Prayer For A Fallen Nation

Posted on April 8, 2020 by bibleteacherorg

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Photo by Jack Sharp on Unsplash

Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel Chapter Nine. Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, DANIEL. As you’re turning to Daniel 9 I want to talk about prayer. As is our custom, Riverview has a Prayer Meeting and Bible study on Wednesday nights. The Church should be full of praying believers. The Bible is a Book full of prayers.

Jabez prayed (1 Chronicles 4:10)
Moses prayed (Exodus 32:9-14)
The virgin Mary prayed (Luke 1:46-49)
The Publican prayed (Luke 18:13)
Our Lord Jesus both taught prayer and Himself prayed
(Matthew 6:9-13)

Before Jesus went to Calvary to save His Church, He prayed that “we would be One as He and the Father are One (John 17:11). Jesus prayed that His Church would be One with the Triune God:

John 17:21 That THEY ALL MAY BE ONE; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

Though we as Christ’s Church are separated by quarantine from the pandemic Covid-19, though we may be physically apart we can still be spiritually one. I believe as Christ’s Church wherever it may be goes through this time of testing, that at the other end of the tunnel we will be stronger, more united in Christ Jesus. Jesus taught us that “a house divided cannot stand” (Mark 3:25; Matthew 12:25). The Church – like Israel – derives its power from unity with God and with one another. Prayer and Bible Study is so very important.

When the Christian prays according to God’s Word we center ourselves on God. Beloved, we as Christians are desperately needed to be centered on our God as we go through this great national trial.

Daniel FREQUENTLY Prayed

Daniel 6:10 …. {Daniel} kneeled upon his knees THREE TIMES a day, and PRAYED, and GAVE THANKS before his God, as he did aforetime.

No one could stop Daniel from praying. Daniel not only PRAYED, but he PRAISED. He sought God in prayer, but exalted God in his praise!

Have YOU thanked God for Covid-19?
Have you thanked God for the quarantine?
There is a reason for this quarantine, and our God is still in control.
Though Daniel was in captivity, cut off from Israel, he still prayed and thanked God for what he was going through.

When you pray, God will speak to you. He spoke to Daniel, and as God revealed what was coming it physically affected Daniel. The Bible says:

Daniel 8:27 And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king’s business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.

When a nation drifts away from God, it brings a curse upon itself. The Psalmist said:

Psalm 33:12 … Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.

America, we need to get back to God.
Tennessee, we need to get back to God.
Columbia, we need to get back to God.
Church, we need to get back to God.

How Did Daniel Pray?

  • Daniel focused on God in prayer. He deliberately prayed.

Daniel 9:3-4 And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: 4 And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession

I love the way he says this: “I set my face unto the Lord God” (‘Adonay Elohiym) – the Godhead. His focus was not on others to solve the problem, but on the Lord Who saved him. Daniel calls God “The Godhead Who is Lord”, but in verse 4 addresses God as “the LORD my God” (Yahweh Elohiym) – the Godhead Who is the Eternal I AM. Our God is the ever Present God. He is always I AM, never I WAS or I WILL BE. He is with us, watching over His children by faith. Daniel made his confession. The Bible tells us that:

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

This is the first part of prayer – confession of sin. Notice how Daniel confessed sin:

Daniel 9:4-6 … O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; 5 We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments: 6 Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

Daniel did not play “the blame game” with God. He confessed his sins. He confessed the sins of his nation. He exalted God while confessing sin. He acknowledged that the mess the nation was in was because we have not listened to our faithful and loving God. The Scripture declares:

1 Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Deuteronomy 7:9 … the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God …

Covid-19 may be ravaging our country, but it’s cause is not that God is faithless, or that God is absent. God is there. God is always with us. But when we reject His Word and His Spirit bad things happen. Daniel prayed:

Daniel 9:11-13 Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, EVEN BY DEPARTING, that they might not obey thy voice; THEREFORE THE CURSE IS POURED UPON US, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.  [12]  And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.  [13]  As it is written in the law of Moses, ALL THIS EVIL IS COME UPON US: YET MADE WE NOT OUR PRAYER BEFORE THE LORD OUR GOD, THAT WE MIGHT TURN FROM OUR INIQUITIES, and understand thy truth.

Trials come upon us when we reject God’s leading. God warned Israel not to depart from His leadership. When we reject His Word, we automatically do something that brings badness to our front door. God said:

Deuteronomy 28:15 But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, TO OBSERVE TO DO ALL HIS COMMANDMENTS AND HIS STATUTES WHICH I COMMAND THEE this day, that ALL THESE CURSES SHALL COME UPON THEE, AND OVERTAKE THEE:   … [20] The LORD shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me.

Daniel did not blame others. Politics in our country has elevated itself to a place that previously was held only by religion. Politicians are constantly blaming “the other side”. Beloved, we are one country in distress. The blame game does nothing but lie to cover our own sins. Daniel prayed:

Daniel 9:5 WE HAVE SINNED, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even BY DEPARTING FROM THY PRECEPTS AND FROM THY JUDGMENTS:

Daniel didn’t pray “THEY have sinned” but prayed “WE have sinned”. The beginning of national healing comes when we realize we are all at fault – and return to God.

We are the United States TOGETHER. We are the Church of Christ TOGETHER. We must not compromise God’s Word, but be the light that our Lord calls us to be. What did Jesus say?

Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

  • Daniel acknowledged his weakness, that God alone is God. So often we hear God’s Word and say “Yes Lord, BUT”. Daniel prayed:

Daniel 9:7-8 O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee. 8 O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.

The best prayer is the prayer that says, “God, I don’t know what to do. Please be God and tell me. Your servant is listening!”

I have often stood outside at night and looked at a beautiful, full moon. Have you ever thought that, if the moon were to depart from the sun, it would have no glow, and would not be seen from the earth. The light of the Church is God’s Son. The light of the Church is to imitate the Word. Not the WORLD, but the WORD.

