Obeying God

A Covenant With God

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

A Better Covenant

Book of Hebrews Chapter 8

By understanding the Old Covenant compared to the New Covenant we can better understand the work that the Lord Jesus Christ has done for our salvation, so we have no work to do, but to believe in the work that Jesus has done for us.

Our faith must be based upon the Lord Jesus Christ!

We should understand that the Old Testament speaks of a Covenant of Works where humans had to do all the work, whereas the New Testament speaks of the Covenant of Grace where the Lord Jesus Christ has already completed all the work necessary for our salvation.

God did make a covenant of works with Adam.

Adam was told to obey God and he was promised eternal life for obedience, and eternal death for disobedience.

Adam failed because of disobedience and death entered the human race! Race meaning all humanity lumped into one group.

The Bible does not speak of any differences in the color of the skin as having any benefit or loss of benefits in the Word of God.

A works doctrine has no chance of pleasing God!

We cannot ever be good enough to enter into Heaven’s Gates!
We cannot ever do enough “good” work to please God!

There is no such thing as “our good” having to outweigh “our bad” before God will allow us in Heaven!

We have no goodness within us to begin with!

Rom 3:12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; “there is none that doeth good, no, not one”.

Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) “dwelleth no good thing”: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

There is no amount of goodness that can reconcile us our Heavenly Father!

God solved this problem with His Covenant of Grace through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ!

The entire world has been under the Covenant of Works which is actually a Covenant of Death since the time of Adam!

Gen 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof “thou shalt surely die”.
As a result of Adam’s failure, God entered into a Covenant of Grace through which the problem of sin and death would be overcome forever!

God knew there would never be a perfect human!

Only God could provide the solution to this problem because it was God who made that covenant with Adam.

God made this solution because of His promises such as the one He made with Abraham.

Gal 3:17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, “the law”, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, “that it should make the promise of none effect”.
Gal 3:18 For if the inheritance be of the law, “it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise”.

Abraham came before the Law that was given to Moses which was a works covenant.

There is no life at all that can come by a works covenant because a works covenant becomes a covenant of death!

It is only by the “Gospel of Jesus Christ”, that the substance of God’s “Grace” is revealed!

The “Covenant of Works” could only be a “Covenant of Life,” “when obedience is perfect” which is impossible for the human being!

You See, God entered into a covenant with Adam as the head of the human race and it was up to Adam to fulfill his side of the covenant, but Adam failed.

Gen 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

The Apostle Paul once a devout Jew realized the truth of this covenant with Adam.

Rom 7:8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
Rom 7:9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
Rom 7:10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
Rom 7:11 “For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me”.

You see, without that law being given to Adam, then there would be no death!

Gal 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them”.
Gal 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, “The just shall live by faith”.
Gal 3:12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, “being made a curse for us”: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Gal 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; “that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith”.

The penalty for disobedience to that covenant of works is stated in the term “die”!

Does God still demand perfect obedience of humans just as He did Adam?

Lev 18:5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: “which if a man do, he shall live in them”: I am the LORD.

Repeated in the New Testament.

Rom 10:5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, “That the man which doeth those things shall live by them”.

The thing that so many get confused about, is the fact that this obligation of mankind has been fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ!

God made this covenant with His Son before the human race existed!

2Th 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, “because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth”:
2Th 2:14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, “to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ”.

2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, “which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began”,
2Ti 1:10 “But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ”, “who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel”:

1Pe 1:2 Elect “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father”, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

Our all-knowing God the Father planned our “redemption” before He created the human race.

God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ would provide this “redemption” through His own “atoning” death, through the regenerating and the sealing of each believer which makes salvation according to our own faith and not by works!

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 1:7 In whom “we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace”;
Eph 1:8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
Eph 1:9 “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will”, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
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.
Eph 1:13 “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth”, “the gospel of your salvation”: in whom also “after that ye believed”, “ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise”,

These things are not so hard to understand if we would just read the Word of God that He has given to us!

God says we must diligently study the Word of God!

Our lesson states:

*Heb 8:1 Now of the things which we have spoken “this is the sum”: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;
Heb 8:2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.
Heb 8:3 For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.
Heb 8:4 For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:
Heb 8:5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.

We should clearly understand that there are qualifications for any priest, pastor, bishop, Pope or anyone else who stands before God for humanity!

God had certain conditions that had to be met if there were to be the Perfect High Priest!

1) Heb 3:1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
Heb 3:2 Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.

2) Heb 2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Heb 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

3) Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

4) Heb 7:26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
Heb 7:27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

5) Heb 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

6) Heb 5:5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.
Heb 5:6 As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

7) Heb 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
Heb 5:10 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.

8) Heb 6:20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

9) Heb 7:16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.

10) Heb 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

11) Heb 8:1 Now of the things which we have spoken “this is the sum”: “We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;
Heb 8:2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man”.

No one, but the Lord Jesus Christ was able to meet all these qualifications!

You see this is the sum of the Book of Hebrews and the sum of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

This is the chief point of the Book of Hebrews and in fact of all the Word of God!

Jesus Christ is the Sovereign Majesty of this universe!

Jesus Christ is the High Priest of the only proper place to worship in this universe!

Jesus Christ is the High Priest of Heaven!

Jesus Christ is the One in Heaven who can also reach each saint of God here upon this earth!

Jesus Christ is not in Heaven selfishly enjoying the great wonders of His creation.
Jesus Christ is not in Heaven soaking up all His glory.

Jesus Christ is in Heaven listening to and hearing the cries of His people and ministering to their needs, just as He always has!

It is the Lord Jesus Christ who is putting to end the murder of innocent babies answering prayers of the many who have prayed for this end.

It is a shame and disgrace that our own government insist on the continuation of the murder of the unborn child.

The EU is even worst in every category of sin and proud of it!

Jesus Christ is actively looking after the true sanctuary in Heaven!

This is the same place where God sits upon His throne!

Isa 41:9 Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.
Isa 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Isa 41:11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.

It is the Lord Jesus Christ who offered the ultimate sacrifice, Himself, for our sins!

Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Tit 2:13 “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ”;
Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Tit 2:15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

Jesus Christ was not born to be the High Priest of this world!

He will be King of kings when He returns!

Jesus Christ is the High Priest of Heaven!

Our job is to lead people to Heaven to the true High Priest for only He can save!

No one upon this earth has the power to pronounce you saved, it is a God thing that only Christ Jesus can accomplish!

Heb 11:10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

If we are just looking for a sanctuary upon this earth, then we are not committed to the High Priest of Heaven!

Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

It is the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Minister of the New Covenant which is a Superior Covenant!

*Heb 8:6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. (The theme of our lesson today)

We see that this is a covenant God was made with His Son and humanity’s one part is to believe! (faith)

It is the Lord Jesus Christ who stands between humanity and the Almighty God, with the Lord Jesus Christ “the express image of God”, our Mediator.

This is why it is called “Grace”!

Jesus the Messiah has negotiated this covenant with His Father without the interference of mankind and it will remain this way!

It is the Almighty God who chose His Son for this role, and it was the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ who fulfilled His role, and is continuing to fulfill His role, as our Mediator and our High Priest.

It is easy to see that this covenant is founded upon better promises!

The Old Covenant (The Law) was a covenant of death because no one could keep all those old laws!

Those old laws could not bring about reconciliation!

The Law cannot make us holy!
The Law cannot make us acceptable to God!
The Law cannot provide a personal experience with the Almighty God!
The Law cannot teach us the love and the mercy of God!

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.

Only Jesus Christ can make us perfect in the eyes of a Loving God!

The first covenant, the covenant of Law, was full of faults because it was a covenant of works!

