The Power Of God

The Power of the Living God

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Power of God

Book of Exodus Chapters 7 through Chapter 10

It is in these Chapters we begin to see the awesomeness of the great “I AM” in the fact that “He can control nature” and does.

Though the word “nature” has no exact meaning to those writers of the Old Testament who were inspired by the Holy Spirit, to give us the information that He deemed we needed, so the word “nature” does not exist.

In the Old Testament, Jehovah alone, is seen in all things, through all things, and over all things!

We have no reason to question the Holy Spirit!

In the New Testament the term “nature” is used as the force, the laws, and the order, of this world, including all humanity.

In this sense, it is still Jehovah who has absolute control of, given the circumstances, of all things called nature or natural!

Psalms 104 gives us the best understanding of nature.

We can understand the workings of nature as the things that God has put in place to keep this world livable.

Listen as the Holy Spirit describes some of the things of our Messiah.

Pro 8:22 The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.
Pro 8:23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.
Pro 8:24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.
Pro 8:25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:
Pro 8:26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.
Pro 8:27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:
Pro 8:28 When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:
Pro 8:29 When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:
Pro 8:30 Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;
Pro 8:31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.

As Moses begins to confront this Pharaoh, God shows His power over the natural world.

*Exo 7:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.
Exo 7:2 Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land.

What we see here is that Moses is authorized to speak and act in the name of Jehovah.

Moses has in fact been given some divine power to do things that are above the ordinary course of nature.

The Lord Jesus speaks of these things.

Joh 10:34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
Joh 10:35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
Joh 10:36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
Joh 10:37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.
Joh 10:38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.

Aaron would act in the true sense of a prophet.

Remember a true prophet could only speak the words God had given them to speak, when speaking of Jehovah!

We should understand that this power given of God, was not to be abused.

In today’s meaning of the word, our own Pastor would fit this description as he too is to teach us the message given to Him by God Himself.

He is to teach us, to awaken us, and to enable us, to fulfil the will of God!

The true Pastor has a lot of responsibility to his people and to the Lord!

Our job is to pay attention and apply these things to our everyday life.

As Jehovah told Moses, in the end this Pharaoh would send the children of Israel out of his land.

In doing so he would recognize that he was no god but only a puny human being.

All these things being true we all question the next verse until we understand why.

*Exo 7:3 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.
Exo 7:4 But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.
Exo 7:5 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.

We can understand the hardening of the heart when we realize that the “mercy” and the “grace” will lead to the softening of many hearts to the reality of a loving God, but there will always be those who reject the Word of God, and that same Word of God will harden those hearts in their rejection.

We see this in the Atheists of today who will get incredibly angry at those who have the message of God, such as Moses, and make attempts to close the mouths of all Christians.

This Pharaoh was not an atheist, but he considered himself a god which is not far from being the same as an atheist who denies the truth of the One God Jehovah.

It is the Word of God that hardened this Pharaohs heart as it does so many today. To deny the Word of God is to make yourself a little god just as this Pharaoh had done for himself.

People just hate the truth of the Word of God because it points out their sin and it is a sin to treat people as slaves and above that, your personal slaves!

Jehovah already knew what was going to happen and this Pharaoh was making the choice to destroy himself, just as all those who reject the Word of God today!

This is the reason Jehovah made Moses to be a god in the eyes of Pharaoh because this Pharaoh had no concept of a Supreme God.

When we serve Jehovah, He has already given us the words to say, His Words. We are His messengers just as the angels are His messengers.

Moses would then give Aaron the words to say which were the same words God had given to Moses.

If it had been really easy for the children of Israel to leave Egypt, they would never have recognized that Jehovah had made them free from this tyranny.

We should keep this in mind as we see Christian persecution today!

Those who reject the word of God are then requesting to see the wrath of God, this will be His final judgment upon them, but they could also see many things against them in this world.

Jehovah told Moses all of Israel will leave Egypt and notice that God already states that these children of Israel would be used as His armies to take the Promised Land from those wicked evil nations that we have already mentioned.

There is a purpose behind everything that God does. He does not ever second guess Himself!

All of Egypt would know that there was a God who had more power than any presumed power of all their false gods.

All of Canaan Land would know that the God of the Children of Israel was much more powerful than their own false gods!

It would be the plagues that would prove this fact.

There is no science behind what God does!

What was Moses and Aaron supposed to do?

The same thing we are to do today. It is called “faith”. We are to trust that what God says He will do He will certainly do!

God has not changed His methods today and He has not lost any of His power!

*Exo 7:6 And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they.
Exo 7:7 And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.

We should remember that it is “disobedience” where Adam failed, and it is still disobedience where we all fail today.

We sin because we are sinners and not sinners because sin.

We see here that we are never too old to serve God!

He will keep our health until our purpose has been fulfilled and then He will take us home to a mansion prepared for us by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Isa 46:4 And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.
Isa 46:5 To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?

There is no one like Jehovah God!

God will meet the needs of all His children, especially those He has called for specific purposes!

We must allow God to be our strength because we are just puny weak humans who truly need our God!

2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2Co 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Then God showed to Pharaoh the “rod of power”.

We know the “rod of power” for the Church is the Lord Jesus Christ!

*Exo 7:17 Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.

To the Egyptians the Nile River was the great god and the river of life.

God will now show His power by making the Nile River to be a river of death.

Now we should not understand that the Nile would just change to a red color as many false believers and some scientists have stated.

The Nile from the border of Egypt and throughout Egypt turned to real blood just as God said!

The Nile, after its three main sources runs northerly for about 1150 miles.

There are none of these sources that feed the Nile in all of Egypt and Egypt gets little or better said, no rain.

The nation of Egypt receives on average three inches of rain and most of that is along the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea.

The Nile River has not changed its course for six thousand years the only river to do so.

The Egyptians have said all these years that they did not need the rain because they had the Nile River.

There was blood throughout all of Egypt on this day the Lord turned the Nile into blood and the creatures in the river began to die.

For seven days the River Nile remained this way and all other sources of drinking water.

“Hopi” the Egyptian god of the Nile could do nothing about it.

Pride was a great enemy of this Pharaoh.

So, God was not yet finished.

Exo 8:6 And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.

God proved that the elements of nature are under the control of Jehovah God.

God will now prove that the animal world is also under His direct control.

“Heket” the Egyptian god had the head of the frog, but he could not stop Jehovah!

The first plague proved that God is the only Living God, the God of the Redeemed.

The second plague will prove that God has no equal in all the gods of Egypt and not in all the world.

This swarm of frogs ruined most all property and left the threat of disease everywhere.

God loves all His creation, but He could not allow this puny Pharaoh to have a victory.

The Word of God is not just the command to go forth as God’s messengers.

The Word of God gives clear and precise guidance every day of our lives!

God told Moses exactly what to do and this is all Moses had to do.

Moses did not have to add anything to the Word of God nor does anyone today!

We will see that Jehovah gave this Pharaoh chance after chance to stop his foolishness and Jehovah does this for every national ruler no matter who they are.

The false god “Heket” was powerless!

As servants we need to know our God in a personal relationship, and we need to know His Word.

Nothing in this world is as important as these two things!

The Egyptians had another false god, and he was “Geb” the god of the dust of the earth.

Egypt had plenty of dust because there was no rain.

*Exo 8:16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

There is this place called the United Nations and they should have only one agenda.

To stop the oppression of the people of this world but they try to interfere in all levels of society with an agenda.

This is so far down their lists of things to do they, just like the rest of the world just overlook all the nations that do this and now have one agenda of Climate Change in which man can do nothing to stop.

Our world is dying!

Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

We must never forget who is in charge of this world He has created for us!

Jer_31:35 Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name:

There should be no slavery anywhere in this world!
There should be no oppression of any people anywhere in this world, but all the world governments are leaning in this direction!

These things are opposite to the Word of God!

Can you just imagine all the dust of Egypt becoming lice!

Lice are parasitic insects that can be found on people’s heads and bodies, including the pubic area.
Human lice survive by feeding on human blood. Lice found on each area of the body are different from each other.
The three types of lice that live on humans are:
Pediculus humanus capitis (head louse),
Pediculus humanus corporis (body louse, clothes louse), and
Pthirus pubis (“crab” louse, pubic louse).

Only the body louse is known to spread disease.

Ole “Geb” the Egyptian god of the dust could not answer the prayers of the Egyptians who were suffering.

They had another false god named “Khepri” who they thought as the god of all creation.

*Exo 8:21 Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.

Again Pharaoh rejected Jehovah the One True God.

There are few insects that are a more a nuisance creature than the fly!

On this day in Egypt the skies were no heavy with flies it was like clouds blocking the Sun.

