The Lord Jesus Christ

God’s Restoration

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

God’s Restoration

Book of Amos Chapters 5-9

One thing we all must remember is that once our bond with God is broken, death has entered into our lives.

We know this flesh we wear will certainly die, but the death that is real is the death of no longer having God involved in our lives.

If we reject Him long enough, we will then be rejected by our Heavenly Father.

Israel in this Scripture relates to the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom and not the Israel we know of today.

The message, though, is the same for everyone who lives upon this earth.

We are all given a choice.

*Amo 5:4 For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:

The verse is a call to repentance. God will contrast His requirements with our actual conduct.

We cannot just say we are Christian there must be some proof.

Jas 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

Now we have no work to do for salvation; the Lord Jesus Christ did all that work, but there should be signs of a changed life after our salvation. There should be some signs of our faith.

There should be some fruit of the Holy Spirit since He immediately comes into our lives.

This is what James is saying in this Scripture.

God will contact every individual during their lifetime, and each of us will be offered this choice.

We must seek the Lord or else face God’s judgment!

God promises us that if we seek Him, we will find Him.

Deu_4:29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.

Act_17:27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

It is easy to see that this seeking is not about religion; it is about a personal relationship.

This is the difference between religion and Christianity. In Christianity, we get up close and personal with God, as a family should be.

As Israel, the ten Northern Tribes found out, God’s invitations will stop at some time.

And the greatest truth of this seeking is that we cannot seek the Lord God of this Universe if we are also seeking false gods.

*Amo 5:5 But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought.
Amo 5:6 Seek the LORD, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel.

Bethel had once been a place to seek God, but when the ten tribes split from Judah, Bethel became one of the places where there was false worship of man-made golden calves.

1Ki 12:28 Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
1Ki 12:29 And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.

Gilgal too had been a place where the people could seek God, but it too had become a place of false worship.

Hos 9:15 All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes are revolters.

God used to speak to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at Beersheba, but traveling to Beersheba in the day of Amos was like going on a pilgrimage.

God would be south at the Temple and not some pilgrimage.

Amo 8:14 They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, The manner of Beersheba liveth; even they shall fall, and never rise up again.

Amos was preaching to the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom, and his message was, “There is no need for you to seek God in these places where He could have been found at one time because He was no longer there.

It’s like passing a church that was once full on Sunday but is now empty every day; you could say that God is no longer there, and there would be no need to seek God there.

It has become no more than a building because it was the people who came who were the church.

Many of us used to attend other places of worship than we do today. Most of us would not have left those places if we were being fed the truth of the Lord.

The fact that the Lord used to be there is no guarantee that He is there today.

In fact, if we start preaching or teaching some new gospel in the place where we are today, we can be very sure that God will leave this place of worship.

We have an obligation to attend church!

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

We cannot just attend any place of worship; we must worship in a place where we can find the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the cornerstone of the Church.

Many churches today do not even acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ, or they do not have the true Word of God.

What is a true Church? Eph_2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

The Apostles taught what Jesus taught them,
The prophets tell us what lies in our future.
Jesus Christ is the God of the true Bible, and He is also our Creator.

If Jesus Christ is not your God, then you are serving the wrong God.

This makes a lot of people mad to say this, but we have to tell them the truth.

It is Satan who has lied to them!

*Amo 5:7 Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,
Amo 5:8 Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name:
Amo 5:9 That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress.

The truth is that those who are not seeking the LORD are seeking themselves, and they have no care for others.

There is very little natural affection for other human beings today.

Hatred dominates the minds of most people!

As Christians, we cannot say we have the Lord Jesus Christ and to Hell with everyone else.

Our job is to show all others the way to seek our Savior.

We cannot do this if we do not first show them love!

Wormwood is a shrub or bush with an unpleasant smell and is very bitter to taste.

It is a type of unpleasantness and grief that leads to the thought of death and destruction.

Rev 8:10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
Rev 8:11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

The justice I have received from God has been sweet. He is so full of mercy and grace; His justice can be nothing else but sweet.

I did not deserve it, but the grace of God is shown to those who seek the Lord with all their heart in truthfulness.

If we teach a distorted message on the mercy and grace of God, that message will become bitter to those who have never known the truth of the Lord.

If we do not seek our Creator, what chance do we have that we will find Him?

We must seek the right God, and there is only One true God and only one true Way to Heaven.

Our Creator and our Savior are the same God!

His name in the Scriptures is YAHWEH or Jehovah.

Our world exists because Yahweh caused and causes it to exist.

God spoke our world into existence and made from nothing all the things we see.

If we cannot see Him in His Almighty Incorruptible Majesty, who only needs to speak one word and we become no more, then we will never understand His love for us, and we will deserve His judgment, which is far different from His justice.

It is this God, Jehovah, Yahweh, Jesus, who wants us all to be saved!

2Pe_3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

We should clearly understand that no man, no matter how strong or how strong the works of that man, no matter how powerful, can withstand the Divine Majesty of our Savior, who is also our Creator.

There is no military that God has not already overthrown. Read your Bible and your history book.

It is this same God who allows changes in nature to succeed or fail at His choosing.
It is this same God who allows the politics of this world to succeed or fail at His choosing.
It is this same God who allows the cycles of time to go and come as He wishes.

This world is moving right along just as God said it would; the plan of God never has to change.

It is not God who has allowed this world to be so close to destroying itself on any given day; it is the sinful people who live in it, but He still gets the blame, though He wants to save the people who live in it.

*Amo 5:10 They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.
Amo 5:11 Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them.

God is saying that those who do not acknowledge Him as the Creator will never enjoy life.

It was at the city gates where man’s justice took place on the day of Amos.

If there were a judge who could not be bought or bribed, the people would hate them.

If that judge bends the law, then he is okay, but those who spoke with integrity or used reliable witnesses were hated.

We live in the time of bought and sold-out judges, if not for money, then for a political stand and hatred.

If not for money, it is for fame, or political stance, when it is supposed to be about the laws of the land, and judges have no right to make laws.

We do not even get a chance to vote for these people, so who gave them such power?

Today, if we stand up for the rights of the unborn, those who are disabled, or those who are elderly, and those who are vulnerable in our society, then we are hated, as the other side stands up for illegals, murderers, and lawbreakers to buy a vote; the hatred just continues to spread.

There is no justice beyond God’s justice!

God will judge this world one day; He never forgets the works of those who refuse to repent!

We might ask ourselves; can anyone sin so much that they will never be forgiven?

*Amo 8:4 Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail,
Amo 8:5 Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?
Amo 8:6 That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; yea, and sell the refuse of the wheat?
Amo 8:7 The LORD hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their works.

Though we do not know much about Amos, he is spending this time being an advocate for these sinful people.

As we read these words, it seems that God is leaving these people no way to escape, but we see the accusations and God’s verdict.

It is not about the amount of our sin; it is about how many times we deny God’s remedy and payment for our sin.

What is social injustice?

It is a violation of another’s rights. It is withholding what is due, or fraud.

If all people are created equal, then why is there an unequal distribution of rights or privileges among people who have equal claims?

I am not talking about equality in riches, I am talking about equality in rights and justice.

Israel was guilty of many things, but the main thing was superficial worship.

By law, they had to honor the Sabbath and all the other religious holy days and national celebrations.

This law became a thorn in the flesh of the politicians, the merchants, and the business leaders of that nation.

You tell me we are not experiencing this today. God’s laws are a thorn in the flesh of commerce and wickedness.

Sunday, our day of worship, means nothing to most businesses today.

Even our schools will try to practice sports on Sunday.

All sorts of professional sports use Sunday rather than a weekday.

Even Wednesdays are taken up with secular events.

Alcohol can now be purchased seven days a week.

Politicians are pushing to legalize popular drugs using the excuse to raise taxes when they should be making ways to spend less.

It is our tax system that drives businesses to run twenty-four-seven.

This world is trying to take away any time set aside to worship God.

The alternatives to God that this world offers are nothing more than idol worship!

The guilt of Israel was that while they were supposed to worship, their minds were on how to make more money, or how to rob the poor even more, or how they could take away the land of some poor person.

We see these same things in our politicians today>.

I cannot imagine sitting in God’s house trying to figure out a way to falsify the balances or more ways to deceive more people.

They knew the Law, and they knew this was an abomination to the Lord:

Deu 25:13 Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small.
Deu 25:14 Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small.
Deu 25:15 But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Deu 25:16 For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the LORD thy God.

Amos’s job was to announce these judgments to the people of the Northern Kingdom, and Amos knew it would not sit well with the people, but God offered Amos no other answer.

We cannot soften the truth of God and say we are God’s followers!

Only those who feared the Lord would be afraid.

There would be no joy on the Sabbath.
God’s judgment would bring death to many people.
If there were survivors, they would be traumatized, wondering what God would do next.

We do not have to wonder what God will do next!

He either tells us, or He shows us in His Word, examples of what He has already done because He never changes.

If there is one truth in this world, it is that God’s judgment on unbelievers is a sure thing!

God’s “judgment” on sin is a sure thing!

Amos got a chance to witness these things in a vision that God sent to him.

God has every right to judge this world because He created it!

We all will stand face to face with our Almighty God, our Creator!

Some, at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
The rest, at the White Throne Judgment.

The even clearer message is that until that day of judgment, we need to repent and seek the face of God.

We will all give an account for the things we have done unless we repent.

Mat 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
Mat 25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
Mat 25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

Mat 25:44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Mat 25:45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
Mat 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

If we do not want to hear what God has to say, then one day God will take away His Word, and we will know nothing and be like the evolutionists who come up with unbelievable theories and fantasies.

*Amo 8:11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:
Amo 8:12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.
Amo 8:13 In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst.
Amo 8:14 They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, The manner of Beersheba liveth; even they shall fall, and never rise up again.

We may be in that time when the Word of God is hated, and the world does not want to hear what God has to say!

Remember what the Lord Jesus said as He spoke unto the seven churches of the Church Age, the Age we are in now.

To the church at Ephesus: Rev 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

To the church at Smyrna: Rev 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

To the Church at Pergamum: Rev 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

To the Church at Thyatira: Rev 2:29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

To the Church at Sardis: Rev 3:6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

To the Church at Philadelphia: Rev 3:13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

To the Church at Laodicea: Rev 3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

The Prophet Jeremiah wrote down these words given by the Holy Spirit:

Jer 23:30 Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour.
Jer 23:31 Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith.
Jer 23:32 Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.

The most tragic thing that can happen to this world is for God to abandon it to its own ways.

It is easy to see that wicked men of this world would destroy it.

It is this same wickedness that says we have too many people to feed in this world and do everything they can to stop population growth.

The ways of God are perfect!

Psa 18:30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.

The ways of the world are sinful:

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.

The world is tired of God telling them they are full of sin and need to repent.

No one in the world has any desire to repent!

The world does not want to hear the Word of God.

When we look at what the Lord Jesus was saying to the Church, He was saying that much of the Church does not want to hear what He has to say.

When this point is reached, God has said He will send a famine of hearing the Word of God.

We must understand that if we reject what God has to say, He will quit speaking to us.

He will put false prophets and preachers in places of worship, and they will do nothing more than tickle the ears of the congregation.

Act_28:27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

2Ti_4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2Ti_4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

I believe we are in this age or this time now.

Even here in America, the Ten Commandments cannot be posted anywhere without somebody bringing a lawsuit, but why?

People just do not want to hear what God has to say about the way they live their lives.

To repent is just a word in most churches and means nothing.

There is coming a day when this world will become so lawless that the people will once again want to hear what God has to say, and they will not be able to hear it or even find it.

They will go to some church, but that one in the pulpit will teach them about some dream they had that did not come from God.

If they find an old version of a Bible, the Holy Spirit will not open their eyes to what it says.

The young people will see a world falling apart, left by their elders, and seek guidance from God, but they will not find it because the Word of God has been altered to become the word of the world, with just enough of the truth to cause confusion

They will be told they can find the Word of God at the Luciferian Church, but it will not be found there because it never was there.

It was at Beersheba that the enemies of Isaac caused all the wells to go dry, and Isaac had to dig new wells that were also filled.

God is saying that the well of knowledge in the Word of God is dry, and there is no one to clean out the dirt and sludge of the world from it, where there still remains the Water of Life.

Jhn_7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

Jhn_4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

We should understand that every person worships something. Whatever they hold first in their lives is their god!

It may be an image of their goal, it may be some idol, it may be something from some religion other than Christianity.

Even the so-called Christians must place God first in their lives, and many refuse.

If we fail to worship anything other than Jehovah in the Old Testament, Jesus Christ in the New Testament, or Yahweh, we are sinning Blasphemy.

All false religions will fall, never to rise again.

No one can escape the Judgment of God!

Amo 9:1 I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered.
Amo 9:2 Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down:

Once all false religions have been removed, God will do certain things to reclaim Israel.

*Amo 9:11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:
Amo 9:12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.

God will make Israel the honcho nation of this world.

God will restore His people, Israel, to the national pride they had when King David ruled Israel.

“In that day”, the day of the return of Jesus Christ, when He will publicly appear to save that remnant of the Jews that is mentioned throughout the Old Testament.

