had other plans!
In fact, Paul had a great desire to visit all his friends one more time before his death.
Some say after this imprisonment Paul spent some time in Greece, Spain, and Asia Minor before returning to Rome and to his death.
Some say Paul was never liberated and was just put to death in Rome.
Paul realized his time was short before his Roman trip even began!
Act 20:25 And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.
It was in Rome where we hear the last words from Luke.
It is the Book of 2 Timothy that we hear the last of Luke, who kept us informed of the travels of the Apostle Paul. We can just imagine the health of the Apostle Paul by the fact the Luke, also a physician, traveled with him.
2Ti 4:9 Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me:
2Ti 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
2Ti 4:11 Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.
2Ti 4:12 And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus.
And Paul closes this epistle to his dear friend.
*****Phm 1:23 There salute thee Epaphras, my fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus;
Phm 1:24 Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers.
Phm 1:25 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
Epaphras not imprisoned in Rome but still a fellowprisoner in Christ.
It is Epaphras who is believed to be the missionary who had planted the church in Colossae.
This Marcus is the probably the same Mark that was sent home by Paul and the means of the dispute between Paul and Barnabas.
We know this because it was Peter who had led this Marcus to the Lord at a young age, probably a teenage.
1Pe 5:13 The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son.
Aristarchus had been traveling with Paul since his time in Thessalonica.
Demas with Paul now, at this time is the same Demas who had forsaken Paul.
2Ti 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
If the Book of Philemon was written after 2 Timothy then it appears that Demas has been restored, there is no way of actually knowing.
This Lucas is the same as Luke the physician, who wrote the Books of Acts and the Book of Luke and possibly was the writer who wrote down the words of Paul for the Book of Hebrews,
Without the “Grace” of God, supplied through the Lord Jesus Christ, and powered by the Holy Spirit, then there could be no Church!
The true Church consists of those who assemble to worship Jehovah God, who have accepted His Dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and are now in the power of the Holy Spirit.
All others are just fakes!
Amen.
Let’s Pray!
The Lamb of God
The Lamb of God Who Takes Away Our Sin
Book of Isaiah Chapter 53
When we read the prophets in the Word of God today, we still read of things that have not taken place but if we compare those things to the amount of Bible prophecy that has been fulfilled, we should have no doubt about those remaining prophecies being fulfilled.
So much of Bible prophecy is now “history” so it is hard to imagine that so many would deny the truth of God!
It is hard to imagine that this chapter of Isaiah can be denied as the truth. These prophecies are given in such detail that it is heartbreaking to learn of so many things that our Savior has done for each and every one of us. Especially since we were all His enemies when He came to provide a means that we all could be saved.
Jesus Christ did not die for the few that believed Him. Jesus Christ came and died for His enemies, all non-believers!
We know that the wages of sin are death, the eternal separation from a loving God. This was a debt that we did not have the ability to pay because it would take our own life. So, the Lord Jesus Christ substituted Himself for each of us!
1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
1Pe 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
Jesus Christ died in our place and we cannot be saved unless we realize this truth!
In reality, the Lord has purchased every believer out of the slave market of sin to be set free from sin’s bondage.
The only purchase price acceptable to a Holy God was for He Himself to pay the penalty for our sin!
1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
1Co 7:23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.
Rev 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
There should be no doubt that as believers, we belong to the Lord, who came to present all those who believe back to His Father in Heaven to live with Him for eternity.
All it takes to be saved is “faith” in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, so why are there so many who reject this truth?
So, God ask who will believe this report given to Isaiah, by the Holy Spirit?
As we go through these words we should notice the prophecies that have been fulfilled.
*****Isa 53:1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
When we look at this passage we should see that word “our” as Isaiah who was the writer and the one who preached these words, plus the Triune God, led here by the Holy Spirit.
2Pe 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
We have already said many times that the Messiah, The Lord Jesus Christ, is truly the “Arm of God”!
Isa 52:10 The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
Why would this report be so rejected? Why would a Holy God come to this earth in the form of man, as the Messiah and then be beaten to an inch of His life and displayed on a cross until He died a physical death?
A report is a statement made to the facts existing, or of events that occurred, at some distance of time or place in which we ourselves were not witnesses to!
In fact, the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is a report of the activities and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ to provide for the salvation for every human being who has lived upon this earth!
In this report, we begin to get the picture of what God will do to deliver us from the bondage and condemnation of sin!
It is also a fact that no other report has ever had so much documentation and that was then authenticated as this one from eye witnesses.
Some were friends for sure.
Some were Jews.
Some were Gentiles.
