Jesus

The Prophet Elisha

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

God’s Prophet of Miracles

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

What is making a commitment?

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

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

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

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

Elisha made a commitment to Jehovah and Elijah.

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

The Prophet Elisha refused to leave the side of Elijah.

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

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

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

We must be called of God!

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

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

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

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

Elijah had the power of God upon him.

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

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

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

I say raptured because what does the word rapture mean?

The word rapture means to be “caught up”.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He knew he could not replace Elijah.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Elijah was carried up by the power of God.

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

Elijah was taken up as in the rapture.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Faithful is another word for commitment!

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

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

Elisha was to replace the great Prophet Elijah.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God’s oil can never run out!

We must take advantage of His offer to help us.

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

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

This was a woman with a lot of faith.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What did this poor woman do?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Even Elisha would be with them.

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

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

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

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

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

What is the purpose of a miracle of God?

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

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

Miracles were given to authenticate God’s message.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Iron tools were precious and scarce on that day.

This happened often with the axes of that day.

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

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

The River Jordan is not a clear river.

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

For that man, this was quite a miracle.

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

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

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

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

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

Amen

Shame on Him

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Solomon’s Fame Was Reduced to Shame

Book 1 Kings 10:1-7, 24-27, 11: 4-13

What is fame? Fame is a favorable report of good or great actions that exalt character.

News of the knowledge of Solomon and his wisdom was spreading around the known world of that day.

What is shame? Those things that bring reproach and degrade a person in the estimation of others. Dishonor, disgrace.

Solomon was living on the achievements and the reputation of his father who caused security and peace to come to Israel.

Under Solomon, Israel became a great power ranking almost as great as Egypt which is why Egypt made a bond with Solomon and Pharoh’s daughter became the wife of Solomon.

Israel ranked even as great as Assyria at that time.

After Solomon Israel has never reached those same boundaries.

These things were credited to Solomon’s wisdom.

Solomon turned Israel from a military people to a people of commerce.

In reality, Solomon turned a people made free by King David into slaves and concentrated the wealth of the whole nation in the capital Jerusalem and most of Israel suffered.

As God would say, Israel did not reap the fruits of its government.

The downfall of Solomon began when he listened to his pagan wives and his wisdom left him.

Solomon was by nature a man of peace, yet he maintained a large military scattered in various places to help bring peace.

No nation had defeated his father David, but Solomon had no desire to extend the boundaries of Isreal, and it was possible for him to do so.

Solomon’s chief ally was Hiram, the king of Tyre which is Phoenicia.

The Temple of Solomon was built in seven years, but Solomon spent thirteen years building his own palace which was called the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

It is these things that made Solomon famous throughout the world.

Solomon had many foreign visitors seeking his wisdom.

One of those was the Queen of Sheba.

*1Ki 10:1 And when the queen of Sheba, heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions.

Sheba was a land in Arabia, which is modern Yemen today, rather than Ethiopia.

Yemen was the chief spice country in that area at that time.

Sheba was about fifteen hundred miles from Jerusalem so this Queen had traveled a great distance requiring a lot of time.

The Temple had been built in the name of the Lord God of Israel.

We can be sure when questions arose about the temple there would be questions about the God of that Temple.

No one else has such a God who is alive!

Much of the world believed that the wisdom of Solomon had come from his God, and they would be correct.

This Queen of Sheba did not make this connection, she came to prove him with hard questions.

Some say these were questions she could not trust anyone else to answer.

Many of the questions could have been hard riddles as some believe.

It does not seem to me that this Queen showed much interest in Jehovah God to her downfall.

Mat 12:42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

Could Solomon have answered, what is the purpose of life? We have all asked this question in our lifetime.

Could he have said, “Where do we truly come from?”

There are billions of people out there today who would like to know, “what is the purpose of it all”?

The truth is in Jehovah God!

*1Ki 10:2 And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.

We can believe that this Queen was also seeking a trade agreement.

She brought a large quantity of spices, gold, and precious jewels.

We can be sure that she traveled with military protection, but it is not mentioned, and they would have been stopped and not allowed to enter Jerusalem maybe even the border of Israel.

To travel for fifteen hundred miles meant she was serious about meeting King Solomon.

It seems that this Queen was not the wife of a King but the actual ruler of these people.

She was serious about seeking the answers to great questions of life so she could be a better ruler.

King Solomon answered all her questions!

*1Ki 10:3 And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not.
1Ki 10:4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon’s wisdom, and the house that he had built,
1Ki 10:5 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.

Solomon’s kingdom was famous not only for its material prosperity but also for his great wisdom.

King Solomon got so caught up in his wisdom that today we would use the phrase, “he got the big head” and we will soon see how these things affected him.

King Solomon had spent seven years building the Temple, but he spent thirteen years building his own mansion. After this, he rebuilt many cities most of which belonged to Israel, but he rebuilt some cities that did not belong to Israel.

This Queen of Sheba was more impressed with Solomon’s house than she was with the Temple of God.

She was another pagan who had her own false gods.

Solomon answered all of her questions, and this Queen was overwhelmed with the wisdom of Solomon. I do not read anywhere where Solomon gave the credit for his wisdom to His God and our God Jehovah.

No doubt this Queen had all types of questions with some riddles but also diplomatic and ethical questions.

This truth would make Solomon a trustworthy business partner and a possible ally, though her nation was fifteen hundred miles away from Israel.

Today Yemen can fire rockets and drones fifteen hundred miles into Israel and are mortal enemies of Israel.

Of course, Israel can do the same and are still under the power of God.

These servants were the officers and distinguished people who were privileged to sit at the king’s table and were arranged according to rank and were in large numbers at royal banquets.

These ministers were those who stood to serve the guests doubt they were dressed in a way to distinguish them from the guests but were fit to serve royalty.

2Ch 9:4 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his cupbearers also, and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.

The wisdom and prosperity of King Solomon and his achievements had reached the uttermost parts of the world, and this Queen admitted that these reports had been true.

It does not matter so much what this Queen thought of these things, it matters more of what God thought of these things.

Luk 12:27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Luk 12:28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
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.

As a pagan Gentile, this Queen could not go into the Temple though she may have seen a secret way that the king could get into the Temple.

*1Ki 10:6 And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.
1Ki 10:7 Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.

We must understand the mission of Israel in the time of Solomon and now the mission of the Church is to point all nations to God.

Israel has failed so far, will the Church also fail?

Israel was not to compete with our nations for riches or even military power. Jehovah God is the power of Israel!

Jehovah is the power of the Church.

We are not in some competition with religions!

We have the truth of Christianity!

The Church is to be a bright and shining light in this world.

It was the same for Israel in the days of King Solomon.

The Queen came to Solomon tortured by questions, and it does not seem she got all the answers she needed.

Certainly, the things she said about Solomon were true.

He was the wisest man upon the earth but not as wise as Jesus Christ,

He was the richest man on the earth, but no earthy riches can compare to the Glory of Heaven!

*1Ki 10:8 Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.
1Ki 10:9 Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.
1Ki 10:10 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon

This queen brought the best spices of Yemen, many of them used in perfumes of that day.
She brought a lot of gold and precious stones.
She brought sweet, scented wood.

This wood Solomon was used in his palace.

2Ch 9:11 And the king made of the algum trees terraces to the house of the LORD, and to the king’s palace, and harps and psalteries for singers: and there were none such seen before in the land of Judah.
2Ch 9:12 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which she had brought unto the king. So she turned, and went away to her own land, she and her servants.

As the Queen was about to leave she made a great speech to those servants of Solomon.

She said from what her eyes had seen and now had heard not even half of the truth of King Solomon was told.

She also took a moment to praise Jehovah that out of His eternal love to His people Israel, he had given them a king to do justice and righteousness.

Some say this Queen was converted to Judaism, but this is not true.

Like many who praised the God of Israel, they observed Him as just another god in the world of many gods just as many think today.

God had His reasons for putting Solomon on the throne of Israel.

1) It fulfilled a promise to David who was a man after God’s own heart.
2) Solomon who was chosen to build the Temple of God.

After this Solomon transgressed against the Lord.

God had written the qualifications for the kings of Israel.

Deu 17:14 When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me;
Deu 17:15 Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother.
Deu 17:16 But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.
Deu 17:17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.
Deu 17:18 And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:
Deu 17:19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:
Deu 17:20 That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.

King Solomon disobeyed in every area!

1) He had too much gold.
2) He owned thousands of horses.
3) He gathered hundreds of wives and concubines.

All the earth sought the wisdom of Solomon.

*1Ki 10:24 And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.
1Ki 10:25 And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.
1Ki 10:26 And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem.
1Ki 10:27 And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore trees that are in the vale, for abundance.

Solomon was not greater than anyone else and neither was this God’s intent.

Solomon became greater because all the world sought him out for his wisdom.

They brought him gold that he wasted on shields and other foolish things when he could have helped the cause of God, and he could have removed the strain of taxation upon his own people, but he did not.

Solomon made two hundred large shields and three hundred shields of gold that made beautiful displays but were useless in battle.
They were too heavy and too soft to make effective shields.

Each of those shields would be valued at over a quarter million dollars today and the smaller shields at over sixty thousand dollars or about thirty-three million dollars.

They were eventually taken by a foreign king.

Solomon made silver to be worthless which did not help the economies of the world of that day.

In the end, it was women who truly brought King Solomon down to shame.

*1Ki 11:1 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;
1Ki 11:2 Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.
1Ki 11:3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.
1Ki 11:4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

Over half of Solomon’s reign was over by the time the Temple, his own palace, and other buildings were completed.

These things took up much of his personal time.

We could add that during this time Solomon had negotiated peace agreements between Israel and many nations, and those agreements were sealed by the marriage of that ruler’s daughter.

As Solomon began to spend more time with the many wives he had, he was influenced by them.

One man wrote that the home of Solomon was afflicted with the curse of his polygamy and his kingdom with the curse of his despotism, which means he had absolute power, authority unlimited, and uncontrolled power over the people.

Most all alliances Israel had with other rulers ended with the death of Solomon even the long relationship of Solomon with Hiram.

As we looked at last week, no one knew where the Book of Moses(the Pentateuch) was located. Solomon certainly was not obedient to the Word of God concerning the kings of Israel.

Many believe that the prophet Jeremiah wrote this book of First Kings, and he simply says that Solomon loved many strange women.

it is these women who caused the decline of King Solomon!

These things describe a heart that is wandering away from God!

Solomon had seven hundred women who were considered to be his wives.
Solomon had three hundred women with the title concubines.

These were the women who were in Solomon’s harem while he was King of Israel.

Son 6:8 There are threescore queens, fourscore concubines, and virgins without number.

This verse tells us of those women who were in Solomon’s court at one time.

This would be sixty queens, eighty concubines, and virgins without number.

King Solomon like his father went against the institution of Jehovah.

What is the marriage institution of Jehovah God?

Gen 2:21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
Gen 2:22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
Gen 2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
Gen 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

When God gave Adam his wife. God did not do this by forming Eve out of the dust of the earth just like Adam. Then she would be independent of Adam.
God formed Eve from Adam. He does not do this out of his head, for she is not his superior. Nor does he make her out of his feet, for she is not his slave. He forms her from his side.
She is therefore someone of equal value, standing beside him.

Solomon took wives from many nations, also going against the Word of God about strange wives.

Deu 7:3 Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.
Deu 7:4 For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.

Solomon not only took these many women into his house, but he also took their gods.

We should understand that someone who knows the Word of God and deviates from it often makes it worse than someone who has never known Jehovah.

When a child of God falls into corruption it is the worst corruption!

The lesson for us who are up in years is, that we may think the dangers of life no longer threaten us but we are wrong.

Satan will do his best to ruin our testimony at any age!

*1Ki 11:5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
1Ki 11:6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.
1Ki 11:7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.
1Ki 11:8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

Ashtoreth(Ishtar, Astarte, queen of heaven)) was the Moon goddess of the Zidonians usually associated with Baal(Baalim, Baalism) the Sun god.

Throughout the world, we see temples and pyramids built to honor the Sun god and the Moon god

Milcom(Molech, Chemosh) is the national god of Ammon, God said he was an abomination!

It is this god to whom children were sacrificed. This is the god of the abortionists in my opinion.