*Heb 8:7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
Heb 8:8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
Heb 8:9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.

The New Covenant eliminates the weaknesses of the Old Covenant!

If we look closely, we can see where God the Holy Spirit begins speaking. (Look for the word “I”).

It is God Himself who points out the weakness of that Old Covenant!

If we cannot believe God, then how can we expect His “Mercy” or His “Grace”!

Note: If the Old Covenant can reveal sin, but does not offer a way remove sin, then that covenant is useless!

Any Covenant that fails to meet the needs of the sinner is a Covenant of Death!

If the Old Covenant could provide a way for forgiveness, then there would have been no need for the Lord Jesus to die!

It is God who decided all these things!

These things make the Word of God gathered together in what we call the Bible the greatest book that could exist!

The New Covenant now becomes the “Good News” to the sinner because the Gospel makes a way for forgiveness because we have a “merciful” and “loving” God who wants each sinner to know this truth!

This is God’s plan of salvation not man’s plan!

The New Covenant is vastly different from the Old Covenant because our death is now just the doorway to eternal life!

Joh 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
Joh 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

We should know that God does not regard anyone who rejects His Covenants!

God’s New Covenant is in effect for the Church but not for Israel at this time though it will be after they see the wrath of God.

Remember Israel is right now blind to the Gospel!

Rom 11:7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
Rom 11:8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

That “unto this day” would mean the day the Apostle Paul had authored the Book of Romans, and it is still in the future, when they too will believe the “Gospel” of Jesus Christ.

*Heb 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
Heb 8:11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
Heb 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

After those days would be after the Church Age and the seven years of Tribulation which Israel will go through, but not the Church.

We must understand that the New Covenant of God is an inward power that did not exist until the Holy Spirit moved into our heart!

The heart that belongs to the Lord will then, sow righteousness into the mind of the believer!

When the blinders have been removed from Israel, they too can be “Born Again” into the family of God!

This of course is speaking of Israel as a nation and not the individual.

Every individual that hears the Gospel and the Holy Spirit cause conviction can be saved.

Salvation is a work brought about by the work of the Holy Spirit on earth!

Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Joh 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

Joh 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

That New Covenant of course is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Joh 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
Joh 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Joh 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

None can be acceptable to God without a new heart and a new mind and again we see the importance of repentance!

Repentance may not be preached in the Church anymore, but it is still a requirement even in this time of “Grace”!

With a new heart and mind comes a desire to follow and obey God!

We will be stirred to show God the same love He has shown to us!

Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

God Himself says He will God to each believer!

We that believe are God’s children which means:

1) We can have fellowship with God.
2) We can pray and know our prayer will be heard.
3) We can call on God because we know of His “Mercy” and His “Grace”.
4) We will have God’s provision and protection.
5) We can have the power of the Holy Spirit to battle temptation and trials and have victory over them.

There is so much more that comes from a personal relationship with our Savior!

Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

There is power in having a personal relationship with God!

There is no need for a human priest to make contact with Heaven!

As the Scripture says: We can boldly go into the throne room of God, we simply better be humble when we get there!

When we get to Heaven, we can know God face to face and live forever!

We can now approach God through His Son Jesus!

We can know, it is not just the nation of Israel, who still wear the blinders, that God will accept us, as He accepts all nations, all races, and all peoples, rich or poor.

As believers we can know the power of “forgiveness”!

The forgiveness of sins is the basis for all the promises of God!

God also directs each of us to be just as forgiving as He is forgiving!

The forgiveness of God is based upon the “mercy” of God!

We are not forgiven because of some law, but we are forgiven by the “Grace” of God, through the Lord Jesus Christ!

We can be saved if we believe the Lord Jesus Christ died in payment for our sins!

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

When God says He will remember our sins no more He means it!

God has removed our sin as far as the distance from the east to the west which is infinite!

Psa 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

When God says forgiveness, then it is a perfect forgiveness, because He is perfect in all His ways!

When God replaces one covenant with another covenant, then that Old Covenant is ready to vanish away!

*Heb 8:13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

God would not have made a New Covenant if He intended to keep the Old Covenant!

Does this mean we can tear out the Old Testament from the Bible?

No, all Scripture is for our learning!

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

It is Scripture of the Old Covenant that teaches us what is sin and that we are all guilty of sin.

It is Scripture that teaches us about faith!

Gal 3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

The Lord Jesus Christ did not come to destroy the Old Covenant, but He did come to fulfill all of the Old Covenant therefore making it useless.

Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

In fact all the Word of God will be fulfilled just as it is written!

Col 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
Col 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
Col 2:15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Praise God for making a way for us to be near to Him throughout eternity!

Amen

Moses Was Not Aborted

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Moses and Israel

Book of Deuteronomy Chapters 31 33 and 34

Most people do not realize that the life of Moses began when His mother chose to not allow the government to abort her child.

It is the same abortion process that is allowed in some states today.

The government ordered all the male babies of Israel to be destroyed and the female babies allowed to live to become sex slaves.

Abortion after nine months is nothing but murder, in fact abortion at any stage of a baby’s development is nothing but murder!

Abortion needs to be outlawed completely.

Moses grew up to be a great man and a great leader of Israel.

What is greatness?

Greatness as far as humanity can be said to be a high rank, a placed of elevation, a place of high dignity, a place of much power, a place with command of others, a place of swelling pride.

Guess what, almost every human being goes through a period in their lives when they want to feel that they are great.

That they are far above other people.

That they are important in this world and more important than most others.

We see rulers and presidents who have this feeling of greatness.

We see governments that claim greatness because of certain laws.

Today we see politicians who think they know more of what of what people need than the people do, especially parents.

This is called indoctrination, but this is for another lesson.

It is not wealth, nor influence, nor fame that gets the attention of God. It is humility!

Humility can be described as a state of mind that is well-pleasing to God!

It is humility that preserves the soul:

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

1Pe 3:4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

The Lord Jesus Christ is our example of humility as He is our example in all things.

Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

God greatest promises are to those who are humble in spirit!

Isa 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Those who are contrite are all those are all those who are broken hearted because they have sinned against our Holy God.

We should all be ashamed that we were such sinners!

Moses was God’s man and the mediator between all of Israel and the Almighty God.

Moses was now 120 years old. His life was spent in 40-year increments.

Forty years as the grandson of Pharaoh.
Forty years as a lowly shepherd.
Forty years leading the Israelites to a promised land that he would not get to see with his own eyes.

*Deu 31:1 And Moses went and spake these words unto all Israel.
Deu 31:2 And he said unto them, I am an hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in: also the LORD hath said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan.
Deu 31:3 The LORD thy God, he will go over before thee, and he will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt possess them: and Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as the LORD hath said.

It was finally time for these children of Israel to enter the promised land, but Moses was forbidden by God to do so.

His days had ended.

Moses said to these people that his days as a leader had ended because his death was approaching.

One of the greatest types in all the Bible was about to take place.

Joshua, Hoshea, Yehoshua in Hebrew would lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land just as Yeshua, Jesus will lead the Church into the New Heaven, the true Promised Land.

Even in his humility, Moses was a great prophet of Jehovah.

He was the Lawgiver to the Jews.

In fact, even at the time of Jesus, Moses was known as the Law Giver.

Notice that Moses had been prepared and then performed the work of God for 120 years.

Reminds us of Noah who built the Ark and preached to unrepentant sinners for 120 years.

Moses had known that he would not enter Canaan Land.