  • Daniel acknowledged the righteousness of God, and asked for mercy upon the nation.

Daniel 9:14-17 Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice. 15 And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly. 16 O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us. 17 Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake.

As Daniel prayed, he refereed to various Biblical texts:

Leviticus 26:40
Deuteronomy 28:64
Exodus 34:6
Psalm 44:14
Jeremiah 25:11

Daniel was a man who studied the Word of God. Jesus has told us that (John 15:3) “you are clean through the Word I have spoken unto you”. Jesus said:

John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and MY WORDS abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

God’s people are called to pray and heed God’s Word.

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

  • Daniel pleaded the glory of God throughout his prayer. He prayed:

Daniel 9:18-19 O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.

Daniel asked that God grant a positive answer to his prayer for the glory of God. Everything we do is to be for the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

The model prayer that our Lord Jesus Christ taught us in Matthew 6 begins and ends with glory to God:

Matthew 6:9-10, 13 Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. … 13 … For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

As we pray we acknowledge that we belong to God, and give glory to His Name. We come together to glorify Him. We praise Him here – and out there. The glory of the Lord is our strength.

1 Chronicles 16:28-29 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength, ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.

As Daniel ended his prayer we know that it was heard of God, for the Lord sent Gabriel to Daniel. He brought a vision to Daniel, telling Daniel “you are greatly Beloved of God” (Daniel 9:23). Daniel was allowed to look into the future, and to see the coming of the Messiah, and His death on Calvary. God led Daniel to a deeper place of blessing, and used Daniel for His glory.

As we go through this time of quarantine let us all commit to being people of prayer. Let us read our Lord’s Word, and trust Him. I believe America has better days to come. But if they will come, they will only come if God’s people are focused on Him and His glory.

Oh that God would bring national revival to America! May God touch your hearts with His Word and His Spirit.

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Turn To Jesus (Red Letters Series #18)

Posted on April 6, 2020 by bibleteacherorg

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Matthew 8:1-2, 5-6 When {Jesus} was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. 2 And, behold, there came a leper {to Jesus}… 5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6 And saying, Lord …

A leper and a Centurion. The two couldn’t be further apart. The Centurion was in charge of a “Centuria”, a group of 80 to 100 trained warriors. A Roman by birth, the Centurion was not ill, but had a beloved servant who was ill.

On the other hand the leper is an unknown Jewish man, for Jesus tells him to “shew thyself to the priest” once he was cured.

Neither man would normally have anything in common. They were as different as black and white. What united these men was that they had been afflicted by sickness, and both men sought Jesus Christ to relieve them. Sickness has the power to unite. Sickness is a time for a person to stop wasting their lives on frivolous things, a time to look for Jesus for blessing.

Both Of These Men Came To The Right Place

As the Coronavirus ravages our nation people are frantically searching.

Some are searching for bread and milk, food items.
Others are searching for toilet paper.
Medical scientists are searching for cures.
Politicians are searching for someone to blame so they can be reelected.
Television Networks are searching for horrific stories.
“If it bleeds, it leads” – there is money in blood.

The other day I lost my keys. I have ALL my keys on a fob. I had been outside working in my shop (which has a locked door). When I finished what I was doing I locked the door of my shop (I need no keys for that) then went back into the house. Later that day I needed to go get groceries. So I went to get my keys so I could start the car …. NO KEYS! Where did I put them? I searched frantically, then thought “maybe I locked them in my workshop”. I borrowed my wife’s keys, went outside, and turned the workshop upside down. No keys! None! It was hopeless! Hopeless! Then my wife asked a simple question:

“What coat were you wearing when you were in your shop?”

Bam! I realized that’s where those keys were. I went and found where I hung up my coat and, amazingly, there were the keys. They were there all the time, not far from me, and not actually hiding. My world was restored. What does this have to do with our message today?

The world is frantically searching for a fix for this terrible virus that has ascended on us all. The key to our problem is not far from us. The key to our problem is God, and specifically Jesus Christ. The Psalmist said:

Psalm 46:1-3 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

The solution to our problem – every solution to every problem – is the God Who is with us. We need God to guide the scientists as they seek out a cure. We need God to guide the store managers and the shoppers so that we do not consume ourselves. We need God to cure our politicians of Partisan myopia, and to start caring for this nation and it’s people. Our God is “a very present Help in times of trouble”. If people would look up, and call upon the Name of the Lord, our God can guide us through this current mess.

Here is a hard truth you may not like to hear. The God of Scripture is Sovereign. God is in control of all things. Though God may not be the first cause of tragedy, nothing happens that God does not allow to happen.

  • When the plague of lice came upon Egypt, and “all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt” Pharaoh called on his wise men. These “magicians” told Pharaoh:

Exodus 8:19 THIS is THE FINGER of GOD

Pharaoh didn’t want to hear this, and many of you don’t want to hear this. It is easier to make this out a military experiment gone awry, or a terrorist attack, or something even more sinister. Even Christians will make this out to be “the work of the devil”. So it may be, but even so, it is something nonetheless allowed by our Sovereign God. You don’t think so? Let me give you examples.

  • Who brought the worldwide flood in Noah’s day? God!

Genesis 6:17 {God told Noah} behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.

  • Who brought famine to Egypt? God!

Genesis 41:25, 27 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do. … seven years of famine.

  • Who brought a famine on Israel during David’s reign? God!

2 Samuel 24:15-16 So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men. 16 And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough…

  • Who brought famine to the land when Elisha was Prophet? God!

2 Kings 8:1 Then spake Elisha … the LORD hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years.

Our God is Sovereign. The Bible says:

Proverbs 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.

Our God “works all things according to the council of His will” (Ephesians 1:11). If you are a Christ follower then you know what the Scripture says:

Romans 8:28 … we know that ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD to THEM THAT LOVE GOD, to them who are called according to His purpose ..