Some of them were even enemies.
The first preachers of the “Gospel” of Christ were even backed up by great signs and unexplainable miracles.
And by the way, those of Islam, Jesus Christ was much more than just a Prophet, He was and is God in the flesh so do not ever say we worship the same God!
Mar 16:20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
Yet with all this proof the “Gospel” is rejected as the truth by most of those who hear it.
Joh 12:37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:
Joh 12:38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?
But who will be the blessed of the Lord?
Joh 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: “blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed”.
No one would ever believe that a Holy and very Powerful God could ever be a Servant to His own creation but just read some more!
And how does the truth of the Messiah at His first coming begin?
*****Isa 53:2 For he shall grow up before “him” as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
To grow up then He would have to be born. Jesus was born in Bethlehem of the virgin Mary and the Holy Spirit!
Most of us have seen children tender and innocent all over the world but especially in third world countries that are poor and abandoned and live in conditions that they have no control over.
This is the picture we get of the Messiah as He was raised by a very poor family in remote and threatening conditions.
Luk 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luk 9:58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
That “Him” in this Scripture of course is our Heavenly Father as He has His eyes on all His children but especially His Own Son!
Our Messiah was born a helpless babe in very meager surroundings.
Even as an infant, He was in great danger of Herod. Not in His death but in changing the prophecy of His first coming.
(The Word of God must remain true at all costs)
Our Messiah was not save from Herod by a great army nor the heavenly angels but He escaped to a foreign land.
As a child, this Babe of God, spent His days in a carpenter’s shop not in doing what a child gets to do. He had to help support His earthly family.
The Messiah was gentle and harmless as a Lamb!
As the Messiah, to the world it seemed that Christianity would die along with Christ on that cross but, it was just the beginning as in a few days the Holy Spirit came upon the Church.
There is no church without the Holy Spirit involved! Just foolish people gathering together in man-made fellowship!
We must clearly understand that once false teaching takes place, it is very hard to get people back on the right track!
It is the Holy Spirit who is the means of “all” Biblical inspiration!
It is obvious that it was not the person of the Messiah that was so important at His first coming, “it was His message” He came to give to this lost world!
The Messiah came as a servant and gave that example with His life.
The Messiah came to bring the New Covenant of God and He showed that with His “grace”.
The Messiah came to begin the message of the Church, which message was to remain, “unaltered” until He returns.
The Messiah also remained the “arm of God” and we should never be misinformed, even as a babe in Bethlehem, He possessed all the power of a Holy God!
The Messiah concealed, but did not hide, His true self in the body of a man named Jesus who became our Savior!
Joh 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
Joh 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Joh 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
He may not have had a physical beauty that was the desire of others but He certainly had a beauty in His warmth for His creation.
God loved what He was doing for us and it showed!
1Jn 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
1Jn 1:2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
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.
1Jn 1:4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
But the truth is, the true Messiah was despised by His own people and by most of the world then and today!
Shame on all those who reject the truth claiming they know the truth!
*****Isa 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Just as Jehovah God was despised by the nation of Israel, He presented Himself in that manner for all the world to see.
Isa 49:7 Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.
Most men paid no attention to the words of Jesus showing contempt for the “Gospel” message.
They also showed contempt for the Lord on the night and day of His Crucifixion.
All the world of that day held themselves to be greater than the Messiah!
We can see that not much has changed in the nearly 2000 thousand years since our new life came by His cross!
The Lord at no time had a great following and even some that did follow turned back at the truth of the “Gospel”. Those that stayed, stayed because they accepted the Word of God as the truth.
Joh 6:66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
Joh 6:67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
Joh 6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? “thou hast the words of eternal life”.
Our Lord was a man of sorrows because this is the way He felt about those who rejected His message. The Lord so wanted this world to understand His message to miss out on His wrath when He returns!
Eze_18:32 For “I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth”, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.
It truly wounds the heart of God to be rejected! We have this example but there are many others.
Jer 10:18 For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this once, and will distress them, that they may find it so.
Jer 10:19 “Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it”.
We have the wrong impression of the Messiah when we think people flocked to Him, that only happened when He was performing miracles such as the miracle of healing or the feeding of the 5000.
In most cases if Jesus was seen walking down the street most people would move to the other side rather than be near to Him.
A servant was not welcomed by the average person and treated as a slave in most cases! Somewhat like a leper.
The Jews and the world of that day rejected any thought that the true Messiah would suffer to save humanity and it was the downfall of that generation and many generations since that time.
First: This world denies that they need a Savior to make them acceptable to God. They think they can do this on their own (wrong).