Deu 32:48 And the LORD spake unto Moses that selfsame day, saying,
Deu 32:49 Get thee up into this mountain Abarim, unto mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and behold the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession:
Deu 32:50 And die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people; as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people:
Deu 32:51 Because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel.
Deu 32:52 Yet thou shalt see the land before thee; but thou shalt not go thither unto the land which I give the children of Israel.

We must not think that Moses was on his death bed for he was not.

Deu 34:7 And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.

He could not go in and out. He could not perform the day-by-day function of leader to this people.

Nothing could be done to change this fact that Moses would not lead these people into the promised land, so Moses began to encourage them.

Great Spiritual leaders may come and go, but the message of God and the truths of God do not ever change!

As Christians it is our job to encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ!

As we go through these days we call life, we find that we need strong encouragement most of the time, but the fact remains that sometimes we need a strong warning, as it is today as we see the end of the Church Age approaching.

The Church needs to wake up to these facts!

We need to understand the consequences of the decisions we make in this life!

We must understand that it is our faith that will provided that encouragement and it is our faith that we need to grow!

Though Moses would no longer be the leader of this new nation of Israel, he promised them that God would still with them.

The Lord will always fulfill the promises He makes, no matter what is going on in the world.

Joshua had proven himself to Moses and to God, and Joshua would lead this people into the Promised Land just as the Lord Jesus will lead the Church into the true Promised Land the New Heaven.

Before Joshua would take over in place of Moses, Moses had to complete that first copy of all the Law he had received from Jehovah and the people would first hear the first five Books of the Bible from Moses himself.

We sometimes forget that Moses was one of the greatest men that had ever lived.

We know that Moses was one of the two men that appeared at the time of the transfiguration of the Lord Jesus Christ, Elijah being the other man.

God thought an awful lot of Moses and these Jews would do so also.

If anyone could offer encouragement to these people, it would be Moses.

Remember they had witnessed all their elders die in the wilderness because of their refusal to be obedient to God.

Another thing we should understand when serving the Lord is, that He will never send us into any place that He has not gone on before us to begin His work.

We see this today in places where God has called missionaries to specific places because the Holy Spirit has already been at work there.

Joshua had been prepared all his life to take the reins from Moses and he had never faltered.

These people had to realize that their strength did not come from the size of their army nor from their own abilities.

Their strength could come only from the LORD!

This is the same lesson the Church must learn and each of us that believe!

Our strength comes only from the Lord Jesus!

It should be the goal of every individual to want victory in this life and that victory can come only by the Lord Jesus Christ!

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.
Joh 16:15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

It is the Lord Jesus Christ who is our refuge at all times and under all circumstances!

*Deu 33:26 There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky.
Deu 33:27 The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.

That name Jeshurun could be said to be God’s “pet name” or “nick name” for Israel.

It could be phrased “the righteous little people” or “the dear upright people” for we know that Israel was a small nation at this time, but they were the people of God.

They were a people without a country!

The thing this world had better keep in mind is, that true Israel will be preserved to serve God during the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ and there is nothing that this world can do about it and before this, the Lord will have removed His Church.

It does not matter that the world does not believe this!

Anyone with plans to attack Israel had best be aware God will always be on their side!

Remember from last week, God will rejoice in the destruction of all those who try to destroy Israel!

There is nothing in this world that you could compare to the power of God!

Jehovah will always be the Eternal Refuge of Israel!
Jehovah will always be the Saving Help of these, His people!

There is none like unto Jehovah God!
There is none that can compare to Jehovah God!

It was time for Israel to realize this truth and to be honest, it is past time for the world of today to know this truth.

Why does the world keep falling into the traps of evolution?

Why does the world keep believing it can control the outcome of sin?

Sin comes by the hand of Satan and is intended to destroy us all!

Tax revenues made from sin, would not be that important if governments were better stewards of its national resources!

God is the Dwelling-place and the Refuge of His people, and this includes the Church!

It is God the LORD who is our Protector from the storms of life!

If God sends us into the storm, then He will go with us and He is never far from us!

We are always trying to figure out what God is going to do, or to allow to happen in this world, but all the major things are written down for in the Word of God!

What we know is, that Heaven is a busy place as the Lord Jesus is preparing a place for all His children.

We need to keep the Lord Jesus Christ busy building mansions!

For Jesus is truly our refuge in times of trouble!

Not for those who reject the Word of God, but only for those who are obedient to all the Word of God and who diligently seek Him!

Jehovah is glorious in His majesty.
Jehovah has absolute sovereignty over ALL His creation.
Jehovah has power infinitely beyond comprehension or even resistance.
Jehovah is Divine in His character!

Isa 40:18 To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
Isa 40:19 The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.
Isa 40:20 He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved.
Isa 40:21 Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?
Isa 40:22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:
Isa 40:23 That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.

This truth is so obvious today, but the truth of God is still rejected so people can believe lies!

It does not matter what the world believes, Israel dwells in the safety of Jehovah God every day as does the Church!

Israel’s God and God’s Israel.

*Deu 33:28 Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew.
Deu 33:29 Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.

Egypt had so many gods that some people would say they grew them in their own gardens.

This could be said of this world we live in today!

This could be said of the USA today, as America looks more like the world every day now.

I have this question that haunts me: “Why do we even want to be like the world especially the European Union”?

We had a war to be free from the Europeans to get our nation started.

Why do we want to be like them now? They have not changed for the better!

If America is Sodom, then Europe is Gomorrah!

We should want to be more like the vision of those who came to America to serve the Lord Jesus Christ!

If America would just repent, we would see so many good changes come in the form of God’s love!

2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

There is coming a day when all of Israel’s enemies will be found to be liars.

In fact there is coming a day when all God’s enemies will be found to be liars.

They are liars because they follow their true god, Satan the father of all liars!

The Lord Jesus had these words to say:

Joh 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Joh 8:45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

There are many nations today that are becoming friends of Israel and they had better be truthful and for those who swear to destroy Israel they will certainly be found liars!

It was time for Moses to disappear off the scene and Joshua to take the reins of Israel, but before this happened the Holy Spirit still had some things to say about Moses.

As we study the Scriptures, we will find that there has not been another prophet as was Moses who did speak to Jehovah face to face.

Moses has now been buried in a place no one but God knows.

Deu 34:5 So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD.
Deu 34:6 And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.

*Deu 34:10 And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,
Deu 34:11 In all the signs and the wonders, which the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land,
Deu 34:12 And in all that mighty hand, and in all the great terror which Moses shewed in the sight of all Israel.

Another thing we see is that when our own work is done, God will call on someone else to continue that work.

The work for Jesus Christ will not be complete until He returns to take His Church home to the New Heaven!

To be honest there were many great prophets to accept the cause of God after the death of Moses, but God spoke to them in a different way.

Moses was a type of Christ, and this could not be said of all the prophets that followed even though they too were great men of God.

They were to be more like the preachers and Pastors of today, but they did many times show the power of God.

As it did to Moses, death will sometimes reveal to us all the missed opportunities where we made the wrong choices in this thing called life.

These things may cause us sadness, but the main thing today in the Church Age is, “to get your name written down in the Lambs Book of Life”.

Moses is in Heaven because he had the “faith” of Abraham!

We can only get to Heaven if we have the “faith” of Abraham in the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Abraham believed God!

Moses had requested to see the glory of God and because he was a sinner, he could not, but he has now seen all the glory of the Lord.

Death is that place where the man of God steps into the glory world just as Moses did.

Israel was now prepared to enter into the Promised Land.

All that old bunch of naysayers had died and gone on to the grave to await their future in a burning Hell, but Moses had taken that young nation of Israel and with the help of God formed them into a mighty army.

We should understand this is the job of national leaders to prepare our nation to moved forward in a productive manner and not be brainwashed into something that suits them.