The Bible does not say that God is in control of ONLY certain things. ALL THINGS work together for the Christ follower’s good. All things. Through Isaiah God speaks:

Isaiah 45:7-9 … I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. 8 Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it. 9 Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?

The Leper Came To The Right Place In The Right Way

Matthew 8:2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshiped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

If you think you have it bad, look at the leper. This terrible disease has destroyed his flesh. He has lost both home and business, family and friends. Leprosy was so contagious that God told Israel:

Leviticus 13:45-46 … 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. 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.

Leprosy as a disease is not particularly painful – in fact, it destroys nerves in the body. What makes leprosy so bad is the isolation. The leper was not only self quarantined, but he or she had to shout “UNCLEAN, UNCLEAN” as they traveled about to keep healthy people from coming near. Talk about social distancing! The leper lost friends, family, business – everything.

There ARE things worst than death!

The leper came to Jesus before He reached Capernaum, as he was not allowed it the city as a leper. We read

Matthew 8:2 … there came a leper and worshiped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

With all that he lost the leper came worshiping Jesus. Not complaining, not bitter, but worshiping. The Bible tells us:

Psalm 95:6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.

Jesus Christ is the Word become flesh Who dwelt among us (John 1:14). Instead of WORRY try WORSHIP. In worship we praise God for the good things He has given us. Every day the Lord gives us life.

Isaiah 12:5 Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.

Psalm 95:1-6 O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. 3 For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. 4 In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. 5 The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. 6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.

We are to bow down and trust in God. To thank Him for all that He has given us. The Bible tells us that God said (Proverbs 8:13) “pride, and arrogance, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate”. Pride tells the Creator that He is created. It tells God that we are god, not Him. Pride goes before destruction (Proverbs 16:18). Many come to Christ demanding things. We expect God to wait on us, to serve us. God said:

Jeremiah 50:31-32 Behold, I am against thee, O thou most proud, saith the Lord God of hosts: for thy day is come, the time that I will visit thee. 32 And the most proud shall stumble and fall, and none shall raise him up: and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all round about him.

This sounds so much like the America I live in today. God blessed us with great prosperity – and we cursed Him. God blessed us with great health care – and we mocked Him. God gave us food so plenteous that most Americans are overweight. We ignore Him. Our comedians make fun of God. If we think of God, it is only as an afterthought. Oh Beloved, it must cease!

The Churches that Christ died for need to stop taking Him for granted. Like the leper, we need to come to Jesus Christ not demanding, but worshiping. We like this poor leper need to fall to our knees before Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (1 Timothy 6:15). We all need to say to Jesus:

Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

Lord, if you’re willing, you can do it! IF You’re willing. There were no demands made of Christ. This is the heart that is repentant. The leprosy has not only damaged this man’s body, but God used the sickness to make his soul tender unto salvation.

When we worship the Lord in humility and love, He will reach out and touch us. Jesus touched this man. When He touched him the Bible says:

(verse 3) IMMEDIATELY his leprosy was cleansed

Now that Jesus saves this man, He now commands this man. I say it again:

Those whom Jesus SAVES, He COMMANDS

Matthew 8:4 … 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.

As the man was a Jew Jesus told him to obey the Law of God, the Law given by Moses. He was to show himself to the priest so that the priest could declare him cleansed. Once pronounced cleansed, he was to offer the gift that Moses commanded (Leviticus 13:2-46; 14:2-32). Once saved, those saved by Christ are obedient unto God. We love the Lord with all our hearts!

The Centurion Came To The Right Place

Matthew 8:5-7 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.

As I explained earlier, the Centurion was an important man, a Roman, a powerful Roman. Though he had up to 100 mighty warriors under his command, the Centurion came to Jesus “beseeching Him”. The word translated “beseeching” is the Greek παρακαλέω parakaléō, (pronounced par-ak-al-eh’-o), which means “to call alongside, to beg or implore for assistance”. The man had a “servant” which is the Greek παῖς paîs, (pronounced paheece). The word could be referring to a soldier in his command, or a servant or child that he had authority over.

Romans 2:11 … there is no respect of persons with God.

Jesus will bless whosoever will come to Him in faith and humility. Our Lord did not delay. He said:

I will come and heal him

This Centurion was not lifted up with pride. Notice how this man speaks to our Lord. He tells Jesus:

Matthew 8:8-9 … Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 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.

When the Centurion said “I am not worthy”, that’s not exactly what he said. His exact words were ou hikanós, “I am not much”.

“I am not much!”

The Centurion knew he was powerful in comparison to other men, but in comparison to God the Son he was “not much”. The Centurion understood Who Jesus was. He said,

speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed

The Centurion knew the scope of HIS power, and knew the immensity of Christ’s power. He did not set himself up as god, but came to the Son of God in faith. He had great faith. The Bible defines “faith” this way:

Hebrews 11:6, … without faith it is impossible to please {God}: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

The Centurion “believed that Christ IS”. He believed that Jesus was able, so much so that he didn’t require Jesus to go to his home. When he said this to Jesus our Lord said:

Matthew 8:10-12 When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 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. 12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Jesus called Israel “the children of the Kingdom” because God promised Abraham blessings in Israel first. The Bible tells us that Jesus,

John 1:11 … came unto His own, and His own received him not.

Those to whom the promise of Heaven and earthly blessing does not come by blood, but by faith. Israel, the nation for Whom Christ came first, largely rejected the Messiah. But those who come from east and west believing will receive the promise of salvation. Those who reject Christ are cast into outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Do you know Him? Do you know my Jesus? Jesus told the centurion:

Matthew 8:13 … Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

Jesus has the power to heal. He has the power to save. We must trust in Him. During this somewhat frightening time let us look unto Jesus, and make sure our faith is in Him. He will bless. He will protect. And Jesus will save whosoever comes to Him by faith.

May God touch your hearts with His Word and His Spirit! Amen!