They were so heavy that the things they landed on were covered beyond recognition.

Every place a person tried to stand, or sit, or lie down was covered with flies.

They covered everyone.
They filled all the houses.
They blackened the ground.

They too could cause disease and did.

Judgement is coming to those who reject the Lord today, but there is still time to repent.

It was too late for this Pharaoh, and he was witnessing the wrath of God and ole “Khepri”, the Egyptian god of creation could not do anything to stop it.

It is at this point where Jehovah began to separate the Children of Israel, so we should note that they, the Children of Israel now believed Jehovah to be the One True God.

This Pharaoh began to play his silly games with God, but God, will not be mocked!

*Exo 9:3 Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain.

The Egyptians had a goddess of love and protection, and they loved this goddess, but she could not stop this plague. Her name was “Hothu”.

As Pharaoh continued to defy Jehovah, God continued to show this Pharaoh his gods were useless against Him.

We should understand that as Moses spoke to Pharaoh of the next judgment, this Pharaoh was always given space to repent before that judgment occurred.

Jehovah will never change from this even during all the things of the Book of Revelation!

The Egyptian economy was destroyed after this plague, and it was already suffering dearly.

Animals in this age each had a part in the daily way of life of all people. For transportation, for work, for food, for skins, for clothing, and for trade.

This would have been a wonderful time for this Pharaoh to repent but he still chose to defy the Living God.

It makes no sense at all to bring the “Judgment” of God down upon us!

1Pe 1:17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

The Lord Jesus judges by what He sees, and He can see into our heart. Nothing can be hidden from Him.

This Pharaoh was daring the Lord to bring His judgment with no concern for his nation, nor its people!

The word “murrain” means a great mortality would come because of this plague and remember God had isolated the children of Israel from these next plagues but one. The last one.

Most everyone has heard of the Egyptian goddess “Isis”, but her powers were also non-existent.

She was known as the goddess of medicine and peace, but she is just another idol with no powers at all.

*Exo 9:8 And the LORD said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh.
Exo 9:9 And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt.
Exo 9:10 And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast.

A boil, also rendered as the botch, is a burning sore like an inflamed ulcer with blains meaning violent ulcerous inflammations.

These things were not just upon the human but also upon the animals.

There was nothing the false goddess “Isis” could do to help her believers.

Now they might have wiped the dust oof of her, but this did not change anything.

There was another Egyptian goddess name “Nut” who was the goddess of the sky, let’s see if she faired any better.

*Exo 9:22 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.
Exo 9:23 And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt.

As we know the nourishment of all crops come from God’s life-giving rain.

The sky is another part of God’s creation, and He has complete control of all the things that come by what we call nature!

We should understand that the “Judgment” of God is coming to this place called earth and you cannot run from it nor can you hide from it and your personal gods will be of no help to you!

According to the climate war mongers, the storms are getting more severe.

I personally cannot say that things are much different where I live than they have been all my life.

I can remember hotter days and colder weather, long dry summers, and wet winters.

This storm the Lord is referring to here will be the second greatest of all storms. The storms of the final judgement will be even worse than this one!

There will be no true peace until the Lord of all peace returns to cause peace on this earth.

The goddess “Nut” herself could do nothing to help Egypt except to sit upon her shelf and give that blank gaze.

This storm was catastrophic to the Egyptian people. Remember God had isolated the Children of Israel.

But Pharaoh was a stubborn man.

There were still some green twigs and trees that had not been destroyed and the goddess of the sky could do nothing because she could not hear the plight of the Egyptian people.

There was another Egyptian god who is said to control storms and disorders and his name was “Seth” but he was just another idol.

*Exo 10:12 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left.
Exo 10:13 And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.
Exo 10:14 And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.

If there were any food source left these locusts would devour it.

What have seen so far?

You can claim to be a Christian but not saved, but it will not stop the “Judgment of God”.
You can be an Atheist, but it will not stop the “Judgment of God”.
You can be a Religionist and ignore the truth of God, but it will not stop the “Judgment of God”.
You can just a skeptic, but it will not stop the “Judgment of God”.
You can believe you can manage all the things of this life yourself but there are things out there that only Jehovah can stop!

Believing there is no such thing as a Loving God, will not stop the Judgment of God!

There is only one way to avoid the “Judgment of God” and this is to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and not be here when “God’s Judgment” comes for it is coming!

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.

And God was not through yet because this Pharaoh was a fool!

*Exo 10:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.
Exo 10:22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:
Exo 10:23 They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

Of all the things that God has done now God would show the world that “Light” is a creation, in fact we could say God’s very first creation!

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Gen 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Gen 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Gen 1:4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

In the act of Creation God had separated the Light from the Darkness and God would show this Pharaoh that His power to do so had not diminished.

It was so dark no one could see their hand in front of their face as we would say.

Even in this this Pharaoh had too much pride to give in to the “Lord of all Power”!

Nah_1:3 The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.

Everyone who lives knows a little about the Egyptian God “Ra” but no one could see “Ra” to wipe the dust off of him for even he was only an idol who had no power at all.

All these things just made this Pharaoh angrier, and he just threatened the messengers of God.

Remember the Pharaohs of Egypt were said to be the gods of all power, but they could not control their own destiny every one of them died and none of them have returned!

*Exo 10:27 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go.
Exo 10:28 And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die.
Exo 10:29 And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more.

All these things had happened to the people of Egypt.

This Pharaoh was rich enough that they were only a nuisance to him and to his person and his family.

It would take something that hit this Pharaoh that he actually loved to ever break him and even this would not last exceedingly long.

Why are we as Christians hated in this world, especially today?

We are seeing a world grow more into Socialism and Communism.

The leaders of these nations are tyrants, or they will soon be acting the part of tyrants as we see in our own nation today.

Look even at France and Canada and you will see these things taking place.

They do not truly know the One True God, the Lord Jesus Christ but are idolaters or even Atheists which are an abomination to God.

Christians who are true to the Lord Jesus Christ, are seen to be weak, and meek, but they are also the object of God’s favor.

We could say Christians true to the Lord Jesus are the complete opposite of the national leaders of this Age and we will live in conflict with each other.

Just as this Pharaoh and to him Moses, who was just a messenger of God.

We will never agree with each other on the raising of families.
We will never agree with each other in what to teach in our schools.
We will never agree with each other in politics.
We will never agree with each other in any of the social circles.

This separation cannot be overcome without first there being a close personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, the God that they have all rejected!

We cannot compromise with these who reject the Lord Jesus Christ!

They belong to Satan whether they know it or not!

God will humble this Pharaoh!
God will humble his nation!
God will humble the Children of Israel!

Amen

The Power of God

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Jesus Demonstrated His Power

Book of Matthew Chapter 14

We know that the Lord Jesus Christ is certainly the Almighty Living God and being God, then He certainly has the power of God, which we know is unlimited power.

In reality, we cannot conceive the amount power God has and it cannot be measured!

In Chapter 13 the Lord Jesus explained the “Kingdom of Heaven” in easy-to-understand parables.

At least these parables were easy if you were a working person. The upper class and the super religious never understood the Messiah!

Most of the Jews in that day were farmers or fishermen.

Chapter 14 takes us deeper into the understanding of our Messiah!

The Lord Jesus proved without a doubt that He was the Messiah by the things that He did in those short three years.

Our lesson today takes place after the first year of His three-year ministry.

We first see what twisted theology does.

Herod was convinced that John the Baptist was the Messiah and he had not intended to murder John, but he did.

We all know the story how he was caught up in the dancing of a minor child along with other men in a drunken party.

He promised this child anything she would ask of him and by her mother’s hatred, she chose the head of John the Baptist.

When Herod began to hear all the things of Jesus, he had it his mind that Jesus was the resurrection of John the Baptist, but he did not recognize the “Power of God”.

Jesus departed into a desert place, but many followed him and here we see the feeding of the five thousand.

We can understand that the feeding of the 5000 was the greatest work the 12 disciples had seen of the Lord Jesus at this time.

After this Jesus needed some time with His Heavenly Father and He went to pray as He sent the 12 disciples on ahead across the Sea of Galilee.

This is where we pick up our lesson today.

*Mat 14:22 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.

In typology we can say we are on our journey to the other side today that place being Heaven.

We should clearly understand that our Lord Jesus knew what was going to happen at any given moment and at all times.

The Lord Jesus had to convince (constrain) the disciples to leave Him, they did not want to do so. There were things they needed to see and feel, and Jesus wanted some time alone.

Most all of us want some time alone at times and we certainly need some time alone with our Heavenly Father.