God does not want an indoctrinated youth!

Communism exist today because the youth of those nations were indoctrinated and it is happening in America today.

God wants a youth brought up having been influenced by the Word of God.

Moses drew closer to God as he had gotten older.

Moses was a liberator.
Moses was a prophet.
Moses a lawgiver.
Moses was the father of Israel.

Moses had done all these things because He had believed God and followed all the Word of God.

Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Moses had made a record of all the things God had done to make Israel a great nation.

All these things were done to Israel so that one day not too far into our own future and of Israel, there would be a King again to sit upon the throne of Israel and the promises God had made would be fulfilled.

Moses longed to know the Lord personally and intimately, and this was the driving force in his fellowship with God and is our example of how we can do the same.

Jesus Christ said:

Joh 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

All the Word of God is true, and we had better know that it is!

Amen

Jesus Is Tested

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Jesus Was Tested as a King

Book of Matthew Chapter 4 Verse 1 through 11

We should remember the numbering of the Chapters and verses in the modern Bible did not exist in the time of Jesus so if we back up to Chapter 3 in the Book of Matthew, we find these verses.

Mat 3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
Mat 3:17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

It is this time that the Lord Jesus Christ began His earthly ministry!

The next thing we see is the beginning of our lesson today.

We will find Jesus being tempted of the Devil.

What is temptation? We could say temptation is “enticement”. Enticed to do things that go against the Word of God!

The source of all temptation is Satan and the works of Satan.

Satan can be effective in his works of temptation because we live in the flesh.

We know that God cannot be tempted and neither does He tempt any of His children nor is He the source of temptation to those who are lost.

Jas 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

When we read that Jesus is tempted of Satan, we should understand that it is because Jesus was 100% man still being 100% God.

It was extremely important that Jesus, while in His flesh be sin free, impeccable. After salvation this should be our goal.

We will see that Jesus did not just wander into temptation but the Holy Spirit who drove Christ Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil.

There is no place we can go upon this earth that we will not be exposed to temptation!

The Holy Spirit drove Jesus Christ into the wilderness which may not be far from where Jesus was baptized of John the Baptist.

*Mat 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

We must never understand that this was the only time that our Lord Jesus faced temptation because He was tempted throughout His ministry upon this earth, but He cannot be tempted now that He is back in Heaven as said in the Book of James but also in other places.

Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

We should understand that if Christ Jesus was so tempted then, while in His flesh, then it could have been possible that He could have sinned if He so chose to.

To be a true man then Jesus was capable of sinning!

1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
1Pe 2:22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
1Pe 2:23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

We should understand as a test of our own goodness, God will allow us to be tempted of Satan.

All human goodness needs the strain of temptation.

We will never have a testimony until we have been tested!

We do not know what form Satan took in his temptation of Christ Jesus, but we do know he took the form of a serpent when he went after Eve.

When we read and study this passage, we know this temptation was terrible enough but the worst of the times of the temptation of Christ came in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Luk 22:44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Heb 12:3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Heb 12:4 “Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin”.
Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

Before this temptation began our Lord Jesus first fasted.

*Mat 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

Fasting has been in the Church from the beginning and again our example is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Fasting has a place in our relationship with the Lord.

Fasting is a means to teach us self-discipline.

Fasting is a means of preparation for beginning a ministry as it seems the Lord Jesus was doing here in this passage.

Fasting is not a means to obtain God’s Grace!

Grace comes by beginning a “sincere” relationship with the Lord by accepting the work He did for our salvation.

All fast are not acceptable to the Lord.

Isa 58:4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.
Isa 58:5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?
Isa 58:6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
Isa 58:7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
Isa 58:8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.
Isa 58:9 Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
Isa 58:10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:
Isa 58:11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

We are bought and paid for with the blood of Jesus, making Jesus our new owner. We should hate man-made slavery, but it is a privilege to be a slave to the Lord Jesus Christ!

Fasting is not a substitute for righteousness.

The ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ began with a fast for 40 days and forty nights and there can be little doubt that Jesus was very hungry.

We should understand that Satan (the Tempter) will usually show up when we are in a period of physical and mental weakness.

He will then try to confront us with his lies.

*Mat 4:3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

In this temptation of our Lord we must remember that Jesus was 100% man and 100% God. If Jesus in the flesh could not fulfill His ministry without being sustained by His Godly power, then no human would be able to do so.

Jesus had to refrain from using the power of God to sustain Himself. It will obvious He did use some portions of Godly power to help others as we study the Gospels but never for Himself!

These are called miracles which He still does today!

God will help us because we do not have the power within ourselves to do so!

In fact the greatest lesson we will learn in life is, that we cannot help ourselves to obtained salvation, we need the Lord Jesus Christ in a personal relationship to be saved.

The Lord Jesus Christ possesses the only means of salvation. Do not be fooled by naysayers!

By the end of those forty days, Jesus in His flesh had reached a point where it was critical that He get something to eat.

Satan knew this as he had been spying on Jesus all this time.

There is nothing outside God’s creative power except the power to do wrong!

There is hardly anywhere you go in Israel where you will not see stones and many of those stones were round and to the hungry eye, they could appear to be small loaves of bread.

It would have been really easy for the Lord to do this.

In fact John the Baptist said God could just as easily raised up humans from those same stones.

Luk 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

Jesus later said if He needed to hear praise He could just as easily gotten praise from those same stones.

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.

Yes, He could have easily changed those stones into bread, but He did have a response to the tempter.

*Mat 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

The message of Satan: Go ahead and trust yourself, you do not need God.

The message of Jesus to Satan: I choose to live by God’s ways!

This must be our answer! We must choose to live according to the Word of God!

Jesus had all the power of God, but it is always best to live by the Word of God!

As humans we may be bound by our human necessities, but when we base our existence on our necessities, then these things will become our standard for living.

God lives upon a greater plain and He knows we have human needs, and it is He, that supplies those needs so, we need much more than life’s necessities.

We need God! We do not need some false god, we need Jehovah God, and we need the truth of life and the truth of Spiritual life!

We have in our possession a Book of Truth. The world can only provide lies with very little truth because higher powers have decided that the public is too ignorant to know the truth.

God on the other hand is not afraid to give us the truth!

Our physical life is but a short period of time, but our Spiritual life is forever!

Jesus quoted part of a passage from the Book of Deuteronomy.

Deu 8:3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; “that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live”.

Every human being has a spiritual hunger that must be satisfied yet, so many settle with falseness, and they are never really satisfied in this life.
Many reject the need for spiritual things, and this leads them to a miserable life.

Many choose some sort of substitute for the truth and they ruin their bodies and their minds. They are happy one day and miserable for many more days, and livein endless cycles of denial.

We can only be at peace when we have the satisfaction of the Lord Jesus Christ and depend upon the truth of the Scriptures for true life now, and endless life forever.

When we get to Heaven, we will be more alive than we can ever obtain here upon this earth.

The Devil did not like the response of the Lord, so he took the Lord to Jerusalem.

*Mat 4:5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
Mat 4:6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

As there was not a designated pinnacle upon the roof of the Temple, the Greek word used here means the highest point of the roof of the Temple. The apex of the building.

The word pinnacle in architecture, is a term used for a wing-like projection and was most probably one of the Temple porches that overlooked the Kedron Valley that is between the Mount of Olives and Mount Moriah which adds to its height.

We should understand that the city of Jerusalem also sits upon a hill and at this time of Jesus, Jerusalem was probably the highest capitol city in the ancient world.

In the Gospels only Matthew describes Jerusalem as the Holy City.