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Who Are You Following? (Red Letters #19)

Posted on April 5, 2020 by bibleteacherorg

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Matthew 8:14-19 And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever.

15 And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.

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:

17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by {Isaiah} the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.

18 Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side.

19 And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

As I sat working on this Sunday morning message on the Tuesday before Palm Sunday (April 5 2020 is Palm Sunday) I had just read and reviewed Executive Order 22 by the Governor of Tennessee Bill Lee. Many had pushed for our Governor to mandate a stay at home order to all in the state. Though the Executive Order urges Tennesseans that it’s “Safer at Home”, it is not a statewide lock down. Many criticized the Governor – among those the Mayor of Columbia and a few of our Representatives – for not going further and ordering residents to stay at home. Beloved, that is not far from Socialism! I applaud our Governor for his restraint and calm during this time of national testing. As citizens of what I believe is the greatest nation on earth (and I served the bulk of my adult life protecting our freedoms in the U.S. Air Force) I abhor any attempt to communize or politically socialize this country. When the government begins to remove the freedoms of its citizens even if such removal is “for our own good” it is not long before tyranny and oppression takes over. We must all tread lightly when it comes to tampering with the human will.

God has given us will to choose, and will to live. The Gospel is based on “whosoever will”.

What we are witnessing in our nation in the physical realm is a Covid-19 pandemic. But what we are witnessing in our nation in the spiritual realm is a testing, a trying, a trial allowed by our Heavenly Father to test our will. Will we follow Jesus during this time, or will we follow panic and pandemonium? Will we follow after and love the Lord Jesus Who came to save us, or will we allow fear and foolishness to drive us like cattle to Lucifer’s slaughterhouse?

God Is In Control Of Sickness

As we continue in our Red Letters series tonight we’ll talk about Jesus healing a leper and a Centurion‘s servant. Jesus healed both of these men because they asked Him to do so. But notice as Jesus comes into Peter’s home in Capernaum we read:

Matthew 8:14-15 And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, {Jesus} saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever. 15 And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.

We see several things that are very interesting in this text.

First, Peter had a wife. We are told that Jesus saw his {Peter’s} wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever. We don’t know her name because the Bible doesn’t give the name to us. The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:5 that Cephas (Peter) had a wife who accompanied him when he went on missionary outreaches. I thank God daily for my precious wife Sherry. Without her my ministry would be much more difficult, because she is my love, my helper, my confidant, and my encourager. Peter obviously was very close with his wife, especially as it seems that his mother in law – also unnamed – lived within his home.

Second, Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law without being asked to do so. Jesus saw suffering and a person in need and just touched her hand – and she was healed. The healing was instant. {Jesus} touched her hand, and the fever left her. God has the power to heal any sickness, any disease. To emphasize that Jesus Christ is God Among us, God in human flesh, we read that right after Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law:

Matthew 8:16-17 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:

17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by {Isaiah} the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.

Jesus healed those possessed with devils, those who were in spiritual bondage. Jesus cast out spirits with His word. He did not use medicines or potions. Jesus commanded the spirits to leave, and they left. We are told that Jesus healed ALL that were sick. The Bible says that Jesus healed all that the Prophecy of Isaiah would be fulfilled He took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. Matthew is quoting:

Isaiah 53:4 Surely {the Messiah} hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

When the Messiah came His ministry would be evidenced by healing us from sickness. Sickness – like this Covid-19 pandemic – is a byproduct of sin which entered the world through Adam. Prior to Adam’s sin against God man lived in a literal paradise. There was no sickness, no disease, no suffering, no death. God told Adam:

Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Adam could eat of any tree. But the tree of knowledge of good and evil, this fruit was forbidden. God told Adam that when you eat of it you SHALL SURELY DIE. Prior to Adam’s disobedience there was no death, nor even any fear.

In a sermon Brother Charles Stanley preached last Sunday he noted that not only did thorns and thistles, sweat and suffering along with death entered the world by sin (Genesis 3:18-19), but also fear entered the world with sin. What did Adam say to God after his sin?

Genesis 3:9-10 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I WAS AFRAID, BECAUSE I WAS NAKED; and I hid myself.

Sickness entered the world because of sin. The Corona-virus is in the world because sin is in the world. People say, “But why does God allow this – why doesn’t God stop this virus?!” God will, in time I believe. But we – like Adam – have hidden ourselves from God. We have not heeded His call. We have refused to thank Him for His blessings on us all. Every day God bestows great blessing upon us, and every day we draw farther and farther from God.

But God reaches out to us. Our God is able. He is able to heal. He is able to bring us from enslavement to sin and into His glorious Kingdom. But we are given a choice. Will we heed God?

Will I Serve The Lord When He Touches Me?

Matthew 8:14-15 And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever. 15 And {Jesus} touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.

When Peter’s mother-in-law was healed what did she do? She immediately rose up and ministered to those around her. She waited on Jesus. She waited on Jesus’ followers. She put God first. She put others first. Notice something about this mother-in-law. To this day we do not know her name. People have tried to put a name to her, but there is none. Some only want to follow Jesus when “there’s something in it for me”. This woman did not seek the limelight. She didn’t thrust her name forward. She had been blessed of God, and so she served as the God Who loved her called her to serve.

If you are a Christian indeed, then you are called to follow the royal law of the family. What is this royal law? James, the stepbrother of Jesus, wrote of this royal law. He said:

James 2:8-20 If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: 9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. 10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment. 14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

If you are indeed a Christian you are:

1 Peter 2:9 … a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:

You belong to God, dear Christian. You are to love the Lord your God:

Deuteronomy 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Mark 12:30-31 {Jesus said} 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. 31 And the second [is] like, [namely] this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

If you love the God Who saved you, you will serve the God Who saved you and those whom God has put in your periphery. You will, like Peter’s mother-in-law, rise from the touch of Christ to serve Him and others. You will not be greedy, putting yourself first and foremost. You will put yourself last.