Solomon was not seeking God’s own heart as did his father David.

Solomon had temples built for the worship of these false goods and he joined them in their worship of them.

He did the same for all his strange wives!

The word strange means all his wives who were not of Israel, we could say wives from foreign nations.

Certainly, Jehovah was angry with Solomon.

*1Ki 11:9 And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,
1Ki 11:10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.
1Ki 11:11 Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.

Do you want to make Jehovah angry? Go against His Word.

Do you want to really get Jehovah riled up? Go against Him after He has warned you!

This is why we have the Holy Spirit living inside us!

Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Joh 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

What had God told Solomon?

1Ki 9:3 And the LORD said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.
1Ki 9:4 And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments:
1Ki 9:5 Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.
1Ki 9:6 But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them:
1Ki 9:7 Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people:
1Ki 9:8 And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house?

Today we have the Word of if we have a proper translation and we are to do our best to be obedient to it.

As for King Solomon he met with God face to face and he was told the consequences of failing to acknowledge the Word of God.

We know that God will do exactly what he says he will do.

1Ki 11:26 And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, “Solomon’s servant”, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king.
1Ki 11:27 And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breaches of the city of David his father.
1Ki 11:28 And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph.
1Ki 11:29 And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field:
1Ki 11:30 And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces:
1Ki 11:31 And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee:
1Ki 11:32 (But he shall have one tribe for my servant David’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:)
1Ki 11:33 Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.

But God will never break a promise he has made!

*1Ki 11:12  Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father’s sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.

1Ki 11:13 Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.
1Ki 11:14 And the LORD stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he was of the king’s seed in Edom.

Solomon had forfeited the promise made to him from Jehovah.

God would allow the line of David to continue through a son of Solomon because David had chosen Jerusalem and not some other city.

This is a sign of God’s “grace”!

2Sa 7:15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.
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.

This promise from God will ultimately be fulfilled through the Messiah the Lord Jesus Christ.

You see the Lord Jesus Christ did appear Himself to begin the New Testament and the Law of Grace and through His disciples, this word had spread around the world and only those who accept the Work of Jesus Christ, the “Gospel” will be allowed into God’s New Jerusalem and God’s New Heaven where King Jesus will rule forever.

Amen

God Will Show Up

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Temple the Ark the Glory of God
 
Book of 2 Chronicles Chapter 5
 
 
After seven long years, the Temple and all its furnishings were completed.
 
1Ki 6:38 And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it.
 
Solomon gathered the entire nation and its leaders and its priests to the dedication of the Temple.
 
This gathering was no longer to Gibeon the site of the Tabernacle, but to Jerusalem the place God had chosen Himself.
 
Even today the Jews are looking forward to the day they can reestablish their worship of the Lord God Jehovah in a Temple dedicated to Him.
 
We certainly need a place to worship to honor God.
 
Heb 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
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.
 
God Himself says it is more important to gather together today than it was back in the day of the dedication of Solomon’s Temple.
 
If we do not dedicate our places of worship to be used for the worship of the Lord, then they will be used for anything other than that.
 
Dedicate means to set apart for sacred use.
 
Sacred means consecrated; dedicated; or devoted to.
 
We also need to dedicate ourselves to the Lord for His use!
 
Most every nation at this time had a temple dedicated to some false god, and some had many.
 
This was the drive that moved King David. He wanted a magnificent temple dedicated to Jehovah the One True God.
 
Most people do not realize that God is about worship, and not about buildings!
 
Pagans built temples for gods who could not see, who could hear, and who could not speak to them.
 
2Co_6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the “temple of the living God”; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
 
There is only one “Living God”!
 
Jhn_6:69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, “the Son of the living God”.
 
Psa_84:2 My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the “living God”.
 
How can anyone serve a dead god or a god that does not exist?
 
The Living God is the God we need to have reverent fear of, and even actual fear.
 
Heb_10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
 
2 Chronicles Chapter 5 verse 1
 
2Ch 5:1 Thus all the work that Solomon made for the house of the LORD was finished: and Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated; and the silver, and the gold, and all the instruments, put he among the treasures of the house of God.
 
The Temple was King Solomon’s greatest work.
 
It was the Temple of Solomon that made the greatest impression on the known world at that time.
 
People would come far and wide to see this Temple of God.
 
The importance of the Temple was to ensure a central place of worship and more important a central place to offer sacrifices for sin.
 
The object of the Temple was to bring about a unity of faith and national unity among the people of Israel.
 
The object of the Temple was to fulfill the commandment of God to Moses.
 
Moses said, when you shall obtain possession of the land and have become established, then you shall have one place in which to appear before the Lord.
 
Deu_16:16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God “in the place which he shall choose”; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:
 
The Temple did provide a fixed habitation for Jehovah.
 
The Temple did provide a central place of worship where all the tribes of Israel might assemble at the three annual feasts.
 
It is these things that would preserve the unity of Israel.
 
According to the Book of Leviticus, there must be:
 
1) A place to meet Jehovah on the throne of “Grace”.
2) Sacrifices made for sin.
3) Priests as intermediaries between Jehovah and the people.
4) Times in which they could approach Jehovah with daily, weekly, monthly, and annual offerings.
5) A ritual telling how to approach God.
 
The Temple was in fact, a type of the most glorious building which is the individual believer!
 
1Co_3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
 
King David had not only provided the plunder he had taken for his conquest for the building of the Temple, but he also provided his riches to be dedicated to the upkeep of this Temple and to pay the priests.
 
David had also dedicated all the musical instruments he had to the Temple. Some he had made himself.
 
These instruments are listed in First Chronicles chapter 15.
 
1Ch 15:16 And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.
 
1Ch 15:24 And Shebaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obededom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.
 
1Ch 15:28 Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps.
 
So, we know of psalteries, harps, and cymbals, trumpets, and cornets.
 
A psaltery is a lyre or another type of harp just as a cornet is another type of trumpet.
 
Solomon next brought the Ark of the Covenant into the Temple according to the instructions of God.
 
The Ark was placed in the new Holy of Holies, the Most Holy Place in the Temple.
 
2Ch 5:2 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion.
2Ch 5:3 Wherefore all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king in the feast which was in the seventh month.
2Ch 5:4 And all the elders of Israel came; and the Levites took up the ark.
2Ch 5:5 And they brought up the ark, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, these did the priests and the Levites bring up.
 
Many of these things from the time of Moses and those remade after the destruction of the Tabernacle by the Philistines were no longer usable for the new Temple and were stored at the Temple and preserved as relics.
 
Things such as the tent and a great many of the old-time utensils, including the Brazen Serpent.
 
The Feast of the Seventh month is the Feast of Tabernacles, sometimes called Booths, and also known as the Feast of the Ingathering.
 
It was to last seven days but for the dedication of the Temple, it lasted fourteen days.
 
1Ki 8:65 And at that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel with him, a great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt, before the LORD our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days.
1Ki 8:66 On the eighth day he sent the people away: and they blessed the king, and went unto their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the LORD had done for David his servant, and for Israel his people.
 
This is the feast that commemorates the forty-year wilderness journey.
 
It is also called Sukkot.
 
It is a celebration of the fall harvest and a time to build booths which are temporary shelters of branches to remember how the Hebrew people lived under God’s care during those forty years in the wilderness.
 
These things were repeated when the Hebrews returned from Babylon.
 
Neh 8:14 And they found written in the law which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month:
Neh 8:15 And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.
Neh 8:16 So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim.
Neh 8:17 And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua (which is Joshua) the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.
Neh 8:18 Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.
 
This celebration is a reminder of God’s faithfulness and protection.
 
All Jewish males were required to go to Jerusalem to appear before the Lord and their families usually went with them.
 
Many Jewish people still celebrate Sukkot today, by building and dwelling in temporary booths for eight days.
 
There are four special plants used to cover the booths, and they are the citron, the myrtle, the palm, and the willow.
 
Lev 23:39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.
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.
 
Then, the elders came and took up the Ark out of the Tabernacle of David.
 
It was necessary to put a new lid on the Ark. It was about five hundred years old and when opened, nothing remained but the two tablets of stone from the time of Moses.
 
It originally contained two tablets that contained the Ten Commandments and Aaron’s rod that budded and a pot of manna.
 
Blame was put on the Philistines for the missing items.
 
So, the steps to the dedication included:
 
1) Placing in the treasury all the things dedicated by David. Solomon could have kept these riches of his father, and no one would have known but God, but Solomon honored the wishes of His father David.
 
2) Placing all the sacred vessels and furniture in their proper position.
 
3) The offering of the many sacrifices.
 
4) The priests carrying into the Most Holy Place the Ark of the Covenant.
 
5) As the priests came from the Most Holy Place and one hundred and twenty other priests standing east of the Altar blew their trumpets, the Levite choir burst into a song of praise and thanksgiving with cymbals and other musical instruments saying “For He is good; for His mercy endureth forever.
 
6) Then the cloud, a symbol of the Divine Presence and the Glory of God filled the house.
 
Let’s read the Scriptures.
 
2Ch 5:6 Also king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled unto him before the ark, sacrificed sheep and oxen, which could not be told nor numbered for multitude.
2Ch 5:7 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, to the oracle of the house, into the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims:
2Ch 5:8 For the cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above.
2Ch 5:9 And they drew out the staves of the ark, that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark before the oracle; but they were not seen without. And there it is unto this day.
2Ch 5:10 There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses put therein at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.
 
We now know what happened in the dedication of the Temple so, let’s look at some other things.
 
Many today are concerned about the location of the Ark of the Covenant today.
 
We do not know for sure if the Ark remained at the Temple when Nebuchadnezzar plundered the Temple but what we do know when the vessels were brought back from Babylonian captivity the Ark of the Covenant was not mentioned.
 
Ezr 1:9 And this is the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives,
Ezr 1:10 Thirty basons of gold, silver basons of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand.
Ezr 1:11 All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up with them of the captivity that were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem.
 
The staves of the Ark were at least fifteen feet long, which was about the size of the Most Holy Place.
 
The staves were that long to give room for those men who carried the Ark leaving room to stay clear of the Ark.
 
The staves were withdrawn as far as they could to the back wall so they would not protrude in sight at the front.
 
The Ark had only the tablets of stone written by the finger of God at this time.
 
Exo 31:16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
Exo 31:17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
Exo 31:18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.
 
Remember it was Moses who had broken these two tablets.
 
Exo 34:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.
 
Deu_10:2 And I will write on the tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakest, and thou shalt put them in the ark.
 
There was something else that was with or in the Ark.
 
Deu_31:26 Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.
 
Probably the very same book, which (after having been some way misplaced) was found in the house of the Lord, in the days of Josiah, and publicly read by the king himself, for a witness against a people, who were then almost ripe for ruin.
 
On the side or On the inside, Some say there was a little chest fixed to the Ark for such things but it is not mentioned. Some say that this book was just placed inside the Ark. There was nothing but the stone tablets that were contained in the Ark.
 
This book was found later.
 
2Ch 34:14 And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the LORD given by Moses.
2Ch 34:15 And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan.
2Ch 34:16 And Shaphan carried the book to the king, and brought the king word back again, saying, All that was committed to thy servants, they do it.
 
The Shekinah Glory of the Lord
 
2Ch 5:11 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course:
2Ch 5:12 Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:)
2Ch 5:13 It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, “For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever”: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;
 
Once the Ark was in place God gave His stamp of approval!
 
So, it had been when Moses finished the Tabernacle, and so it was at Pentecost after the Lord Jesus began His Church, that the Holy Spirit came down in His mighty power.
 
God’s glory has to be the most wonderful sight we will ever see!
 
Notice all the priests were in white linen robes. Does this not make us think about the white robes in Heaven?
 
Rev_7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
 
King Solomon now had all things in place and a platform had been erected about seven feet squared somewhat like a pulpit, so he was lifted up above the people to be seen as well as heard and it seems King Solomon acted as King and High Priest.
 
We see some typology here.
 
In reality, only King Jesus can be the true King and High priest when He returns to take us home and then sits upon His throne in Jerusalem.
 
Immediately after the priests had performed and withdrawn and the doors of the Temple were closed, the cloud of God’s Holy Presence and God’s Majestic Glory filled the Temple just as He had done when the Tabernacle of Moses was completed.
 