Again the Devil quotes Scripture. We must understand that Satan has read every bit of Scripture and he can understand it as much as any lost person can, but without the Holy Spirit he cannot understand the truth of the message of God.

Here, the Devil quotes from the Book of Psalms.

Psa 91:11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
Psa 91:12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Of course God could get safely off the top of any high peak, but in the flesh the Lord would have perished.

The angels would have certainly rushed to His rescue.

We must remember that Satan was trying to get Jesus to use His godly powers to save Himself.

He did not have to prove Himself to Satan. Satan knew exactly who the Lord Jesus was.

Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

If Jesus was a human Messiah, then certainly God the Father would have not allowed Him to be injured.

The Lord Jesus gives us a great understanding of the truth of God!

No matter our relationship with our Heavenly Father we must never tempt God.

God will do exactly what He says He will do and in most cases He will go far beyond what He says, but we must never test God just to see if He is telling the truth.

What our Heavenly Father says is the truth without question! God is not to be tested! God is to be trusted!

Faith is the greatest key to our relationship with our Heavenly Father!

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.

The Lord Jesus replies sternly to Satan.

*Mat 4:7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

We must clearly understand, the only way we can obtain the glory of the Lord is by obedience!

God gave us His Word so we could know the truth and decide ourselves who to believe!

This is where Adam failed and this in the one thing we must overcome!

Again Jesus quotes from the Old Testament, the New Testament had not been written.

Deu 6:16 “Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God”, as ye tempted him in Massah.

At Massah, Moses and Aaron had displayed distrust in Jehovah when they tried to glorify themselves with a miracle of God.

Num 20:7 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Num 20:8 Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.
Num 20:9 And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.
Num 20:10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?
Num 20:11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.
Num 20:12 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

We should understand this as the one thing that kept Moses from leading the children of Israel into the Promised Land.

We as the Church understand that it is by “obedience” to the Word of God that we enter into God’s true Promised Land, the New Heaven.

We must never tempt our Heavenly Father!
We must always obey the written Word of God!

The Lord Jesus Christ in His flesh could never misuse the true power He had while He was upon this Earth!

Again, Satan was defeated but Satan will never stop until the Lord is through with him, but he can only tempt us, he cannot force us to sin if you are one of God’s children by Jesus Christ.

We sin when we choose to go against the Word of God!

*Mat 4:8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
Mat 4:9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

What is the greatest sin we do as Christians today? We compromise our ministry and our mission in the work of Christ with this evil and wicked world!

We lose our testimony and are all but useless in the work the Lord has given us to do!

It is not important to know if there is such a mountain in this world.

It is important to know that as powerful as Satan maybe, he does not have absolute power on this earth and he never has had that power.

It would have only been important to Satan if he could convince the flesh side of the Messiah that he did have this power.

In these three temptations we have seen the truth of the temptations of the Devil.

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.

Our Lord Jesus was tempted in these three things.

Satan maybe the prince of this world but he will be judged and spend eternity in Hell just like every other non-believer!

Joh 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
Joh 14:30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
Joh 16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

He is also called the prince of the power of the air:

Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

We should clearly understand that Satan only has limited power, and that limited power is under the control of Jehovah God!

Many a national leader has fallen under the trap of that same offer Satan made to the Lord Jesus Christ.

We see it every day in the USA, the craving for power.

Eventually the Antichrist will step upon the scene and he will crave for worldly power.

Luke wrote it like this:

Luk 4:6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
Luk 4:7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

Satan is indeed the ruler of darkness, but darkness is always overruled by Light.

Shine a light into a dark room and you will see darkness flee to its limited places to hide where darkness becomes shadows that move about as the light moves about always hiding from the light.

Jesus gives Satan His greatest rebuke.

*Mat 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

We must understand that though Satan is powerful, he does not have the power of God.

God will never lead us into temptation, but this is Satan’s favorite game!

We are to put on the armor of God and take our stand even if we are facing the Devil!

Jas 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

We must know who has the greatest power!

1Jn 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Satan cannot overcome the child of God unless we allow it to happen.

We are to worship only the Lord our God and He only are we to serve! It is just that simple!

The Devil gave up for a moment, but he tempted Jesus all the days he was upon the Earth.

*Mat 4:11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

The Lord Jesus Christ describes to us actual scenes. We do not know what form the Devil used and it is not important.

These were not dreams that the Lord had but a reality, and it will be the same for each of us that love Him.

Satan just does not give up!

If Satan is bold enough to tempt the Lord, knowing who He was then, why should we think he will not come after us.

Now he may not come himself. Remember Satan can only be in one place at a time, but he will send one of his demons.

Satan will do his very best to ruin our Christian testimony, but without his temptations, we would not have a testimony to begin with.

We have the power within us to resist the Devil, the Tempter, Satan, the Deceiver, or whatever you want to call him!

It begins with Scripture.

Many Churches today listen to preachers who twist the truth because they have sold out to Satan.

They preach from perverted text with intent to deceive because they are already sold out to the Devil.

If you know the Scriptures then run them out of the pulpits of America, and you will witness the greatest change this nation has ever had!

The angels did come to minister to the Lord for no doubt he was weak, which is another lesson for us.

Even in His weakness, the Lord easily overcame the full power of Satan with His flesh side!

Jesus Christ is our example in everything we do for the Lord God!

Amen

Yielding to the Will of God the Father

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Jesus Yielded to His Father’s Will

Book of John Chapter 18

One thing we should be very clear on is that, Jesus Christ was never a victim of circumstances. Jesus led His life in direct obedience to His heavenly Father and He is our example that we are to do the same!

Another truth we must realize is that God has a plan for every life!

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.
Eph 2:11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
Eph 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

We already know that God the Father sent God the Son to this earth to die for our sins and reconcile us back to God.

It is also written, that God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, is to be our example as One who was completely obedient to our Heavenly Father.

Jesus Christ is our example of absolute surrender to Our Heavenly Father.

*****Joh 18:1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples.

Since that last supper and all those lessons we have learned in between, Jesus and those 11 disciples had finally arrived at the Garden of Gethsemane.

Jesus knew exactly what He was doing and exactly what time to do these things.

We know for a fact the Jesus is never late for He is always on time even in His death!

We should understand that the Kedron Brook was a black, foul smelling brook or creek that carried all the filth of Jerusalem into the Dead Sea including all the blood sacrifices from the Temple.

This is the same brook that the prophet said Jesus was to drink thereof, meaning He carried all the sin for the filth of this world and nailed it to His cross.

Psa 110:7 He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.

This place is also called the Valley of Jehoshaphat by the Prophets.

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

None of these men understood these prophecies but Jesus knew that Judas the Betrayer was very familiar with this Garden.

*****Joh 18:2 And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples.
Joh 18:3 Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.

This was the hour that His Father had called Him, and the hour of His death was approaching rapidly.

Jesus also knew that His Father would have to forsake Him for a moment in time, because He would carry all the filth of the world upon His own shoulders.

In order for all these things to take place, Jesus needed His Father’s help.

All the “Gospels” but John, showed the agony that the Lord went through during this time. John teaches us that Jesus was totally devoted to the will of His Father.

*****Joh 18:4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?
Joh 18:5 They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.
Joh 18:6 As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.

The Passover takes place when the moon is full, but we see that Jesus made no attempt to hide from these men.

A band of the Roman guard could be from 200 to 600 men but there were also the Temple police and Judas, and they had torches, lanterns, and weapons expecting Jesus to flee from them, but they were wrong in this. Jesus stepped forward in full view!

They may have anticipated that Jesus was gathering together men to defend His kingdom but that is a whole other time.