The wonderful thing about trials and sickness like Covid-19 is that it makes us stop and re-evaluate our lives. Am I genuinely a Christian? Am I ready to meet the Lord in eternity? Do I know Christ as my Lord and Savior, or am I really a pretender to the family? Imagine a child walking along with his Father. As they are walking along a path the Father sees a tree root sticking up. “Son, be careful where you’re stepping. See that root. You’ll trip and fall if you’re not careful”. The child, however, is not listening to the Father. He is looking at a butterfly flitting by. Sure enough, the child catches the root on his toe, and down he goes. “Father, why did You let me fall! It’s YOUR fault I fell. YOUR fault, not mine! You didn’t look after me”. This is what we as humans have done with God our Father. He has told us what is right, and told us what is wrong. He has said what is good, and what is bad. Our Heavenly Father has told us “Don’t walk there. Don’t do this. Don’t live this way, but live the way I have said. I know what is good and bad, righteous and evil. Heed Me. Hear My Word. You will be blessed.” Then we do what God our Creator tells us not to do, and reject the Christ that He sent to us. When we fall we blame God.

It is not God’s fault. It is ours. The Bible says:

Psalm 138:6-7 Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off. 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.

Pride pushes God away from us, but humility brings us into His Presence.

1 Peter 5:6-7 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

God cares for YOU!

James 4:6 But {God} giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

Imagine the same scenario I just gave you. The child is walking beside his Father, and the Father warns him of a tripping hazard. The child doesn’t hear the Father as he watches the butterfly flit about. The child trips, stumbles, and falls. Now the child doesn’t blame the Father, nor curse the Father, but with tear stained face looks upward. “Father, I didn’t listen to You. I should have, but I didn’t. Father, I repent. I’m sorry. Father, help me up!”. Do you know what God will do? I know what He will do. He already told us in Jesus what He would do. Jesus said:

Matthew 11:27-30 27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. 28 Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

When you fall and look up, God is waiting. Jesus Christ is waiting to lift you up, to bless you, to bring you into His Kingdom. If we will be blessed we must humble ourselves and come to Him. Jesus will give you rest. We must “take Christ’s yoke upon us – serve and follow Him”. The “yoke” is placed on an animal so that it could serve it’s master. Jesus is our Master, dear Christian, He is our Lord. His “yoke is easy, and His burden light”. Following Jesus is not hard. We just love Him, and do as He says. When we do so we will be blessed. There is nothing more blessed than the life that follows Christ.

Do you know Him? Beloved, if you are a Christian then you are to follow Him Who saved you. Are you? Are you following Jesus? Or are you following the crowd?

I Will Follow Jesus Wherever He Leads

Matthew 8:18-20 Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side. 19 And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

As Jesus healed the people great multitudes came to Him. Great multitudes always seek out God when they want something. I have heard more people call on the name of God in the hospital than I have heard them call for Him in a restaurant, or at a carnival.

When God waits on us we throng around Him. But let Him sit on His throne and there are few in attendance.

As Jesus saw the “multitudes” gathered around Him He gave the commandment to depart to the other side. Why did Jesus choose to move? I think it was to show us that He is Lord, and we are to follow Him.

Notice that a Scribe tells Jesus:

Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest

Those are wonderful words. They remind me of a song we often sing as we close our services at Riverview:

I can hear my Savior calling,

I can hear my Savior calling,

I can hear my Savior calling,

“Take thy cross and follow, follow Me.”

Where He leads me I will follow,

Where He leads me I will follow,

Where He leads me I will follow,

I’ll go with Him, with Him all the way.

Is that true? We sing this, but do we mean it? The Scribe said “Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest“. This is commendable. But I believe that Jesus looked into this man’s heart, for the Lord said:

The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

A lot of people want to follow Jesus to good health, or good wealth, or good times, or great accommodations. But are you willing to follow Jesus where He lives. Jesus didn’t own any property while He walked on this earth. He had no wallet. Jesus, the Son of God, God Incarnate, lowered Himself, taking upon Himself the form of a servant. He was made in the likeness of man, and humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of he Cross (Philippians 2:7-8). When Christ calls you to His side to follow Him, He bids you follow Him wherever He leads, good or bad. Will you follow Him even if you get the Covid-19? Will you follow Him even if it leads to poverty, or being shunned by your peers, or being jailed for your faith? Will you follow Him in reaching out the the poor, the sick, the lame? Or will you just follow Him while He leads you to good health?

The follower of Jesus loves Him, and follows Him even through distasteful things. We follow Jesus by …

…loving others as Christ loved us (John 13:34; 15:12).

… loving our enemies (Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:27).

… walking through the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4).

… walking in the Light with Him, not in sin (John 8:12).

Matthew 8:21-22 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, {allow} me first to go and bury my father. 22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

You are called, dear one, to put God first in your life. He is to be the One you follow above all others. You are to love the Lord more than anything or anyone else. Jesus said:

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

Jesus used hyperbole or exaggeration to emphasize to us that our Lord must always be first in our lives. When we put Christ first, our families will be better loved by us. When we put Christ first, our businesses will be blessed. When Christ is with us, we will be able to weather the storms of life better – for Christ will never let us go.

To emphasize this point we have one final illustration in our text.

Matthew 8:23-27 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. 25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 27 But the men marveled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

I ask you the same question that Jesus asked. Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? If you are following Jesus, if you are in the boat with Him, then trust Him. The boat will not sink while the Creator of the winds and the seas is in it. Is Christ in your lives? Have you received Him as Lord and Savior? If you have, trust Him. He is bigger than Covid-19. He is bigger than anything you can imagine. Let Him have all of you.

May God touch your hearts with His Word and His Spirit. Amen and Amen!