King Solomon was stunned:
 
1Ki 8:10 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,
1Ki 8:11 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.
1Ki 8:12 Then spake Solomon, The LORD said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.
 
Our true Holy God manifested His presence showing the public that he had accepted their labor of love in building this Temple.
 
*2Ch 5:14 So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.
 
A man of God said this beautified this Temple much more than all the gold which it was overlaid and all the precious stones that adorned it. Yet even that glory in comparison does not match the glory of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
 
God had not allowed King David to build this Temple but told him that his son Solomon would have the honor of building this Temple.
 
Then King Solomon began to pray.

2Ch 6:12  And he stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands: 
2Ch 6:13  For Solomon had made a brasen scaffold, of five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court: and upon it he stood, and kneeled down upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven, 
2Ch 6:14  And said, O LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keepest covenant, and shewest mercy unto thy servants, that walk before thee with all their hearts: 
2Ch 6:15  Thou which hast kept with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him; and spakest with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day.

And he continued therefore:
 
Amen

Asking for the Wisdom of God

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Solomon Received Wisdom

Book of 2 Chronicles Chapter 1 verses 7 through 12

As we begin this first lesson in the Book of 2 Chronicles, we know that King David had died after ruling all the tribes of Israel for a total of forty years.

Seven years over Judah and Benjamin and thirty-three years over all of Israel.

God had decided that Solomon, the son of David and Bathsheba, would now lead all of Israel after their marriage.

The first act of Solomon was to take secure control of the throne of Israel.

We know that Adonijah another son of David was trying to take control of Israel with the help of some rich and powerful leaders, but he had failed.

Solomon’s second act as the new King of Israel was to seek the Lord, worship Him, and pray for the wisdom to be King.

The Tabernacle was now in Gibeon, but the Ark of the Covenant was in Jerusalem because God had chosen Jerusalem to be the place where worship would continue.

King David had built a special Tabernacle to house the Ark of the Covenant.

I believe that this tabernacle is mentioned in prophecy.

Isa_16:5 And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness.

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:

Act_15:16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:

Solomon knew where the Tabernacle was located with the Ark of the Covenant, but the Brazen Altar was at Gibeon, and this is the place where sacrifices were to be made according to Levitical Law

The Brazen Altar was the one place where all sacrifices were to be made, and Gibeon was only six and one-half miles from Jerusalem.

The Brazen Altar is in fact a type of Mount Calvary where our Lord Jesus was sacrificed for our sins.

God had said if anyone offers a sacrifice and brings it not unto the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, offering it to the Lord then that blood would be applied to that man and he would be cut off.

Lev 17:3 What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp,
Lev 17:4 And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer an offering unto the LORD before the tabernacle of the LORD; blood shall be imputed unto that man; he hath shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people:

King Solomon knew this law applied to him as it did to all the children of Israel.

King Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings upon this Brazen Altar.

It is the night after the day that King Solomon did this that the Lord appeared to King Solomon in a dream.

*2Ch 1:7 In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee.

We first see that God knew Solomon needed some guidance just as we all do.

We will also see that God will test King Solomon even though God knew what Solomon would ask Him for.

Solomon had brought all the leadership of Israel and the judges with him to Gibeon.

This included all the heads of the military.

It was important for all the leaders of Israel to know that King Solomon would serve the Lord God of Israel.

What a shame that our leaders will not do this because they reject the God of Truth.

They claim God and reject His Words, and it does not work like that.

Now our nation allows so-called scientists who boast of superior insight into the nature of things to direct our nation.

Many scientists assert that their investigations prove that the teachings of Scripture are false, but real facts show that the Bible has no controversy with real science.

Because Solomon and those leaders acknowledged their need for the Lord, God accepted their worship through those sacrificial offerings.

Today God accepts our worship, if we are sincere because the Lord Jesus sacrificed Himself, and the veil in the Temple at Jerusalem was torn from top to bottom and we can go directly to the Lord in our time of need or any other time.

It was important that the veil was torn from top to bottom. If it had been torn from bottom to top, it would have meant that man had done it

God appeared to King Solomon: 1Ki 3:5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

God appeared to Solomon in a dream that was much more than a dream.

This was one of the more significant dreams in the Bible.

God revealed Himself in various ways in the Old Testament.

There are many places where God spoke audibly to people.

To Abraham: Gen 18:13 And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?

Gen 18:17 And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;

To Moses: Exo 19:9 And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD.

To Isaiah: Isa 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

God also revealed Himself through dreams as we see here with King Solomon.

Whether it was more like a dream or a vision it was interactive and it was real and it honored God.

God spoke to Solomon and Solomon spoke to God and prophecy was fulfilled.

When this is mentioned in the Book of 1 Kings we can see that it is not Jehovah who responded to Solomon but it was Elohim.

Jehovah appeared but Elohim spoke.

When we hear from the Lord Jesus Christ, He is speaking the words of His Father.

In this passage here we see that Elohim appeared to Solomon.

So, even though the Ark was not at Gibeon, God still met with Solomon and talked to him.

We see that even in the times of the Old Testament, God made it clear that He was not restricted to the Holy of Holies or the Ark of the Covenant.

The Holy of Holies was a place where God met the High Priest of Israel.

God said: “Ask what I shall give thee”.

We can take this to mean that Solomon could have asked for anything.

We can just imagine how we would respond if the Almighty God asked us this same question.

We know that we can ask for anything that is in the will of God for our lives, and He will give those things to us.

What did Jesus say?

Mat_7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

Mat_21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

Jhn_16:23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

Now it does not really say that God would have given Solomon anything he asked for, because God knew before Solomon asked, what he was going to ask for.

We can be sure that God’s response had nothing to do with those one thousand animals that were sacrificed.

It was because Solomon’s heart was surrendered to God at this time!

This is the key to answered prayer! Having our hearts surrendered to the Lord.

Joh 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

*2Ch 1:8 And Solomon said unto God, Thou hast shewed great mercy unto David my father, and hast made me to reign in his stead.
2Ch 1:9 Now, O LORD God, let thy promise unto David my father be established: for thou hast made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude.

It should be very clear that God knows what is in our hearts before we ask of Him!

When we ask of God, we must have faith that He can supply what we ask for or we will never receive gifts from God.

God is not only able, but He is also willing to give us anything, but it must be in His will for us.

God had shown more than great mercy to David, God had also made David a rich man.

Why might we ask?

1Ki 3:6 And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
1Ki 3:7 And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.

David had left all those riches to be used to build a Temple for God in Jerusalem.

At this time Solomon was certainly not a child according to our standards.

He was probably between the ages of seventeen to twenty-two.

The one thing Solomon knew was that he was personally inadequate to fulfill God’s promises to his father David.

The nation of Israel was too great.
There were too many people for him to govern effectively.
The task that was lying before him was just too overwhelming.

Solomon felt helpless.

Solomon likened himself to be a small child.

Solomon knew he lacked the wisdom to be King of Israel.

The laws of Moses stated that Israel had to have a king who was humble and who would remain humble.

A king was required to read the law of God daily and follow it.

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

No king was to feel he was superior to his fellow citizens.

We know that this is a problem in the last few governments that we have.

Those ultra-liberal Senators and Congressmen men and women treated us as inferiors!

Solomon knew he needed God’s help.

This is exactly where God wants each of us.

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

We have found this to be very true!

What was God’s promise to David?

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.
2Sa 7:14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:
2Sa 7:15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.
2Sa 7:16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.

We know this prophecy did not only concern Solomon but more importantly our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only one who could fulfill this prophecy.

What did Solomon need?

*2Ch 1:10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great?

What is the difference between wisdom and knowledge?

**By knowledge Solomon meant the ability to gather and understand facts.

By definition knowledge is a clear and certain perception of things that exist.

We have no knowledge of things that do not exist, but God has perfect knowledge of all His creation so human knowledge is very limited.

Knowing these things then keep in mind that ignorance is the curse of God.

We know that Jesus Christ alone possesses all the knowledge of God.

**Wisdom is the ability to apply the facts that are learned.

By definition, wisdom is the right use of knowledge.

Wisdom in fact is one of the names of Jesus Christ: 1Co_1:24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

We should know that Solomon became king because God was rewarding his father, King David.

What Solomon needed the most was the ‘Grace” of God.

We see that Solomon did not have a clue on how to rule a kingdom.

When we admit what we are, dumb sheep, then God has something to work with.

*2Ch 1:11 And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king:

And God speaks.

What did God tell the Prophet Samuel before this all began?

1Sa 16:7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

The word heart is used 833 times in the KJV Bible.

The heart is the center of the physical, mental, and spiritual life of all humans!

It is the heart that is at the center of our physical life.

Act 14:17 Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.

The heart and our mind are closely connected.

It is thought that our heart is the seat of our intelligence.

Pro_8:5 O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.

Sometimes we think with our heart.

Pro 23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.

We ponder things in our hearts.

Luk 2:19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

We see the heart and mind connected.

Our emotions are tied to our hearts.

God can see into our hearts, and He knows who his children are and those who are not and never will be.

Rom 1:24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Rom 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

Now we cannot read our own thoughts into this.

This is something God knows, and we cannot know!

The heart is the center of our spiritual life!

Job said: Job 27:6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

It is our heart that will condemn us, but it is also in our heart where we feel the power of God.

1Jn 3:19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
1Jn 3:20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
1Jn 3:21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

It is because our heart is at the root of all our problems this is the place where God does His greatest work!

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;)
Rom 2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

It is the heart where God sows His seed (the Word of God).

Mat 13:19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Rom 10:11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

It is in the heart where God will make His home within us.

2Co 1:21 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;
2Co 1:22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

This is why if God wants to know us, all He has to do is look into our hearts.

This is why we can witness for the Lord.

Rom 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

This is what God saw in the heart of Solomon.

*2Ch 1:12 Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.

There is a principle in the Bible that we have trouble understanding and the Lord Jesus uses it: Mat_25:29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

We see that King Solomon had enough wisdom to offer up a wise prayer, so God increased his wisdom as the answer to his prayer.

We see that all those who make this world their end will come up short in the gifts of God.

Those who make it to the “Glory World” will not only obtain a mansion in God’s home, but God will give us enough in this world that we live and take care of our families.

Yes, God gave Solomon riches and wealth and honor, but these things had another purpose.

The truth is, if we put the Lord and His ways first in our lives then, good things can happen.

It means following God’s will for our lives, then blessings will come our way!

God freely gives His wisdom if we will just ask Him.

Jas 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Amen

Alive to Christ Jesus

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Dead to the World

Book of Galatians Chapter 6 Verse 11 through 18

We have spent this entire Winter quarter in the Book of Galatians. This book is one of the best in the New Testament and clearly explains that salvation is by God’s ” Grace.”

We know the letter’s purpose to the Galatians was to defend the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Gospel of Grace.

Some Judaizers had infiltrated the Church claiming to be Jewish Christians and were teaching a double error.

1) They taught that a person is saved partly by faith and partly by works.
2) They also taught that a person grew in Christ partly by faith and partly by his own effort.

Both of these things are wrong!

They taught that a person had to believe in Christ, but he also had to submit to the rituals of religion which was circumcision.

We could compare this today to what some require for church membership, baptism, and other requirements today.

No one has to observe all the ceremonies and rituals of religion to be saved!

Paul taught that we are saved by our faith in Christ and Christ alone, which is the absolute truth.

What Paul did not say.

Paul never says it is wrong for Jews to be circumcised because it is not.
Paul never said it was wrong for them to keep the Law or to observe special festivals because it is not.

What Paul said is that these things have nothing to do with salvation and they do not!

Customs and practices may differ, but salvation by faith never differs!

There is only one way to be saved, and it is by the “Grace” of God!

It is the Book of Galatians that stirred up Martin Luther and the Reformation.
It is the Book of Galatians that gave John Wesley peace of heart that he knew the truth of salvation.

The Book of Galatians has moved many great men of God to a better understanding of the Gospel, and it still works today in the Bible Believing Church.

The Churches in Galatia were at the point of deserting God, but Paul’s letter to these churches made them steadfast in the Grace of God.

*Gal 6:11 Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand.

In most cases, the Apostle Paul would dictate his epistles to a scribe who would write down the words that Paul had said.

It is possible that Paul would dictate to someone who was more familiar with the Greek language than he was.