The Northern and the Southern tribes will be reunited as it was in the time of King David, but this will be the time of the Second Coming of the Messiah.

All those who were against Jehovah will be removed: Amo 9:10 All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us.

We should also understand that at this time, all the land that was promised to Abraham will be restored to Israel.

This is the same land that came to Israel in the days of King David and King Solomon.

This would be the land of Israel, but King Jesus will rule from Jerusalem, and He will rule this entire world.

Psa 72:6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.
Psa 72:7 In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.
Psa 72:8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.

Psa 72:11 Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.

The government of the Messiah will be universal. There will be no one who can hide from the rule of the Messiah.

It is the fulfillment of God’s covenant with Abraham: Gen 15:4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
Gen 15:5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

The world will look a whole lot different, even from what it looks like today.

There will be major climate change!

*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.
Amo 9:14 And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
Amo 9:15 And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.

When we know God up close and personal, we will always have a bright and wonderful future. It is His promise!

The judgment of Israel is over after all these years; they now accept all the Word of God, even the New Covenant(Testament).

They have realized that all the Old Testament prophecies were true all along.

They now know the Son of God whom they had rejected and worship Him.

God had broken them because of their sin, and they had now repented and returned to Him.

True prosperity had finally come to Israel, and Jerusalem was now truly the City of Peace.

For the ploughmen to overtake the reaper means that it would take the reaper all Summer to gather in the harvest.

Even the vineyards would produce much more than was needed.

God would also cause cities that had lain in ruin for so many years to be rebuilt.

For the people in the day of Amos, this last part was a message of hope for the people of Israel.

All they needed to do was to believe the God who had delivered them so many times!

They would not have to depend upon foreigners or anyone else around them. God would make their land sufficient, just like their God is sufficient to meet all our needs.

I know this is true because He meets all my needs.

The prophecy of Amos could only be fulfilled by Jehovah, the Living God.

They would never have to leave their land again.

God would make sure these things happened just as Amos had delivered to them.

God means what He says, and God says what He means.

Amen.

The Logic in God’s Judgment

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Logic of God’s Judgment

Book of Amos Chapters 1 through 4

As we take a look into the Book of Amos, we should realize that the Ten Tribes called Israel had moved away from God from the very first day of separating from Judah.

As we study this book of prophecy, we will see that God has given this nation a last chance to repent and return to the truth of Jehovah and worship as God had given them in the Books of Moses.

None of the kings of this divided nation called Israel had any interest in the truth of God nor the worship of the LORD Jehovah.

We know the Lord is patient with His people, but there is an end to that patience, and after patience runs out, it is replaced with judgment.
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God always has to overcome His compassion for His people to bring judgment, but He will.

It is these lessons we read about in the Old Testament that we can learn how God will react to these same types of things today.

Rom 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

1Co 10:6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

1Co 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

We can visibly see how patient God is with the world we live in today, but the Old Testament proves that God’s patience will end, and judgment will come.

God will not allow wickedness and sin to continue indefinitely!

The Book of Amos is a book of judgment!

For one hundred and eighty years, the Northern Kingdom had rebelled against the LORD.

Amos preached a message that focused on the coming judgment of God.

Amos was just a lowly shepherd from Judah who prophesied mostly in Israel, showing us that God can use anyone willing to serve Him.

*Amo 1:1 The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

In the Scriptures, earthquakes are mentioned as tokens of God’s power, but also as a means of fine-tuning the timeline of the Scriptures.

Job 9:6 Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.

Earthquakes are also tokens of God’s presence.

Psa 68:8 The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

Earthquakes that we are more familiar with are those that are from God’s anger.

Psa 18:7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.

God’s fierce anger is still in the future.

Isa 13:13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

Isa 29:6 Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.

Rev 16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.

*Amo 1:2 And he said, The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.

Amos was chosen because, in his preaching, he could roar, and his message was that God would soon roar out of Zion.

In fact, Amos begins where the Book of Joel ends.

Joe 3:16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

Zion was the same as the city of David to Amos.

1Ki 8:1 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto King Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion.

Amos first begins to prophecy judgment on all those nations that have had any dealings with Israel.

The LORD speaks from Zion, which He had assigned to be the central place of worship of the Jews and also the central place of government, as formed by King David.

Israel was to have a theocratic government. A government that followed the Word of God.

God speaks to all His people, and He includes strangers.

Zion is the dwelling place of the LORD, spiritually and soon will be physically for one thousand years!

A roaring of the lion can be heard from five to eight miles, but God’s roar will be heard from any location upon this earth if He so chooses.

A lion’s roar is aimed as a threat to his enemies, and the roar of God in judgment will be directed at His enemies, the enemies of the Church and the enemies of Israel.

Jer 25:30 Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.
Jer 25:31 A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.
Jer 25:32 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.
Jer 25:33 And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.

This is another reason why the Lord Jesus is known as the Lion of the tribe of Judah. He will roar in judgment sooner than we think.

*Amo 2:6 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes;
Amo 2:7 That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name:
Amo 2:8 And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god.

What was wrong with Israel in the day of Amos and still so today?

This sent waves of shock through the crowd that Amos was preaching to, for in their mind they would say to you, “There is no way God’s judgment would fall on them”.

They are so wrong because they know the key to God’s Grace is obedience to His Word. Why would God not judge those who refuse to obey Him?

To the world today that misunderstands God’s nature. Yes, God is Love, and because of this, He is long-suffering.

His long-suffering means He is waiting for the world to repent and turn from its wicked ways, but it never will, so eventually God’s justice must prevail on those who live wickedly, or He would not be the God of truth.

Israel was feeling really good about everything when Amos was preaching about judgment on all those other nations, but their attitude changed when Amos began with God’s judgment upon Israel.

The Judgment of God is coming to this world, and the only way to miss it is to repent and turn back to our Creator. Our God is also our Creator!

God has warned this entire world.

Mat 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Mat 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
2Pe 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
2Pe 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

God’s justice must prevail!

These verses describe to us the crimes of Israel.

1) We see a perversion of justice. The judges took bribes and condemned the righteous.
Keep in mind, Judas took silver to condemn our righteous Savior.

For the very smallest of bribes, they rejected the cause of poverty in their own nation.

Eze 13:19 And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies?

They continuously broke the Laws of God.

2) They desired that the poor be removed from the earth.

This sounds like today, when our politicians remind us that if not for the poor and the elders there would be plenty of money to waste on other things, while they intentionally try to move the middle class into that poor category.

Those who are poor are also those who are depressed, even though depression can attack anyone, no matter their status.

It is many of those who are poor who are almost forced to do crooked and evil things in an attempt to survive.

We cannot defend this, but we can acknowledge it.

The world continuously ignores the dignity of human life if you are not a part of their crowd.

3) For a man and his father to go into the same maid could be said to be incest, which was forbidden and could be seen as organized prostitution, but it is certainly fornication.

Eze 36:20 And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land.
Eze 36:21 But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.

4) Those who were well off would take the outer clothes of those who had fallen on hard times, as a pledge. These would be the clothes they wore during the day and covered themselves with at night.

Those who stole those clothes would think nothing of wearing them to the House of God.

They engaged in hypocritical worship by worshipping at every altar in any place of worship, even those places where idols were worshipped.

Israel’s worship of Jehovah had become corrupt.

Before we pray and worship at any altar, we had better be sure we are in a true House of God!

5) Israel rejected the Lord as the source of their blessings since the Lord removed them from the Iron Furnace of Egypt.

*Amo 2:9 Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath.
Amo 2:10 Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.
Amo 2:11 And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the LORD.
Amo 2:12 But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not.

As we read the Old Testament, we read over and over how God had blessed this nation and had forgiven their many sins.

It was the Almighty God who had destroyed the Amorites and allowed Israel to take over their cities and their homes.

They were certainly wicked people, but Israel was falling into the same trap of judgment.

It was the Almighty Living God who had saved Israel from Egypt, where they had been slaves for nearly four hundred years.

It was the Almighty God who had sent to them His prophets from their own nation, and they had murdered many of them.

6) Even the Nazarites who had committed themselves to live righteously and devote themselves to the Lord were forced to drink wine against their vows.

I absolutely cannot see how those of a certain religion can serve wine at communion, knowing God said not to drink wine at all.

We have to make a vow to live righteously to be saved!

Those who interfere with God’s children will truly suffer the wrath of God.

Mat_18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Mrk_9:42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
Luk_17:2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.

Israel at this time was no different than the nations and peoples God had removed from Canaan Land!

Have you noticed how the Church is following in these same steps?

If you are in a godly church today, it is a must to resist any change that goes against the Word of God! All the Word of God!

Jer_6:16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

We cannot be so foolish as not to walk in the truth of God.

What is a hypocrite? A hypocrite is a person who pretends and is deceitful.

Claiming to believe in the LORD is not enough to become acceptable to God.

A true believer will do their best to follow the LORD!

A true believer will do their best to be obedient to all the Word of God.

A true believer will do their best to live righteously in this world.

A true believer will be looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ.

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.

A hypocrite is deceitful.

What did the Lord Jesus say we needed to watch out for in the end times?

Mat 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
Mat 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

We cannot allow false so-called Christians to destroy our churches!

1Jn 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
1Jn 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
1Jn 2:5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
1Jn 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

*Amo 2:13 Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves.
Amo 2:14 Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself:

In response to any rebellious attitude and opposition of people in answer to His concerns, God has no choice but to react in “Judgment”.

Sin is a heavy burden that will take us into the pits of Hell, when God is so willing to forgive if we will repent and return to Him.

Why would anyone want to go to Hell to spend an eternity there?

The Northern Tribes of Israel were guilty of extreme wickedness, and God judged them by sending them into captivity into a nation that worshipped idols and rejected Jehovah.

God is saying that His cart is so heavily loaded with sin that anything He rolls over will be crushed into non-existence.

God will have removed His compassion.
God will have removed His mercy.
God will have removed His grace.
God will have removed His love, and this leaves only His “judgment”!

God had stated that He hated Esau and the Edomites no longer exist as a people.

God is telling sinners that He hates sin, and the Lord Jesus will say, “I never knew you,” or to Him, you did not exist.

Mat_7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Are those Ten Tribes of Israel still lost?

The “lost tribes” were not entirely lost — many integrated into local populations, and some groups, like the Samaritans, preserved their identity.

The one thing we know for sure is that there are Jews scattered all over the world, and many of them have gone back home to Israel.

We can say that there are no lost Tribes of Israel because God knows where they all are.

What did God do?

God shows them instances of judgments He had sent at various times to correct His people.

*Amo 4:6 And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.
Amo 4:7 And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.
Amo 4:8 So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.
Amo 4:9 I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.
Amo 4:10 I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

This is not some form of toothache, but it is famine.

Their teeth would be clean because they had nothing to eat.

The Laws of Moses, which they were so proud of, stated: Deu 28:48 Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he hath destroyed thee.
Deu 28:49 The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand;

In all the years since God had taken Israel out of Egypt and formed the nation that they are today, they have never truly repented of rejecting God and His Word.

God disciplines because He loves us, not because He hates us!

The stubbornness of Israel’s rejection caused God to be harsher with His people.

All God has ever asked from any of us is to repent and turn back to Him.

The LORD sent famine and hunger, and this famine struck every city so that each city would not have the resources to feed its people.

Next, God sent drought, and God sent this drought three months before harvest time, so there would be very little to harvest.

They had three months to repent and save their crops, but they were too stubborn to give in.

They would hear about rain in another city, but by the time they got there, the water would be used up.

When they did have enough water for meager crops to grow, God sent the blight and the palmerworm.

Blasting was the damage caused by the scorching East wind.

Eze 17:10 Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it? it shall wither in the furrows where it grew.

Mildew would also ruin some crops. Mildew is caused by fungi from dampness and is the opposite of conditions caused by drought.

The locust swarms and disease would take anything that was left of their crops.

They faced economic devastation, but they still would not repent.

War, drought, and famine always end in disease, sickness, and plagues among the people.

These would be the same type of plagues that God used on Egypt, but they still would not repent.

So, God sent war.

The young men, the pride of most nations, were slain with the sword of their enemies. This is what war does. War removes many of the next generation and affects a nation for years.

God took away their ability to defend themselves.

The stink of unburied carcasses lay everywhere, and even more disease came to Israel.

*Amo 4:11 I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.
Amo 4:12 Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.
Amo 4:13 For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.

God reminds them that their sin was counted just as hideous and wicked as the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah, and they would have perished if God had not plucked them out of the fire.

Their homes were burned, their cities were burned, and everything they had left was burned, and they have been to if God had not plucked them from the fire.

There was only one thing left to do, and it was for God to come to this earth and take care of this rebellion Himself.

We should all ask ourselves, “Are we ready to meet the God of the Bible?”

God’s judgment is certainly coming to this world.

Judgment is inescapable for those who refuse to repent and return to the Creator.

God will not send an angel.
God will not send the death angel.

God will come Himself, and if He comes in His glory, no one will be able to stand before Him.

There is only one way out to safety, and it is by repentance and returning to the God who made us.

Act 17:29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.
Act 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Act 17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

We can meet God in the clouds, or we will meet God in “judgment,” and we do not have much time left to decide!