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Battle For The Mind

Posted on April 1, 2020 by bibleteacherorg

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Philippians 4:6-9 Be careful1 for nothing2; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. {7} And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep3 your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. {8} Finally, brethren, whatsoever10 things are true4, whatsoever10 things are honest5, whatsoever10 things are just6, whatsoever10 things are pure7, whatsoever10 things are lovely8, whatsoever10 things are of good report9; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. {9} Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Humans, though we live in the physical, are truly controlled by what we think. The Philippians Church was a loving assembly of believers, all doing what God wanted them to do. When you do what God tells you Satan rears his ugly head. Satan loves to confuse, to spread fear and uncertainty, and to divide. This is not the state that God wants the Christian in. We are to live in such a way that …

vs 7 the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,
shall keep3 your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus

the peace of God will guard (φρουρέω phrouréō, {pronounced froo-reh’-o}) our hearts and minds – our emotions and intellect – from evil. The word translated “keep” is the Greek phrouréō, {pronounced froo-reh’-o} which means “to mount a guard or a garrison over so as to protect”. God does NOT want His children – saved by faith in Christ – to become part of the chaos that is this fallen world.

The Normal Christian Life Is Supposed To Be Filled With Intellectual And Emotional PEACE

The Bible says in Proverbs 23:7 (my paraphrase)

As you think in your heart, so you are!

What is in your heart and mind – your emotions and your intellect – will control whether you ACT or you REACT. An animal REACTS. A Christian is not an animal. We are God’s Children. We are not supposed to REACT, but to ACT. We are called to be at peace in our lives. How do we reach this peace? Again, focus on our text:

vs 7 the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,
shall keep3 your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus

There is no peace when you fill your souls with worldliness. When you think like worldlings, you will act like worldlings. When you think like the lost, you will act like the lost. We achieve the peace of God THROUGH Christ Jesus.

Notice how the name of Jesus is written. He is in this text Christ Jesus. Sometimes in Scripture Jesus is called “Jesus Christ”, and other times Jesus is called “Christ Jesus”. The name that comes first is an indicator as to how the Scripture should be applied. The name “Christ” coming before “Jesus” emphasizes that our Savior is the Messiah, the One Who died for us so that we might live. The word “Christ” emphasizes that, though Jesus died for our sins, He defeated death and rose from the grave on the third day. The Apostle Paul confidently stated:

1 Corinthians 15:3-5 … I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5 And that he was seen …

Christ died for MY sins. He is my Messiah, my Savior. Jesus is the “only Begotten Son of God” (John 3:16) and the “Beloved Son, in Whom God the Father is well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). The Father loved the Son with an infinite love, and yet sent Jesus to die for us, for ME. He died in agony and misery, bearing my evils, but rose again to lead me. God paid a great price for us in Christ Jesus. If He paid a great price for us, our Father will not abandon those He paid so dearly for. The Apostle says:

Romans 5:1-6 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

God paid an infinite price for my salvation and for your salvation. We who are Christians are at peace with God. God is our Father, and knows us by name. God numbers the very hairs of our head (Matthew 10:30; Luke 12:7). If this is all true then we are not to worry. Jesus told us:

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

In Christ we have peace. In the world we have tribulation. If my heart and mind is filled with worldliness then I will have tribulation. If my heart and mind are filled with Christ and His Words then I will have peace.

Worry does not come from God. Our God is the Lord of PEACE. Not of worry.

2 Thessalonians 3:16 … Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means.

Isaiah 26:3-4 3 Thou {O Lord} wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. 4 Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength:

Are your minds centered on Christ Jesus, or are you filling your minds with the pandemonium of the world? Dr. David Jeremiah – a preacher I love to listen to – writes:

“There are four powerful evidences of a centered life in Jesus Christ: You are gladly identified with Christ. You recognize Jesus as the authority in your life. You have a deep sense of spiritual and personal security. And you rest in Christ, knowing that He is the master of your destiny. In Christ you live a brand new life in a brand new way. When everything else is out of control, set your affections on the One who is in control. Everything you put your hope in other than Jesus will fail. Jesus Christ alone is faithful and changeless, and will never fail you!”

To Achieve Peace In The Midst Of Turmoil You Must SET YOUR MIND On Christ Jesus

Back to our text. Look at the first four words of what we read today:

Philippians 4:6 Be careful1 for nothing2

These words are the Greek verb merimnao1 {pronounced mer-im-nah’-o} combined with the adjective medeis2 {pronounced may-dice’}. A much better translation of these words is:

quit worrying about things

When you worry about the things that are going on around you, all you are doing is filling your soul with negative emotions. Someone told me that “we may see the worst of this coronavirus pandemic in the next two weeks – much worse!” My reply to that person was “so what? What is worrying about it going to do?” Will your worries about it somehow avert the problem? Will the dead come back to life because your worried about it? When the Apostle said “quit worrying about things” this is a COMMAND.

Worry sickens us.
Worry robs us of our joy.
Worry fills us with darkness.
Worry does no good whatsoever.

Jesus put it this way:

Matthew 6:25-34 Therefore I say unto you, {Do not worry} for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by {worrying} can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why {do you worry about clothing}? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore {stop worrying}, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do {unbelievers} seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 {Do not worry} for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

The network news loves to broadcast the bad, never the good. These networks are not endorsed by Jesus Christ – not even FOX. You are told the bad news so that you will tune in, and they can sell more commercial time to businesses. Worrying does nothing for you. It subtracts from the quality of your life.

Rather than worry, the Apostle says:

Philippians 4:6  {Stop worrying about it} but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

The solution for the Christian is to draw closer to God, to communicate your concerns to Him – to draw closer to our source of power. In this mighty angelic conflict, where the forces of evil and the forces of God collide, the solution to the conditions of America and the world is undying allegiance to Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

There’s an old Mel Gibson movie I love called “The Patriot”. In that movie at the last battle the American Militia is fighting the somewhat superior and elegantly dressed British Army. The battle begins to go against the Americans, and the Americans begin to turn and rapidly run away. Mel – [playing the Patriot] sees the American Militia withdrawing. He runs forward, grabs the American flag, and yelling loudly waves it over his head while running TOWARD the enemy. The American Militia sees this and responds, turning from their confused retreat, and runs back to the fight.