When we pray, we do not need to be making request at all times, sometimes we just need to sit and talk with our Heavenly Father.

We are always seeking His right arm when more time should be spent seeking His face!

1Ch 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.

Pro 7:15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.

These 12 unwillingly got into the ship and began their journey to the other side.

This is what each of us do once we accept the Lord Jesus as our Savior. We begin our journey to the other side.

They were sent out into the sea of troubles.

Remember the Seas represent all the nations of this world.

At this time we are not in the Sea of Tranquility we are in the Sea of Troubles!

The Lord is not with us in His person at this time, but He does live in our hearts.

Once we know the Lord as our Savior then comes the trial of obedience!

Once the disciples had begun their journey to the other side according to the Apostle John, Jesus knew that these over 5000 men would try to make Him to be King and it was not His time to do so.

Joh 6:15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.

With the disciples gone and Jesus still with them, these who had been fed were calm while Jesus went up the mountain to be alone.

We need to remain calm today and remain busy in the work the Lord has given us to do.

He may not be with us, but we know He went up unto the Highest mountain (Heaven) and He is there praying for us today.

*Mat 14:23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

In typology, this is the lesson we are to learn here.

Hos 5:15 I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.

Today the Lord Jesus Christ is not only praying for us and for Israel He is also our Intercessor and our Advocate.

This night on the Sea of Galilee, is a picture of the Church Age, while Jesus is absent, the Church is tossed about upon the Sea which we know represents all the wicked and evil nations of this world.

Jesus will always come to the rescue of His Church during the Church Age if we call upon Him with a sincere heart.

Today the Church is not in one accord and departing from the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Church is in the midst of the sea.

*Mat 14:24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.

What do we find out about the Church?

The Church is tossed around by the waves of this world, but as long as the waves do not enter the ship the ship is safe.

It is the same for the Church today! As long as we do not allow the world into the Church, the Church is safe even in troubled waters.

Even when the winds of change that come from this world, the Church is safe riding above the waters.

We simply cannot allow this world to change the Doctrine of Jesus Christ into some meaningless words.

We must rise above the storms of wickedness.

We must remain in one accord and travel this world in union with Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus is not only praying for us, but He is also watching to see if we need His help, and we always will.

This reflects upon the Second Coming of the Lord.

*Mat 14:25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
Mat 14:26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

We should understand the panic of these disciples. Most of these men were experienced fishermen who had sailed and fished the Sea of Galilee all their life, so this was not a common storm, this was a Satan sent storm in an attempt to kill these men who would be the beginning of the Church.

As Christians no matter how much we have grown in the Lord, there will never be a day that we do not need Him.

These 12 men were expecting at any time for the Sea to swallow them up, but low and behold our Lord also travels above the stormy waters and He simply walks on the storm just as easily as He walks upon the calm.

We can just see these 12 men as they portray types of true believers who hold the Lord Jesus Christ in their heart and are filled with the Holy Spirit.

We too are above the storms of life when we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is why we need that “faith”!

The storms of life may toss us around and those waves are getting higher, and the wind is even more contrary.

We know the god of this age, and darkness continues to grow in our world, but it is relief to see that the Lord Jesus walks upon the storm because He is the Master of the storm!

If we expect peace and calm in this world, then our thinker is not thinking straight!

Satan has no power over the love of our Savior for us!

Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What does the ship mean?

In type, it could be the Church as the Church tries to obey the Lord in this wicked world, but we know the true Church rises above the storms of this world and the Church is to have no fear and Jesus said for us not to worry.

These things being true, in type it this ship represents the Jewish people.

The Lord is absent from the Jewish people because He is a rejected Savior.

We must face reality, if Jesus is asked to leave, He will certainly leave!

Our Lord will not push Himself upon anyone.

We know the “seas” represent the nations of this world.

The waves and the wind represent the persecutions and the distress as we know this nation still faces today.

These things will remain true until the descendants of Jacob recognize King Jesus!

We already know that there will be no peace to these children of Israel until the King of Peace, the Son of David returns.

These disciples represent the Jewish people at this time because the death and resurrection of Christ has not taken place.

Think upon this. When the Lord ascended into Heaven, He did not leave the Church behind because there was no Church at that time, it was just beginning with the Apostles beginning their work.

When the Lord returns, He will not find the Church here on earth, because He will have already removed the Church.

Jesus will return to this earth to receive the remnant of the Jews. That hidden treasure from the parables.

It is the fourth watch of the night when Jesus is spotted walking on top of the storm.

It is the dawning before the morning when Jesus is seen.

The darkness of sin has been erased and the Lord of Glory returns.

1Co 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Jas 2:1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

It is the fourth watch when the Lord leaves His place in Heaven and returns to this earth.

First, He will leave His place and come with a shout and the Church will meet Him in the air.

Second, He will return to this earth to put an end to sin and again deal with backsliding Israel.

So this fourth watch is then the Church Age the gradual approaching of the Lord.

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.

The Church does not fear this fourth watch of the night!

The Church is not troubled, we know our ending!

The Jews in the time of Jacob’s trouble will show great fright!

Then King Jesus will say: “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid”.

Then our favorite Apostle speaks up.

*Mat 14:27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
Mat 14:28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
Mat 14:29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

Do you know what hinders our relationship with God the most? It is doubt.

Thank goodness our God has almost as much “patience” as He has “Grace”.

The Lord Jesus will always speak to us in our times of doubt, but we must be listening.

Remember what Jesus says:

Joh_10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

We do not know about the others, but we know for certain that Peter knew this man “walking upon the water” was the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus was walking upon the storm, and we will see the Peter thought he was also ready to walk upon the storm.

Peter got one thing right. You cannot come unless you are called!

We also see the Lord is willing to receive all those that He has called!

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

If you reject the call of the Lord, you will not be at the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb”!

Peter jumped out of that little ship and the water felt like pavement as solid as “Rock” and he began walking just as the Lord Jesus was walking.

Remember what Jesus says:

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.

I just wonder if Peter remembered this day walking upon the Sea of Galilee when the Lord said these words?

You see “faith” is that Rock that is needed for the Church.

What or who is this “Rock”?

Mar_1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;

Joh_20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
Act_8:37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

But what has happened to our Jewish friends?

Peter showed that it took an act of faith while turning of his back upon Judaism, that would allow him to walk upon the storms of this world to be like the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Peter faltered when the storms overcame his faith unlike the Apostle Paul who led an entire ship to safety showing the truth of the Gentile Church.

We know that the Jews will have to separate themselves from Judaism, to become part of the Church and when Jesus came the first time, they rejected this.

Peter only walked a few steps but then he said those famous words of the Church.

*Mat 14:30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, “Lord, save me”.
Mat 14:31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
If you believe in your heart that Jesus is the Messiah and Lord of your life, the only words you need are “Lord Save Me”!

So when the Lord says “Come” then just walk in “faith” upon the storms caused by Satan, and the Lord will extend His arm down to your level of sin no matter how deep you are in sin, and He will save you!

We must then separate ourselves from this sinful world.

2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2Co 6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Just as Peter had to separate himself from Judaism.

We must look to Jesus!

Heb_12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

We must never look away from Jesus and expect better things that do not exist!

Today we see that Satan is bringing a very different “Wind of Change”, but we must not take our eyes off of Christ Jesus!

Faith is still our greatest friend!

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.

When Jesus comes into the ship, that wind will cease!

*Mat 14:32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
Mat 14:33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

What really happened here?

Psa 107:28 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.
Psa 107:29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
Psa 107:30 Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
Psa 107:31 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

If we love the Lord Jesus Christ, we to are able to walk upon the storms of life and we to can lay our heads down on the pillow at night and sleep in peace, knowing we have a God to cares and a God who has power over all of His created world.

Satan is going to do his best to make our lives more miserable, but we are stronger than he because of who dwells in us!

1Jn_4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

The Lord will never let the Church sink.

The Church is that Ship that is sailing on troubled waters with boisterous winds, yet the Church is safe in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ who walks alongside the ship to keep her afloat.

It is the false church that has allowed the worldly seas to get inside the ship.

The Lord Jesus is outside that ship begging to get back in and if He is not allowed back in, then those fake ships will certainly sink into the pits of Hell, or Hades, whichever term you prefer.

If you do not believe in Hell, then you have no right to claim Heaven, both are in the same Book of Life.

If you do not believe in demons, then you have no right to believe in angels, both are in the same Book of Life.

If you do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the true and only Messiah, then you do not believe in our Creator!

When the ship with Jesus inside it reached the shore, they brought to Him all that were sick, and He healed them all.

Some had so much faith that they sought just to touch the hem of His garment and those that did were also healed.

This is a picture of our Savior!