Second: This world dismisses the idea that God would send His Son to die for the sins of this world. (The world is wrong again)
We know that the Messiah was 100% man yet 100% God but it is very possible that all these things weighed so heavy on the flesh side of Christ that He actually looked older than His flesh side was.
Joh 8:57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? (We know that Christ was no more than about 33 when He died)
Joh 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. (His age is eternal)
We already know that when the Messiah came to this earth, He set aside all His Heavenly Glory which He always had. This had to be done for Christ to bear all the temptations and trials of the human flesh as well as the mockery and His rejection.
Talk about miracles, maybe the greatest miracle of all was the fact that the Lord God did not go ahead and destroy this world.
Don’t ever let anyone tell you it would have been better to not ever have existed because nothing, “NOTHING” is greater that having the opportunity to spend eternity with Jehovah God in Heavenly surroundings.
In coming to this earth, Christ Jesus took the sins of the entire human race upon Himself and died so He could bury all those sins.
*****Isa 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
The Son then had to suffer the rejection of His Heavenly Father and then feel the “Judgment” of God upon His person!
Mat_27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
We may think we have had grief in our life time but the Lord felt grief more intensely than any other human being as He witnessed the only salvation plan acceptable to His Heavenly Father being rejected by this world and it is still rejected today.
This does not make the message of Jesus untrue. It only makes this world to be foolish!
These things were written some 700 years before the Messiah first came to this earth and He said Himself that He would come again. We can still see that the prophet has written these things as if they had already taken place in which each one was completed in the day of Christ!
The Messiah came and He paid the ultimate price for all our sin because He had no sin in Himself! (Jesus Christ was “innocent” of any wrong doing)
Had He been a sinner, He would be just like Muhammad, Buddha, Confucius and any other false god, their bones still lying in their graves!
The Messiah will certainly return!
Heb 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him “shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation”.
It is by the death of the Messiah at His first coming that showed the world the power of Holy God!
*****Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
What is the truth?
1) The Lord Jesus Christ suffered because He paid the penalty for “our” transgressions.
2) The suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ “was the only remedy” by which we have been restored to spiritual health.
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The “chastisement” of God, is the pain He would have inflicted on each of us but the greatest of all our “chastisement”, the Father inflicted upon His Son who came to be our substitute!
Jesus Christ died in “my” place and Jesus Christ died in “your” place because we were unable to survive this chastening of our Father in 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.
Jesus Christ bore “all” our sins with His human body!
1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in “his own body” on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
Jesus Christ suffered once to bear the sins of all others! (there will be no second time)
Heb 9:28 So Christ was “once offered” to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
The death of Jesus Christ was the most horrible of deaths as we see in these words of Isaiah.
In truth, it was only by the death of the Lord Jesus Christ that the “demands” of a righteous God could be met!
The death of Jesus Christ was a legal transaction in which Christ dealt with the sin problem “for the entire human race”.
Pro 3:11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:
Pro 3:12 For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
Therefore, only through the Lord Jesus Christ can we ever get to God’s Heaven!
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”.
We must never be intimidated over this truth, by those who believe otherwise, or our politicians, our any other human being!
Our answer should always be “that this is not what we say, this is what God says”, and “we believe what God says”!
How did God see each of us in this world?
Isa 1:6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.
God saw each of us as the worst of all lepers. Those who reject the salvation of the Lord are still seen in this manner!
Those who have accepted that God “is who He says He is” and trust in the salvation work of the Lord Jesus Christ, then, “we are healed”!
We as humans could never be healed by our own suffering!
We as human beings could never be healed by our own works!
We as human beings do not possess the power to save ourselves, in any way, in any form, or in any fashion!
There are in this world some very precious people but no one is good enough to get to Heaven with their own goodness.
Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
These are the reasons God made a way for us to be reunited with Him!
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
The truth is, most of this world would rather remain in darkness from this truth!
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.
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.
*****Isa 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Sheep require a shepherd! The shepherd is so close to his flock that he knows each of his sheep at a glance especially in the days of Isaiah. The truth of the sheep is that they will wander away from the flock. This is the nature of the sheep and they will get lost not able to find their way back to the flock!
We as human beings have strayed for our Holy God. Because sin is natural to us because it has been passed down from generation to generation because to the sin of Adam!
Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
To return to our Holy God then we must obey the true Shepherd:
Rom 5:19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
It is by our nature to lusts after the things of others. Our flesh constantly lusts for more and more!
A second helping.
A larger house.
More riches.
More power.
More recognition.
Greater desires.