It seems here that Paul took the pen from the scribe and wrote it himself.

1) Paul wanted to boldly emphasize the points he was making. Many of us today use capital letters to do the same.
2) Some believe that Paul could not write very well, but Paul was a well-educated man and this is unlikely.
2) Many believe that Paul had some problem with his eyes some kind of blurred vision.

It could be one of these or none of these reasons Paul wrote this epistle himself.

We know that Paul wanted to emphasize this message of Grace and to verify that he was the Author of this letter.

Paul wanted those Judaizers to know it was he who called out their hypocrisy!

Why Paul wrote in large letters is unknown except we know he was led by the Holy Spirit.

We all need to pay attention to what is written in the Book of Galatians.

This is the first of the Epistles of the Apostle Paul to the Church.

If Paul wrote the Book of Hebrews which I believe he did, he would have written fourteen of the Books of the New Testament.

*Gal 6:12 As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.
Gal 6:13 For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.

If you see false teachers on the TV most of them are well dressed and they make a good impression.

It was no different for these Judaizers many of them were Pharisees.

We all want to make a good impression!

If we take a look at those who have a false message today, we will see that they seek worldly popularity, and they brag about the riches they say God has provided when in fact they have stolen from the poor and the vulnerable of this world.

The Apostle Paul unmasked those who taught a false message to Christians.

The Lord Jesus was really blunt at such people: Mat 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mat 13:12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
Mat 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
Mat 13:14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
Mat 13:15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

Any man of God who begins to seek worldly popularity will change the message of the truth of Jesus Christ and twist the Scriptures to gain a following.

They will not take a stand on the truth of God.

These false teachers were afraid to teach the truth because of persecution that would come from their fellow Jews.

As many found out during that time, persecution caused the Gospel to spread even more and it does the same today.

We should understand that these men were men of the Church and a great example for us today that we all must stand against the message of false teacher and false preachers and not be afraid.

The truth will always be the truth, and no false teacher can change that.

Many of the earliest preachers or priests were men who saw Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world. However, they accepted Him only as an addition to the Law and they were wrong.

Today many false teachers just say that God can make mistakes, and they are more wrong than these Judaizers were.

Even today it is unpopular in many places to proclaim that Christ alone is the way to God and God’s New Heaven.

These people need to realize that God will not be mocked, and His Word is the greatest truth in this world!

In the day of Paul, those who preached the Cross of Christ were said to be destroying established religion and this is God’s intention.

Religion cannot save anyone!

It took real courage for the Apostles and other great men of God to stand up for the truth of our Savior and most of them were murdered or locked in jails.

Remember Paul who was beheaded and John who was placed on a deserted island, but the truth of God just keeps moving along at God’s pace and God’s will.

How many today go along with false religion? Billions of unknowing people are shielded from the truth of Christ.

How many in the Church are afraid to preach the whole truth because it might affect their pocketbook and their bank account?

The Bible is specific there was only one person in the history of Judaism who morally fulfilled the Law and it was Jesus Christ!

Why? Since the time of Adam, we have inherited his fallen nature.

1Co_15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

These false teachers just like those of today wanted recognition through the appearance of a growing ministry.

I have said it before the truth of a growing ministry is not in numbers but is in growing closer to Christ Jesus.

Those who grow close to Christ will reach out into this lost world with the truth.

We are not to strive to be accepted by the people, we are to strive to get closer in our relationship with Jesus Christ.

False teachers do not impress God at all, in fact they will suffer the wrath of God!

*Gal 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

God forbid that we should boast of anything but the Cross of Jesus Christ.

There is no other approach to God accept by His Son Jesus!

God accepts us only, if we come by the Cross.

It is at Calvary’s Cross where my sin was washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ!

There is no other way to be acceptable to God!

1Co_1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

When people cannot see the truth, it does not mean it is not right in front of them.

It is the Cross of Jesus Christ that destroys all self-righteousness and boasting!

It is in deepest humiliation we have to admit that the Lord Jesus had to die in our place.

We have to reach that place in life when we realize we are guilty of death, but the Cross of Christ saved us by the Grace of God that we are so unworthy of.

Until you realize that Christ died in your place you will not meet our wonderful Savior!

Jesus Christ was crucified for our sins, and He was raised for our justification, and by this, we can have a changed life and be “Born Again” into a new life that has not death.

It is this truth that saves lives!

The Cross was an instrument of Christ’s crucifixion, and my flesh was crucified with Him.

We can now say that the world has lost all its worldly charm and attraction and we as Christians have lost our appetite for this world.

Nothing in this world will last very long and will soon fade away.

Something new is only new for a few days then it is old.

There is nothing upon this earth that is eternal!

We now know of a place that is full of the glory of God, and this is where our home is located.

Our Lord Jesus came to this earth to die in our place.

The Law offers nothing but death!

The Cross offers nothing but life everlasting.

What really is in this world?

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.

We cannot brag about any of these things because they are worthless, and the Holy Spirit will remind us of this daily.

These are the diseases of this world that have no remedy, but that Jesus Christ came to heal!

Jesus Christ came to make us new creations!

*Gal 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

Paul has already taught us: Gal 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

So, faith worketh by love and this same faith and love makes us new creations of God by His Son.

Paul also wrote: 1Co 7:19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.

These commandments are not of the Law but the commandments of Jesus Christ.

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.

This new creation is the change produced in our soul by the operation of the Holy Spirit!

We leave the state of nature of this world and into a state of “Grace”.

Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Those not created in Jesus Christ cannot enter into God’s New Heaven.

Again, nothing makes a person acceptable to God except God’s very own Son!

How does using the name of Jesus make us live forever?

First God knows who is sincere and who is not. God cannot be deceived!

When we are sincere in our faith, God will give us a new Spirit.

God actually places His Divine Nature, the presence of His Own Spirit, into our life.

We are then “Born Again Spiritually”.

2Pe 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

*Gal 6:16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

This is how we receive the peace of God that no one else understands.

Php_4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

This is how we can walk in this life understanding the true mercy of God.

When we walk by the rule of the Cross we will seek to live as a New Creation of God because, we are a new Creation 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;)

Now Paul says the true Church is the Israel of God.

It is through the Church that God will fulfill His promises.

Rom 2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Rom 9:6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
Rom 9:7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
Rom 9:8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

Hos 1:10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.
Hos 1:11 Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

Over and over again we see it is those whose faith is in the promises of God who are the true Israel.

We should be steadfast in the Gospel because it is the truth of God!

*Gal 6:17 From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

Then Paul asserts that through the power given to him as a duly commissioned Apostle of Jesus Christ and a tried and tested servant of His Heavenly Master, he had fully discussed the matter of the Law and Grace that he had nothing else to say about it.

I know if you study this great writing of the Apostle Paul, you should be clear that we are saved by Grace through faith, and there is no law above this.

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.

Some things we know that the world ignores are:

1) The creation of the world is designed to reveal the glory of God.

Psa 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

2) The vastness of Heaven and the beauty of the earth reflect the glory of God.

3) God’s sovereign act whereby He predestined all believers to salvation is to the praise and the Glory of His Grace.

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

Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

God is glorified in the display of His unconditional “Grace”!

Rom 9:23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

Rev 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

When the Lord Jesus said we must be “Born Again”, He was speaking of the creating power of our God.

In fact, the regenerated Christian is probably the only thing that God has created since Chapter 1 in the Book of Genesis.

Our Lord Jesus died and raised again on the third day because of the predetermined plan and the foreknowledge of God even though a wicked world was responsible for His death.

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:
Act 2:24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

Even though God has decreed these things, we are still responsible for all our sins, and it is by Grace through faith that we can be forgiven.

Grace is still the unmerited favor of God!

Psa 145:8 The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
Psa 145:9 The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

*Gal 6:18 Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

In conclusion Paul said he will have no more attacks on his ministry nor the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

These churches in Galatia and their people needed to repent and get rid of those false teachers.

It is still the same for every church today.

We cannot ignore the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be saved.

We cannot ignore the Grace of God and be saved.

We cannot ignore our faith in the truth of God and be saved.

Amen

Are You Weary in Well Doing

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Do Not Give Up Doing Good

Book of Galatians Chapter 6 Verse 1 through 10

We should understand that there is a right way and a wrong way to help our brothers and sisters in Christ or in fact anyone else.

We must stress this point at all times!

We are all still sinners at least as long as we are in these bodies of flesh as Paul has pointed out.

We all suffer the same passions and at times someone of us is always overtaken by sin.

How we approach a fallen brother or sister is of great importance!

It is sometimes a very delicate matter!

That one who has fallen may be sensitive or even embarrassed and easily shamed for giving into their flesh.

It is these things that may not allow this brother or sister to return to the Church.

He or she may even feel like he or she is unwelcome, and we must never allow this to be our intensions.

Unless this person is approved in the right spirit they may never return to the Church.

We must understand that a ministry of restoration, is a ministry of God and should be a ministry of the Church!

This is a ministry that God has called us all to take part in, for any of us could fall at any moment.

*Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

A wise man said: “A word of Love is more potent than any argument”.

That word “brethren” reminds us that Paul is speaking to saved people.

If we see one of our brothers or sisters in violation of the Law of God, he or she is not immediately our enemy!

They are still our brother or sister in Christ.

We all know how hard it is to fight with this flesh and win every battle.

None of us will win every battle with our flesh!

There may have been some in the Churches of Galatia that had fallen from the “Grace” of God, none of us live perfect lives.

That word “overtaken” gives us the idea that someone had fallen back into sin.

It was not deliberate, it was not planned, it was a mistake they had made.

Paul was not speaking of faults in doctrine, but a mistake through weakness of the flesh.

Jesus said to His disciples: Mat_26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Sin is like an addiction, and it is hard to break free from any addiction!

We may not know the problems of our brothers and sisters, unless we show them love where they may trust us enough to speak with us.

Why did the Lord Jesus come to this earth?

Jesus came to restore God’s children back to a relationship with our Creator that had been lost by Adam.

Why would we ever refuse to attempt to restore one of our brothers and sisters in Christ, yet many in the Church would say good riddance.

This is not what the Lord Jesus Christ taught when He walked upon this earth.

We all brag about the Scriptures of the Apostle Paul has taught us and he taught a restoration ministry.

The job of restoration is often neglected in the Church.

We tend to pretend that the sin never happened or we tend to react too harshly towards that person.

Those who are Spiritual are those who show the fruit of the Holy Spirit in their lives and in the Church.

Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

It is those who show that Spirit of Gentleness that the Lord Jesus showed to all He met who have the best chance of reaching that backslider.

Then Paul says we need to understand there is a possibility that we could be drawn into that same trap of backsliding, and we need to be prepared.

One such thing would be that we could be so full of pride that we can manage every situation that we ourselves fall, but it includes the same temptation our brother or sister has fallen into.

The Bible says: 2Pe 3:17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

*Gal 6:2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Remember the law of Jesus Christ is love!

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

It is love that caused our Lord Jesus to hang on that cross and die for each of us!

Jesus Christ bore the sins of everyone who has ever lived!

Now we cannot bear the sins of anyone, but we can bear the burdens of our brothers and sisters!

We can first forgive each other! We must understand that sin that made this person fall from Grace was a sin that Christ died for.

Again, what did the Lord Jesus teach us?

1Jn 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
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.

*Gal 6:3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

We should understand to be Christian is to be like Jesus Christ. There is no other reason to be called a Christian or to say you are a Christian except you are trying your best to be like Jesus Christ.

It is Jesus Christ Himself who told us to bear one another’s burdens!

It is Jesus Christ Himself who told us to be forgiving!

It is Jesus Christ Himself who told us to love one another!

To neglect to do these things is to set ourselves above Christ our Savior.

God came down to earth in the flesh to humble Himself and die for our sins, so how can we say we will not humble ourselves to help a brother or sister in need.

No Christian is better than any other Christian.

None of us can stand before God unless we are wearing the “Righteousness of Jesus Christ”!

There is no place in the Church for feeling superior or spiritually better than others.

Mat 23:12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

We need to do a self-examination to see for ourselves if we possess the right qualities to help a brother or sister in their time of need or we could make things worse.

*Gal 6:4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

We need to do a self-examination of our own selves comparing ourselves to Jesus Christ and not to some other member of the Church.