Amen

Passover to Betrayal and Denial

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Passover to Betrayal and Denial

Book of Luke Chapter 22

It was time for the Jewish Passover, and this Passover is tied to the death of Jesus Christ.

The annual Passover celebrated by the Jews is both memorial and symbolic:

1) As a memorial in memory of that first Passover night in Egypt.
2) Symbolic because its ultimate fulfillment was at Mount Calvary.

Joh 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

1Co 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
1Co 5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

On the tenth day of Abib (Nisan), a day set aside for the Passover Feast, each family was to select a lamb, without blemish, a male of the first year, and keep it isolated and under close observation until the fourteenth day.

If this lamb were injured or became sick within those four days, it would have been blemished and could not be used as the Passover Lamb, and they would have to select another one.

The Lord Jesus also spent four days in view of those of religion before He was crucified.

On Palm Sunday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a colt, the foal of a donkey, with multitudes crying Hosanna to the Son of David, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord,

This was a fulfillment of prophecy: 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.

The Lord Jesus then went in and cleansed the Temple.

Mat 21:12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
Mat 21:13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

The Lord Jesus was under critical scrutiny for four days.

Four different groups challenged him in one day:

1) The chief priests and the elders of the Jews.

2) The Pharisees with the Herodians.

3) The Sadducees.

4) The Pharisees again who brought their lawyer.

With every test, the Lord Jesus proved to be the Messiah by the Word of God.

He had no blemishes, and He had no sin!

We know that day began at six PM and ended at six PM the following day.

The Lord Jesus and the disciples began their feast in the evening of the Passover, while most others celebrated their feast after daylight on the same day, which was the day the Lord Jesus was crucified and died between the hours of 3:00 and 6:00 PM, in accordance with prophecy.

Luk 23:44 And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.

Luk 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. Luk 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

Exo 12:5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:

Exo 12:7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
Exo 12:8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat

The Lord Jesus Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper on the evening He was crucified.

The Lord Jesus commanded that His followers continue to observe this last meal until His return.

Mat 26:26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
Mat 26:27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
Mat 26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Mat 26:29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.

This began the New Covenant in contrast to the Old Covenant.

To enact this New Covenant, His death was necessary because it was His death that provided the forgiveness of our sins.

1Co 11:23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
1Co 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
1Co 11:25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
1Co 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.

So, what is the meaning of the Lord’s Supper?

1) It is a memorial to the death of Jesus Christ for our sins. He said, “Do this in remembrance of Me.”

A) The bread symbolized the body of Jesus Christ.

1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
1Pe 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

B) The grape juice symbolized His blood for the forgiveness of sin.

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:

The Lord’s Supper looked forward to the cross.

He finished His work of salvation when He came the first time.

His resurrection looks forward to His return.

Mat 26:29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.

The Lord’s Supper is also a communion of believers with each other!

1Co 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
1Co 10:17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

Those who love the Lord Jesus Christ will also follow Him and eat and drink the same symbolic elements, focusing on our common faith in the work the Lord Jesus Christ did to provide our salvation.

*Luk 22:14 And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.
Luk 22:15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:
Luk 22:16 For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.
Luk 22:17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:
Luk 22:18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.
Luk 22:19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Luk 22:20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

When all prophecy is fulfilled, we will sit down again for the Lord’s Supper, the difference being, He will be there with us.

This will be the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

It is possible that the Passover Feast has no significance as a meal of remembrance for the Jews as they have rejected the Messiah as the fulfillment of Old Testament Scripture.

Even the Church is cautioned: 1Co 11:27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
1Co 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
1Co 11:29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

The Lord’s Supper is never to be thought of as a means of salvation.

After this meal the Lord Jesus and the eleven disciples now went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray.

The Lord Jesus often prayed at Gethsemane, and Judas the betrayer knew this.

*Luk 22:47 And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him.
Luk 22:48 But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?

We should understand that the religious leaders of Israel had joined the forces of darkness against the Messiah.

This will be repeated when the Lord Jesus Christ returns!

Judas had been one of the twelve, but he had now sunk so low as to desert the Lord.

How could he have done such a thing?

Luk_22:3 Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.

Judas is separated from the crowd, but his crime is much greater than that of the crowd.

There was the kiss of love and the kiss of reverence, but this day Judas had the kiss of a traitor.

Mar 14:44 And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely.

The kiss of Judas on this day was to put the Lord Jesus in the hands of His enemies.

Only a criminal has this kind of love!

The other eleven had love to defend the Lord, but the Lord did not need them to defend Him.

In fact, it is the Lord who does what is needed to protect these eleven true disciples.

We must also keep in mind that these Jewish leaders could have captured the Lord Jesus many times, but they were afraid of the people.

They chose the cover of darkness and broke the law themselves to capture Him.

*Luk 22:49 When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?
Luk 22:50 And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.
Luk 22:51 And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.

We know that only the eleven remaining disciples were with the Lord at this time.

We know it was Peter who took the sword that he had, and it was Malchus who was the servant of the High Priest.

Peter attempted to take off the head of Malchus, but Malchus reacted quickly enough that only his ear was removed, and the Lord Jesus immediately healed him.

Many of these men were the Temple guards, but the rest were chief priests and elders of Israel.

The Lord Jesus was no robber trying to escape!

The Lord Jesus was the Lamb of God, ready to be sacrificed.

All those things of abuse that were used on Him were unnecessary.

Even the kiss of Judas was unnecessary because Jesus had stepped forward to protect those who were with Him.

Jesus told His disciples to stand back and just allow this thing to happen to protect them, and that prophecy would be fulfilled.

The use of violence was to be left to those who brought swords and clubs, and not those who followed the Lord.

The Lord Jesus was never a danger to society, but He was a danger to their positions with Rome.

To them, Jesus was no more than a thief trying to rob them of their position over the people.

The Lord Jesus was not ready to establish His earthly Kingdom at that time.

They still did not understand that our Lord Jesus was bringing eternal salvation to all those who believed in Him and the work of the Cross.

*Luk 22:52 Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves?
Luk 22:53 When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.

The greatest sin of these people, which is the only sin that cannot be forgiven, was that they were blind to the Son of God!

They just were not going to accept the Lord Jesus as the Messiah, no matter how many miracles He did.

The Lord Jesus never once acted as if He were a thief come to steal something from this world.

The Lord Jesus never preached a sermon that allowed them to live as they wished; He always preached the Word of God clearly.

Only if they changed their evil and wicked ways could they be received by the God that they said they worshipped.

They had to repent and obey the Word of God, which was the message that they received from Moses.

They knew the truth of the flood.

The Lord Jesus had to teach the truth for anyone to be saved.

God will never accept an unrighteous person.

If we want to meet the Almighty Living God, then it will only be without sin.

We must believe who God really is!

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 Word of God tells us who He is, and we must have enough faith to believe it.

Those who arrested the Lord Jesus on this day could only think of their position with Rome and not their position with the God whom they said they followed.

They were sold out to this material world that will soon come to its terrible end.

They had joined forces with the powers of darkness.

Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

What did the Devil know?

Col 1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

When the Light of Jesus reappears, the darkness of this world will disappear.

Peter became afraid for his life, and it caused him to sin.

*Luk 22:54 Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off.
Luk 22:55 And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them.

Peter followed Jesus “afar off”.

This phrase means:

1) Not walking close to Him.
2) Not standing with Him.
3) Not being identified with Him.
4) Not focusing his life on Him.

If this could happen to Peter, it could happen to any of us.

Peter became afraid for his own life, and his commitment was weak.

Peter sat down with the crowd.

The truth is God has not given us the Spirit of Fear, so if we are afraid, it came from the Devil.

2Ti 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
2Ti 1:8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord,

What is apostasy?

Apostasy describes the defection of Christians, or so-called Christians, who now accompany the Antichrist.

It is written that just before the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, there will be much apostasy by many in the Church.

What we see in Peter is what we will see in the Church just before the rapture of the Church.

2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

The Antichrist will show himself to be a superhuman and deceive many.

*Luk 22:56 But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him.
Luk 22:57 And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not.
Luk 22:58 And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not.
Luk 22:59 And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean.
Luk 22:60 And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.

We must never pretend that we do not know the Lord Jesus Christ.

We do not need to hang out with non-believers.

We certainly must never deny the Lord Jesus Christ.

Persecution is going to increase among Christians, and it is already terrible in many places today.

Jesus said: Mrk_8:35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.

Matthew and Mark tell us that Peter began to curse and swear.

As Peter warms himself among the enemies of Jesus, he becomes like them.

Pro 4:14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
Pro 4:15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

Peter was from Galilee and he could not deny this.

Then the rooster crowed.

*Luk 22:61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
Luk 22:62 And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.

Then Peter remembered the Lord’s Words.

Then the Lord turned his head so He could see Peter and Peter could see the Lord.

The Lord Jesus had already warned Peter: Luk 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
Luk 22:32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

In all this, the Lord Jesus, knowing exactly what would happen to Peter, the Lord never forgot him.

Even while the Lord Jesus was being beaten and abused, He still prayed for Peter.

He loved and cared for Peter, and He still wanted his loyalty and service.

Peter left this wicked crowd just as fast as he could.

He was a broken man, full of anguish and pain for having failed the Lord Jesus, and he wept bitterly.

Peter repented of his sin.

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

Amen

The Great Banquet

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Great Banquet and Discipleship

Book of Luke Chapter 14

The chief Pharisee of the Jews invited the Lord Jesus to a meal at his home on a Sabbath Day.

The word Sabbath signifies a Day of Rest, a Sabbath of the soul.

The Sabbath is the sign of the covenant between the LORD and His earthly people, the Israelites.

Exo 31:13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.
Exo_31:14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

In reality, the Sabbath represents the soul resting in Jesus Christ: Heb 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God, the Church.

Heb 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Heb 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

The Pharisees had no clue about the truth of the Sabbath, but they intended to somehow get the Lord Jesus to stumble on the day of this feast.

What is the truth of the Sabbath? Jesus said: Mar 2:27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
Mar 2:28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

The priests of the Temple had much work to do on the Sabbath days, yet they were not considered to be breaking the Law of the Sabbath.

Mat 12:5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?

Every Jew would take care of their animals on the Sabbath, just as they would on any other day, and it was not considered work.

The point being that the Lord Jesus Christ is far greater than any priest, and the Lord Jesus also had work to do.

*Luk 14:15 And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.

To eat bread in the Kingdom of God means to be among those who are present in the joys of the Messianic Kingdom.

Here we see a self-righteous man is smugly sure that he will be among the righteous who will be in Heaven.

The main importance of this passage is to get a clear picture of the invitation of the Lord to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, which cannot happen until we have accepted that the Lord Jesus is the Messiah sent from God.

1Jn 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
1Jn 2:23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

We know that we cannot get to Heaven without the Lord Jesus Christ.

To these self-righteous Pharisees, they could think only of the Messianic Feast.

This was a supposed feast given to God’s people, the Jews only, when He sets up His Millennial Kingdom.

The Lord Jesus will use another parable to explain to this Pharisee the error in his thought process.

It was customary for guests who were invited to these feasts of the Pharisees to attend.

Israel had actually been invited to the Messianic Feast by God’s messengers, the Prophets, but they had all made excuses about attending in an insulting manner.

If any people thought that God owed them a place in the Messianic Kingdom, it was these Pharisees.

They felt they would have the highest seats in God’s Kingdom.

The Lord Jesus begins to teach a parable that they found easy to understand.

*Luk 14:16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:
Luk 14:17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.

This parable sends out a strong message to all the people of this earth for whom the Lord Jesus Christ died.

No one can be saved or attend this feast unless they have received an invitation and have responded to it!’

This feast is the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

Those who make excuses will remain lost!

All things are ready for today is the Day of Salvation.

2Co_6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

The invitation is sent to all who have heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ, seen the Gospel, or read the Gospel.

What has Israel done with the Lord’s invitation, along with many others?

*Luk 14:18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.
Luk 14:19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.
Luk 14:20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.

We must keep in mind that God wants to share His riches with all people, but God also has determined the process of accepting His invitation.

All these people mentioned had received God’s invitation, and now it was time to decide on attending.

God sent His servant to remind them that they had received an invitation.

We should notice that God’s invitations had first been sent to the super religious men of Israel, the Pharisees.

Joh 7:47 Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived?
Joh 7:48 Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?

The modern Pharisees are all those who believe they will get into God’s Heaven because of their good works.

What had the Lord Jesus said? Mat_19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

There is no work we can do to get into God’s Heaven; we reach Heaven only if we have “faith” in the work of Lord Jesus Christ to bring forgiveness to us.

They all agreed to make excuses for rejecting God’s invitation to the Feast of God.

The first excuse came from a businessman.

His excuse was that he had bought a piece of land and he needed to look after it.

If God is the center of our life, then any business, any profession, or any affair would not be allowed to consume our life, and God would be first in our lives.
,
Next, we see a man who was wrapped up in a new purchase.

An oxen team would be like buying a new tractor to plow with today, and he wanted to go play on it.