Then there is the lust of the flesh. Fornication, adultery, or some form of abnormal or illicit sex.
God warns us:
1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
There was no sinless man upon this earth. There was no man who could even carry such a burden as was required. God in His wisdom did the only thing that was available to Him.
God came Himself to die for our sin!
We need to trust God in all things but if we miss this most important thing, it will all be for nought!
1Co 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
Faith must always be distinguished from “human wisdom”
Our intellect has nothing to do with our “faith”!
Our “faith” must stand on the “power of God” to do as He says He will do!
Our proof is this Love letter He has given to us, we call the Bible. There is no more sure proof than the Word of God!
2Pe 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
2Pe 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
Jesus Christ is the only method for us to be free from our sin nature!
*****Isa 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Christ, the Servant of God suffered unjustly for our sin but He willingly did this thing!
Jesus Christ, as the Son of God came to die for our sins but the things that He suffered were uncalled for!
He suffered a false judgment. (uncalled for)
He suffered from harsh and cruel treatment not thought humane enough for mankind. (uncalled for)
Yet He humbled Himself and submitted to this treatment and He committed Himself to the work that our Heavenly Father had sent Him to do.
1Pe 2:23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
1Pe 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
He was brought as a lamb because He was the Lamb, the Lamb of God.
Joh_1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Joh_1:36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
We should notice this one thing. This is the way that Christ has always been treated by “unbelievers”!
I can somewhat understand rejecting the message of Jesus Christ. What I have never understood is the anger and the hatred of those who reject Him. (Why all the hatred) Even the atheist who say there is no God show hatred! (what cause do they have)
Why can they not just go about their business and leave the Christians alone!
Sometimes the atheist and the unbelievers who say there is no God at all, are the worst. Makes no sense, if there is not a Holy God then why do they worry about our message and try every way possible to destroy Christianity. Just makes no sense!
The Christ, the Messiah willingly gave His life for His enemies even those with all that hatred!
*****Isa 53:8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
What did we see in the short time Christ the Messiah walked upon this earth? The unbelievers and the atheist of that day allowed and the super religious of that day allowed, the Lord Jesus Christ to be unjustly seized and arrested illegally by a violence that concealed itself as the formalities of the legal process.
As far was the Jews were concerned, this innocent man called Jesus needed to be removed from the face of the earth!
It was the prophet Isaiah that wrote about these things hundreds of years before they happened.
It should be no astonishment today that these same types are trying their best to remove all Christians from the face of the earth or at least silence the truth of the “Gospel of Jesus Christ”.
This world has never changed for the better in all these years and it never will because this world will only get worse.
2Ti_3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
We must know this is true and continue to spread the “Gospel” in any way that we can.
Remember that our Father in Heaven may call us home early but if not, we will be removed from this earth just as Jesus was.
Act 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
Everyone else may be content to wait on the “Rapture” but I am ready to go home whenever my Redeemer calls me home.
It truly bothers me that there is so much hate in this world “that is camouflaged as good”!
Everything about the trial of the Lord Jesus Christ was illegal by all the laws of that day, the Jews and Rome.
There was a false trial, with false witnesses, with a guaranteed outcome!
The truth is, the ministry of the Lord had been misunderstood just as it is today!
Even greater than this, the death of the Lord Jesus Christ was misunderstood!
The Lord Jesus Christ had come to die! The Lord Jesus, the Son of God was stricken by His Father for He carried the sins of this entire world and the wages of sin are death!
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.
The Lord Jesus Christ had volunteered to do this for us!
“He was cut off out of the land of the living”
“for the transgressions of My people was He stricken”
The death of Jesus Christ was a test of His love for us! Had the Lord Jesus said no, we would all burn in Hell!
Joh_15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
The Lord Jesus Christ was treated as if He had no rights at all by the world that He had created!
We should be able to see that our world has never improved at all and has truly only gotten worse.
Therefore, Jesus gave us this commandment:
Mat_10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, “is not worthy of me”.
And this is not all!
*****Isa 53:9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
Even though Jesus Christ, the true Messiah, was innocent of all charges brought against Him, His grave was to be in the place of convicts.
The Jews considered it a disgrace to be buried amongst the common people and not placed in the family sepulcher.
We should observe that Joseph the earthly step dad of Jesus had already been buried and to the Jew this should also be the place of His burial.
There was probably a place where the convicted, the criminals, and such were buried and this is where the body of Jesus would have ended if not for a believer.
This thing did not come to pass because a man of wealth Joseph of Arimathea a secret believer, gave the Lord his own tomb he had prepared for himself.