We need to understand our own conduct and our own understanding.

We are to examine and judge our own lives, not the life of that fallen brother or sister.

Again, Jesus says: 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.

If we are to deal with a backslider, we need to make sure we are not hypocrites!

Criticizing and judging others is a sin!

We cannot help anyone unless we have a pure conscience ourselves.

It is a great joy knowing that we are pleasing God by the way we walk in this life.

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?

*Gal 6:5 For every man shall bear his own burden.

None of us can escape from our own moral responsibility!

We are personally responsible to the Lord for our own behavior and we shall be judged for what we have done.

We know when we meet the Lord in the air it is a judgment for rewards, and it will be to our own shame if we do not receive any rewards for the things we have done in this life.

If we do not periodically examine ourselves, we can never overcome any faults that we have!

If we spend our time observing the failures of others and not the burdens of our own failures, we will never be able to help anyone in their time of need.

Rom 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

2Co 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

We must understand that every child of God is a student who sits at the feet of the Master learning how to be like Him.

*Gal 6:6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.

We can go up and down the hallways of our education building and we will find good teachers, but I do not claim to be one of them.

I know if I listen to the Holy Spirit, I can try to get His message across in this classroom and this is what I try to do.

Between myself and my class we should aways be able to discuss the things that I teach.

Here in this Scripture, we see the Holy Spirit speaking directly to the learner who is also a believer.

This passage speaks more to the Pastor than it does to the classroom teacher.

These same things apply to both.

If you want to be good to the teacher:

1) Be present when the teacher teaches.
2) Be attentive and learn what the teacher teaches.
3) Share in discussion of what the teacher teaches.
4) Pass on what the teacher teaches.
5) Participate in the ministry of that teacher.
6) Support the teacher.
7) Encourage others to learn.

Again, this passage is referring to the Pastor of the Church who must also be a good teacher.

Thank goodness for our own Pastor here at Gethsemane.

Teaching is a vital part of the New Testament Church.

Members of the early Church devoted themselves to the teaching of the Aposltes.

Act 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

The Apostles taught the doctrine of our resurrected Christ.

Act 4:2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

They taught as they had opportunity.

Act 5:21 And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

Act 5:25 Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.

Notice being locked up in prison did not stop the Apostles.

At that time the city of Jerusalem was saturated with the teaching of Jesus Christ and His atonement.

Act 5:27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,
Act 5:28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.
Act 5:29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
Act 5:30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
Act 5:31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
Act 5:32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

The heart of the message of the Apostles was that our Lord Jesus was indeed the Messiah.

Act 17:2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
Act 17:3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.

It is teaching the truth of Jesus Christ that will bring the Church to maturity.

Act 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

The goal of the Gospel is to make us all look more like Jesus Christ.

Col 1:28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

This teaching is to be taught until the Lord returns.

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.

We are not to forget the Scripture but continuously teach the Gospel.

Heb 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

This the purpose of our classrooms to teach Jesus!

God knows the truth of every Pastor and every teacher.

In fact, God knows the truth of us all!

*Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Gal 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
Gal 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

In the secular world few people are as important as the teacher.

Its the same for the Church.

We should understand that every Pastor should also be a good teacher but few teachers will ever be Pastors.

Teachers in the Church are also very important, especially those who teach the children.

The truth of the Gospel is the most important message in this world!

The Pastor has responsibilities because he is called of God.
The Teacher has responsibilities because he or she is to follow the pastor’s lead in teaching the truth of the Scriptures.
The student also has responsibilities to the teacher and to the Church.

In the Bible believing church the true Pastor, is one who accepts the truth of the Gospel and the Apostle’s Doctrine which is the Doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The teachers in that church are to follow his lead and teach the truth of the Scriptures.

The student then honors the teacher and the Pastor when they share the ministry of the teacher.

In the churches of Galatia many of the members were being deceived about facing the judgment of God.

They were being led astray by teachers with a false message.

They were failing to share in the ministry of the Apostle Paul and shared the false message of Judaism.

Judaism is a religion; Christianity is based upon a personal relationship with Jesus Christ they cannot be intermingled.

These false teachers were turning their nose up at God who had told them of this New Covenant, but they were rejecting it.

These teachers were rejecting the teaching of the Apostle Paul, so they were not teachers at all.

They were church terrorists plotting the downfall of the Church of Jesus Christ.

When we attack the true Pastor, we are mocking God who called that Pastor into service.

The lesson these men learned at their death is that God is not mocked for whatsoever a man sows that shall he also reap.

God is very clear those that reject the message of God will be rejected by God.

When our Pastor preaches the truth of the Scriptures, and that message is rejected by those who hear it then they will stand before God and answer for that rejection.

If we do not listen to the warnings of the lust of the flesh, then we will reap the lusts of the flesh.

Those who reject the message of the true Pastor will worship as they desire.

They will seek some form of the truth somewhere else.

They will refuse to pray.

They will live as they please.

They will strive against the true Church.

They will reject all the Law of God.

They will seek the things of this world.

When we allow our flesh to lead us rather than the Holy Spirit we will see the wrath of God.

The flesh ages, dies, and then it decays.

If we sow to the flesh then we will age, then die, then face the judgment of God which he spells out so vividly in the Scriptures.

It does not matter what the world says, it only matters what God says!

True teachers teach the Word of God just it is written, and these lessons must be learned by us all.

God will not be mocked and there is no escape from His truths!

Rom 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Job 4:8 Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.

If we sow to the Holy Spirit who lives in every believer, we shall reap life everlasting!

if we listen to God’s saving message, the Gospel, the Holy Spirit will implant the Divine nature of God within the heart of each believer.

This is how we know and accept the fruit of the Spirit.

This is how we will live forever with God in the New Heaven and the New Earth.

Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

We know it has been close to two thousand years since the beginning of the Church Age, and we must be patient until the Church Age reaches its fulfillment.

Jas 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
Jas 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

It may seem like an endless task sowing faith and hope, but we must not lose heart!

God is going to reward all those who have such patience!

There is just too much truth in the Scriptures for it all to end in nothingness.

The timing of all these things in is God’s hands but the season of sowing is in our hands.

*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.

God has given us this opportunity to earn rewards.

We should not be waiting for opportunities to develop but making them happen.

We should not be waiting on an opportunity to do good, and we should show kindness to all our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Someone in the Church always has a need!

We must stay alert and not be weary if we want to receive a full reward.

We are responsible for our own family first.
We are responsible to our Church family next.
We are responsible for the lost next.

Heb 13:16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Amen

Christians Should Be Walking in the Holy Spirit

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Flesh Versus the Spirit

Book of Galatians Chapter 5 Verse 19 through 26

Many people will not like what I say, but when we die, we finally shed this flesh that has hindered our relationship with Jesus Christ.

It is then buried till it returns to the dirt God made us from, or more so today it is burnt in an oven till it is nothing but ashes.

What had Paul said in last week’s lesson?

Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

I believe our soul says “good riddance” to that sack of flesh at our death.

Our flesh is the cause of most of our pain!

The works of the flesh show us just how strong the flesh is!

Sin is first committed in secret, but by and by will work to the surface and advertise itself in shameless publicity.

In the First Century all the Rulers such as Tiberias, Caligula, Nero, Domitian were monsters of vice and cruelty, and they only got away with it because the people they governed were equally corrupt.

We can say the same about the Biden years he was not only corrupt and could not have gotten away with it, if all those around him were not also corrupt.

Our nation will suffer for years because of this just as we do because of this flesh we live in unless we get the help of the Holy Spirit.

*Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

After we are “born again” into the family of God we are expected to be more like Jesus Christ and Jesus would never have done any of these things written in this Scripture.

Adultery is being sexually unfaithful to a husband or wife. It can also be looking on a man or woman to lust after them.
It does not matter if it is in person, in magazines, in books, on the beaches or anywhere else, it is all adultery if you are married to a wife or husband.

Fornication includes all forms of immorality and sexual acts. Premarital sex, adultery, and it also includes looking upon a man or woman to lust after them, in person, in magazines, in books, or anywhere else. We can be attracted to the opposite sex without lusting after them.

Uncleanness is moral impurity. Doing things that dirty, pollute, and soil life.

Lasciviousness is filthiness, indecency, shamelessness. Unrestrained evil thoughts and behavior. Giving in to lustful desires.
It is those who know no restraint. Those who have sinned so much that they no longer care to hide their wrong. They become slaves to filthy words, induced body movements and immoral handling of people.

Idolatry is the worship of idols, whether mental such as false gods, or made by man’s hands.
It also includes to worship of ideas and devoting time and energy to something other than God.
Now it does not include enjoying the life God has given to us as long as do not put things before our worship of Him.

Witchcraft also known as sorcery, the use of drugs, or of evil spirits to get control over the lives of others or even over your own life. It would include astrology, palm reading, seances, fortune telling, crystals and any other form of witchcraft.

Hatred is enmity, hostility, animosity. It is hatred that lingers for a long time, a hatred that is deep within. We have seen many express this hatred for our new president.

Variance is strife, discord, contention, fighting, struggling, quarreling, wrangling against another person to get something such as a position, or promotion, or property, or recognition, doing whatever it takes to get what he is after.

Emulation is jealousy, desiring to have what someone else has.

Wrath is a burst of anger, indignation, a violent explosive temper with explosive reactions. Boiling emotions but these things do not usually last.

Strife is conflict within yourself, struggling to cope and including a party spirit.

Seditions are division, rebellion, standing against others, splitting off from others.

Heresies is rejecting the fundamental beliefs in God, Jesus Christ, the Scriptures, the Church. Holding on to some teaching which is not true.

Envying goes beyond jealousy. It is wanting the things some other person has and begrudging the fact that they have them. That wants those things taken away from that person and wants that person to suffer because they have lost the things they cherished.

Murders is to kill; to take the life of another person and it includes abortions for the sake of getting rid of that child.

Drunkenness is taking drink or drugs to affect your senses for lust or pleasure. Intoxicated, using drugs seeking to loosen moral restraint for bodily pleasure.

Reveling is carousing around, indulgence, and pleasure, wild parties, drinking parties, indulging in feeding the lust of your flesh. Orgies.

And all such things that are like these things that are named!

God has already judged those persons who do these things or take part in these things that they will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven less they come to Jesus and repent of those things.

God is righteous and He expects us to live righteous lives to be accepted by Him.

People say they are saved.
Some people even go to a church or some so-called church of false teaching.
They may even talk about Christianity and defend their beliefs.

However, they go out and live their lives like they always have giving in to the flesh.

They forget that being Christian is trying our best to be like Jesus Christ!

Many of them feel that God will forgive them no matter what they do, and he will but there must be repentance.

Many of them think they have already done enough so that God is pleased with them.

Most people believe that God will just accept them no matter how they live their lives.

God is not some Father who allows His children to do as they please.

Grace is not a license for God’s people to do wrong!

God’s New Heaven is made for true believers.

If we cannot do our best to live a pure and righteous life, we will not inherit the Kingdom of God!

Rev 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

All those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior are then filled with the Spirit of Jesus and will live accordingly.

There should be a great difference in a true Christian from their old life that is in the past.

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

As Christians we cannot be perfect as long as we are in these bodies of flesh but having the Holy Spirit living within us we should be more like Him.

He gives us the strength to repent of our old lifestyle and here He gives us this passage.

Notice immediately He says the “fruit” and not the “fruits” of the Spirit.

We should have not just one or more of the traits but all of these traits.

Love: the Greek word used here is “Agape” .
This is brotherly love like that love our Heavenly Father shows to us. It also includes affection.
This love is not distinct but includes all the rest of the things that are mentioned here.

One of the greatest problems in our nation, in our world, and even in our churches, is that there is no natural affection for one another anymore. Hatred is in far too many spots in our lives today.

Rom_1:31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
2Ti_3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

We should have a natural affection within us for all the people of our world and that should include goodwill and benevolence for one another.

Joy: The Greek word used here means cheerfulness, calm delight, gladness, in fact exceedingly glad. This is not a selfish emotion but as the Sun whose rays warm gladden all people.

We must understand that being a Christian is not a set of facts. It is not a list of good deeds.
Being a Christian is a disposition of the heart.

Peace: The Greek word used here is being at true peace with us resting on the knowledge of our future and our true hope in the truth of God.