It could be a new house, a new car, a new motorcycle, or even a new television, all material things, but material things should never keep us away from God.

Third, we see a man who was wrapped up in his family.

He had made a new marriage, and even if this marriage was ordained of God, we are never to put our wives before God. This is what Adam did, and sin entered the world, and we are still suffering with sin today.

Salvation is just too important for us to give it up for material things, or family and friends, or any other reason.

When we show contempt for the Word of God, we should not wonder that God gets angry.

We know that some in Israel have accepted God’s invitation, but there is still much room for many more.

*Luk 14:21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.
Luk 14:22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.
Luk 14:23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Now the Lord sends His invitation to the Gentiles.

We should understand that nothing will make God stop His plan of salvation.

No power on this earth can cause God to cease His invitation to receive the free gift of salvation.

To compel does not mean to coerce people to come to God; it means to assure them that it was God who sent them an invitation.

We must all clearly understand that just getting an invitation to the Marriage Feast of the Lamb does not mean we will be accepted.

There will still be a Marriage Feast in Heaven, whether we have been invited or not!

The Lord Jesus is going to fill His banquet hall, but time is running out to accept His invitation.

The Lord Jesus invites those who need some help to get to the banquet.

All sinners need the Lord’s help to get to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb!

The self-righteous need no help; they will be rejected.

If you are a sinner, you will need the Lord’s help to be accepted to the Feast.

If you are too poor, the Lord will provide the right clothing.

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

Mat 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

If you are lame or crippled, the Lord will provide the means to get to His Feast.

If you are blind, the Lord will guide or direct you to His Feast.

As long as the Lord has room at His table, He will continue to accept us at His Feast through His “Mercy” and “Grace”.

But those who were first invited and had nothing but excuses for not coming, they will not be accepted to the Marriage Feast of the Lamb of God.

God said His House shall be filled! Therefore came “Grace”.

Grace makes a way because the Law has failed!

*Luk 14:24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

These are the very words of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Those who would be rejected were the ones the Lord Jesus was eating with at that time.

These are the ones the Lord Jesus used this parable on.

Though a few of the Israelites have accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior, the majority of them have rejected Him.

The Apostle Paul wrote: Act 13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
Act 13:47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

The Lord Jesus is not through with them, but they will go through the seven years of Tribulation.

Rom 11:11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

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

Rom 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

God had shown His “Grace” to the Israelites many times throughout the Old Testament, but they could not comprehend the power of God’s Grace at that time. Israel will join the Church that is planted by the Lord Jesus Christ.

For the Jews, there were two stages: the present age and the age to come, which was the Messiah’s reign on this earth.

The prophets had written much about these things.

Because they reject the New Testament, they have missed New Heaven and New Jerusalem.

The redeemed believers of all ages will live in New Jerusalem.

Joh 14:2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

The New Jerusalem is also the New Heaven, the Kingdom of God.

This is the place of all God’s banquets.

Mat 8:11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

This is not the place of unbelievers.

Mat 8:12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Heaven is a real place!

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

There is still time to get an invitation to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, but time is running out.

God has made a way for the Israelites after and during the Tribulation period, but He has not made a way for Gentiles.

Amen

Jesus Continued to Heal and to Teach

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Jesus Continued to Heal and to Teach

Book of Luke Chapter 9 Verses 37-42, 57-62

There is a lot of great material between verse 22 and verse 37, but let’s keep to our lesson plan.

Our lesson begins the next day after the Transfiguration of the Lord.

We could say that on the Day of Transfiguration, the glory of the Lord Jesus broke out in the presence of His disciples.

The transfiguration of the Lord Jesus is hard to describe accurately, so it is best to read the Scriptures in the Gospels.

What is recorded as a record was an absolute historical reality, and not a mere vision.

Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Peter never forgot this day: 2Pe 1:16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
2Pe 1:17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
2Pe 1:18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

Many today worship the Devil, who is Satan, but I wonder if they realize how the devil treats all our children.

*Luk 9:37 And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him.
Luk 9:38 And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child.
Luk 9:39 And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him.
Luk 9:40 And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not.

This is an epileptic seizure.

This does not mean that everyone who has seizures is caused by the Devil, but if they do not know the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior, this should be their first place to start.

I call Him Doctor Jesus.

On the mountain top, there was the glory of the Lord, showing God’s power, but in the valley, Satan was showing the people his power.

This is the difference between Heaven and Earth.

We can see a father who has seen his only son, who was tormented by an evil spirit.

He was begging the Lord Jesus to have pity on him.

We should ask ourselves why more parents do not see this today and beg for the help of our Savior for their own children.

We all should know that the Lord Jesus has great compassion for all people.

This man had lost all control over his son because he was a victim of Satan’s power.

1Pe_5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

This father had no choice but to stand by helplessly and watch the Devil destroy his son.

We can see this in our lost children today, and we need to go to the Lord Jesus for His help.

This man had already approached the nine disciples of Christ for their help, and they could not help him for some reason.

The Lord had given them the power over demons, and they had used it, but for some reason, their faith was not as it should have been.

We saw this in an earlier lesson, and we saw it again in this lesson.

Their real problem was a lack of faith.

Their faith never matured until the Lord Jesus Christ walked out of that tomb on the third day, just as He said He would.

The Lord Jesus later told them that they had not been praying and fasting as they should have.

The Lord Jesus gives us many gifts today, but if we will not fellowship with Him daily, that gift will have no power.

We must never forget who the Lord is! He is the Almighty God!

Many times, as Christians, we are a disappointment to the people around us who could use our help.

Only the Lord Jesus knows how many times we have been a disappointment to Him.

We may not have the powers of Jesus Christ, but we can be attentive and sympathetic to their needs.

We can certainly begin with prayer at that very moment if we have compassion on them.

Fortunately for us all, the Lord Jesus is always on time.

*Luk 9:41 And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither.

After all the disciples of Christ had seen of the miracles of Jesus, we could ask ourselves how they could have a lack of faith?

We can also see that the Lord Jesus spoke to the whole generation of Jews and not just to His chosen disciples.

Where was this father’s faith?
Where was the faith of all those who were present?

The chosen disciples of Christ did not have the power, even though the Lord Jesus had given them that power when He sent them out earlier as evangelists.

Notice all those present just stood around when the disciples of Christ tried to heal this son, having no concern for the life of this boy, when they too could have been praying.

What do we do when the Lord is not physically present as He is today?

Surely, we can all pray!

Surely, we can all show faith!

This father could have shown faith after all these were God’s people. They could go to the priests. They could make sacrifices.

This child continued to suffer because no one had enough compassion to seek God for him.

Jesus said they all were faithless and perverse. Perverse here means morally corrupt.

The Holy Spirit says: Tit 1:15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
Tit 1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

When God’s people act this way, there will be no power in the Church.

Guess what, we see very little power in the Church today!

It is not our duty to judge other places of worship; it is our job to make sure our own place of worship is following the Word of God by being obedient in our worship and in our lives.

*Luk 9:42 And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.

The Devil tried to show his power over the boy, but the Lord just spoke the word, and the Devil had to leave.

If the chosen disciples of Christ had been following Christ as closely as they should, they would have been able rid this boy of this demon.

Jesus broke the power of this demon the same way He broke Satan’s power; He just spoke with the Sword of His Mouth.

Rev_2:16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

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

Rev_19:21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

The people who were observing what the Lord did were amazed at the mighty power of God!

Once more, all those who were observing could only think about the great power of God.

They marveled at the Majesty of God’s Messiah, but we should also understand there is a cost for every disciple of Jesus Christ.

*Luk 9:57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
Luk 9:58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

When someone tells the Lord Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go”, it sounds good, but it has to be made very clear why anyone makes such a claim.

No one can follow the Lord who has not been called!

A self-commitment is nothing like a Jesus Christ-centered commitment.

If there is a real calling of “Grace,” then that person must let go of all things that might hinder their walk with Christ.

Rom 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, “separated” unto the gospel of God,

Rom 1:7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, “called to be saints”: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called “according to his purpose”.

It is only the call of God that enables us to believe.

God’s purposes in Himself sum up all things in Jesus Christ!

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:

The Lord Jesus Christ must become our Lord of life!

The Lord Jesus Christ gave up all of Heaven and all of Himself to meet the needs of this dying world we live in.

A profession of faith is not enough.
Saying, “I am willing to follow” is not enough.Mrk_14:38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.
We must deny ourselves completely!
We must accept the Lord Jesus as the Servant of mankind and become such a servant ourselves.

There is nothing in our old life that will help us achieve the call of Christ!

The Lord Jesus led a perfect life, and it must be our goal to do the same, even if we cannot be perfect while we remain in these sinful bodies of flesh.

We must accept the pattern of life that the Lord Jesus had as our own.

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.

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:

The Lord Jesus Christ had no home on this earth because His home is in Heaven. As His disciples, we must share His homelessness in this world because our home is now in Heaven, and we have no attachment to this world to bind us.

Jesus Christ is the perfect picture of what God wants to see in each of us.

*Luk 9:59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
Luk 9:60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

In many cases, it is the son who will take care of his father in their old age.

The Lord Jesus had invited this man to become one of His disciples, to even become a preacher to preach the Kingdom of God.

When we decide to follow the Lord Jesus, it means we have decided that this is the most important decision we will ever make, and nothing on this earth is more important.

We must give up everything in this world for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

It was not a bad thing for this man to bury his father, but the message of salvation is far more important.

This father died lost, rejecting the Lord Jesus as the Messiah.

Those who are spiritually dead because they have rejected the Lord Jesus are not as important as those who have never had that opportunity, at least to our Savior.

This is the truth of being loyal to Jesus Christ.

We must consider that when the Jews rejected the Lord Jesus, it was more important for the Apostle Paul to go to the Gentiles.

Even those who have rejected the Lord one time are not as important as those who have never heard of the Kingdom of God.

God has already decided to meet the needs of these in the work of the Sower when one plants, another waters, and another reaps the harvest of the soul for Christ to save.

Every person is of extreme value to the Lord, and we should know that the Holy Spirit was working hard to bring this man to conviction.

Those whom God has called to preach need to respond as quickly as possible.

Mat_9:37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
Mat_9:38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

The Lord Jesus knew that this man was hesitating to answer Him, and he just used the burying of his father as an excuse.

What was the message of Christ? Luke 14:26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
Luk 14:27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

It is a hard message, but it is a necessary truth to serve the Lord.

We cannot allow Satan’s children to drag us down, even if they are family members.

The word hate means “to love less”. We must love the Lord with all our heart, all our body, and all our soul!

*Luk 9:61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
Luk 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Following the Lord Jesus Christ is a lifelong commitment!

Here is a man who offered “on his own” to become a follower of Jesus Christ. He was not called.

Looking ahead to the Rapture of the Church is the most important event that we are looking forward to.

To the Jew, the return of Jesus Christ is the most important event they have to look forward to.

These are two separate events!

If we look at those two words “but and first”, we see that this man saw something more important that he should do before committing to the Lord, which he said he had already made such a commitment.

Maybe he needed the advice of his family before he made a final commitment.

Maybe he needed someone else’s approval before a full commitment to the Lord.

As we saw in the Book of Luke, Chapter fourteen, maybe he was putting his love for his family ahead of his love for Jesus Christ.

Either way, the Lord Jesus knew what was going on in this man’s life; he was unwilling to cut the ties of this life and give all of himself to the Lord.

Jesus Christ is the “first” and the “last,” and He must be everything to us!

Looking back can be fatal.

Just ask Lot’s wife.

Gen 19:17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.

Gen 19:26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

The word commitment fits in right here.

It is true that in order to plough a straight furrow, the farmer must concentrate on a certain point in front of him.

He must keep his eyes fixed upon the goal.

As we serve the Lord, we must know that our work is not done until the Rapture of the Church on a day of the Lord’s choosing.

It may be close, but it is not here yet!

It is not the time to quit on God!

Amen

The Message of John the Baptist and the Baptism of Jesus

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Message of John the Baptist and Jesus’ Baptism

Book of Luke Chapter 3

In Chapter 2, we can read about the Lord Jesus as a twelve-year-old, but just a few verses later, we find our Savior at thirty years old.

The rule of the nation of Israel and the Head of the priests is in the hands of people who do not care about Yahweh and will reject His Messiah.

Pontius Pilate has been placed in Jerusalem to rule over God’s land.

Herod, a descendant of Esau, has been placed as King of Israel, and we know that the descendants of Esau have always been haters of God’s people.

Oba 1:6  How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up!

Oba 1:10  For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.

There are two High Priests, but there is no time when God said there should be two High Priests.

Joh 18:13  And led him away to Annas first; for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year.

At the end of this book, we will see how these political and religious leaders conspired to bring the Lord Jesus Christ to the cross that Jesus came to die on.

The first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Messiah, was and still is the pivotal point in the history of our world!

The earth that rejects our Divine God got a chance to see Him and what He stands for.

The impact that the Lord Jesus made upon this world can never be overstated.

John the Baptist paves the way.

*****Luk 3:1  Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,

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

Luk 3:3  And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;

Luk 3:4  As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Luk 3:5  Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;

Luk 3:6  And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

Luke gives us an accurate picture of history in the early days of John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke, with the help of the Holy Spirit, is showing us just how corrupt the government and the religious circles were on that day.