Jesus never gets tired of saving and He never gets tired of healing!

Amen

The Power of Jehovah

/ Bobby Mayfield / 1 Comment

Dry Bones Are Given New Life

Book of Ezekiel Chapter 37

As Christians we already know that Christ Jesus is the only hope for this wicked and evil world.

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.

Gal 5:5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

The three Christian statements of our “faith” are built upon “our faith”, “our hope”, “and our love” in all the promises of Jehovah God.

1Co 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Why is the greatest of these, charity? What did Jesus say to us?

Mar 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
Mar 12:31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

To many people, these are hard lessons. To the Church, we know these words as the truth of God.

These things are the difference between life and death!

The Christians will certainly die, but this death is the doorway to eternal glory!

The lost world will certainly die, but this death is followed with eternal death. A death of eternal torment!

In our lesson today we can see the power of the Almighty God in the valley of dry bones.

*Eze 37:1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,
Eze 37:2 And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.

This valley of dry bones represents a place of death and destruction. A place where two great armies had met and death and destruction followed, their bodies left on the battlefield and never buried. Their bones so dry that they were brittle and broken easily.

In reality this passage represents the resurrection of the dead when the Lord returns with the souls that are in Heaven.

1Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, “even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him”.
1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

The power of Jehovah God is unlimited, and He has given all His power to His Son, Jesus Christ!

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

We have the example of the resurrection:

Joh 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

Rom 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

If there is a resurrection of those when the Lord meets the Church in the air, then there is another resurrection of the dead to new life after the Church for those who are martyrs during the tribulation years, and then an end time resurrect for all those who will face the Lord Jesus at the White Throne of Judgment..

Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

As Christians we now have that hope of eternal glory but to the lost, they live in hopelessness.

Rev 6:8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
Rev 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them “that were slain for the word of God”, and for the testimony which they held:
Rev 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

All those who know the Lord will be raised to new life!

All those who reject the Lord will be raised to eternal damnation, a terrible, terrible, terrible thing that should cause us to reach out not only to our loved ones but to all that do not know the Lord in a personal relationship!

As we go along, we will see that this valley of dry bones represents the nation of Israel, who are dead to the truth of God, and dead to the reality of salvation by Jesus Christ.

So in this case, this passage represents a revival of the people of Israel that has not taken place as of yet!

*Eze 37:3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.

Today there is more than half our world that do not believe in the resurrection of the body, because they reject the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In the time of Christ there were influential, but very lost men known as Sadducee.

Mat 22:23 The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,

Jesus said stay away from all who teach the sinful doctrine of the Sadducees and there are many of these unbelievers around today!

Mat 16:6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

For Ezekiel. either by vision or some other method, he would witness what the Lord calls the resurrection of those who sleep in Jesus, but also all those who will be resurrected from the dead to go to the White Throne Judgment.

Ezekiel replied, yes Lord you are powerful enough to do anything you choose to do!

The Lord also has the power to bring revival to a nation as we will witness in this passage, but a revival that has not yet taken place.

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.
Rom 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Rom 11:27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

We have to accept the fact that Judah was a captured nation and had lost all hope, but by Jeremiah they should have known that this captivity would only last 70 years and the Almighty God would change the power structure of this world once again, which He always has the power to do even in our day.

They should never have been hopeless, but we know they are still blind to the truth.

*Eze 37:11 Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.

The house of Israel had been taken captive, and were being forced marched to Babylon to be scattered all over the lands under the domain of the Babylon Empire.

They certainly thought they would never see their homeland again and were aware that they could lose their own lives at any moment.

These things took place because they had forsaken Jehovah and lived any way they wanted to.
They had forsaken the Laws of Moses and the statutes of God.
They had worshiped false gods and they were seeing the results of their sin.

The Lord God Jehovah showed Ezekiel in a vision or some other way, that restoring Israel to a godly nation is always within His powers in that day and today and at any time in the future as long as time last!

Hos 1:11 Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

Rom 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Rom 11:27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
Rom 11:28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.
Rom 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

As a child of Jehovah God there is never a time, I should feel hopeless!
There is never a time I should worry about my future because the promises of God are real.
There is never a time I should be afraid of what this world can do to me.
There is never a time I should sink into depression because my God is all powerful.

Even when my bones are lying in a grave or burnt to ashes while my soul is in Heaven, that body of flesh can be restored, except this time it will be made perfect and it will be a glorified body.

What did Ezekiel witness?

*Eze 37:12 Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.

This is a resurrection!

Job 19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
Job 19:26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:
Job 19:27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

This is the great revival of the House of Israel!

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?

What did Israel need to know on that miserable day? There was a promise of new life!

What should every lost soul know about the “Gospel”? There is a promise of new life and it is eternal!

I just wonder sometimes when our Pastor is behind his pulpit, if he ever feels like he is preaching to a valley of dry bones.

Ezekiel preached the words God that gave him and all of a sudden, those old dry bones began to come to life.

You see in the eyes of God, we will never be in a situation of hopelessness, because the worst thing that can happen is that we will go on home.

This place of earth is not our home and we should never forget that we are just strangers passing through this wicked and corrupt and evil place.

What is so great about have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ?

*Eze 37:14 And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.

We must never forget it is the Spirit of Jehovah that gives life!

Psa 104:29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.
Psa 104:30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.
Psa 104:31 The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever: the LORD shall rejoice in his works.

Our Holy God has the power to conquer death and the proof to the Church is the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Rom 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

What had Moses preached to the House of Israel?

Deu 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

To be honest, when we choose to live a life of death, how can we complain when that time comes, yet we have a merciful God who will even allow a death bed confession.

As long as there is life in our bodies and have not rejected the Holy Spirit to a point that He will not convict us of our wrong, then we can still be gloriously saved, but it is a foolish thing to test God because He will not be tested. In fact today is the day of salvation for everyone because tomorrow my not come to the wicked!

Pro 27:1 Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

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.)

There is an accepted time for each of us to ask the Lord to forgive us our sins and come into our hearts and save us!

The Lord will never forget those who love Him, and the Lord will never forget His chosen people Israel.

For who is a true Jew?

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

God will bring every child of Israel back home who wants to be there, for even they will have to choose Jesus!

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.

This truth is the same for all people!

*Eze 37:21 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:
Eze 37:22 And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:
Eze 37:23 Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.

When Israel returned after the Babylon captivity, they did not come back perfect, but they were no longer idol worshipers!

They knew it was Jehovah who had rescued them just as He had from Egypt!

They had spent 70 years in captivity and all those who worshiped idols just as in the 40 years in the wilderness, where those who doubted the truth of God had died off.

In the time of Jesus they again rebelled against the truth of God and that whole generation was destroyed by Titus in 70 AD and Israel again has been scattered throughout this world but again they are making their way back home and one day soon their eyes will be opened to the truth of the Messiah!

The words of Jesus:

Luk_11:50 That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;

Today Israel’s population is nearly 10 million people and they are growing by 10,000 each year since 1948.

We must remember the nation of Israel is home to all sorts of people and then there are the legitimate children of Israel.

God loves this nation He has delivered them from idolatry.
He has delivered them from false worship.
He has delivered them from wicked behavior.

God is striving for a personal relationship with these people just as He does with all unbelievers!

Jehovah loves personal relationships!

Jehovah has been dealing with Israel as a nation, but His intention now, is to get to know each of them in a personal relationship!

Just as He did with David, and Moses, and Abraham, and Sarah, and all His prophets in the Old Testament. Just as He did Adam and Eve who He walked with in the cool of the day.

Jer 30:24 The fierce anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it.
Jer 31:1 At the same time, saith the LORD, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people.

Jer 32:37 Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely:
Jer 32:38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God:

Zec 13:9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

Psa 68:18 Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.
Psa 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.
Psa 68:20 He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto GOD the Lord belong the issues from death.

Now remember our study of Chapter 34 of David.

Rev 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

David will certainly be resurrected as will all the children of God who are asleep in Jesus, but he will not be king because we have only one king and that is King Jesus!

*Eze 37:24 And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.
Eze 37:25 And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.

All the covenants of Jehovah are everlasting covenants, but they all have a fulfillment in the Lord Jesus Christ. When King Jesus sits upon the throne as absolute King and Ruler of Israel, He will also be the absolute King and Ruler of this entire planet because He already is. It will be at this time that the entire world will recognize our Lord as the Master of the Universe, in fact Master of the Cosmos!

King Jesus will also be that Great Shepherd of the souls of all His people.

1Pe 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

These things will be eternal when we reach the New Jerusalem!

As one bone is connected to the next bone all the children of Israel will come to their respective families and respective tribes just 7 or more years after the Church is taken out of this world and is in Heaven.