Jesus knew everything that was about to happen to Him.

Jesus was ready, willing, and able to die for our sins!

When they called for Yeshua, Jesus stepped forward and said, “I Am” He!

John could not help but to tell us that Judas the traitor was also there with these men!

Just at the authority of these words of Christ this entire group of men fell to their knees.

Psa 27:2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

There should be no doubt to anyone that the Lord Jesus Christ allowed Himself to be taken prisoner also becoming the focus of attention allowing His disciples the opportunity to escape. This was at least as important, or the church could not have begun had these men been captured at this time.

It is very possible that this was to Judas, his last chance to repent!

Also there was probably some confusion amongst these men.

So Jesus asked them again.

*****Joh 18:7 Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth.
Joh 18:8 Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way:
Joh 18:9 That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none.

They had been sent to arrest Jesus the Nazarene and so Jesus made certain that they knew it was He that they had come for.

1) The first thing we notice is that without understanding, this mob began to obey the things Jesus said to do.
2) The second thing we notice is, that Jesus will never lose any of His disciples, we are all secure in Christ Jesus.

We should understand that it was Christ alone who suffered and died for our sins. Had any of His disciples had to suffer and die at this time then it could not be said that Jesus was the only one who suffered and died for our sins.

We know that not even Peter was seized when he had cut off the ear of Malchus.

It seems like none of these men were willing to defy the commands of the Lord. He was not pleading with them, He was commanding them to leave His disciples alone and take only Him.

It is certain that these disciples were in imminent danger that ended with the Words of our Lord Jesus!

Then John gives us one more reason none of the disciples were captured:

Joh 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

We can readily see that we need to pay attention to the Words of the Lord!

Jesus was taken by this mob first to Annas and then to the High Priest

*****Joh 18:19 The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine.
Joh 18:20 Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing.

Annas, who had been the High Priest, was the father-in-law to Caiaphas the High Priest at this time. Annas had somehow been able to hold on to the power of the High Priest through his son-in-law and then three other sons and at least one grandson, for many years.

Luk 3:2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

Act 4:5 And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,
Act 4:6 And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.

Anything or anyone who could affect this relationship with Rome was truly an enemy of these evil men.

Annas held a great authority in Israel at this time, even though he was detested by the people.

We could say that this evil man was another one who was used to fulfill the Word of God just as it was written!

It was Annas who owned the Bazaars that were set up on Temple grounds that sold animals for sacrifice and stalls for money changers.

Annas first questioned Jesus about His disciples, but Jesus would not respond.

Annas then questioned Jesus about His doctrine.

The Lord Jesus responded by saying, He had no secret doctrine. Everything He had taught His disciples, He had also preached in public.

No doubt Jesus recognized the spies that had been sent to keep an eye on Him and Jesus simply said, “ask them”.

*****Joh 18:21 Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said.

The Lord Jesus Christ refused to answer foolish questions that had no meaning.

Have you noticed that the Lord refuses to respond at all, if we are too ignorant to believe what He has said.

Psalms 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

Isa 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

Psa 22:24 For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.

One of the most foolish things we can do is pray without “Faith”!

When we reject the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have crossed a line that many will never cross to return to the truth!

The one sin that cannot be forgiven is the sin of unbelief!

When we ask of the Doctrine of Jesus Christ, we will get an answer, faith must be in the answer!
When we do not allow Jesus to prove He is who He says He is, we have already rejected His proof.
When we do not allow Jesus to justify His claims, we have rejected God!
When we do not believe that Jesus has the answers to life and abundant life, then we deserve Hell!

Joh 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
Joh 12:49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
Joh 12:50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

When the world rejects the truth it causes hatred to the truth!
When the sin of the world is pointed out the world answers with hatred and much more evil!

*****Joh 18:22 And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so?
Joh 18:23 Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?

We should also understand that under Jewish Law a person never had to admit their guilt. That burden was entirely in the hands of those who were trying to bring some one, to justice.

This trial of the Lord Jesus Christ was a mockery to Jewish Law!

It was also illegal to have a night court. All criminals were to be tried during the daylight hours in full view of the public.

They had first met in the living quarters of Annas, also breaking the law. All cases were to be tried in the courtroom of the Sanhedrin.

It was also so Passover week and no trials were to take place during this time of festivities.

The truth is these leaders were only trying to devise charges that would condemn Jesus to death.

To these hard-line Jew, Jesus was guilty of blasphemy, because He said He was equal with God. In Jewish Law, he would be stoned to death.

Under Roman Law Jesus would go to the Cross for insurrection against the government of Rome because He was the King of the Jews and this brought the death penalty by crucifixion.

If the Romans could be convinced that Jesus was trying to become King of the Jews, then insurrection would bring the death penalty!

Jesus was innocent of all charges!

No matter what the Jews thought, they knew that this evil world would never accept Jesus as God nor King of the World.

The world stood up and slapped Jesus in the face and are still doing this today!

The Jews in the general public, again denied their own prophets and listened to men who were hypocrites.

The truth is religion allows mankind to continue in his own ways and pretty much do as they please and reject that any god should interfere in their lives.

This world has never gotten better it has gotten worse than this picture of the world at the trial of Jesus.

2Ti_3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

When we expect more from our world, we are deceiving our own selves!

Just today I read where the head of the Catholic Church in California said that there was more than one way to get to Heaven. He showed his foolishness!

Religion will take you to Hell!

Today far too many are willing to sacrifice the truth, just so they are not seen as the enemy of the world.

The world has been on trial since this trial of Jesus and the world continues to come up short, because the world rejects the truth!

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Jesus continues to tell the world if He is a liar then the world is right but if Jesus is the truth then why beat on our Savior.

Before there could be any discussion, Annas sent Jesus bound as a criminal to Caiaphas the High Priest of that day who obeyed his father-in-law rather than God!

Peter was a witness, but Peter was denying our Savior.

Jesus was then led into the “Judgment Hall” of Pilate but they would not enter because they would not be able to partake in the Passover Meal if they defiled themselves with these Gentiles.

You see the Passover meal could not be eaten until the Passover Lamb was killed.

This was the only law of Moses that they had tried to keep on this day.

We already know that if you choose the Law then you have to follow all the Law.

Pilate went out to them.

*****Joh 18:29 Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man?
Joh 18:30 They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee.

Pilate was the Roman procurator which meant that he was directly responsible to the Emperor for the administration and the financial management of all Judea.

The Jews despised Pilate and Pilate despised the Jews!

One of the many reasons Pilate was so hated was that he had started a new water project, but he had stolen the funds for it from the Temple.

Annas and his sons had gotten riches from the Temple themselves. No love lost between these men.

One crook robbing another crook!

These also had the same hatred for Jesus, and they insisted to Pilate that if, Jesus was not guilty then they would not have brought Jesus to him.

We might want to understand that these hard-line Jews, had threatened to report Pilate to Caesar many times but up to now they had not done so and to do this could cost Pilate his job. They held this over the head of Pilate.

The truth we can understand as Christians, no one has the right to “judge” God!

The story of Jesus was one and it was simple.

God had sent His Son into this world to save the world from itself!

God has the only right to “judge” this world.

Joh 8:23 And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.
Joh 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
Joh 8:25 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.
Joh 8:26 I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.

Malefactor means a criminal. Jesus had been tried in an illegal court, under illegal conditions, and sentenced to death for being innocent of all charges.

Pilate first wanted nothing to do with this travesty of justice.

*****Joh 18:31 Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death:
Joh 18:32 That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die.

Just that very year, Rome had taken away the power of these Jews to carry out capitol, punishment or Jesus would never have reached this point. These Jews would have already murdered Him!