The false High Priest, Annas, had been removed from office by the then Roman procurator, Valerius Gratus, but he continued to hold power over the High Priest office, with Caiaphas being his stepson.

Rome wanted control over the religion of the Jews, and this was their way of doing this.

This is the same thing China, and some other nations, keep control over some churches that teach Christianity.

God had commanded that all High Priests were to be in the line of Aaron.

God’s call to John the Baptist came while he was in the wilderness, which was a sparsely populated area.

God found John in a most obscure place.

God always knows where we are and what we are doing.

The Word of God can reach any place at any time because the Holy Spirit goes where He pleases.

Today, the Holy Spirit is the most powerful Deity on the face of this earth, and we know that He will not always strive with man or mankind.

The call of God is a personal matter, and this is the way God continues to work.

He loves personal relationships with each of us.

This Jordan is not the nation Jordan that we know of today, but the River Jordan where John could find a place to baptize those who repented.

We will notice that John would not baptize those who would not repent of their sins.

The Church has been lax in this regard.

The Lord Jesus Christ said: Joh 3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

In other words, the Lord Jesus states that there are no exceptions to this command.

Eph 4:22  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 

Eph 4:23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 

Eph 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 

The work of John the Baptist was in fulfillment of prophecy.

Isa 40:1  Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God

Isa 40:2  Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins. 

Isa 40:3  The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Isa 40:4  Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:

Isa 40:5  And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Notice John does not call them back to the Laws of Moses; John calls them to repent of their sin.

We must repent of our sin and our old life before we can be members of God’s family!

They had to recognize that they were sinners just as we do today.

John was called to serve God rather than to serve religion!

Religion will send you to Hell. Only Christianity can get you to Heaven.

John, as a descendant of his father Zacharias, was to train for five years and then serve

 at the Temple when his time came, but God had other plans for John.

If our ministry does not align with God’s plans, then we are in the wrong ministry.

What is repentance?

Repentance means that if anyone wished to be forgiven of their sins, they would turn from their sins and change their lives; then and only then could they be baptized.

It should be obvious that we cannot do this without the Holy Spirit, but it must be our goal.

Baptism was a sign to their neighbors and the world that they were changing their lives because they wanted God’s forgiveness.

As Christians, we follow in baptism because we follow the Lord Jesus Christ.

Act 17:29  Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.

Act 17:30  And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent:

Act 17:31  Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

There would be no animal sacrifice; there would only be a living sacrifice.

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.

John’s baptism was a sign that a man wanted forgiveness it was not the means of forgiveness.

Baptism does not wash away sins!

It would be that changed life that would determine if these things came from the heart, just as it is today.

Forgiveness of sins is conditional upon that repentance and that changed life.

A person who truly repents will turn away from sin and turn to God!

Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Ghost(Holy Spirit)  will not move into a dirty house!

Act 3:19  Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

Act 3:20  And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:

It was John’s job to prepare the world for the coming of the Lord, and He would come first to the Jews because this was His promise, even though He knew they would reject Him and would then go to the Gentiles.

Amo 4:12  Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.

Amo 4:13  For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.

The Jews will not reject the Lord Jesus a second time!

*****Luk 3:7  Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

We had better be aware that the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not for entertainment.

That sad fact is that John the Baptist would not be allowed to preach in many churches today because he preached the truth, and neither would the Lord Jesus Christ for the same reason.

John preached the coming “judgment” of God. People do not want to hear about the judgment of God!

So many today concentrate upon the love of God, which is very great, but they reject the judgment of God on the unbeliever, and they are wrong.

No matter what different preachers preach, there will be a day of God’s wrath!

I admitted to God that I was a terrible sinner because I was!

In fact, I am still a sinner only saved by the “Grace” of God, and He is still working on me.

A viper is the great enemy of souls!

Mat 23:33  Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

A sinner is anyone who has voluntarily violated the divine law; a moral agent who has voluntarily disobeyed any divine precept, or neglected any known duty.

All sinners are devoted to sin.

1Ti 1:15  This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

1Ti 1:16  Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.  

The wrath of God is not coming to those who fall in love with Jesus Christ and believe in Him.

The wrath of God is coming upon those who reject any part of the Word of God!

The only unforgivable sin is rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ!

 Joh 16:8  And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 

Joh 16:9  Of sin, because they believe not on me; 

Eph 5:6  Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

Eph 5:7  Be not ye therefore partakers with them.

Psa 2:11  Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

Psa 2:12  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

To follow the truth of God is noticeable in those who do!

*****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.

The proof of a saved soul is repentance!

Valuable fruits of repentance are speaking truth and doing things that are according to the will of God. Such fruits come from the new life that a person receives when he repents.

The concept of having Abraham as their father made the Jews feel safe because their pride would not allow them to believe that any child of Abraham should ever be lost.

That same pride said that any single Jew was of more value than all the people in all the nations of the world.

The Talmud stated that God made the world for the sake of the Jews, which is not true, and the Bible never says such things as these.

The Lord Jesus put an end to this nonsense: Mat 8:11  And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

Mat 8:12  But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

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

It’s called faith! Faith in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ that has been done to save us.

 Rom_4:13  For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

Rom_4:16  Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

Gal_3:7  Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

To disagree with the Lord Jesus Christ is to bring the judgment of God upon yourself!

*****Luk 3:9  And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

God is the Divine Woodsman who cuts down trees, and He has laid His axe at the roots of the trees!

This is God’s warning to us all!

To be honest, we cannot produce good fruit in our lives without faith in the Gospel and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

For these Jews, the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple was less than a generation away.

*****Luk 3:10  And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?

Luk 3:11  He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

Luk 3:12  Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?

Luk 3:13  And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.

Luk 3:14  And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

When “judgment” is preached without prejudice, people begin to understand what God is saying.

To the first group, John answered that we are to share our blessings with others.

To the second group, John answered that we should not rob others to enrich ourselves.

To the entire group, John answered that we share our prosperity with those who have nothing.

The fruit of salvation goes much deeper than these practical things. John gave these people a good idea of where to start.

We can see the reality of removing hate and increasing love.

How can we tell we are in the last days?

2Ti 3:1  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2Ti 3:2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

2Ti 3:3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

2Ti 3:4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Along with all these things, we see there is no natural affection for our neighbors.

The one thing that drives our politicians today is hatred. They hate each other with passion; it drives them to make laws that each other hate instead of doing the job they went to Washington to do.

They are a pathetic bunch, for certain.

A question has come up about our military following illegal orders.

We should understand that God does not condemn any soldier for doing his duty.

A soldier who goes above his duty and simply becomes a murderer will be condemned by God, but even these can be forgiven.

When John says to do no violence to any man, this is what he is saying.

We follow orders, but indiscriminate killing, especially of the innocent, should not take place.

All terrorists are murderers!

God demands a changed life!

When we are filled with the fruit of the Spirit, it will be noticeable to those we are around.

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

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

The Messiah would be mighty.

The Messiah would be more worthy than any man.

The Messiah would use the Holy Ghost.

The baptism of John the Baptist was a full-immersion baptism and not a sprinkling.

John’s baptism was with water, but the baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ would be with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

This fire would be unquenchable!

John preached the truth of the Scriptures, but also as a Prophet, he preached the words God told him to preach.

John the Baptist preached the same no matter who was in the audience.

*****Luk 3:19  But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,

Luk 3:20  Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.

When God gives His preacher a message to preach, it is to be preached as instructed, not watered down, not distorted, nor twisted.

Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Herod was as much a sinner as we all are!

A corrupt and sinful life will always bring the wrath of God.

I hope our politicians, those who claim the Lord Jesus Christ, do not forget this, and those who do not know Him will certainly see that wrath aimed at them in the near future.

It has to be hard to be a Christian in Washington, but it is not impossible, and they must know they are there because it is the will of God, and they are there to hold back evil and corruption in our nation.

I do not believe that Herod would have killed John, but Herod had an evil wife.

Mar 6:17  For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife: for he had married her.

Mar 6:18  For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.

Mar 6:19  Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:

Mar 6:20  For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

When John preached, he told it like it was.

When sin is relevant in our rulers, it makes it easier for the entire nation to be in sin.

Corruption in our leadership just causes corruption throughout our nation, as we have seen and are still seeing.

Herod the Great was living in sin, the sin of adultery; he was, as we know, also a murderer, and those soldiers who murdered those children were also murderers because that was a command that they should have refused.

When our military stops the drug trade, they are not murderers or killers because those who spread the drugs are the killers, and our politicians need to be with our President and our military.

What is the truth? We will never truly prosper in sin! 2Ch 24:20  And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you.

The judgment of God is coming to this wicked world!

Jud 1:14  And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

Jud 1:15  To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

Jud 1:16  These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.

*****Luk 3:21  Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,

Baptism is an act of obedience to God.

If the Lord Jesus Christ is obedient to His Heavenly Father, who are we to think we can be disobedient?

We know that our Lord Jesus had no sin, so we must know that Baptism is not for the removal of sin; it is being obedient to our Heavenly Father.

We had better know that every time Heaven opens up, it is the Lord Jesus Christ who is the object of admiration of Heaven.

Joh 1:51  And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

Rev 19:11  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

What did Stephen see? Act 7:55  But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

Act 7:56  And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

The one thing that sets these people apart from all others is the fact that they heard the message of John the Baptist, and they responded.

God wants this whole world to hear His message so that everyone in the world will get a chance to respond to the truth of God.

What did the Lord Jesus do differently from the others who were baptized?

1) He demonstrated that He, the Son of God, was fulfilling all righteousness.

Mat 3:13  Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

Mat 3:14  But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

Mat 3:15  And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

2) He was demonstrating His humiliation, that He was a man, fully man.

Jesus was required by our Heavenly Father to live obediently, just as all men are to live obediently to the Word of God.

The Lord Jesus had to live a sinless life to accept all our sins on His body.

Jesus became the Som of Man. Mat 8:20  And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

Birds and foxes are cunning and wicked, but God still cares for them; however, His Son does not have a home on this earth because His home is in Heaven. It is the same for every Christian.

It is God’s will for every human to hear the Gospel, and they all respond positively to it!

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

No man is above any other man in the eyes of God. If God expected His Son to be obedient to all the Word of God, then how can we say God will understand if we keep that secret sin or any other sin?

This is why the Lord Jesus was baptized!

Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

We must all repent and be baptized!

The Lord Jesus also obeyed God in prayer.

As He was being baptized, His mind and His thoughts were upon His Heavenly Father.

This is another thing that gets our prayers into the throne room of God.

Baptism is the most significant act of discipleship and must be followed by a changed life.

This is where many churches fail today. There is no change in life.

God will not waste His “Grace” on those who will not change their lives!

Prayer is something we must all do!

Jas 5:16  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

*****Luk 3:22  And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

God is pleased with us when we are obedient and following the steps that Jesus took to be obedient; we are on the right path to the Glory World.

1) When the Heavens opened up it showed us that God was approving the ministry of Jesus to begin, and it began that day.

2) When the Heavens opened up it showed John that prophecy was fulfilled, and the Lord Jesus is truly the Lamb of God.

Gen 22:8  And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

The Lord Jesus would soon give His life for us: Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in the bodily shape of a dove.

We now get to see the Triune God.

God the Father speaking from Heaven, saying This is My Son.

The Holy Spirit(Ghost) descended from Heaven in the shape of a dove.

The Son of God receives the blessing of God.

Mar 1:9  And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.

Mar 1:10  And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:

Mar 1:11  And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

When we love the Lord, God will do things that tell us He is much more than just real.

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.

We begin to understand just how wonderful Heaven is going to be.

1Co 2:9  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

1Co 2:10  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

*****Luk 3:23  And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,

The Lord Jesus was about thirty years old in His body when He began His public service.

If He had tried to begin at an earlier age, no one would have paid much attention to Him.

Num 4:23  From thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shalt thou number them; all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.

He is an heir to King David.

He is an heir to Abraham.

He is an heir to Adam.

He is the Godly Heir. He became the Messianic Prophet of God.

Amen

His name is Wonderful!

An Open Invitation

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Wisdom’s Invitation

Book of Proverbs Chapter 9

Without a doubt, the Bible is the place to find “wisdom” and “understanding” of the things in our lives today and the things going on in this world.

We can see much of God’s wisdom in His creations, especially in the nighttime sky. However, we can also see the great wisdom of God in childbirth and new life and all other of His creations.

He created humanity, we did not come from monkeys.

The theory of evolution is the doctrine of Athiests!

The Bible tells us that “wisdom” is the principal thing, or the most important thing, for understanding the things of this world and of course God’s World to come.

Pro 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

The Bible says that without wisdom, we cannot even apply our hearts to understanding.

The Bible tells us where to find this wisdom:

Pro 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

So, what are these 7 pillars of wisdom so that we can build our house of understanding?

Let’s jump right into our lesson today.