Longsuffering: Brings us that dreaded word patience.

One of the greatest uses of God’s patience was in the days of Noah that while Noah built the Ark that saved eight people Noah also preached to the world of that day around him for one hundred and twenty years and no one believed the Word of God.
We can also say the same for God today. There is really no other prophecy left that needs to be fulfilled before the “Rapture” of the Church, yet God patiently waits for that last soul to be saved before the return of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ to get His Gentile Bride.

1Pe_3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
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.

If God can be so patient, then how can we not be the same?

Gentleness: all these words describe our Savior, but this word gentleness is so wonderful. When we read the Gospels, we cannot help but see the gentleness that the Lord Jesus showed to all the innocent. He showed true kindness to those He touched with His life while He was upon this earth.

Tit 3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
Tit 3:4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

Faith: Faithfulness does not doubt God!
Faithfulness does not begin with God and then back off!
Faithfulness does not walk with God then give in to the lusts of the flesh!
Faithfulness begins with God and continues with God!

We should ask ourselves are we trustworthy enough to get into God’s New Heaven!

1Pe 4:19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

Meekness: Once we realize just how great is our God then we should have no problem submitting to God and realizing just how tiny we are in comparison. Meekness means we understand the “Providence of God”, His preserving and governing of all things. If we are going through something we do not like, then God has His reasons and we need to learn from each event and come out stronger.

Eph 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
Eph 4:2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
Eph 4:3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Temperance: Every time we see temperance everyone always goes to alcohol which the Lord says do not even look at.

Pro 23:29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
Pro 23:30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
Pro 23:31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.

Temperance here means self-mastery over all the indulgences of the flesh, self-control in all respects in this life.

1Co 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things.

If we have read the Bible, we know that there are no written laws against doing any of these things.

Laws are never made for those who obey the laws! Laws are written for those who break the laws. It seems our government is confused about this.

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.

What is the difference between a Christian and those in the world?

*Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

The Lord Jesus Christ took our flesh with its sin and it was nailed to the cross with Him and we are now to wear His righteousness as our flesh.

If we truly belong to Jesus Christ there will be a noticeable change from what we were!

We become the property and the possession of Jesus Christ.

We come to Christ to be delivered from our enslavement from sin, from death, and from judgment.

We want to be saved from our flesh of this corruptible world.

Paul says: 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.

To mortify is put our old flesh and the deeds of that flesh to death the day we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior.

No Christian should be doing the same old sins they were doing before their salvation.

This is the greatest problem in the church today along with many behind the pulpits who were never called of God.

The seminaries have forgotten the truth of God and are become useless in the work God has given us to do.

Crucifixion is a lingering mode of death, and it may take us all awhile to yield to the Spirit but it does not take long because the Holy Spirit is all powerful.

We are to be dead to sin.
We are to crucify the old man.
We are to abolish the whole body of sin with its passions and its lust!

This death is a condition of our New Birth!

The Holy Spirit lives within each Christian and being a Christian is being like Jesus Christ.

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

The Holy Spirit is a person of the Holy Trinity which is our God, so if we live to God let us walk in the Holy Spirit.

2Co 5:15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

Rom 14:7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
Rom 14:8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.
Rom 14:9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

We only have a short time to be usable to God, we need to live as the Holy Spirit directs us to live and He will never direct us back into sin.

*Gal 5:26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

We all stand on level ground at the cross. God will direct our lives for His purpose the remaining of our days if we are willing to giive Him contrrol.

If God does not call us to something specific, then we already have the Scriptures which gives us our directions.

We should be very careful not to grieve the Holy Spirit.

Envy is not a fruit of the Spirit but is a great sin that will tear us down and make us useless in the work of God.

In everything we do we are to give God the glory!

Amen

Liberty in Christ Jesus

/ Bobby Mayfield / 2 Comments

The Liberty of Jesus Christ

Book of Galatians Chapter 5 verses 1 through 18

The Book of Galatians can be called God’s message of liberty, but the entire Bible can be called God’s message of liberty.

Liberty is best described as the opposite of servitude or bondage and applies to those who are set free from this oppression.

Joh 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Joh 8:35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
Joh 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Some people just enjoy being in bondage to this world!

Some people think of nothing else but sin!

As Christians, we do not have to worry if we are good enough because we will never be good enough, no matter how badly we try to impress God.

We simply cannot impress God; we have no righteousness in ourselves.

Jesus Christ secured the ideal righteousness for us!

The Lord Jesus Christ bore our judgment and our punishment for having broken the Laws of God, which is death.

This is the message of the Gospel!

The Churches of Galatia thought they understood this until they began to listen to the false teaching of some Judaizers from Jerusalem.

The message today is that we must stand fast in the liberty that our personal relationship with Jesus Christ has given to us!

*Gal 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

To stand fast is to stand our ground.

It simply means to keep the position we have taken with the Gospel and never give ground to falseness.

We are able to stand fast in our argument of the Gospel because it is the truth of the Scriptures and the truth of Jesus Christ!

The truth is always the truth!

Rom 15:12 And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.
Rom 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Spiritual liberty cannot be affected by outward circumstances unless we allow it!

A great man of God said: our liberty has no emperor, nor a prophet, nor an angel from Heaven, but Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son has obtained it for us.

This is the thing the Devil will try to take away from us to place us back in bondage to this world.

It is sin that is a burden to carry, and it is not a burden to carry the liberty of Christ.

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

Jesus Christ has freed us from the bondage of the law, so we must stand fast in the liberty that He has provided for us.

Anything else is turning our backs on Christ and our Heavenly Father!

We can only approach God through the work that Jesus Christ has done for our salvation!

It is a complete waste of time to try any other way, and we jeopardize our chance to get to Heaven.

Gen_6:3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man.

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

The Law is not God’s way for us to be justified!

*Gal 5:2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
Gal 5:3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
Gal 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

The Apostle Paul is speaking in the power of an Apostle of Christ here.

It is not the fact of circumcision!

Paul was circumcised and every Jew in the Church of Galatia was circumcised.

Circumcision happens every day in some hospitals because it helps to keep certain diseases from spreading, but not everyone is circumcised for one reason or another.

Paul had been talking to the Jews in these churches but now he is talking to the Gentiles who had it in their mind that they would have to first become Jews before they could become Christians.

For these Gentiles to become proselytes of Judaism would imply that they were seeking salvation by the Law which is sealed by circumcision.

There is no advantage for a man to be circumcised or not circumcised in seeking a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

A wise man said” ‘He who submits to circumcision does so because he stands in fear of the law, and he who so stands in fear of the law distrusts the power of grace, and he who distrusts “Grace” gains no advantage from that which is so distrusted’.

When we start trusting in rituals, then we will find no profit in Jesus Christ and our relationship with Him will end!

It is the job of the true preacher to warn us when we go against the Grace of God!

Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Col 1:28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
Col 1:29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

It is a fact if you trust in the Laws of Moses to get you to Heaven, you will not get there.

It is a sad fact that all those who fall into the trap of legalism to impress God will fall from Grace.
It is a sad fact that all those who depend upon rituals to gain forgiveness of sin will fall from God’s Grace.
It is a sad fact that all those who invest their lives in religion will fall from God’s Grace.

GRACE still means God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense!

Remember Hagar and her son Ishmael were banished from God’s Grace and cast out into the world.

False teachers are just that false teachers with a false message looking to derail your relationship with Jesus Christ.

Every so-called denomination has been infiltrated with such people who serve the Devil.

When we deny the Lord Jesus Christ, who was sent from Heaven with a mission to provide “Justification”, then we have lost any opportunity to reach the true Promised Land, the New Jerusalem.

We cannot add to or take away from the message of the Gospel!

To deny Jesus Christ is to deny His righteousness, His death for our sins, and His resurrection to show His power!

We should remember our Lord Jesus took all the sins from the beginning of our world to the end for every soul and took them down to Hell for them to remain there throughout eternity, why would anyone want to live in that place?

What will be the story of every false teacher who mixes a little bit of Grace with a whole lot of falseness when they face Jesus, the God they say they worship?

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

That woman who confronted our New President should think about these things before it is too late for her!

What in the world does the world do with the teachings of the Apostles especially the Apostle Paul when they study the Word of God except to ignore them?

The Word of God has to be rejected in many denominations today for them to do as they are doing. God have mercy on them.

What is the truth, they will be accursed!

In the first Book of Galatians, we read:

Gal 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Gal 1:9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
Gal 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

Who do we owe our life eternally to?

*Gal 5:5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
Gal 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

Over and over again we see that it is “our faith” in the work the Lord Jesus Christ has done for our salvation sharing with us “His Righteousness” that we can please God.

There is no other way to please Him!

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.

If we do not have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ we will burn in Hell throughout eternity!

Any hope for righteousness comes by the Spirit of Christ who so many in terror call the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Spirit is our Divine source of “faith” and “spiritual life”!

It is a fact that no false teacher has ever felt the Holy Spirit, and never will they unless they repent and claim Jesus Christ!

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.

We can also say that those who preach a false message have never felt the love of God or His Son!

*Gal 5:7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

We must understand that the truth will always be the truth!

We live in a world where our government and our corporations think it is best to hide the truth.

Paul tells these Galatians that they began their Christian life, but someone hindered them and we must realize that this is a favorite tactic of the Devil to immediately attack baby Christians and any Christians.

He still does this today and he frightens some so much that they never return to their race with the Christian Life, and that race will be over.

Jesus said:

Mat 13:20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
Mat 13:21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

We see this happening at these churches in Galatia and it happens in every church today.

When we stop living for Christ, we put our lives in jeopardy.

When we run for Jesus Christ, we must run well and stand on the truth of God!

Php 2:16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

*Gal 5:8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.

We must have a clear understanding that we are called by the Holy Spirit and He will never lead us to error but He will lead us only to the Lord Jesus Christ!

Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Any teacher that teaches otherwise is teaching a false doctrine.

All those out there today who throw out the Scriptures of the Apostle Paul and teach some other doctrines are also teaching a false doctrine.

All sinners who come to the Lord Jesus must then repent of their past life and walk like Jesus walked and taught!

There are no exceptions, and the Holy Spirit does not make mistakes!

Just a little false doctrine can ruin any church!

*Gal 5:9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

“Leaven” stands for evil and corruption, fermentation, and infection.

It takes only a small amount of “leaven” to influence a whole lump of dough.

So, it is with false teachers!

They only have to twist and change a few Scriptures to change the meaning of what God intended.

We live in a world where you have to be careful when you pick out a new Bible because so many are changed to reflect the beliefs of certain people rather than the truth of God.

The KJV is the English Bible that most closely reflects the meaning of the Textus Receptus, the original Scriptures before they were changed by the Catholic Church after the revolt of Luther.

Most of those Bibles that are printed for English-speaking people today, who say they just want to make them easier to read, and also change the meaning of certain Scriptures.

I avoid all of them and stick to the KJV.

All Scripture must focus on the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Redeemer, or it is false Scripture.

The Scriptures are not about our goodness or our own works.
The Scriptures are not about rituals, ceremonies, or good works instead of our Lord Jesus.

The absolute necessity of the Lord’s righteousness and death and being born of a Virgin and His resurrection cannot be diminished or downplayed.

The false teacher will always downplay these things.

*Gal 5:10 I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.
Gal 5:11 And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.
Gal 5:12 I would they were even cut off which trouble you.

If we stand by the written Word of God the true pastor will stand with us!

Paul had confidence that these churches in Galatia would do the same because the Lord would remain on their side.

Because the Holy Spirit lives within us, He will awaken us to false teaching if we listen to Him!

Paul believed that these churches would read and understand this great letter he had sent to them.

Paul always sent someone with the letters he wrote or caused them to be written, with someone he trusted to read those letters to the church.

All letters to the church were read in all churches.

We can be sure that every false teacher or preacher will stand before God and God will send them to the hottest part of Hell and to even a hotter part of the Burning Lake of Fire.

Jud 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
Jud 1:25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

False teachers only tell lies!

God will hold up His true Pastors!

Rom 14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

Jas 4:12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

Salvation can only come through the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Only Begotten Son. through Him only!

Paul’s sermons had never veered from these facts!

What Paul had done before his conversion was irrelevant!