True peace will come to this world and to Jerusalem the city of peace that has never before seen peace!

*Eze 37:26 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.

What are the steps of this great event?

The people of Israel will be gathered.
All the tribes of Israel will be united.
All of Israel will be purified.
The nation of Israel will be established under the rule of the Messiah.
Jehovah will make a covenant of “Grace” with the “Apple of His eye”.
This will be and everlasting, eternal covenant.

The Lord will place them and give them to the land He promised to Abraham.

The Lord will multiply them.

The Lord will set His sanctuary in the midst of them.

Where is God’s sanctuary?

Psa 102:19 For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth;
Psa 102:20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death;
Psa 102:21 To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem;
Psa 102:22 When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.

Remember the Church is with the Lord during all these things and the Church and the saved Israel, will be with the Lord throughout eternity!

*Eze 37:27 My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Eze 37:28 And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.

The fathers of the nation of Israel had a tabernacle built after they escaped from Egypt (type of the world of sin) a place of worship that they carried with them as they traveled in this wilderness of sin, but our Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ has brought with Him a better tabernacle, a Spiritual tabernacle, and a heavenly tabernacle so they can leave a world of sin and become holy, a people serving a holy God, and they will come to know the Joy of the Lord and become a blessed people forever!

Today the heathen are still mocking God because they have no fear of Him, but when our Savior appears in that Heavenly Sky returning to this earth in full view, they will see how foolish they have been and they will first try to destroy Him and next they will try to hide from Him and both these things are impossible.

Rev 6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
Rev 6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
Rev 6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
Rev 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

We live in a foolish world that keeps denying our Creator, but on this day, they will not be able to deny Him!

The nation of Israel shall feel the full force of the Holy Spirit, and they will accept all the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ, and will be sanctified to serve our Holy God just as the Church!

1Jn 5:19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.

This lost world will feel the wrath of our Heavenly Father, when they did not have to!

Amen

Let’s Pray

God Makes Known His Power

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

GOD MAKES KNOWN HIS POWER

Our Text:

Book of Exodus Chapters 7-10

We will now see how God openly and clearly makes visible to all the eyes of Egypt and to Israel that He is the Almighty God!

This Pharaoh, this king, this man did not know the Lord God Almighty but God would not allow him to remain ignorant of that truth. This Pharaoh, this man may have seemed a mighty god in Egypt but with "faith" Moses would now understand that he was not a lesser man than this monarch.

We should always respect the position of our leaders and our President but they are men and no more of a man than anyone else, though some would have to be convinced of that. God has a place for every living soul(saved or lost) in His wonderful plan. Everyone has the same option for salvation! Remember these words of Jesus:

Joh 3:16  [For God so loved the world], that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Thank God He loves us while we are still sinners or none could be saved!

This Pharaoh was too stubborn to yield to God until his nation and many families saw the destruction and wrath of God. He could have never won this battle with the Lord and he should have realized it.

We should all realize we are going into war when we accept the calling of the Lord and name Him as our Saviour.

The Bible says:

Eph 6:11  Put on [the whole armour of God], that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
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.
Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and [having done all, to stand].

We can know this Pharaoh represented spiritual wickedness in high places!

Moses would now actually seem like a god himself. Moses was afraid at first but now this king would tremble at the site of Moses. There could not be compromise, there can only be surrender to God’s "Will" or you "will" see God’s "judgment"!

Moses was now ready to put forth God’s Word and challenge Pharaoh face-to-face!

Unknown to all parties, God was also working toward a specific place and time:

Exo 12:41  And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.

God does things according to His own time table and He will cause things to happen to insure that His "WORD" is fulfilled just as He gave it to the writers of the Bible. God’s "timing" is all in His control. This world does not dictate the work of God!

*****Our text:

Exo 7:1  And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.
Exo 7:2  Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land.
Exo 7:3  And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.
Exo 7:4  But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.
Exo 7:5  And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.
Exo 7:6  And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they.
Exo 7:7  And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.

At this time of Moses it is believed that Egypt worship no less than 114 different gods. We will soon see 10 plagues that demonstrate the power of God at those who pertake of such meaningless idol worship. We know that to a Christian, an idol is anything that we place before our true God Jehovah.

As Moses said again that he did not have the right words for this Pharaoh, God said just speak as I command you.

"Thou shalt speak all that I command thee"

Every preacher or pastor that is God-called and Spirit-led, has this same commandment:

2Ti 4:2  Preach the "word"; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

What the Apostle Paul is saying is that we have the "Word"of God in our possesion. To myself that means the King James Bible for the English speaking world.

God’s outline:

1.) This message(the Word of God) must be delivered.(the plan of God even now)

"Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh"

In our day His message is:

Mat 28:19  [Go ye] therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20  [Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you]: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

2.) This message would harden Pharaoh’s heart.(this happened at the time of Jesus)

Joh 12:37  But though he had done so many miracles before them, [yet they believed not on him]:
Joh 12:38  That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?
Joh 12:39  Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,
Joh 12:40  [He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them].

In verse John 12:40, we see what happened to this Pharaoh, because he refused to believe.

3.) God said He would multiply His signs and wonders. (I don’t know of any other time in history when the signs and wonders have come in so many multiples as they are in our day)

We cannot ignore God’s Word!

Even Paul’s day:

1Th 1:5  For our gospel came not unto you in word only, [but also in power], and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

There is not much "power" in the Church today because as the Church allows more of the world inside the source of all "power", The Holy Spirit is grieved.

4.) God said He would, not maybe, not perhaps but He "would" bring forth His armies out of Egypt.

This word "armies" meant: that organized mass of people that belonged to Him.

As Christians we can relate to this:

Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Mat 28:19  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Act 1:8  But ye shall receive power, [after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you]: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem(your home town), and in all Judaea(your nation), and in Samaria(the adjacent nations), and unto the uttermost part of the earth(everywhere you go).

We can see that the Church has no power without the Holy Ghost(Holy Spirit).

5.) The Egyptians would come to know Jehovah God.

Tit 1:2  In hope of eternal life, [which God, that cannot lie], promised before the world began;

What do we know of Moses now?

Moses was now obedient to God. Moses had faith!

What else do we see?

Moses was 80 years old. Aaron was 83 years old. We are never too old to serve this Wonderful God that saves us!

*****Our Text:

Exodus 7:8 through 7:24 The first plague.

Exo 7:17  Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.

The "type" of war between good and evil begins!

The first of the plagues was turning the waters into blood.

Blood speaks of "death".

Rom 6:23  [For the wages of sin is death]; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

This was the first sign of the Almighty God. To defy Him would bring certain death. If Adam was alive today he would tell us to be disobedient to the Lord brings death.

God will give this warning sign again in the tribulation period:

Rev 6:12  And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;

You see the "water" is the "type" of the "Word of God".

Joh 15:3  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

Eph 5:26  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

The "Word of God" is a savor of death unto death and of life unto life.

2Co 2:14  Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and [maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge] by us in every place.
2Co 2:15  For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:
2Co 2:16  To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
2Co 2:17  For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

*****Our text:

Exo 7:25-8:14

Exo 7:25  And seven days were fulfilled, after that the LORD had smitten the river.

Exo 8:6  And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.

We can see that God gave this king seven days to repent. God will not go beyond His perfect timing.

No repentance "will" bring judgment!

This plague was also directed to the idolatry of Egypt. The Nile River was sacred in the eyes of the Egyptians but they also worshipped frogs. God brought so many frogs that they went everywhere, even into the homes. Can you imagine being woke up by frogs in the bed? Well it happened to these Egyptians even into the cooking as the meals were being prepared.

What does the Bible say in the future judgments?

Rev 16:13  And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

The blood was a "type" of death, the wages of sin, but the frogs are a "type" of "uncleanness" that comes from the Devil’s work.

Notice the magicians:

1.) They could not remove the frogs.
2.) They could not keep the frogs from their own houses.
3.) They could only make more frogs.

What do we know of Satan, the prince of this world:

1.) He cannot remove evil.
2.) He cannot hinder his own evil.
3.) All he can do is produce more evil.

God says:

2Ti 3:13  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

*****Our text:

Exo 8:15-19

Exo 8:15  But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.
Exo 8:16  And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

The first thing we notice is that this plague came without any warning to Pharaoh and the Egyptians.

All of a sudden the dust of the ground came alive with Lice. Head lice are wingless insects spending their entire life on human scalp and feeding exclusively on human blood.

We can see that this was aimed directly at the people of Egypt. This Pharaoh was a cruel leader but the entire nation followed in sinful idolatry. The priests of Egypt would shave their heads and bodies every third day for they feared such disgusting pest living on their flesh. Most all of Egypt shaved their heads.