*Pro 9:1 Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:

James, the Half-Brother of Jesus, gives these seven pillars of wisdom to us:

Jas 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

1) The wisdom from Heaven and God is first “Pure”:

In other words, these 7 pillars of wisdom must first be built upon Jesus Christ:

Jesus Christ is our foundation for wisdom:

Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Remember, it is not Peter that is the “Rock,” it is what Peter had just said!

Mat 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

This can happen only one way:

Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Tit 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

Without the purity of Jesus Christ, the other pillars will fall.

2) The wisdom from God is next “Peaceable”:

The Bible says:

2Ti 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
2Ti 2:5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.
2Ti 2:6 The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.

3.) The man of wisdom must next be “Gentle”:

Every child of God must be a gentleman or gentlewoman.

Again, the Bible says:

Tit 3:2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

4) The man of wisdom must next be “Easy to Be Entreated”:

This is being reasonable when it comes understanding the Word of God.

2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

5) The man of wisdom must next be “Full of Mercy and Good Fruits”:

This is always helpful and considerate!

The Bible says:

Col 1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

6) The man of wisdom must next be “Without Partiality”

The word “race” is not in the Bible. The word “tongues” meaning languages suggests only other cultures, and “race” is irrelevant!

God does not look at the color of our skin; He looks into the heart.

The Bible says:

1Ti 5:21 I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.

7) And the man of wisdom must be without “Hypocrisy”

Again, the Bible says:

1Pe 2:1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
1Pe 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

Being a Christian is not putting on a show, but “It Is” being sincere in speech and our actions.

We must be “doers of the Word,” not hearers only!

There is no “Wisdom without the Lord,” and your house of “Wisdom” will fall without these “Seven Pillars”!

Here again, we see wisdom in the sense of a female, and King Solomon shows us two females, or we could say hostesses serving up a meal to guests in their homes.

As we are filled with the Holy Spirit of Jehovah, we also have the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Isa 11:2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.
Isa 11:3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:

With the wisdom of God as described by James, the stepbrother of our Lord Jesus, we begin to see that wisdom is the source of life-giving nourishment.

The woman of wisdom is the builder and the dweller of a beautiful house who has prepared her meal and sends her maids out to invite guests.

The woman of folly is pictured as a lewd woman who sits on a chair at the door of her house and lures passersby to come to her, and she has also prepared her feast.

True wisdom is revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ: Col 2:2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
Col 2:3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

*Pro 9:2 She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.
Pro 9:3 She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city,
Pro 9:4 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,
Pro 9:5 Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.
Pro 9:6 Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.

All those who lack wisdom are searching for something, but they do not understand what it is.

They do not know that they need this wisdom to live, but are easily influenced by foolishness.

To accept the woman of wisdom is to have life and have it more abundantly; pleasure is not mentioned.

To accept the woman of folly means to enter into the realm of the dead. Pleasure is mentioned so she can hide the death that is in the end.

The woman of wisdom addresses all those who are without discernment to all who would attend.

2Pe_3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Those who accept the invitation of the woman of wisdom, which results in a major life change.

They choose to forsake their foolish ways of the world and go in a different direction.

It is called to repent.

Wisdom’s house is not on the path to destruction but upon the road of life.

Those who are simple are those who are foolish, who are traveling on the road to destruction and every foolish way.

To accept the woman of wisdom is to make a choice.

To accept the foolish woman to remain on the path they are already traveling on the road of pleasure that leads to death.

*Pro 9:7 He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot.

Who are those who will now be called foolish? Those who reject the wisdom of God!

They are the scorners.
They are the wicked souls of mankind.

2Ch 36:16 But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

There is no remedy for those who reject the wisdom of God.

Pro 15:12 A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise.

As we have found out, not many will accept the truth of the Messiah.

Not many will accept the truth of God.

Most people will refuse to change their lifestyles just because we tell them they must be saved.

They will get angry, and God’s messengers, and we know that Christian persecution is on the rise.

Mat 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

They remain lost because they refuse to believe that they are lost!

There is only one path to tru life, and there can only be one path!

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.

Then how are we to continue as the messengers of God?

*Pro 9:8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.
Pro 9:9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
Pro 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

1) Do not reprove or rebuke a mocker, someone who is unteachable and filled with pride.

The Lord Jesus said: Mat 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

2) Rebuke only those who humbly acknowledge their sinful condition and accept that they need to repent of their sinful ways.

3) Instruct the wise, and they will grow wiser. This is discipleship.

4) Teach the righteous, and they will seek to know more.

5) We must all know the beginning point of wisdom, which is the fear of the Lord. We must trust the Lord as we begin a personal relationship with Him. We begin to know by experience as we see what He has done in our own lives.

Wisdom will reward its messengers.

*Pro 9:11 For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.
Pro 9:12 If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.

We must be real with ourselves! Every person will bear the consequences of the choices they make in this life!

Wise choices will produce good fruit.

Foolish choices will result in decay and death.

For all those who accept wisdom’s invitation will receive sweet fruit.

One of the rewards for accepting this wisdom is long life, many days, and additional years.

Pro 3:2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

Pro 3:16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand, riches and honour.

Pro 4:10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.

We do not know how many more days or how many more years are still in the hands of God, but we know they all are.

Jas 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
Jas 4:15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

Pro 10:27 The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.

We can be sure that the wisdom from Heaven will enrich every day we have left upon us.

What do we know for sure?

1) The Lord Jesus is building a house for all those who accept Him.
2) Our Father’s house can hold many mansions.
3) The Lord has extended an invitation to anyone who believes in the marriage supper of His Son.
4) The Lord Jesus Christ is the embodiment of wisdom.
5) Every believer is commissioned to deliver the Lord’s message to the world.
6) Every believer can expect to be persecuted in this world.
7) The way of the foolish is death!

*Pro 9:13 A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing.
Pro 9:14 For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,
Pro 9:15 To call passengers who go right on their ways:
Pro 9:16 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,
Pro 9:17 Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.
Pro 9:18 But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.

The woman of Folly, the foolish, also has her house.

This woman is loud, boisterous, and noisy.

She is naive and gullible, and lacking in judgment.
She is prone to pitfalls. just like those who are taken by her.
She knows nothing.
She is ignorant of the truth.
She does not have good sense.
She is ignorant of the fear of the Lord.

She sits in her doorway to lure in her prey.
Her house sits on a hilltop, so she can be easily seen.
She loves to be seen and heard as passersby go past her.
Her house is neither spacious nor is it safe to enter.
She has prepared nothing for those who enter.
She is lazy and selfish.
She is always on the lookout for her next victim.
She always sits in the best location.
She calls out to all who pass by, even those who are minding their own business.
She invites them all into her house of doom, especially those who are trying to find her.
She lives on the road to destruction.
She especially tries to distract those who ignore her.
She finds many on this road to destruction who do not know where they are.
She targets those who are simple and lost.
She entices them all with her secret sin.

Her folly fulfills all those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ.

Wisdom is a life built upon the “Fear of the Lord” and the repentance from our sin nature!

Folly is a life built upon the rejection of the Lord.

Jesus gives us a description of the sin that cannot be forgiven: Jhn_16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Jhn_16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;

Folly is a deceptive harlot and an unworthy wife.

She serves only water and makes it thrilling by the fact that she has stolen it.

There is no substance in her drink, nothing of lasting value.

There is good reason to believe that these things speak of immorality, but we will not go there for now.

She is wicked and immoral, and those she traps are doomed to Hell.

So, we can see this lesson is about the choices we make in this life.

The woman of wisdom and the woman of folly are both trying to capture souls.

If we choose wisdom, we will live wisely by building our lives around the “Fear of the Lord”.

We will turn away from all paths to destruction.

God will reward us!

If we choose folly, we will build our lives around sin, we will reject the Lord Jesus, and we will continue traveling that road to destruction.

We will remain separated from our Creator and our God!

The only choices that we need to make are:

1) Choose wisdom.
2) Choose Christ Jesus.
Choose Life.

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

We should know that Satan is the king of folly.

Satan offers nothing to those caught up in his grasp.

He is a thief and a counterfeiter.

He takes what he steals from God and then corrupts it.

He will tell the same lies that he told Eve.

Gen 3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
Gen 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
Gen 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

We need to be aware of the choices we make in this life and just choose our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.

A Memorial to Our Savior

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Instructions for Godly Worship

1 Corinthians Chapter 11: Verses 17-34

What is the greatest problem of the modern church today? The modern church gathers together not for the betterment of the church, but for the worse.

We are to come together to hear the message God has for us on that particular day and apply that message to our lives when we step back into the world.

We know that if we love the Lord, then He knows it.

We had better know that the reason we attend church is also known to the Lord!

Do we come to receive the instructions from Jehovah so that we can grow in the Lord?
Do we come out of curiosity?
Do we come to observe worldly interest?
Do we come without any preparation of heart?

Are we soon wearying of the services we attend?

Eze 14:2 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Eze 14:3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?

Do we love the Word of God or not?
Are we just partially convinced of the truth of God?
Do we stifle the Holy Spirit?

If we do not come together for the betterment of the Church and our lives, then we will come together for the worse!

This is highly displeasing to Jehovah!

Php 3:18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
Php 3:19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
Php 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

There are only two ordinances assigned to the Church.

One is Baptism.
The other is the Lord’s Supper.

Our lesson today is concentrated on the Lord’s Supper.

Here in the South, when the word supper is mentioned, it used to mean that the last meal of the day, when the whole family would come together to prepare for the end of the day and maybe plan a little for the next day.

For the Jews, that evening supper was the principal meal of the day.

The Lord’s Supper is something that is, for the most part, entirely different.

In our church, we say communion, and communion is fellowship with the Lord.
Communion is between the Lord Jesus Christ and His people.

Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
Joh 14:24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.
Joh 14:25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

The Lord’s Supper is called the cup of blessing because in it there is fellowship with Jesus Christ and His disciples, and among the disciples with one another.

1Co 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
1Co 10:17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

Every child of God belongs to Jesus Christ, and we can enjoy our relationship with Him!

Only those who belong to Jesus Christ should take part in Communion.

As the Apostle Paul wrote to Philemon, communion means the good things in us that come by Jesus Christ.

Phm 1:4 I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers,
Phm 1:5 Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints;
Phm 1:6 That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

*1Co 11:17 Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.

Paul begins his rebuke of the way this Corinthian Church was celebrating the Lord’s Supper.

As Independent Baptists, we only recognize two ordinances, which are baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

An ordinance is an outward rite prescribed by Jesus Christ to be performed by His Church.

Our Lord Jesus Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper on the night of His crucifixion.

Luk 22:14 And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.
Luk 22:15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:
Luk 22:16 For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.
Luk 22:17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:
Luk 22:18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.
Luk 22:19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Luk 22:20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

This was the New Covenant in contrast with the old Mosaic Covenant.

Only through His death could this New Covenant be applied to the Church because it was the death of Christ that provided forgiveness of sins, which is discussed later in this lesson.

The Lord’s Supper is a memorial to the death of our Savior!

As we celebrate the memorial of our Savior, we must emphasize that we have faith that He died so that we could be forgiven.

This church in Corinth was even divided in this celebration, that is to remind us of what the Lord Jesus has already done for us.

1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
1Pe 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

* 1Co 11:18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
1Co 11:19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.
1Co 11:20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper.

These Corinthians were tragically abusing the Lord’s Supper!

When divisions are in any church, the Spirit of the Church is in disorder!

Minds and hearts are not upon the Lord but on the causes of this division.

Paul knew how these matters would grow and become rumors and exaggerations.

Paul understood there was great truth in the letter he had received from this church.

This church needed to work on its problems before it could be a true House of God.

None of these things could catch the Lord off guard or by surprise.

In fact, the Lord will allow these things to persist so the true believers can stand out in the turmoil.

These people who cause this division in any church will cause the love and truth of genuine believers to shine brightly, which is what verse 19 tells us.

No Spiritual unity can exist where there is no supreme affection for Jesus Christ.

We are all to unite with Jesus Christ because He is the Head of the Church.

It seems so many places of worship have forgotten this today.

The Lord’s Supper is our way of showing our faith in the Lord but here in Corinth it was perverted into a means of gluttony and drunkenness.

Today, we see churches that are perverted, Bibles that are perverted, and Christian ministries that are perverted.

The one good thing for the pastor of any church was that he could tell who were genuine Christians and those who were not.

*1Co 11:21 For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.
1Co 11:22 What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.

This gathering of this church was meaningless to the Lord, and He would never be a part of such a gathering!

It is impossible to have a divided church and honor the Lord Jesus!

Jas 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.

When the early church observed the Lord’s Supper, they would incorporate it with what was called a “love feast”.

Everyone brought all the food they could in order that there would be plenty for everyone, including the poor and the slaves who could not bring very much.

The idea was to have a common meal where everyone shared, and everyone would have enough to eat.

This church at Corinth began to abuse the Supper. Instead of sharing, everyone sat off in their little group of friends and shared the food they brought only with that group.

Some were neglected and had very little to eat, if anything.
Some were indulging as gluttons, trying to make sure that group had nothing to eat.
Some treated the whole thing as a social gathering, bringing alcohol to drink off to the side and becoming drunk.

This was no longer a Christian fellowship, and there was no love shown to the brethren.

This was no celebration of the Lord’s Supper!