It is amazing how God the Father stays in silent control of this world!

And the real truth is that these Jews had to force Rome to crucify Jesus with lies and threats!

The Jews were not allowed to execute anyone on the Sabbath, but this also included all “feast days”.

The Lord had already said “If I be lifted up”:

Joh_12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
Joh 12:33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.

We should all be able to see that in all these steps to the cross, the Lord knew all along how these things would happen and Jesus did not need to speak at all!

We should also be able to see that the Roman domination of our world at this particular time was used to fulfill the promises of God!

We should not wonder if our Heavenly Father is in control of our world or at least that He knows what is going to happen before it happens!

Luk 9:22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.
Luk 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Luk 9:24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

Then Pilate wanted to hear what Jesus had to say:

*****Joh 18:33 Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
Joh 18:34 Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?

We must all understand that at the words of Jesus, we must all make a choice.

We will be held accountable for every decision we make about Jesus!

You see it is in our own heart that we must decide, if Jesus is who He says He is. We cannot just depend on what others have said!

Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
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.
Rom 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

We can be led to the Lord but only the Lord can save us! He will not unless He looks into our heart for the truth!

The Jews had already rejected the Lord Jesus, some even thinking He was the true Messiah.

Who does the world usually listen to? The man who is in power, or fame, and wealth.

This is still the truth of our world today.

I feel as if God is giving us one more chance to stand up for the truth in our world today. As Christians we have the power of influencing our government in the right way, but Christians will not vote the truth of the Scriptures or they will not vote at all.

They seem to forget that we will all stand before the Lord Jesus Christ one day, and He will judge only by the Word of God and not some butchered up version many use today!

Is Jesus the King of the Jews?

When the Lord Jesus Christ returns to this earth, after the rapture of the Church, He will set up His Kingdom and He will rule for 1000 years upon this earth.

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

Zec 14:10 All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin’s gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king’s winepresses.
Zec 14:11 And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.

Zec 8:3 Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain.

Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent of all charges brought against Him by these Jews!

*****Joh 18:35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?
Joh 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

Remember Pilate had no interest in Jewish questions because he despised the Jews.

Pilate did ask “what had Jesus done to turn these evil men against Him”?

Pilate had no understanding of Biblical things.

Pilate had no knowledge of a Messiah.

As far as Pilate was concerned, Caesar was the God of this world and in a sense, Pilate was right because Caesar was of the family of Satan.

As far as Pilate was concerned, he held the power of his master!

As far as Pilate was concerned, the Jews were the scum of the earth.

As far as Pilate was concerned, Jesus had to be guilty of something, but Jesus was innocent of all charges!

Jesus answered that He was not from this world!

There was no greater answer that could have been given!

Jesus had first come to this world to destroy the works of Satan, therefore providing salvation to each believer.

Jesus had come in peace and He could not be moved from His calling!

Zec 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

Pilate then asked, are you a king?

You see if Jesus declared to be a king then Pilate knew he could kill Jesus!

*****Joh 18:37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
Joh 18:38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.

The fact remains that the flesh side of our Savior was a descendant of David and therefore, He was the true King of the Jews.

We also know because of a curse of God, Jesus would never sit on the throne, for Joseph was in the line of Solomon.

Jesus would be king because Mary was a descendant Nathan another son of David and therefore fulfill prophecy!

Jesus had not come into the world to take this position at this time.

Jesus had come to tell the world the truth of God!

All those who wanted to know the truth need only to listen to the Words of Jesus Christ!

The world is full of people searching for power and fame, wealth and possessions.

There is no path to peace that can also deliver these goals!

The only path to peace is to surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace!

By definition the truth is anything that is not false.

The truth is that Jesus Christ was our substitute who was nailed to the Cross and no one could take His place.

He came to die for me!

Jesus came to die for you!

Jesus Christ did everything His Father commanded Him to do, just as we are to do today!

Amen

Let’s Pray!

Pleasing God Requires Obedience

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Pleasing God Requires Obedience

Our Text: Leviticus chapters 25-27

As we finish our lessons in the Book of Leviticus we must realize we have only touched on the importance of this book. This book is one of the most quoted books in the New Testament.

Being a “separated” people to the Lord is the theme of this great book and the church is also to be a “separated people”.

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,]

We most always read this verse and understand that we are to come out of the ways of this world but we seem to not read the second part of this verse.

We are admonished as the “Body of Christ”, to not only come out of this world we live in but God says to not even touch anything that is unclean.

Unclean means “anything that is immoral in the eyes of God”, anything that is of the devil!

*****The Greek for unclean is “akathartos” which means immoral, impure, demonic or lewd.

We have skipped over much in the Book of Leviticus to get to this chapter 26, where we finish our short study in this book.

Even though there some spiritual lessons here as in all the Bible, we also have the history of the Nation of Israel “before” they went into the land of Canaan.

*****We can see the word “IF” nine times in this chapter.

This chapter gives us some of the details of the “covenant” God had made with Israel. That word “If” means that this was a two party covenant with both sides having to meet certain requirements.

Each side of the agreement had certain responsibilities. This was a conditional covenant.

There are also some unconditional covenants in the Bible that we should study!

*****In this same chapter God says “I Will” 24 times!

God says “He will act and react to Israel’s response to those “ifs”!

In other words, there is a great emphasis on being obedient to the Word of God and there is still a great emphasis on being obedient to the Word of God!

What we will see is that even what we call the laws of nature, are under direct control at  the hand of God.

1.) Rainfall is mentioned.

2.) Bountiful crops are mentioned.

3.) Famine is mentioned.

4.) Drought is mentioned.

5.) Living safe from their enemy is mentioned.

We should take note of all these things because, Our God never changes. And He will certainly keep His side of every covenant!

God loves His Church and wants to shower us all in His “Blessings”.

BUT!

1.) When we try to remain neutral in the ways of this world.

2,) When we remain in sin after we are saved.

3.) When we refuse or reject God’s Will in our lives.

Then, we will see the other side, of Our God of Love!

We cannot hide behind our sinful ways and expect the Blessings of God!

The Nation of Israel is still learning this lesson!

And so is the Body of Christ!

And so am I!

*****Our Text:

Lev 26:1  Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God.
Lev 26:2  Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.
Lev 26:3  [If ]ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;
Lev 26:4  [Then I will] give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.
Lev 26:5  And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.
Lev 26:6  And [I will] give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and [I will] rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.

God first describes His Blessings.

These first two verses sum up the first part of the Ten Commandments, without which there can be no relationship with Our God!

These things were essential for the nation of Israel to stay in the land of Canaan. The land was given to them for them to enjoy and have a home and to have a home land.

The saying ” that there is no place like home” is very true for most people.

What were the conditions [ what were the “ifs”]?

1.) They were to make no idols:

What does that word “Idol” mean?

That word “idol” means a nothing, a vain thing.

It is hard to make a friend out “of a nothing”!

When we place any vain thing in between ourselves and Our Lord we are making “a nothing” out of our relationship with our Savior!

Anything that takes the place of God is “a nothing”!

We would call a Totem pole or anything else of wood a standing image.

We would call any monument of stone a carved image.

The cross could be considered a standing image but we are not to worship the cross nor worship before the cross.

There are some who worship the cross as an “idol”.

WE ARE TO WORSHIP, CHRIST OUR LORD WHO HUNG ON THAT CROSS!

2.) The Nation of Israel were commanded to keep the Sabbaths.

They were to set aside one seventh of their time for the Lord weekly but also all special days and feasts on their own Jewish calendar.