Mat 27:57 When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple:
Mat 27:58 He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.
Mat 27:59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
Mat 27:60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.
So, we can see that the prophet Isaiah even had these things right!
All these things were to take place although Jesus had been innocent of all charges and everyone knew this to be true.
Jesus in all His years had done no violence.
Jesus in all His years had never had a deceitful word for anyone.
Jesus in all His years had only spoken the truth.
We see that the truth, can bring rejection or can even be ignored, will bring hatred when it points out sin in someone’s lifestyle.
So, we see even the Son of God, the Messiah, had a purpose when He first came to this earth!
The Messiah came to die!
*****Isa 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
We should clearly understand that though evil men were following their own design and were stirred and acted by the Devil, it was our Holy God that did govern and overrule the sufferings of the Messiah!
Jesus said: No one had the power to overcome Him unless it was given to them by Jehovah God!
Joh 19:11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
And we see that it was Judas who had the greatest sin! Judas knew the Lord was innocent of all charges.
It was the devil that had placed in the heart of Judas to betray the Lord and Judas lacked the faith to stand firm with the Lord!
Jas_4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
We must clearly understand, God does not need any help for His plan of salvation to work! God just gives us an opportunity to be a part of His plan. It must remain a privilege that we are given the opportunity to serve our Holy God!
The Messiah was delivered to the cross by God who was determined to provide a means for the fulfillment of the Law!
Act 2:23 Him, “being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God”, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
Luk_24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, “that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me”.
The Messiah came to die in order to have the victory over sin and it pleased His Father in Heaven to do this thing!
It is because our Father in Heaven was pleased with this sin offering that the pleasure of Jehovah will prosper in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ!
The Father united with the Son in the power of the Holy Spirit to provide our only means of salvation!
The Messiah had to die in our place, yours and mine, so that we could be saved from the destruction of this world.
Jesus Christ was the “Substitute” as the Lamb of God.
Jesus Christ was not a martyr put to death for His beliefs. Jesus did not die just so He could be our example of following Him with our own cross.
Jesus was offered up as the only sacrifice, acceptable to God for the sin of this world since the time of Adam!
Joh 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
No other sacrifice will ever be needed.
*****Isa 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Most of this entire world is aware that sin demands punishment!
There are thousands in this world devoted to the eradication of sin but the prisons just stay full and increasing.
The Jews had a better idea of what Jehovah was saying but they never took the next step and have still not today.
God by providing His own sacrifice for all sin was then an act of “Grace”.
“God’s Riches At Christ Expense”.
The work of Christ was complete and God requires our “faith” in this work of Jesus Christ to be saved!
It is by the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross that we can be justified!
Justified= (Just as if I had never sinned)
Rom 5:1 Therefore “being justified by faith”, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Rom 5:2 By whom also “we have access by faith” into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
The sacrifice of the Lamb of God was the fulfillment of the law of God which is above all man-made laws and the only law by which sinners can be saved!
The righteous demands of our Holy God were met completely through Christ’s complete payment for our sin! This is the meaning of propitiation.
Rom 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Rom 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
God was satisfied with Christ and if we cannot be satisfied with Christ, we cannot be saved!
The death of Christ resulted in forgiveness for all sinners which includes all humans in this world from the time of Adam!
1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
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.
1Jn 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
It is a sad thing that the work of Christ on that cross does not satisfy our world today! It’s too late to remember the past, it is gone!
The “Gospel” is still the only power of salvation today!
*****Isa 53:12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
The Messiah is back in Heaven today patiently waiting until He returns but just as this Scripture gracefully says, “the Lord Jesus is the greatest human to have ever walked on the face of this earth”!
Php 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Php 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Because the Lord Jesus poured out His soul unto death, He is still working to carry out God’s work on this earth!
Because we have been filled with the Holy Spirit of God then Jesus Christ will help each of us that believe to be witnesses of the salvation plan of God.
We can draw comfort in knowing that we have peace with God because of the work that our Savior has done, so that there is no work for us to do, “except to believe”!
We can draw comfort in knowing we have God’s guarantee of eternal security because of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ!
We can draw comfort in knowing we have our Intercessor sitting at the right hand of God.
We can draw comfort in knowing that we will never see the wrath of God!
Our wonderful Lord has made a way for every believer and He even prays for our success!
Joh 17:9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
Joh 17:10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
Joh 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
Joh 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
Joh 17:13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
Joh 17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Joh 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
Joh 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Joh 17:18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
Joh 17:19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
Joh 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
Joh 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
Joh 17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
Joh 17:23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
Joh 17:24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
Amen