This celebration was meaningless and useless in furthering the Gospel and strengthening the Church.

This celebration ruined the testimony of this church.

Some outside the church who believed would talk about how Satan had accomplished so much in the church in such a short period of time.

Satan is working hard in many churches today!

Paul said you must despise the House of God to do such things.

Paul said Do you not have homes to do such things and not bring this inside the church.

They abused the sanctity of the Church.
They shamed the poor and the slaves who had little food.
They corrupted the Lord’s Supper.
They slapped the face of the Lord Jesus Christ.
They were proud of themselves.

A divided church is a sin against the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul said, “How can I praise such a gathering in the House, the Lord Jesus has built”?

1Ti 3:5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

1Ti 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

Paul tells this church the truth of the Lord’s Supper.

*1Co 11:23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
1Co 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
1Co 11:25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
1Co 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come

What is the real meaning of the Lord’s Supper?

The Lord’s Supper involves our looking back to the historical event of the cross and anticipating His return, which could happen any day now.

The Lord’s Supper is a communion of believers with each other.

1Co 10:17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

At the Lord’s Supper, we will all eat and drink the same symbolic elements of the body of our Lord as we become the Body of Christ in common faith!

**What is the meaning of the bread? Jesus said: “Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me”.

We must remember that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Glory of God!

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

Joh 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

The Lord Jesus took part in His final meal Himself. He was standing there with His disciples, who would become the Apostles.

That bread symbolized the Lord’s body.

**In passing the cup, Jesus said: “This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me”.

Jesus did not say this was His blood, but it symbolized His blood, just as it was a symbol of the New Covenant God has made with mankind.

His body had to be broken for this New Covenant to take place, and it was broken for all mankind, but especially for those who love Him.

The Lord Jesus substituted His body for my body on that cross and the body of every sinner who has ever lived and will live in the future, though that future may now be short.

Heb 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

**The Lord did these things for us, and of the bread He said: “This do in remembrance of me”

Of the cup He said: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me”.

This means we are to stir up our minds to meditate upon the person of Jesus Christ, the Holy Son of God.

The Old Covenant, the Old Testament, is set aside, and this New Covenant is the blood of Jesus Christ and not the blood of bulls and goats.

Heb 9:13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
Heb 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Heb 9:15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

Every church is to set time aside to observe the Lord’s Supper, which is to concentrate our minds upon our Savior.

His death.
His return.

Jesus Christ died for us that we might live for Him!

We must understand that there can be severe consequences for taking part in the Lord’s Supper unworthily!

*1Co 11:27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
1Co 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
1Co 11:29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
1Co 11:30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

We know that Paul has sent this letter by Timothy to preach to the Corinthian church, but this letter would be preached to every Christian church of that day, and we have a copy of it today.

We know that if we have sin in our hearts, God will not answer our prayers.

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

In partaking of the Lord’s Supper, we must understand its purpose.

Psa_116:13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.
Psa 116:14 I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people.

The same night of the Lord’s Supper, we know that He was betrayed by Judas Iscariot.

If we partake of the Lord’s Supper with sin in our lives, then we are not saved by the “grace” of God, we have not accepted the New Covenant of God, and we have partaken of the Lord’s Supper unworthily.

The Lord Jesus died for our sins; He had no sin.

The Lord’s Supper shows forth His death until He returns!

This event commemorates the death of our Savior.

1) Not His life, for He lived in holiness without sin.
2) Not His teaching, though He spoke in Divine Truth.
3) Not His miracles, though He walks in mercy.
4) But His death, not glorious, but broken. His blood, not flowing through His veins, but shed for all mankind.

The Lord’s Supper is when we see our own sins laid upon Him
The Lord’s Supper is when we see our souls washed by Him.
The Lord’s Supper is when we see our doom reversed by Him.
The Lord’s Supper is when we see our lives secured by Him.

So, we must show forth His death till He comes.

The eleven disciples who remained became more faithful witnesses after the Lord’s Supper, and we should also, if we can see how great our salvation is.

Those who partake of the Lord’s Supper unworthily put the Lord in open shame.

Heb 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
Heb 6:5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
Heb 6:6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

Those who have no concept of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, His death in payment for our sin, and partake of the Lord’s Supper show irreverence of the body and the blood of the Son of God, will stir the judgment of God the Father.

It sounds serious because it is serious!

1Jn 5:16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.

*1Co 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
1Co 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
1Co 11:33 Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.
1Co 11:34 And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.

If we know we have unconfessed sin, we should not take part in the two ordinances of the Church, and certainly not the Lord’s Supper.

If we take that word “judgment” to mean “discern,” we need to examine ourselves to make sure we are not living in sin or carrying some unconfessed sin in our hearts; we must certainly not take part in the Lord’s Supper.

We must confess our sin and repent of that sin, knowing that God will chasten us, but He chastens us out of His love for us. If we continue in sin, we may be running the risk of being judged with the unbelievers.

We must share and demonstrate our love by putting others first, serving one another.

We must not bring condemnation upon ourselves. We must repent of our old life. We must change what we have been doing.
We can eat our meals at home, but the Lord’s Supper is for those who truly trust in the salvation plan of God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

When Jonah realized His sin, he cried unto the Lord with these words: Jon 2:2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.

Amen

Living By Love

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Claiming Rights and Living by Love

Book of 1 Corinthians, Chapters 8 and 9

In this lesson, we will see the contrast between knowledge and love.

We know the Word of God provides us with the knowledge of how to live our lives according to the Word of God.

God has a response to every question we have in this life, no matter what it is!

The City of Corinth was a pagan city, full of idolatry.

Most of the meat sold in the marketplaces had been offered in sacrifice to idols, pagan gods.

A portion of a sacrifice was offered as a burnt offering to a false god; the person who offered the meat would get a portion, and the rest of the meat would be sold in the marketplaces.

Practically every social event in Corinth served meat that had been offered as a sacrifice to false gods.

What was a Christian to do when they went shopping for meat for their own families?

They had no idea where that meat came from, just as we have no idea when we go shopping for meat for our own families today.

There were also great social functions in the city, and many of them were held in the temples built for the worship of these false gods.

Could a Christian attend these events and eat the meals that were served, knowing that the meat might have been offered to false gods?

Many felt that it was wrong to buy meat that had been offered to false gods, but they could not tell if the meat they bought had been used as a sacrifice or if the meat came from some other source.

For this reason, many Christian believers became vegetarians.

Just as these Corinthians, Christians of today live amid a sinful and pleasure-mad world, and we will have questions.

These Corinthians wrote a letter to the Apostle Paul seeking answers to these questions, and the Church of today has those answers.

The greatest questions of today are about Christian freedoms.

Are we free to do as we please?

What restraints are put on Christian Liberty?

What controls our behavior in this wicked world?

What is Christian love?

Today, we have the complete Word of God, and it gives us all the answers we need to live in this life.

*1Co 8:1 Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.
1Co 8:2 And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.
1Co 8:3 But if any man love God, the same is known of him.

We must understand the three Christian graces which are Faith, Hope and Charity!

Faith is the vision of the unseen: Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
This is our trust in God.

Hope is our desire to be with our Creator: Eph 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
Eph 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Charity (love) is the necessary condition of our dwelling with God and God in us: 1Co 12:31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

We know that God is love: 1Jn_4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
1Jn_4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

God loved us when we were worthless to Him, and we must strive to love like God loves and show that love not only to our brothers and sisters in Christ, but also to those we witness to.

It will be our love that will define us as Christians in the end!

Then, we need to first judge all things by love and not by knowledge.

We all have knowledge if we study the Bible and attend a Bible believing Church, but we all may not have the love of God within us as we go through this world.

The knowledge we have learned may come forth as pride, and our pride may interfere with our love.

It is our love that must define our bodies as a Temple of God!

We certainly have much more knowledge about God’s creations, but it is by no means perfect knowledge.

We have much knowledge about the true Church, but it is love that builds the Church.

It is good to have clear views of Christian liberty, but if we exercise that knowledge without love for our brothers and sisters in Christ, then that knowledge is not fruitful for the Body of Christ.

The Holy Spirit is not given to us to do as we please!

We have the Holy Spirit living within us to give us freedom to serve the Lord Jesus, which is perfect freedom.

We are free to obey all the Word of God.

We are free from the law of sin and death: Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

1Pe 2:16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.

We have complete freedom to do the things that are in God’s will for us.

When God created this world, we live in, He said that it was all good.

Gen 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

No actions of any Saint of God are unlawful if they are in accordance with God’s design in creation.

We should understand that desires are a function of our bodies that God made. So, in this sense, we have complete freedom.

1) We must understand that many things in this world are neither worthwhile nor are they profitable.
2) We must understand that many things in this world are not wise. Some things will enslave us and not bring self-respect.

We are never to become slaves to anything on this earth, which would include such things as drugs or alcohol, or substance abuse.

We are to preserve our self-control to control the things upon this earth and not be controlled by any of them.

Our good health and our emotions depend upon us being in control of our bodies and our spirits.

Indulgence in any of the appetites of the body is one of the greatest sins of any believer.

Rom 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Rom 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Our knowledge is useless if it is not bound by love for each other!

It is love that unites us with Jehovah.

If we love Jehovah, then He knows it and accepts it.

We are not accepted by God because of our knowledge!

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

*1Co 8:4 As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.
1Co 8:5 For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)
1Co 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

As Christians, we know that there is no God but Jehovah.

We know that no idol is God and is nothing in this world, no matter what their worshippers may think.

There is no God but One, and He is Jehovah.

False gods are gods of the mind and imagination, ideas and notions.

They are gods made of wood and stone.

They are gods and lords of their own creation.

We could all sit down and think about what a perfect God should be, but we do not even know what perfect really means; we just know that our Savior is perfect and He is a perfect God.

We know that an idol is created because the Devil has influenced the mind of that person.
We know that an idol could represent the demons and evil spirits in our world.

1Co 10:20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.
1Co 10:21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.

There is indeed demonic influence in our world.

Even the powers of nature are worshipped as gods.

Even the Roman emperors claimed to be gods.

As Christians, we know that all these so-called gods do not exist except in the minds of some foolish people.

We know that there is, but one God and He is our Creator.

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Joh 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

There are just far too many in our world who have not met the Lord Jesus Christ.

*1Co 8:7 Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.
1Co 8:8 But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.

We already know that this church in Corinth was full of baby Christians and was full of division.

They had not understood the truth of Jehovah.

They had many times eaten of this sacrificial meat and had visited the temples of false gods and taken part in the big banquets.

To them, to continue to do these things had to be a sin against Jehovah and apostasy.

It was their conscience that was weak. They just could not accept that this meat could be clean.

They could not tell what meat came from which source, so to them all the meat was unclean.

Too many, they just did not ask the source of the meat, and they just took it home and ate their conscience free and clear of any wrong.

We can see a lack of faith by those who became vegetarians.

They were not strong enough spiritually to control their minds and beliefs.

Act 10:14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
Act 10:15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.

Food is immaterial to God. Food does not make us more spiritual or less spiritual.

The eating of food does not make us acceptable to God nor does it better or worse.

We lose nothing by not eating and we gain nothing by eating.

Some would tell you that this same line of thought would apply to wine or alcohol, but the Scripture never said wine was clean.

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

Isa 5:22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:
Isa 5:23 Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

Isa 5:11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!

There are many more places in the Scriptures concerning wine and alcohol.

We understand that there is such a thing as Christian Freedom, so the question of real importance is, “What effect will our conduct have on others”?

*1Co 8:9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
1Co 8:10 For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;
1Co 8:11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?

Some people use verse 8 to say “fasting” is not needed for a Christian, because of the words “but meat commendeth us not to God”, but this would be a wrong interpretation.

We do have liberties as true Christians, but we are in sin if we lead anyone to do that which he thinks is wrong.

We make things worse for the “babe in Christ” by our example if we teach them to act in contradiction of their conscience.

God has revealed Himself through conscience; Rom 2:13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
Rom 2:14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
Rom 2:15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

Conscience may be regarded as an inward monitor or the voice of God in the soul, that passes judgment on men’s response to the moral law.

We can study the Bible and learn every prophecy and think we know all that we can about Jehovah, but if we do not use these things to benefit others, such as babes in Christ, then these things will not bring the blessings of the Lord but rather reproach for the cause of Christ.

No matter how great a Christian we think we are, we must not become a stumbling block to a new Christian and especially to that one who left the Church before they experienced the salvation of Jesus Christ.

1Co 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

Note that phrase in verse nine: “But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours becomes a stumblingblock to them that are weak”.

To the world, the Church is already a place full of hypocrites, so why would we ever make matters worse?

When Christians are seen out in public doing questionable things, others are sometimes influenced by the things they see us do, but in the wrong way.

We must never forget that none of us are so Spiritual that we cannot fall.

*1Co 8:12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.

There is no greater sin for the Christian than to damage the conscience of another believer!

A wounded conscience will make any person feel useless and helpless and may destroy their drive and initiative, and ambition.

Jesus Christ died for us in our weakness. If we lead some poor soul astray, we have committed a terrible sin against the truth of Jesus Christ.