Paul was now a “Born Again” child of God just as any other saved soul!

We must understand that there is no punishment too good for a false teacher!

1Pe 1:17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
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.

*Gal 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

We must not forget that we are free from laws, religion, and rituals.

We do not have to work to secure God’s approval and acceptance.

We are acceptable to God because He loves us as His own Son Jesus.

We cannot ever become perfect, no matter how good we do!

Many people question “Christian Liberty” but our liberty does not ever give the freedom to sin just because we are under the “Grace” of God.

Our faith will always be the key to our relationship with God!

We are free in Christ, free from the law, free from restraints, and free from works.

We live in Christ, move in Christ, and our being is in Christ.

When God looks down from Heaven, He should be able to see His Son dwelling inside us!

If we are slaves, we are slaves to our brothers and sisters in Christ and free to call on the lost world with the truth of God.

Joh 13:4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
Joh 13:5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

Joh 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
Joh 13:15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

*Gal 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Every law that has been ever written can be satisfied with love!

Love does not take advantage of any people.
Love will not be used by people to fulfill their own purpose.
Love will not hurt someone else any more than we would hurt ourselves.
Love endures everything without weakening.

Rom 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
Rom 13:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Rom 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

*Gal 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

To bite and devour is to act like a wild beast and this is a picture of Satan.

1Pe_5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

When we act like Satan, we are certainly not being Christian (like Christ)!

*Gal 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
Gal 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

If we go against the Holy Spirit, we will only cause harm to ourselves.

The answer to conquering the lust of the flesh is the Holy Spirit!

Our flesh will always fight for dominance over our being and this is why God gave us a new Spirit, the Holy Spirit.

The flesh is very strong and difficult to control but it is not as strong as the Holy Spirit.

Rom 7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

The flesh is contrary to the Spirit!

The longer we listen to the Holy Spirit the stronger we will be, but we will be vulnerable to our flesh as long as we are in these bodies of flesh!

The Holy Spirit will always give us the power to walk away from the lust of our flesh!

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

It is our love for one another here in this church and any other church that keeps us focused on the things the Lord has given us to do after our salvation and discipleship.

Amen

Exceeding Great and Precious Promises

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Issac or Ishmael

Book of Galatians 4 verses 21 through 31

The way to Heaven is not by any work from us nor by any law; this must be clear to us.

We are also very wrong if we think God needs our help to further the Gospel.

God does not need us at all!

In Luke 19 the Lord Jesus had these words: Luk_19:40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

It is we who need our Heavenly Father and He offers us opportunities after He saves us.

Our life becomes our testimony as we live to be more like our Savior.

Jhn_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.

There are two words that we see in our lesson today that we need to understand.

1) Promise.
2) Patience.

First promise: It takes God’s wisdom to understand His promise.

1Co 1:20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
1Co 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
1Co 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
1Co 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
1Co 1:24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, “and the wisdom of God”.

We can have no wisdom without the Spirit of Wisdom which comes by the Holy Spirit and a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and in this we will have the power to work on patience and other important things.

Eph 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Eph 1:19 “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power”,
Eph 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

There is no wisdom of God without a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ which gives us the Spirit of Wisdom which is the Holy Spirit!

Now let’s look at the word patience as it pertains to God.

We already know that God is never late, but He is always on time.

Patience:

Listen to these words from the Apostle Peter:

2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
2Pe 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2Pe 1:6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2Pe 1:7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2Pe 1:8 For if these things be in you, and abound, “they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”.

Patience is something we will work on most of our lives because we live in this sinful and wicked world!

God has promised Heaven only to those who believe in His Son and have patience till He returns!

Now let’s look at our lesson today:

*Gal 4:21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

All those who approach God by the Law or by works of goodness or religion are legalists or religionists.

Every one of them needs to understand what they are doing because they will never reach Heaven this way!

They need to understand the implications of what they are doing!

This is why the Apostle Paul was pouring his heart out to these churches in Galatia.

This is also an example for us to not just push away those of legalism, nor those who are religious, maybe we need to show them the “love of Christ” that is within us.

This will not be easy!

We are never better than any of them, we are just better off, and they need to understand why.

Paul’s final attempt to win these souls he went back to the Scriptures.

The first five books of the Old Testament were considered the sacred law to all Jews and Paul used these same passages to show these churches the error in their way of thinking.

This is also a great example for us as we tell the lost about the truth of Jesus Christ.

We must try to tell those who are lost how to escape the bondage they do not realize they are under.

*Gal 4:22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
Gal 4:23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.

If we have read the Bible, we all know this passage of the Old Testament.

Abraham, who is the father of all those who believe in the promises of God!

It is by the same faith that Abraham had that we can be saved!

We must just believe what God says and understand that God keeps His promises.

Abraham had two sons at this time though he later had others after the death of his wife Sarah.

The Jews understand that they are descendants of Sarah. This is still in effect today.

Abraham had two sons before Sarah died.

One was born of Sarah who was Issac.

This was a great miracle of God because Sarah had been barren all of her years and far past the time when she could conceive, until the birth of Isaac.

God had promised Abraham a son by his wife Sarah and Sarah just could not believe what God said, or she wanted to be sure that God’s promise to Abraham was true.

The greatest lesson we can learn here is that God does not need our help to keep His promises!

It is still a sin to go against the Word of God and trying to help God is a sin!

God does not need our help; God simply wants us to believe in Him as did Abraham.

Isaac was the Son of Promise, but there was another son who came before Isaac and his name was Ishmael.

Sarah had become discouraged from being barren and she had a slave girl who was bought or given to them by a Pharaoh of Egypt.

Sarah had no patience and thought God needed her help and sent Hagar this young slave into her husband Abraham, and she conceived, and Ishmael was born to this bondwoman.

This is the basis of Paul’s message to these Galatians.

Paul reminded us of all of this:

Rom 4:17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
Rom 4:18 Who against hope “believed in hope”, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
Rom 4:19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb:
Rom 4:20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
Rom 4:21 “And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform”.
Rom 4:22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
Rom 4:23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
Rom 4:24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
Rom 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Isaac was born after the order and the process of nature to fulfill the promise of God, just as our Lord Jesus Christ after the promised seed was planted.

Sarah had a miracle birth, and our Lord Jesus had a miracle birth both of by the “Promise of God”.

Ishmael was still a precious child as much as any child until influenced by his mother and rejected by Sarah.

None of these things were the fault of Ishmael, and we know God made a promise to Hagar concerning Ishmael.

Ishmael was conceived in sin when Abraham listened to his wife and went against God’s Law.

Exo_20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.

This thing has broken up more marriages than anything else in this world.

Again, we cannot help God keep His promises, and this is the basis of a works doctrine.

*Gal 4:24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
Gal 4:25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Gal 4:27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: “for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband”.Gal 4:26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Gal 4:28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

We should understand that these things the Apostle Paul is teaching are teaching in allegory and there are not many such places in the Bible where this happens.

The Lord Jesus used typology in some of His teachings but not allegory.

To allegorize is to say what is either designed or fitted to convey a meaning other than the literal one, or words adapted to another meaning.

As believers, we accept the Word of God as the literal truth so we must be very careful if we try to do an allegory with the Scriptures

It is best to leave these things to true Bible Scholars who know when to use them.

We cannot ever change the truth of God to mean something else!

The Apostle Paul was a Bible Scholar and He was speaking to mostly Jews who were once confirmed in Judaism and were trying to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and had received some false teaching from Judaizers who were trying to derail the Church.

It is far better if we use typology rather than allegories!

Paul was saying that in these two women Hagar and Sarah we can see the Two Covenants.

The Covenant of Law and the Covenant of Grace.

Some preachers might use the word dispensations.

The one from Mount Sinai, which is the Law and applies to Hagar, and the other from Mount Sion which is the Covenant from Heavenly Jerusalem, bearing the children of liberty and this is Sarah.

Mount Sinai is where Moses saw the burning bush and received his call to lead the Israelites out from the bondage of Egypt and represents the covenant of the Laws of Moses that were intended to lead all of Israel to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, but the Jews refused to take that step.

Mat 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

Mount Sion is a reference to Heavenly Jerusalem.

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.

It is the New Jerusalem that is our home, the home of those whose chains of bondage are broken by Jesus Christ and are now the children of God!

It is the New Jerusalem which is that Eternal Spiritual City that God promised to all who approach Him by “faith”.

God’s “Grace” and the promise of our Heavenly Home are both free to those who have faith in the work of Jesus Christ for our salvation.

Jerusalem on earth is a place of turmoil and laws and has never been at peace and will only see peace for a while when the Lord Jesus returns

We have no work to do to get into our Heavenly Home but only believe in the Word of God!

This is why the Covenant of Grace is such a wonderful thing that comes from our Heavenly Father through the Lord Jesus Christ!

Isaac was a child of promise and every believer in the Lord Jesus is also a child of promise!

God made a way for mankind to inherit the Promised Land, and this true Promised Land is not upon this earth.

Rom 4:13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
Rom 4:14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

Heb 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Heb 11:14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
Heb 11:15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
Heb 11:16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

*Gal 4:29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

In the Book of Genesis chapter 21, we can read the story of how Ishmael had been mocking Isaac for some reason, and Sarah the mother of Isaac saw him.

Sarah told Abraham it was time to send that bondwoman away with her son.

Persecution is not specifically mentioned but any insult is considered to be persecution.

Legalism persecutes and enslaves believers.

We are mocked throughout this world because we accept the Word of God as the truth and believe God’s promises.

Ishmael ridiculed, mocked, and persecuted Isaac.

When we try to approach God in the flesh, with our own energy and our own effort, we are rejecting the Grace of God as the means of righteousness.

We cannot build credit with God!
We cannot try to get recognition from God!
We cannot work to get God’s approval!
We do not have it in our power to gain acceptance and praise of God beyond “faith”!

All persons in the flesh refuse to accept this fact and they will never make it to New Jerusalem.

We are in that Age of Persecution today!

2Ti 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
2Ti 3:14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

What did God tell Abraham?

Gen 21:12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

*Gal 4:30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.

We can see that legalism was cast out and can have no inheritance with God!

I believe that most of us in the Church know but not many Jews, that Judaism and Christianity are utterly and forever irreconcilable.

The Jews must accept Jesus Christ in faith just as any other non-believer!

The Law and the Gospel are two entirely different concepts!

God will never accept anyone who approaches Him by law or by works!

No matter how much good and how many good works we present to God on the Day of Judgment God will ask, “What about my Son Jesus” and they will be cast from God’s presence.

What has God done for our salvation?

God loved us enough to send His own Son to die for us, in our place.

A simple prayer would be: Father you are my Savior and Lord. I believe with all my heart that your Christ did die for me and I surrender all I am into His keeping. I know that it is your Righteousness and your death that paid for my sins. In Jesus’ name Amen.

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

And the results:

*Gal 4:31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

The Lord Jesus Christ has freed every believer from the curse of the Law, which ends in death, and eternal separation from the God who made us all.

Amen

Adopted Into the Family of God

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Privilege of Adoption into the God’s Family
 
Book of Galatians Chapter 4 Verses 1 through 20
 
Our lesson does a great job of presenting the truth of Faith and the Grace of God and being adopted into the family of God.
 
All our lessons have been good this quarter.
 
I may go a little bit differently today as I usually do.
 
 We know some churches of Galatia were teaching that a person could be saved by the Law, the Law being the Laws of Moses.
 
You know that title itself should tell us that the law was lacking.
 
The Bible is best stated as the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
 
These churches had allowed some Judaizers to come in with a false teaching and they had turned from the teaching of “faith” by the Apostle Paul.
 
They now felt they could be saved by being good, doing their best, and being religious.
 
Being religious means people who have given themselves to religion and are so influenced by it that they are different from the world.
 
Christianity means we are a follower of the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ by faith!
 
Christianity is a personal experience with our Savior!
 
We should all do our best to be good according to the Word of God.
We all should be faithful in worshipping God and in a good church.
 
We must not think this is the means of our salvation!
 
The Bible is very clear and forceful, that doing these things does not save a person!
 
When we get alone with God, “are we” speaking to Him as a maturing Christian or as a baby Christian?
 
He knows what we are and none of us can be perfect until we meet Jesus when He returns, and He will return!
 