What did God tell Adam?

Gen 3:17  And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: [cursed is the ground for thy sake]; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

The natural man is still under the curse of a Holy God. The magicians and sorcerers could not
bring forth the lice.

They then acknowledged: "This is the finger of God"

God sets His bounds for the evil of Satan.

1.) Death(water to blood) if God allows.
2.) Uncleanness(the frogs) can be brought forth freely.
3.) Satan is not allowed to tamper with God’s "curse".

These evil men acknowledged the Supreme God and their master Satan will also have to do so one day, in public just as these did.

*****Our text:

Exo 8:20-32

Exo 8:21  Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.

This plague marked the beginning of a new series of plagues. The magicians had been defeated. It is the Apostle Paul who gives us the names of the most prominent magicians of this day:

2Ti 3:8  Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

But Paul also adds that in the last days there would be others that could be compared to these of Moses’s day:

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.
2Ti 3:6  For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
2Ti 3:7  Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

The Israelites also had suffered from the first three plagues but even that would change now.

"And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth"

This shows another awesome power of God. He can do things to certain peoples without it affecting others.

Notice the translators added the word "flies" to what Moses had written as "swarms". These then were probably a mixture of flying insects.

Psa 78:43  How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan:
Psa 78:44  And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.
Psa 78:45  [He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them]; and frogs, which destroyed them.

We can see that this would have been much worse than the lice. Devoured would mean to be eaten.

The lice annoyed but these swarms preyed on the flesh, I believe much like we would think of Mosquitoes and biting flies tormenting these Egyptians.

When I was in Vietnam there was a fly as big as a thumb. If that fly bit or stung it brought great pain.

There will be an everlasting torment to all the lost ones day but the children of God will not be a part of it just as God separated the Children of Israel from these Egyptians on this day.

*****Our text:

Exo 9:1-7

Exo 9:3  Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain.
Exo 9:4  And the LORD shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall nothing die of all that is the children’s of Israel.
Exo 9:5  And the LORD appointed a set time, saying, To morrow the LORD shall do this thing in the land.

As God had began His torment of the people of Egypt, in this plague He would begin to destroy the possessions of the Egyptians.

The Bible tells us:

Heb 10:31  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Even still in our day we hear of diseases in the animals we use for food but to a greater extent in the time of Moses animals not only provided food but also were beast of burden and transportation. Animals were a source of money and a man’s wealth was sometimes counted by how many animals he owned.

These diseases struck only where God allowed and none of it reached the animals of Israel.

In a spiritual sense this tells us the God will not accept the labors of the unbeliever!

Pro 21:4  An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.

This world and all thats in it will one day be destroyed completely as we know it.

The sparing of the the animals of the Israelites shows that the works of the believer will abide.

1Co 3:14  If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

*****Our text:

Exo 9:8  And the LORD said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh.
Exo 9:9  And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt.
Exo 9:10  And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast.
Exo 9:11  And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.
Exo 9:12  And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken unto Moses.

We have again a plague that was sent without a warning to the people of Egypt, but as we see Moses did this in sight of this evil Pharaoh. This tells us that just as God had said it was, this king who began to tremble at the work of God’s man Moses.

We know that the brick made by the Israelites were sun baked so this furnace used by Moses to obtain the ashes was probably used in the Egyptian worship of their gods. This may have been a place where human sacrifice was made to the Egyptian god "Typhon".

In a spiritual sense this would teach Pharaoh the vanity of false religion.

*****Our text:

Exodus 9:13-35

Exo 9:13  And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.
Exo 9:14  For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth.
Exo 9:15  For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth.
Exo 9:16  And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.

With these Words of God we see the beginning of a third set of plagues. The next three plagues will without a doubt point to Heaven as the place from which they originate.

We will see the rod of Moses reappear. It could be said that the last three plagues were a result of man’s negligence of his environment but we will see these next three will leave little doubt of their origin.

1.) The first three plagues were opposed by the magicians who failed.

2.) The last three plagues brought out the state of the natural man.

Isa 1:5  Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
Isa 1:6  From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

3.) This series of plagues will be things that had never been seen in Egypt up until that time.

This plague expresses the judgment and the "wrath" of God. It is of this type of plague that will be seen during the "Great Tribulation".

Rev 8:7  The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. Rev 8:7  The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

Rev 16:21  And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

*****Our text:

Exodus 10:1-20

Exo 10:3  And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me.
Exo 10:4  Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast:
Exo 10:5  And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field:
Exo 10:6  And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers’ fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh. Exo 10:3  And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me.
Exo 10:4  Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast:
Exo 10:5  And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field:
Exo 10:6  And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers’ fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh.

These locusts are one of the terrors of the East. They prey on crops and eat most any vegetation. They threatened the entire remaining food supply left from the other plagues.

Psa 105:34  He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number,
Psa 105:35  And did eat up all the herbs in their land, and devoured the fruit of their ground.

They came to do the bidding of God.

We know it is God that sits on the throne!

All His creation obeys His every word except stubborn mankind!

Joe 2:11  And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?

We have other proof:

Elijah:

1Ki 17:4  And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
1Ki 17:5  So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
1Ki 17:6  And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.

Jonah:

Jon 1:17  Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Ballam:

Num 22:28  And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?

We know that Jesus told a fish to gather a coin for Peter. We know that Jesus told the fish which side of the boat to get on and other are other proofs that it is God that sits on the throne.

All God’s creation is waiting on the plan of God to unfold at His command:

Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Rom 8:20  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
Rom 8:21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

*****Our text:

Exo 10:21  And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.
Exo 10:22  And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:
Exo 10:23  They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
Exo 10:24  And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you.
Exo 10:25  And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God.
Exo 10:26  Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with what we must serve the LORD, until we come thither.
Exo 10:27  But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go.
Exo 10:28  And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die.
Exo 10:29  And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more.

In Egypt the sun is worshipped under the name of "Ra". This name is included in the title Pharaoh(Phra) which means "the sun".

God not only hid the source of light and heat to only these Egyptians but Pharaoh the ruler of "Ra" was powerless to change these things.

It is the "Creator" who reigns supreme over His creation.

Jesus said:

Mat 12:6  But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.

Mat 12:41  The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

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

It is God that is light:

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

This darkness in Egypt was so dark that the people had to remain in their own place for fear of hurting themselves as they could not even see one another.

These Egyptians had a darkness that they could not light but on the other hand the Israelites had a light that they could not put out.

Today we know:

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.
Eph 5:8  For ye were sometimes darkness, [but now are ye light in the Lord]: walk as children of light:
Eph 5:9  (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
Eph 5:10  Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
Eph 5:11  And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

And these things:

2Co 4:6  For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Because Jesus is the true light:

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.

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.

The Bible says:

Pro 4:19  The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

You know even in America as God is being booted out we can see the darkness approaching much like it is throughout this world.

Eph 2:12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Eph 2:13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

This three days of darkness over the land of Egypt should remind us all of the three hours of darkness that day of the cross when Christ Jesus was made sin for all of us.

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.

Our God will not look upon sin!

We can know that these plagues were to show the uselessness of false religion. Every plague was aimed at an Egyptian false god. None had power to overcome Jehovah God.

These plagues were for the purpose of establishing "faith". The children of Israel had dwelt in Egypt for more than 400 years. Egypt was a land of idolatry where Jehovah God was unknown.

Even today missionaries go to places where Jehovah God is unknown and to be honest even in America, Jehovah God is unknown to a greater majority, though many have heard and rejected Him.

We can see God has no problem making Himself known throughout this world, in fact He insists on it. In these plagues, the presence and power of Jehovah God were so demonstrated that His people discovered the Living God of Promise.

It was the intent of the Lord to bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt:

Exo 12:12  For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and [against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD].

When God’s first sign, the serpent (from Aaron’s rod), which was also a god to the Egyptians, which swallowed up the serpents of Pharaoh’s magicians, it was God’s statement that the gods of Egypt would be unable to save them from the judgment of the true God.

1.) The first three plagues were against the comfort of the Egyptians and also felt by the Israelites.

2.) The next three plagues were against the possessions of the Egyptians, not felt by the Israelites.

3.) The next three plagues brought desolation and death again not to the Israelites.

Thus we see the divine hand of God in the order of these plagues for Our God is a God of "order".

1Co 14:40  Let all things be done decently and in order.

God had to allow the magicians and sorcerers to join the battle so they could be easily defeated. They had no real power but only the power of deception and this will happen again in the future:

Rev 16:14  [For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles], which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

God only allowed this deception for a short period and they conceded they had no real power. The Devil is an "imitator" who has no real power.