Britain lost the battle, and sued for peace.

Christians, we must not allow the enemy to run us scared. We must follow the colors, follow Jesus Christ. If you are a Christian you are citizens of a Heavenly Kingdom, and Jesus Christ is your King. We are not of this world …. Jesus was very clear on this. He stated:

(John 17:14-17 KJV) I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. {15} I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil {literally, the Evil One}. {16} They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. {17} Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

We are told in the Scripture that the battle going on around us is not physical, but it is spiritual. Who do I wrestle against? Who wants my demise, my failure, my loss? Who wants to see my children cursed, my wife harmed, my life set in disarray? No earthly foe desires this, but the Scripture says:

(Ephesians 6:12 KJV) 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.

NOT flesh and blood, BUT principalities. NOT flesh and blood, BUT powers. NOT flesh and blood, BUT rulers of the darkness. NOT flesh and blood, BUT spiritual wickedness in high places. Listen Beloved: the war we fight may outwardly look physical, but it is truly a matter of the thought life.

Draw near to God in prayer and in obedience, draw near to the Colors, to Jesus Christ, and He will post guard on your hearts and minds.

Philippians 4:6-9 {Stop worrying} but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

We draw near to God. The world in panic draws near to NOT God, but the Christian draws near to God. We use:

Prayer
Supplication
Thanksgiving

The more weird things grow, the more we should pray. Billy Graham wrote in his book Answers to Life’s Problems:

“Is prayer a central part of your life? Pray for your own needs. Pray for the needs of others. Praise God in prayer, and pray for His guidance in your life. “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful” (Colossians 4:2). Remember, Christ prayed repeatedly, and if He – the sinless Son of God – needed to pray, how much more should we learn to pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17).”

We need to pray for our national, state, and local leadership.
We need to pray for our churches.
We need to pray for our communities, our neighbors.

But as we pray we also need to be thankful. We need to thank God for the blessings that we have. He has given us so very much. We need to thank God for the opportunities and open doors that this time of trouble will bring to the Church. What better time to share the confidence we have in Jesus with others than right now!

Take Control Of Your Thought-Life

After telling us to stop worrying and start praying and thanking God, the Apostle now tells us to take control of what goes into our minds and hearts. We read:

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever10 things are true4, whatsoever10 things are honest5, whatsoever10 things are just6, whatsoever10 things are pure7, whatsoever10 things are lovely8, whatsoever10 things are of good report9; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

When I was a little boy I used to try and get mamma to buy the breakfast cereal that had a little prize in it. You know, a decoder ring, or some other piece of plastic junk that today I wouldn’t even look at twice. I have never found anything at the bottom of a box of cereal that wasn’t cheap, easily breakable, and literally useless. If you want the peace of God you need to quit feeding your souls the drivel of tv.

You need to turn to the Word of God. You need to fill your minds with His Words.

Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament says of this verse:

“Whatsoever (hosa). Thus he introduces six adjectives picturing Christian ideals, old-fashioned and familiar words … They are pertinent now when so much filth is flaunted before the world in books, magazines and moving pictures under the name of realism (the slime of the gutter and the cess-pool).”

What are “Things that are TRUE”? When Jesus prayed for His Church before He was crucified, Jesus prayed:

John 17:12-17 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. 13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

God’s Word is truth. When Jesus stood before Pilate just before He was crucified, Jesus said:

John 18:37-38 … To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. 38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?

The world, like Pilate, views “truth” as fluid, determined by whatever a person “feels”. The Christian views “truth” as certain as gravity. We believe God’s Word to be “truth”. Absolute truth. Timeless truth. So I often people tell me,

“Brother David, that Bible is an old book. It was written back then, and times have changed. It’s obsolete.”

To which I say, HOGWASH! A pound was a pound 10 years ago, it was a pound 50 years ago, it was a pound a million years ago. Gravity doesn’t change. Neither does God’s Word. As Christians we are to “set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1-4). The Bible was written by God through faithful men. The sum of God’s Word is TRUTH (Psalm 119:160). God’s Words are TRUTH (2 Samuel 7:28). The Apostle said:

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

We need to get back to the Bible. We need to feed our souls the Word of God daily. Not CNN, ABC, CBS, or even FOX. The Bible. What God has said. We must take control of our minds. Rest in Jesus, dear Christian. Read and rest in His Word. Use this wonderful opportunity before us – staying at home – to pick up and read God’s Word, and to pray.

And if you are not a Christian, may I invite you to turn your lives over to Him Who loves you? Do it today. The Scripture promises:

Romans 10:8-13 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

May God touch your hearts with His Word and His Spirit. Amen! Amen!

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The 9-1-1 Psalm (Psalm 91)

Posted on March 29, 2020 by bibleteacherorg

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Photo by Matt Chesin on Unsplash

As Sherry and I were coming home today from the Church house we saw an ambulance and two police cruisers at a neighbor’s home. Though I don’t know the details I know that someone was hurt, and someone dialed 9-1-1. When we dial 9-1-1 those who we call “First Responders” come to us to help us. Sometimes we need the Police, and other times the Fire Department or an ambulance. Thank God for our 9-1-1 operators and those responders who come to help us in need.