This commandment was not given to the church, the Body of Christ. The veil is torn, we can worship everyday and we are commanded to do so.

I still believe God wants us to give Him at least, one seventh of our time in certain things But we are to be 100% dedicated to the Lord!

3.) The Nation of Israel were to “Reverence” the Sanctuary.

Spending time with the Lord and worshipping and reverencing the Lord at a place He has placed His name is also commanded of the Church, the Body of Christ.

To “reverence” is to have a godly fear, and be mixed with respect and affection!

We must not forget when we are saved our bodies become the “sanctuary” of God and we must be careful to use our bodies for His glory.

The Holy Spirit lives within us, we must not “grieve” Him.

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

*****Why are we to do these things?

God says: “I AM THE LORD”

That title LORD as used in this verse means “JEHOVAH” your “ELOHIM”, your Almighty God!

*****In can be said that idolatry is having thoughts about manmade things. Those thoughts should be shown to the Lord Our God.

There are those that worship vain things in their lives but, the worst of all are those that try to worship their idols in the Name Of God!

This is turning a reality into an illusion or, truth into a deception and this will lead to the destruction of the Church.

*****Again why are we to do these things?

It’s called “blessings”!

We can then say that our blessings depend on our “Ifs”!

If we obey, then God will bless!

The Nation of Israel is still struggling with the “Ifs” in this passage but we know that this will change after the Rapture of the Church and Israel comes back to the Lord God Almighty.

Amo 9:13  Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.

Joe 2:23  Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.
Joe 2:24  And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.

We can see that these words of prophesy began in the Book of Leviticus and have not been fulfilled as of yet, even though Israel is in blossom, they have not done so completely because they still do not have peace. In fact there is no real peace in this entire world. Every place, and every nation live under the threat of “Terrorism”!

*****Our Text:

Lev 26:14  But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments;
Lev 26:15  And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant:
Lev 26:16  I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
Lev 26:17  And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you.

Again the Lord begins with the “if’s”.

God now describes His chastisements. 

Chastisement will mean the things God will use to correct by punishment and this is painful most of the time.

The Bible says God whips us as an act of love and this is true.

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
Heb 12:8  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

We also see that there are some in this world that seem to never be punished for their actions BUT this same scripture says that they are not God’s children.

Those that are not God’s children are the children of the devil!

A wise man wrote:

Pro 3:11  My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:
Pro 3:12  For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

It is a great privilege to serve Our Lord but this privilege also brings a responsibility for us to act like the children of God.

This chapter in Book of Leviticus tells us about six periods of chastisement of the nation of Israel. They suffered five times while they were in their own land but the sixth judgment caused them to be dispersed from their land.

What are these things mentioned:

1.) Great distress
2.) Great terror
3.) Disease
4.) Drought
5.) Famine
6.) Defeat at the hands of their enemies
7.) Death from war
8.) Fear of animals
9.) Plagues
10.) Destruction
11.) Exile
12.) The children would suffer because of the actions of their forefathers.

All these things have happened to the Nation of Israel.

We have seen that the cycle of prophesy is in reverse now as Israel did become a nation again on May 14, 1948. The land is blossoming again but many other things are still in the future.

Four times in this chapter God says “I will punish you seven times for your sin”

Each period of chastisement has been completed except for the last one.

Seven is God’s number of completeness.

*****Our Text:

Lev 26:23  And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me;
Lev 26:24  Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins.
Lev 26:25  And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.

What we have seen is that Israel took some steps with God that we should learn from and avoid:

1.) The first step:

Israel stopped listening to God’s Word.

The Bible is God’s Word of truth. When we do not listen to what God has to say, WHO ARE WE LISTENING TO?

Rom 3:3  For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?
Rom 3:4  God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

2.) The second step:

Israel refused to keep the commandments of God.

Mat 22:38  This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

The Bible tells us:

Pro 14:12  There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

3.) The third step:

Israel actually hated and despised the Laws of God.

Heb 10:28  He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:

Any nation that has no laws will destroy itself.

4,) The fourth step:

The Nation of Israel completely broke their covenant with God.

This covenant nation no longer had a covenant with God BUT God will always honor His side of every covenant.

God promised there would come trouble in disobedience!

When God is against us, then there is absolutely no one that can help us!

*****Our Text:

Lev 26:40  If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me;
Lev 26:41  And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity:
Lev 26:42  Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.
Lev 26:43  The land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her sabbaths, while she lieth desolate without them: and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity: because, even because they despised my judgments, and because their soul abhorred my statutes.
Lev 26:44  And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I am the LORD their God.
Lev 26:45  But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God: I am the LORD.

Let’s look at how God will forgive:

The most important thing we can see in this passage is that the “Land of Israel” will always be the ‘Land of Israel”.

When this nation repents God will honor His covenants He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
This is before the time of David and we will see that God will honor that covenant also.

*****God gives His requirements for them to stay in the land:

1.) They must obey Him!

2.) If they do not obey then they must leave the land.

(God will not have them utterly destroyed)

3.) They must repent to get back into the land.

(The land is always theirs to come back to)

While they were off their land the land enjoyed her sabbaths:

That word “enjoy” as used in this verse, means “to satisfy a debt”:

Lev 26:34  Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies’ land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths.
Lev 26:35  As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it.

The Bible says:

2Ch 36:20  And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia:
2Ch 36:21  To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, [until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths]: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.

The History of Israel in captivity can be proven. From the time of King Saul to their captivity was about 490 years. (490/7=70)

They stayed in captivity until they were released by the Persians who had conquered Babylon.

This was prophesied by God to take place!

Not only here in the Book of Leviticus but listen to what Jeremiah said:

Jer 25:11  And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

Jer 29:10  For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.

Daniel realized the truth of God’s Word and Daniel offered up a prayer of repentance to God:

Dan 9:3  And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:

God loved Daniel and God heard his prayer:

Ezr 1:1  Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
Ezr 1:2  Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 

Cyrus, King of Persia came under conviction of the Lord.

Not only was this prophesy fulfilled in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, we know that there is still a future prophesy to be fulfilled:

Zep 2:5  Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the LORD is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.
Zep 2:6  And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks.
Zep 2:7  And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: [for the LORD their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity].

Daniel wrote:

Dan 9:25  Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem(Ezra1:1-2) unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
Dan 9:26  And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
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.

This where we are today:

Daniel reveals that one week (or seven years) remain in order the seventy weeks (490 years) to be fulfilled.

This information allows us to know that the coming tribulation period will be one week(or seven years).

Those seven years will be divided into two parts” of 3 and 1/2  years apiece.

This gap we are in now is what is called the Church Age!

It may be mistaken to think that the Tribulation Period(the seven years) will begin at the Rapture of the Church though it could.

Daniel says the Tribulation Period will begin when the  Nation of Israel confirms a covenant  with the Anti-Christ. (Verse 9:27 confirm  the covenant for one week)

All the way back to the Book of Leviticus we can see that even before Israel first went in to Canaan Land, God has a plan for Israel that has not been fulfilled but only in part.

If we say we believe the Bible then we must believe this part also!

Just as Adam brought judgment upon the whole world with his sin, Israel has brought judgment upon Palestine.

I believe that on May 14,1948 when Israel again became a nation we saw a great sign that we are in the end times, and nearing the end of the church age!

God looks down through the ages to see these things happen but we must realize that no matter if God’s people keep their promises:

GOD WILL ALWAYS KEEP HIS WORD!

Moses could not save Israel!

There is only One Savior!

Joh 1:17  For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7  If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

God may punish His people but He will never reject them nor cast them away!

To not be chastised is to obey the Word Of God!

Let’s Pray!