We can see the traits of Satan in these passages:

1.) The roaring lion:

1Pe 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1Pe 5:9  Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

2.) The cunning serpent:

Gen 3:1  Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Satan still uses these same tactics as they had worked throughout all the ages!

*****This time of Israel explains the prophetic future of Israel:

1.)  The time of Jacob’s Trouble:

Isa 60:14  The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

Jer 30:5  For thus saith the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace.
Jer 30:6  Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?
Jer 30:7  Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.
Jer 30:8  For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him:

2.) They again will cry out to the Lord and He will hear them:

Jer 31:18  I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God.
Jer 31:19  Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.
Jer 31:20  Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the LORD.

Deu 30:1  And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee,
Deu 30:2  And shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul;
Deu 30:3  That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.

3.) God will issue the command for them to be let go:

Isa 43:6  I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;
Isa 43:7  Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

4.) God will again send two witnesses as Moses and Aaron were, here to do miracles:

Rev 11:3  And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
Rev 11:4  These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
Rev 11:5  And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
Rev 11:6  These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

5.) Their enemies will also perform miracles:

Rev 13:13  And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
Rev 13:14  And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
Rev 13:15  And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

6.) God will again execute sore judgments this time on the entire world:

Jer 25:15  For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it.
Jer 25:16  And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.

7.) God again will protect His own people from them:

Rev 7:4  And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

Rev 12:16  And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

Rev 14-16

8.) Water will again be changed to blood:

Rev 8:8  And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;

Rev 16:4  And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
Rev 16:5  And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.

9.) Satanic frogs will appear:

Rev 16:13  And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

10.) A plague of locusts:

Rev 9:2-11

Rev 9:7  And [the shapes of the locusts] were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.

11.) God will send boils and blains:

Rev 16:2  And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

12.) Terrible hailstones:

Rev 8:7  The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

13.) There again be an awful darkness:

Isa 60:2  For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

Rev 16:10  And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,

14.) Just as this Pharaoh hardened his heart, so it will be with the wicked in the days to come:

Rev 9:20  And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
Rev 9:21  Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

15.) Death will consume many multitudes who reject Jehovah God:

Rev 9:15  And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.

16.) Israel will again be delivered:

Zec 14:3  Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
Zec 14:4  And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

Rom 11:26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Rom 11:27  For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
Rom 11:28  As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.

God’s Word is true and will happen just as He wrote it down for us!

Let’s Pray!

The Power Of The King

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

THE POWER OF THE KING

Text: Matthew Chapters 8-9

Our Focus Text: Matthew 8:1-17

As we have proceeded into the Book of Matthew we have seen:

1.) The Person of the King (Chapters 1-4)

2.) The Principles of the King (Chapters 5-7)

3.) We will now see the Powers of the King (Chapters 8-12)

If a King has no “Power” to accomplish His Will, what good are His Principles?

There are ten miracles mentioned in Chapters 8-9 but they are not in chronological order. Matthew was led by the Holy Spirit to present Jesus as the King. Matthew uses these words to present Jesus Christ as the “Divine” King, the Jehovah of the Old Testament who had truly come to His own. To them He offers the kingdom and as we will soon see, they will reject Him and receive Him not. They actually say that these miracles were done through Beelzebub, the prince of the demons. “THIS IS THE SIN OF BLASPHEMING THE HOLY SPIRIT”! Christ will then break off His relationship with “His Own”. We will talk more of this later.

We should ask our own selves, Why did our Lord perform miracles? If we look at our own Pastors we should see that they minister to the whole person. God is concerned about our temporal well being as well as our eternal happiness. This not to say that our Pastors do miracles because that ended with the Apostles.

Christ Jesus ministered to the individual, a one on one relationship, that should be learned by all His followers. Christ Jesus performed miracles to prove His claim of being the Messiah of Israel.

It makes me wonder what these false healers are trying to prove in our day.

The Bible says:

1Co 1:22  For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
1Co 1:23  But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
1Co 1:24  But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
1Co 1:25  Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Christ Jesus said he would fulfill everything written about Him:

Isa 29:18  And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.
Isa 29:19  The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

Isa 35:4  Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.
Isa 35:5  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
Isa 35:6  Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

We can see that we are also foolish to not believe in the miracles of Jesus Christ our Lord:

Heb 2:1  Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
Heb 2:2  For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;
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?

Christ Jesus also presented a saving truth to the people with His miracles. These miracles were “Sermons in Action”.

What Christ did not do, He did not do a miracle to draw a crowd. Faith cannot be based on miracles. OUR FAITH MUST BE BASED ON THE WORD OF GOD!

Jesus Christ exercised great power. His power is not limited. Jesus had the power to change this world and he showed that power when He walked on this earth. The Healing power of Jesus is greater than any disease, but in each case if “faith” was not shown there would have been no healing.

It is a misinterpretation of scripture to teach that spiritual salvation will always result in the reversal of physical disease!

*****Our Text:

Mat 8:1  When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.
Mat 8:2  And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
Mat 8:3  And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
Mat 8:4  And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

Matthew was a publican, a tax collector. He was hated by all Jews. Can it be by chance that he begins with a miracle of Jesus to the outcast of society. Lepers, Gentiles and women were considered out cast by many Jewish people. The women of the middle east still suffer unduly in our day.

Many Pharisees would begin their day praying “I give thanks that I am a man not a woman, a Jew not a Gentile, a free man and not a slave.” They used that word “I” much to often. There is only one “I” and that the great “I Am” of the Bible.

The term “leprosy” (including leper, lepers, leprosy, leprous) occurs 68 times in the Bible—55 times in the Old Testament (Hebrew = tsara’ath) and 13 times in the New Testament (Greek = lepros, lepra). In the Old Testament, the instances of leprosy most likely meant a variety of infectious skin diseases, and even mold and mildew on clothing and walls. The precise meaning of the leprosy in both the Old and New Testaments is still in dispute, but it probably includes the modern Hansen’s disease (especially in the New Testament) and most all infectious skin diseases.

References to leprosy have a different emphasis in the New Testament. They stress God’s desire to heal. Jesus freely touched people with leprosy. While people with leprosy traditionally suffered banishment from family and neighbors, Jesus broke from the tradition. He treated the leper with compassion, touching and healing them.

We also know that leprosy is in “type” and a description of sin:

Isa 1:5  Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
Isa 1:6  From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

Isa 64:6  But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Those filthy rags would be rags used to wrap up the leper!

By understanding the leper we can understand more how God sees sin:

Lev 13:3  And the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and when the hair in the plague is turned white, and the plague in sight be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy: and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean.

Sin is deeper than the outward skin!

Lev 13:18  The flesh also, in which, even in the skin thereof, was a boil, and is healed,

Sin spreads!

Lev 13:45  And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean.
Lev 13:46  All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.

Sin defiles!

Lev 13:52  He shall therefore burn that garment, whether warp or woof, in woollen or in linen, or any thing of skin, wherein the plague is: for it is a fretting leprosy; it shall be burnt in the fire.

Sin is fit only for the fire!

When Christ Jesus touched this leper, He took his leprosy away but in “type” it is a picture of how He takes our sin away:

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

We can also notice that the ability of Christ to heal was not questioned but only Was He Willing To Heal?

1Ti 2:3  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
1Ti 2:4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

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 can tell that Lord Jesus was willing and still is!

Christ Jesus commanded this man not to tell other but to go to the priests. (Levitcus 14). We find that this man did not obey the Lord but he told everyone what the Lord had done.

Mar 1:45  But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.

There is another way to look at this healing in typology:

Leprosy was the most hated disease in the Bible. It had no remedy. The Holy Spirit has made leprosy a “type” of sin as we have shown. Only Jehovah could heal this disease.

Num 12:10  And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.
Num 12:11  And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned.
Num 12:12  Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother’s womb.
Num 12:13  And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.

We know that leprosy represents sin but here it represents Israel.

The Bible says:

Isa 1:4  Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.
Isa 1:5  Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
Isa 1:6  From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

So in “type” we see Israel’s Messiah, Jehovah-Jesus

Exo 6:3  And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.

As Christ Jesus cleansed this leper He would have also cleansed Israel at this time had they not rejected Him.