If we ever want to get to Heaven, we had better know that we must be perfect, and perfection only comes with a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ!
 
Mat 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
 
In the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, He explained the big difference in just obeying the Law and the truth of God.
 
There is a big difference between obedience and holiness!
 
The big difference in being a Christian is, “we do not need a written list of laws because we have the Holy Spirit living within us” and He will put His laws in our minds and write them down in our hearts.
 
Heb 10:15  Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, 
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; 
Heb 10:17  And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. 
Heb 10:18  Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. 
 
In the Lord Jesus Christ, we have the perfect conception of love, and this is what He wants from us.
 
Gal 4:1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
Gal 4:2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
 
Under Roman law, a child was an infant until they were seven years old and were a child until they reached the age of twenty-five.
 
During this time a bondservant would be the one to teach that child or be responsible for taking that child to the tutors or a schoolmaster.
 
During this time, these children “had no say so in the affairs of their father” even though they were heirs to whatever their father owned.
 
In this, they were no different from a bondservant who would never be an heir.
 
Only after maturity does this person become a true heir and then lord of that property of his father.
 
Even if that father no longer lived that guardian or governor would direct that heir until he reached the proper age, and the heir had no power to make those decisions concerning his inheritance.
 
The father could and would determine that period of time before that heir had the authority over his own inheritance!
 
We can see that even though this son was an heir and a future lord, he was no more than a slave until that time set by his father.
 
Caesar had ruled that under the Gallic tribes of Galatia, the father had sole power of life and death over his wife and children.
 
Gal 4:3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
 
There was a time when the entire world was under bondage to one nation, or another as described in the Book of Daniel.
 
Daniel 2 Verses 37 through 44.
 
To the Jews, this bondage meant the sacrifices, the rituals, and the sacrifices of the Old Testament that directed all the facets of Jewish life.
 
It meant philosophy and the traditions of men, and their teachings.
 
It meant the ordinances, rules, and regulations of men, including the oral law.
 
It meant all the laws of the Old Testament.
 
It was impossible to keep all those old laws.
 
Act 15:10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
 
Gal 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
 
All things of religion will choke the life out of Christianity if we allow it!
 
The elements, of the world mean the things of this world that we use to get right with God and try to secure the favor of God.
 
This also includes anything we can use to justify ourselves to God, anything we can do through our own efforts, and we will never get close to God doing these things.
 
But there came a time when God decided it was time to change the things that brought us under bondage to this world.
 
Gal 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
Gal 4:5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
 
The fullness of time here represents the time that our Heavenly Father decided to begin the Church Age and end the Age of the Law as the schoolmaster.
 
The Age of Grace began.
 
Eph 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
 
We can say the fullness of time is the time appointed by God and was foretold by the true Prophets of God.
 
We should know by now that Jehovah God is in control of all the things in this world.
 
This world lives every day under the providence of God!
 
God’s preserving and governing of all, by means of second causes.
 
Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
 
The Lord Jesus Christ is the glue that holds His creation together!
 
When the first part of our Savior’s work was completed, He went back to His throne in Heaven until the Church Age reaches its fulfillment and then He will return.
 
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.
 
There should be no doubt that we are in these last days.
 
The Lord Jesus Christ came to this earth to deliver this world from sin!
 
This was His sole purpose, and He completed that work.
 
Today Jesus Christ walks “in our bodies” until He returns to Redeem us.
 
Jesus was not some angel!
 
The first coming of Christ was not by chance!
 
Jesus Christ came in the timing set aside by God the Father!
 
He did not come one day early, and He did not leave one day late. He is always on time!
 
Jesus Christ was born of a particular person, at a particular time, in a particular way, and under a particular system, the Law.
 
Jesus was subject to the same system in which He came to save all the world from it.
 
The world had been specially prepared for His first coming!
 
The Law had done its work.
The world was full of spiritually starved people ready for a change.
The world was at peace under Roman rule.
The world was under the Greek language making communication possible no matter where you went.
The Romans had built roads everywhere making travel easier.
 
God’s messenger, John the Baptist, was in place.
 
Mar 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
Mar 1:2 As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
Mar 1:3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
 
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.
 
Why did Jesus come? He came to redeem God’s people!
 
God’s people are all those who have “faith” in the work of Jesus Christ!
 
Every believer becomes the adopted sons and daughters of God!
 
Gal 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Gal 4:7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
 
When we trust in the work of Christ for our salvation we receive the Holy Spirit of Jesus, the Holy Spirit.
 
Paul asked these Galatians: Gal 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
 
These people knew they had never felt the presence of the Holy Spirit until they heard the preaching of the Apostle Paul.
 
Because we have the Spirit of Jesus living within us, God looks upon us as His sons and daughters.
 
What is the first thing we should do?
 
2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2Co 6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
 
We cannot allow the remnants of our past to influence our new life!
 
That unclean thing is what is called an idol.
 
As we come out from the world we begin to meet our true family, the family of God.
 
As we have learned earlier, the Holy Spirit is somewhat like a downpayment on our eternal life, until Christ returns to take us home.
 
We become heirs and sons because of our faith in Jesus Christ and the Grace of our heavenly Father!
 
1Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pe 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
1Pe 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
 
Then the last time will be the day of the Rapture of the Church, the end of the Church Age.
 
Chapters 2 and 3 and the first verse in Chapter 4 of the Book of Revelation.
 
The word adoption means to place us as God’s sons and daughters, and He will never release us back into this wicked world.
 
1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
 
For many days now, we will be telling ourselves we just want to go home.
 
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.
 
We are no longer servants to this sinful world.
 
Gal 4:8 Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
 
I believe every one of us agrees with this verse.
 
There is no God but Jehovah who can change one thing on this earth!
 
When we look back on our old lives before our faith in Jesus, most of us do not like who or what we were.
 
We may have had knowledge of God, but we did not know Him in a personal way, and this is what God wants from us, a personal relationship.
 
We did not know life until we met Jesus!
 
We served the false gods of this world until we met Jesus!
 
Many of us worshipped that almighty dollar because the things of this world are only idols.
 
Eph 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
 
We were in bondage to the things of this world.
 
Now we know better so, why in the world would we ever want to go back into that lost world?
 
Gal 4:9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
Gal 4:10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
Gal 4:11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
 
It is a privilege to know the truth of God, a privilege we had better not abuse.
 
We should also understand that God knew us before we were even born on this earth.
 
In some places in the Bible, it shows that God talks to us while we are in the womb of our mothers.
 
God will not do for one that He will not do for another! Only He knows what is best for us.
 
It is a humbling fact, that God cared enough to send someone to us to tell us about Jesus and the Gospel.
 
There is nothing in this world that can give life.
 
Heb 7:18 For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.
Heb 7:19 For the law made nothing perfect, “but the bringing in of a better hope did”; by the which we draw nigh unto God.
 
The Apostle Paul is not condemning the observance of these things but teaching them that God will never justify them for observing these days.
 
Bondage to these things forfeits the liberty of the Gospel!
 
We are not bound to observe any ritual of any church.
 
The only things Jesus said for us are Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, but even these things cannot justify us.
 
We do these things because our Lord did these things, and He said to follow Him.
 
So, we follow Him in Baptism, and we partake of the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of Him.
 
Paul knew that these churches in Galatia were about to turn back to the Law and Paul was doing His best to tell them how foolish this was.
 
Every religion in this world is a religion of works!
 
People trying to please their god making these religions, religions of works.
 
The only thing that pleases God is “faith” in the work of His Son for our salvation!
 
Once we decide that we need to do something to make God love us, we are headed for trouble.
 
Heb 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Heb 10:39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
 
We are walking a dangerous path when we turn our backs on God!
 
When we speak to some in the church who seem to be losing their faith, we must remember they are still our brothers and sisters in Christ and the children of God.
 
Gal 4:12 Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.
 
Paul has not been too harsh to these churches because they are still family notice the word brethren.
 
This is an example for us all. Our own Pastor preaches hard, and some may not always agree with the message, but we had better remember that he is a minister of God called to preach the messages God has given him by the Holy Spirit.
 
He is also a brother in Christ who is in the same family as all God’s children.
 
If He does not preach God’s message, then he will answer to God.
 
If we do not listen to that message and apply it to our lives, Jesus may remind us of that when we meet Him in the clouds.
 
Every message is real when it matches what God has said in the Scriptures.
 
We do not have to abide by any message that goes against the Word of God!
 
Paul was being criticized for his messages of truth when it was the Judaizers who had the false message.
 
Even now Paul did not treat them as his enemies.
 
Paul assured them that they had not injured him, they had only injured themselves.
 
God gives us this time after our salvation to earn rewards given to us when we get to Heaven.
 
These rewards are far more than the promised Mansion and eternal life.
 
We can even be blessed as we witness for the Lord Jesus Christ here on earth.
 
God has all these things in mind when He sends a message to our Pastor for him to preach to us.
 
Gal 4:13 Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.
Gal 4:14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
Gal 4:15 Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.
Gal 4:16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
 
Even on a bad day when our pastor is feeling bad, he will always give us the truth of God!
 
Our Pastor is never ever our enemy!
 
Paul had a physical affliction that bothered him from time to time and he asked the Lord to remove it, and the Lord said to him, “My Grace Is sufficient” for it to overcome your weakness.
 
When a true man of God is preaching full of the Holy Spirit, God’s power to him will overcome all his deficiencies.
 
It is the message that is important, not the physical condition of that man of God!
 
When Paul first came to these people he was welcomed with open arms.
 
It was the legalism of the Judaizers that made things change.
 
This is what a false message does. It will cause friction in that body of believers.
 
Many a church has split for these same things.
 
1Ti 5:17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
 
Tit 3:8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
Tit 3:9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
Tit 3:10 A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;
Tit 3:11 Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.
 
Verse 15 also hints to us that the physical problem that Paul had was with his eyes.
 
The people who reject the truth of Jesus Christ are outside the church.
 
We are not to hate them, but we must know this fact and witness to them if we are able.
 
Notice it said if you have witnessed to them at least twice then you are not obligated to go that person a third time but someone else can go.
 
It was the Judaizers who were religionists who were Paul’s true enemy and the enemies of the Church!
 
Gal 4:17 They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.
Gal 4:18 But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.
 
Notice Paul did not mention names. Everyone present knew who Paul was referring to.
 
Gal 1:7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
 
All those who pervert the Gospel of Jesus Christ are false teachers!
 
We must always be on guard and reject false preachers and teachers.
 
These Judaizers were very zealous in their work, trying their best to reconvert as many of the Jews as they could and convert any Gentile to Judaism who listened to them.
 
They did not care if they got saved or not.
 
Their goal was to stop Christianity in its tracks.
 
Most of the world is trying to do the same today but this is impossible!
 
The very first thing they will try to do is to discredit that Pastor (preacher) who teaches the truth.
 
False teachers try to focus people on the law, work, effort, rituals, sacrifice, and rules.
 
False teachers reject the Grace of God.
 
Today false teachers claim some imaginary powers that they do not have and work for the money they can get from those who trust them.
 
Today God does all healing without the help of some mediator.
 
The power of healing belongs to God Himself and He does this work through prayers!
 
The true preacher seeks to focus people on this Almighty God who gave us a plan for salvation.
 
It is His plan and there is no other plan than His that will work!
 
God’s plan works only through the Lord Jesus Christ. These are His conditions, and we must not question His plan!
 
The Lord Jesus said: Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
 
Jesus also said: Mat 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
 
Rom 10:3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
 
Those who deny the truth of Jesus Christ are all antichrists!
 
2Jn 1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
2Jn 1:8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
2Jn 1:9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
 
Gal 4:19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
Gal 4:20 I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.
 
We as a church should welcome those Evangelist and Missionaries who preach the truth and in our church our Pastor makes this selection, and this is the way it should be in every Gospel church.
 
There is only one Gospel!
 
The true preacher seeks only to help believers.
 
The true preacher considers all believers as his dear children.
 
The true preacher will guard the church from error.
 
The true preacher’s heart is tender and warm, protecting and providing for the church.
 
Most people think of a growing church as one that adds many new members, but the truth is a growing church is a church growing in its relationship with Jesus Christ and His Heavenly Father who becomes our ABBA Father
 
Nothing else in this world is more important than our relationship with our Savior.
 
These are the same ones who are God’s children!
 
Amen.