What had the Lord Jesus told the Apostle Paul on his day of salvation?

Act 9:4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

Any persecution of any believer is the same as persecuting the Lord Jesus Christ!

*1Co 8:13 Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.

We must understand that we have no value in ourselves, but because of the work of Jesus Christ, we are valuable in Heaven!

If we are striving to be more like Jesus Christ, then we must remember what He has said: Joh 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Joh 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Our love for our brothers and sisters should mean that we will self-sacrifice for their welfare.

In the Church, we will influence more people by example than we will influence by our knowledge!

Rom 15:1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

*1Co 9:19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
1Co 9:20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
1Co 9:21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
1Co 9:22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
1Co 9:23 And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

We can see that the Apostle enslaved himself to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

As did the Lord Jesus: Joh 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
Joh 13:15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

We talk about Christian freedom, and we have certain freedoms, but we are free to walk with the Lord.

When we walk with the Lord, we are not as likely to return to the bondage of this world, which is bondage to the Devil.

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

This passage may apply more to preachers or pastors, but it also applies to every Christian.

The one purpose of following the Lord Jesus is to reach out to the lost and be a witness for Christ.

Paul said he was free from all men, but he had enslaved himself by love to serve one another.

As we are free because of Jesus Christ, we are not obligated to conform to the world’s opinions.

We are never to compromise our convictions, but we must show the love of God to those we are trying to witness to.

We must remember our humble Shepherd and how He treated everyone He met, no matter their walk in life.

Paul obeyed the laws of Moses when he witnessed to Jews, as did the Lord, as long as nothing violated his walk with Christ.

This is a great example for the Church today.

We are free to do all things that do not violate the Law of God.

Though Paul would be obedient to the Law of Moses as best he could, he did not compel any Gentile to do the same.

Paul would go along with the customs of the Gentiles that were not in violation of the Laws of God.

Paul would go along with babes in Christ and refrain from doing some things that he had the Christian freedom to do.

Paul would not become a stumbling block to anyone seeking Jesus Christ!

The most important “grace” we have in our possession is the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Mar 10:43 But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:
Mar 10:44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.
Mar 10:45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

No true Pastor or preacher, or even a Christian believer, can approach the Christian life with a bad attitude.

*1Co 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but onereceiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
1Co 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
1Co 9:26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
1Co 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

One of the great festivals of the Greeks took place in Corinth during the Isthmian Games in honor of Poseidon, which took place every three years.

When Paul mentioned the word race, these people knew what he was talking about.

No racer entered those games determined to lose, knowing that only one would be crowned the victor.

To be honest, it is the race itself that brings excitement and not always the winner.

As Christians, we all enter the Christian race to be winners, and we can know that our journey to Heaven will be exciting if we put our hearts into it.

God expects us to run and run hard!

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

A racer will spend much time preparing his body for that one day of the race.

He will prepare his body.
He will prepare his mind.
He will prepare his spirit.

As Christians, we must be just as disciplined as these athletes.

A true athlete will not put anything into his body that is corrupt or polluted.

Remember, our bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit.

We must control our minds and our thoughts, and we must give in to the Holy Spirit and follow His lead.

Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

That crown we receive from Heaven is far greater than any crown we could receive on this earth.

We must make every time we witness count toward salvation, even if we water where someone else has planted the seed.

We cannot allow our bodies to dictate our actions.

As we age, our bodies will tell us it is just too tired to do anything and has too much pain.

God will not accept this as an excuse!

We are not to be slaves to our bodies; our bodies must be a slave to our work for the Lord!

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.

That cross is a sign of pain and death, but we must overcome it because we can never die, and that cross will drive us to success.

To give in to our bodies is to be disqualified from the race!

We will struggle with sin all our days, but we cannot allow sin to dictate our actions.

There is nothing that we do that can separate us from the love of God.

Php 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Php 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Amen

Lawsuits and Loose Living

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Lawsuits and Loose Living

1 Corinthians Chapter 6

As we learned last week, there must be discipline in the Church that belongs to Jesus Christ. If we are not willing to discipline sinful members, we are not being obedient to the Word of God, and we are lacking in faith.

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.

Today, we get into another subject about church members and the saints of God.

A “lawsuit” is described as a suit in law for the recovery of a supposed right, a process in law instituted by a party to compel another to do him justice.

We simply say legal disputes.

We should understand that this passage deals only with disputes between Christian brothers and sisters.

It has nothing to do with unbelievers or disputes between unbelievers!

In the end, we will see that a true believer might ought to suffer wrong rather than risk doing wrong.

The Apostle Paul will lead us through this thought, one question at a time.

The first question.

*1Co 6:1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?

What Paul is saying is: “How dare you saints of God go to unbelievers to settle any issue you have with another saint of God”?

A Christian can expect no justice from unbelievers, and two Christians might easily decide small matters in a private and friendly manner.

There is no real reason why two believers should not be able to settle a dispute themselves!

Believers should not be disputing and arguing over rights and authority, nor the things and possessions of this world.

Christians are to use the things they have possession of to further the cause of Christ.

Paul called those secular laws unjust, and most of those judges were ruled by Rome or appointed by Rome and were certainly unjust.

Christians were hated in most places, and it would be hard for Christians to get a fair trial.

In reality, when believers try to settle disputes with other believers before the world, it damages the name of Jesus Christ.

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

If we truly love one another, we will not cause each other harm in any way.

Christians have the Holy Spirit living within them, and the fruit of the Spirit is:

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Those Christians who do not possess the “Fruit” of the Spirit may not be saved.

The word “fruit” is singular, so each Christian should possess all the traits that are mentioned here.

The world is a terrible place because it does not have the Holy Spirit or the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

When Christians take their disputes with other Christians to the world, we make the Lord Jesus look foolish.

He has already given us the means of solving issues with each other.

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

The problems in any church can be resolved if we live and learn as the Word of God instructs us.

Our lifestyle must not resemble the lifestyle of the world!

*1Co 6:2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
1Co 6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

What Paul is saying is that all this information is in the Bible; if you would just read and study it, you would know what God said about all these things.

This verse tells us that believers are to judge “all disputes” between themselves.

We should be able to judge the smallest matters, which are the things that pertain to this life.

We must never take these things to the world!

We will one day judge the world!

We will one day judge and govern angels in the next world, which we may not understand as of yet.

We lower ourselves and lose our dignity as the saints of God when we take our church problems to the world!

The word judge as it is used here means to govern and administer the affairs of the Church, which the world is to have no part of.

Jesus Christ told the Apostles that they would oversee Israel during the Millennial Kingdom.

Mat 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Paul tells the Church that we will govern and oversee the Gentiles during the Millennial Kingdom.

Dan 7:22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

There may be judging, which is governing, supervision, and oversight throughout eternity.

Verse 2 says the world will be judged by the Church that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of.

Those who reject the Lord Jesus will never live the life of a Christian, so how could they ever judge the life of a Christian?

Judgment can only come when the Word of God is the “Standard” for all laws.

This “Standard” is rejected by the world of today!

We should be able to judge the things of this life!

*1Co 6:4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.

If we care for the Lord Jesus Christ, we would suffer ourselves rather than bring reproach to the Christian name!

Unbelievers are as nothing to the Church.
Unbelievers are of no account in judging matters in the Church.
Unbelievers are not held in high esteem within the Church.
Unbelievers have no standing in the Church.

Why would we ever take matters of the Church to an unbeliever?

They do not live the life of Christ, nor do they intend to.

They do not have the Holy Spirit to rely on!

This Church at Corinth had fallen from Grace and needed to return to the truth of God.

When problems arise between believers about everyday things, other believers ought to be able to give solutions.

These things did not require any Spiritual insight to come to the proper conclusion.

*1Co 6:5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?
1Co 6:6 But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.

Salvation is our great deliverance from the guilt and pollution of sin and can only be accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Heb 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
Heb 2:4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

Once we are saved, we find that the things of this world have little, or no value as compared to the things of Heaven.

Knowing this, why in the world would we take our issues with other brothers and sisters to a court of non-believers?

Surely there are plenty of people in the Church who are competent to settle such disputes.

If we lack wisdom, all we need to do is ask God!

Jas_1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

There should be nothing that comes between two children of God that needs to be settled in a court of unbelievers!

If we feel that outside courts would be better able to handle simple disputes between two Christians, it only proves that their worldliness is stronger than their Christianity.

We are also saying that there are no wise men in the Church who understand our problem.

Then we do not accept that the wisdom of God is far superior to the wisdom of this world!

*1Co 6:7 Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
1Co 6:8 Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.

Rather than cause friction in the Church, why not just give in?

Why not suffer being wronged and cheated rather than wronging or cheating another brother in Christ?

Just going to an outside court is defeating the principles of the Church of Jesus Christ.

Just going outside the Church ruins our testimony for Jesus Christ.

Rom 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
Rom 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

1Pe 3:9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
1Pe 3:10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
1Pe 3:11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.

Obviously, these things concern disputes between two members of the same church and not the broken laws of the world.

No doubt that some of these Corinthians were guilty.
They wanted some of the things their brothers had.
They did not steal them outright but sought them by outside legal means.
The world may have called it legal, but they were cheating and stealing from God and God would deal with them.

The Lord Jesus said: Mat 15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
Mat 15:20 These are the things which defile a man:

Can church members who do such things really be saved?

We can surely say they are unrighteous, and we could question their character.

*1Co 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
1Co 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

We should be able to see that some of these things are things that God will condemn and reject.

We can expect that nothing can save a person who practices these sins.

We cannot defy God and get into His House!

As Christians, we should know these things!

Since God is righteous, His Church must be righteous to be accepted by Him!

Many people profess religion.
Many people practice religion.
Many people talk about religion.
Many people defend their beliefs about religion.

So, they live their lives according to religion.

However, Christianity is not about religion but is about a “relationship” with God!

God’s “Grace” is not given to us as a free ticket to sin.

There are very few people in the many churches who think that God will reject them!

Most church members think God will accept them, and many of them are wrong.

The Lord Jesus taught by parables, and there is one we should pay attention to.

The Parable of the Ten Virgins
Mat 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
Mat 25:2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
Mat 25:3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
Mat 25:4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
Mat 25:5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
Mat 25:6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
Mat 25:7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
Mat 25:8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
Mat 25:9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
Mat 25:10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
Mat 25:11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
Mat 25:12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

If this oil represents the Holy Spirit, then Jesus is saying that only about half of the Church is truly saved.

Remember, God will judge the Church before He judges this world!

Many believe that deception sins are not fatal, but they seem to forget what being a Christian is about.

2Jn_1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
2Jn 1:8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
2Jn 1:9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Gal 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

God simply says that none of these persons shall inherit the Kingdom of God.

We should know these things!

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

If we truly give ourselves to the Lord Jesus, then those sins of our old life have been forgiven, and God will never bring them up in our relationship!

Rom 6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Rom 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
Rom 6:19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

We cannot be saved by anyone other than the Lord Jesus Christ!

Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Rev 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

We can then be “Born Again” into the family of God!

Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Tit 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
Tit 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

We were once dead in trespasses and sins: Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
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 cannot approach God without faith: Jas 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

That faith must be in the work that the Lord Jesus Christ did to save us: 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.

The Lord will save everyone who calls upon Him with a pure heart!

Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

We know what we were before we met Jesus Christ, and when we see others doing those same things or similar things, then we know they are not saved.

This is not judging, this is knowing them by their fruit!

We cannot say we are saved unless we have a salvation experience!

It is a once-for-all event because the Scriptures tell us this.

We are not to return to the world, and its sin pollution. The worst of all pollution.

God the Father takes our “faith” in the Lord Jesus Christ and counts our faith as righteousness.

Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

We do not have any righteousness of our own.
We are still imperfect.
We know we are short of God’s glory.

We must surrender our new life to God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and worship Him.

It is these things that honor God the Father, and He will gift us with God the Holy Spirit.

The Lord Jesus takes care of our past.
The Lord Jesus takes care of our present.
The Lord Jesus takes care of our future.

Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Are all things now lawful to us as the Saints of God?

*1Co 6:12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

The Holy Spirit is not given to us to do as we please!

We have the Holy Spirit living within us to give us freedom to serve the Lord Jesus, which is perfect freedom.

We are free from the law of sin and death: Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

1Pe 2:16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.

We have complete freedom to do the things that are in God’s will for us.

When God created this world, we live in He said that it was all good.

Gen 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

No actions of any Saint of God are unlawful if they are in accordance with God’s design in creation.

We should understand that desires are a function of our bodies that God made. So, in this sense, we have complete freedom.

1) We must understand that many things in this world are neither worthwhile nor are they profitable.
2) We must understand that many things in this world are not wise. Some things will enslave us and not bring self-respect.

We are never to become slaves to anything on this earth, which would include such things as drugs or alcohol, or substance abuse.

We are to preserve our self-control to control the things upon this earth and not be controlled by any of them.

Our good health and our emotions depend upon us being in control of our bodies and our spirits.

Indulgence in any of the appetites of the body is one of the greatest sins of any believer.

Rom 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Rom 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

1Co 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they (sinners, the unsaved) do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

Paul adds: 1Co 6:15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.

**1Co 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Amen