The Lord sends this leper to the priests by the law of Moses but this was proper until the death, the burial and resurrection of our Lord, when all believers are delivered from the law. This day will come again to the nation of Israel when the King will ask His remnant to come unto Him:

Mal 4:2  But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

*****Our Text:

Mat 8:5  And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,
Mat 8:6  And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.
Mat 8:7  And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.
Mat 8:8  The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
Mat 8:9  For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
Mat 8:10  When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
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.
Mat 8:13  And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

We have previously discussed that Capernaum was a military town so it would not be unusual to see a Roman centurion. A centurion was an officer over a group up one hundred men. We do not find any centurion mentioned in the Bible that was not a gentleman or a man of high character. This is the very first time we see a centurion in the Bible. They had a great sense of duty to Rome and to those that served under them. This particular centurion had learned to love Israel and the God of Israel. He had built a Synagogue for the people of this area. He evidently had a high regard for Christ Jesus and believed in His divine authority. It was not that Christ could heal his servant but rather would Christ heal this servant. Once he realized that Christ Jesus was willing to heal this man with the palsy (paralysis), then it was not neccessary for Jesus to travel to his home but to only say the word.

This centurion realized that Christ Jesus had the power of God and therefore all He had to do was say it was so and it would happen!

Look at this centurion:

1.) He was a man of war.

2.) He was a Gentile.

3.) He was a man of limited authority.

4.) But He was a man of great faith.

It was his great faith in Christ Jesus that allowed this miracle to happen.

This is an early indication that the Jews would not believe but that the Gentiles would believe on Christ Jesus.

What was the greatest statement of the centurion?

“I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only”

He understood that Jesus Christ was indeed God in the flesh. The Jews till this day have not come to this conclusion along with most others of this world.

When we read verse 11 it can be said that Jesus was referring to the fact that many Gentiles would join with”Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven” but without faith in the saving power of Christ none of their physical descendants would join them. Those that heard the kingdom offered by Christ and then rejected it would exclude themselves from this new kingdom. They would forever live in the darkness of hell (the outer darkness, out side the light of the Lord God Jehovah)

Remember in the first miracle, the cleansing of the leper, stands for Jehovah among His people Israel.

Here now we see Christ who is absent and heals not by His touch but by His Word. This was a reminder that the spiritual position of the Gentiles “were far off”.

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

In this next miracle we will see that Christ will enter back into the house of Israel.

*****Our Text:

Mat 8:14  And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever.
Mat 8:15  And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.
Mat 8:16  When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:
Mat 8:17  That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.

In the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law, we see a type of what will happen on the Second coming of Christ after the fulness of the Gentiles come in. This sick mother is a type of Israel.

It would be good to point out that Jesus Christ knew Peter was a married man yet he still was chosen as an Apostle. The sanctity of marriage was approved by Christ even to the ministers of God. Some religions do not allow the minister to marry. We can see that this did not come from Jesus Christ nor the Bible.

Women did not hold a high position in Israel at this time of Jesus. Though this seems a minor miracle we can see that a blessing in the home can lead to a blessing in the entire community.

Mar 1:30  But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her.
Mar 1:31  And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.
Mar 1:32  And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils.
Mar 1:33  And all the city was gathered together at the door.

Matthew said that this time in the life of Jesus was a fulfillment of the prophet Isaiah:

Isa 53:4  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

We can see that Jesus fulfilled this prophecy in His life and not with His death. We can see Jesus did not give His life for our sickness nor our griefs. He did give His life for our “SIN”!

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.

Sin and sickness may go together at times since sickness is a consequence of Adam’s sin:

Gen 3:17  And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Gen 3:18  Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
Gen 3:19  In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

The Bible says:

Psa 103:2  Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Psa 103:3  [Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases];
Psa 103:4  Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Psa 103:5  Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

God has not obligated Himself to heal all disease but He has said He will forgive all sin and to save all that will believe on Him.

*****Again this closes out our lesson but we will try to highlight the remaining of chapters 8 and chapter nine:

(Verses 18-22)

We see the first time the phrase “Son of Man” is used in the Bible.

Because the opposition to the message of Jesus was low at this time, there were many who wanted to be His disciples.

They would not pay the price!

Jesus Christ was saying to this scribe to let the spiritually dead bury the physical dead. In other words it is much better to preach the Gospel of Jesus in hope of salvation for the spiritually dead than to wait on you earthly father to die and to bury him. This not disrespectful and we must have our priorities right in the work of the Lord.

(Verses 23-27)

We will see that Christ Jesus never missed an opportunity to train His disciples. Jesus was asleep because He was at perfect peace in the will of the Father. This is a lesson for all of us for this is exactly what the disciples should have done. They should have been in perfect peace, they had the Lord Jesus right in the boat with them.

They did not but chose instead to question if God really cares for us. Matthew shows in these verses the little faith of the Jew as compared to the great faith of the Gentile centurion.

(Verse 28-34)

In these verses we see what Satan can do for a man. He robs man of his sanity and his self control, fills him with fears, and robs a man of his family and friends. We can see what society does for this man in Satan’s control. Society can restrain him, isolate him, and threaten him but society cannot change this man.

Only Jesus can set us free!

Notice the prayers:

1.) The demons prayed to Jesus to allow them to go into the swine, which they also drove crazy.

2.) The citizens prayed for Christ Jesus to leave them alone.

3.) One of these that was possessed by these devils after being saved by Jesus prayed to be allowed to be a disciple, but Jesus knew that he had such a great testimony needed for him to be a witness in his home town.

We can also see that the demon world has faith in Christ and is well aware of their future:

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

We can see that the souls of these two men were much more important that the lives of those two thousand pigs.

(verse chapter 9:1-8)

What we see here is not only the faith of friends but we see that in the eyes of God sin is the greater evil to a man. This scripture does not say that all sickness is caused by sin nor does it say that forgiveness of sin will bring about physical healing also. We already know God can heal every sickness except the last sickness or injury that takes us home.

(Verse 9:9-17)

The call of Matthew:

Because Matthew was a tax collector, he was considered unclean and unfit to fellowship in Jewish society. He was under great financial obligation to Rome but we can see that he considered the authority of Jesus Christ to be greater than that of Rome. We can see he immediatly made a public showing of his relationship with Christ by having public feast. Jesus came to save sinners and He made Himself available to them all.

If you are righteous in your own eyes, you will never accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior!

We see a picture of the ministry of Jesus:

1.) The Physician: to bring Spiritual healing to the sinner.

2.) The Bridegroom: to bring Spiritual joy to the lost.

3.) Christ Jesus did not come to patch us up but to make something new!

4.) Christ came to give Spiritual fulness. Judaism cannot be filled with the New Wine of the Gospel. Law and Grace will not mix!

(Verse 9:18-19, 23-26)

Jarius was a devout Jew, a leader of the synagogue, but he knew none of his faith in those things could help him. Even though Satan tried one more time to kill her, Jesus has the power over all life. We must learn to trust Jesus no matter our circumstances.

(Verse 9:20-22)

This woman had spent all the living she had on the doctors of her time. She was in despair and had no hope. By Jewish law her disease made unable to be cleansed. She was hopeless in this world.

That hem referred to the tassels on the prayer shawl of Christ. By Jewish tradition a prayer shawl had 613 tassels around it’s hem. One tassel for ever law given to them by Moses. This reminded them that they were God’s people.

We can see that Jarius may have lacked faith so Jesus gave him the example of this woman who knew she only needed to touch the Hem of this garment.

It is not how strong our faith is that counts, IT IS TO WHOM THAT FAITH IS IN THAT REALLY COUNTS! Our faith must be in Jesus Christ Our Lord and in His Word!

(Verse 9:27-34)

Blindness is a “type” of Spiritual ignorance and unbelief:

Isa 6:10  Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; [lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed].

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.

Every sinner must be “born again” before he can see the things of God:

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.

There is a difference in sickness and the work of Satan and his demon world:

Mat 10:7  And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mat 10:8  [Heal the sick], cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, [cast out devils]: freely ye have received, freely give.

Every believer must be careful to grow spiritually or he can damage his spiritual vision:

2Pe 1:5  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2Pe 1:6  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2Pe 1:7  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2Pe 1:8  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2Pe 1:9  [But he that lacketh these things is blind], and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

We see that the religious leaders of that time could not explain all the miracles of Jesus the Messiah, so they said His power came from Satan:

The Sin of Blaspheming the Holy Spirit!

We know that God had given His Spirit freely to Christ Jesus:

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

All people had witnessed the miracle healing power of Christ. They had rejected not only the testimony of Christ but also the testimony of the Holy Spirit. This the unpardonable sin. We will discuss this further in chapter 12.

(Verse 9:35-38)

We have seen that not only was Christ Jesus a healer but  He preached the Word of God and taught the Old Testament as truth as He went. He was in the flesh so He could not do all the work alone. He needs others to help Him. This is why the time was spent training disciples. Christ Jesus expects each and everyone of us to be His disciple and be busy about the Master’s Business.

Joh 4:37  And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.
Joh 4:38  I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

Let’s Pray!