Psalm 91 can be likened to a Heavenly 9-1-1 call. It is a beautiful Psalm. Many turn to this Psalm for comfort, and as we have been under the threat of this pandemic called Covid-19, we all need comfort. How about picking up your Bibles and dialing 9-1-1, Psalm 91:1 with me. Are you ready? Let’s read this beautiful Psalm together:

Psalm 91-1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

There Are Wonderful Promises From God In This Text

As we dial 9-1-1, Who is our First Responder? It is God Himself. We are told:

Psalm 91:3 Surely {God} shall DELIVER thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

  • If you are being deliberately hunted by an enemy, or under threat from deadly pestilence (which we could say is Covid-19) then God will deliver you. Trust in Him. The Bible says that “God is faithful”:

    1 Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

    1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

When God is called, God will come. We’re given a beautiful picture in these words:

Psalm 91:4 {God} shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust:

  • Continuing with the theme of God delivering you from the “fowler” (bird hunter), our Lord is now poetically pictured as a Bird who guards His offspring by covering them with His own body.

    Years ago I saw a picture of a place in Yellowstone Park that was decimated by fire. One of the Park Rangers found the dead and burned body of a female bird. When he turned her over, underneath were several baby chicks, absolutely untouched by fire or heat. God puts Himself over top of His children, lovingly guarding us from many things that would harm us.

    But God is not the only First Responder who comes to us when we dial 9-1-1. We read next:

Psalm 91:11 For {God} shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

  • God assigns guardian angels to His Children to protect them from harm, as long as we stay in His will. The devil, tempting Jesus in the wilderness, told our Lord:

    Matthew 4:6-7 {Satan said unto Jesus} If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. {Our Lord} Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

God may assign guardian angels to us, but this does not mean that we should be foolish with our lives. We are to do all things “as unto the Lord” (Colossians 3:23-24). While going through this pandemic do not behave foolishly but keep yourselves clean, your hands washed, and use common sense.

One show I used to watch diligently when it was on television was the Beverly Hillbillies. One day Granny Clampett said – and I love this – “If common sense was lard, some people wouldn’t have enough to grease a pie pan”. The angels watch over God’s children, but don’t text and drive. Don’t walk out into traffic without looking. Clean your hands. Watch your hygiene. Take precautions. Please, use the common sense God gave you!

To Whom Are These Wonderful Promises Made?

Any citizen of the United States can dial 9-1-1 and a First Responder will come and give aid. But what of God’s 9-1-1? Are the promises of Psalm 91 made to me? They could be, if you are a child of God by faith in Christ. We read:

Psalm 91:9-10 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; 10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

The word “because” gives us a condition to these great and wonderful promises. If you have made the LORD (Yahweh) the refuge you run to, even the MOST HIGH (Elyon) the place where you stay (your habitation), God will protect you. The promise is to the one who loves the Lord and lives with the Lord – He is not just your incidental place you visit every now and again, nor your vacation spot – but your HOME. We read:

Psalm 91:1 He that dwelleth (יָשַׁב yâshab, pronounced yaw-shab’ – take up permanent residence in) in the secret place of the most High (עֶלְיוֹן ʻelyôwn, pronounced el-yone’ – the Supreme) shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty (שַׁדַּי Shadday, pronounced shad-dah’-ee – Almighty, God of all Provision).

Psalm 91:2 I will say of the Lord (Yahweh, the Great I AM), He is my refuge and my fortress: my God (אֱלֹהִים ʼĕlôhîym, pronounced el-o-heem’, the Triune Name of God); in him will I trust.

Jesus told us in John 14:21-23 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. 22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

This is very similar to what we read in our Psalm. God said:

Psalm 91:14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

When we “set our love on God”, doing as Jesus told us:

Matthew 22:37 … Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

Which is a reflection of what God told His Old Covenant people in:

Deuteronomy 6:5 … And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

The promises of Psalm 91 are to those who love the Lord with ALL. Not with just a tiny bit of our hearts, but with ALL our hearts. He is worthy of this. God has a people. They are no one denomination, or as some brag, non-denominational. God has a people who love Him. Those who love God know that our God is faithful. He does not break His Word. God says:

Psalm 91:15-16 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

If we love God, when we call upon Him He hears our cries. He answers us. He is with us in trouble, and with us in sunshine. God promises to deliver the child of God, to give us long life, and to bless us with salvation.

The Christian – Born Of The Spirit – Need Not Fear

 About two hours ago this March 29th, 2020 the Nashville Channel 5 News reported 1720 cases of Covid-19 in Tennessee, with 7 deaths. Many are in panic over this virus. Fear grips our nation. But Beloved, if you are a Christian – born of the Spirit of God by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ – you need not fear. If you love the Lord, you need not fear. Jesus said:

Matthew 10:28-31 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

God has promised – as our Father – to look after we who are His children. If …

Psalm 91:4-6 … his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

God’s children need not fear nor live in panic. We are to live in the palm of our Lord’s nail scarred hand. We are to trust Him with all our hearts. When God says:

Psalm 91:7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

Why do the thousand and the ten thousand fall? It is as Jesus said. “broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in there: Because narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” If you have received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are a part of the Family of God. You are an adopted child of God, indwelt by Christ’s Spirit. You need not fear, but should daily seek to walk in the shadow of your Savior and Lord.

Shine, Christian, Shine. Do not whine, but Shine! If you are not a Christian, run to Him Who loves you and gave His life for you. Trust in His Word. For He has said:

Romans 10:9-13 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Blessed be the Name of the Lord! Amen and Amen!

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Social Distancing (Red Letters #17)

Posted on March 29, 2020 by bibleteacherorg

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Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash

Matthew 7:21-29 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. 28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: 29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Christianity Is Very Social

In the midst of this Covid-19 pandemic we are being encouraged to “practice social distancing”. Humans are social creatures, and Christians are even more so. I know few Christians who do not appreciate a warm handshake, a pat on the back, or a hug with “I love you” attached. The Christian faith is all about love, not distance.

In these Pandemic times we should practice “social distancing” with one another – but NOT WITH GOD.

No one should ever stray far from the Lord. How’s your relationship with Jesus? Does Jesus know you. Or is He “socially distant” from you because of your heart? Will Jesus say when He sees you, “Enter in My good and faithful servant”, or will He say “I never knew you. Depart from Me, you worker of iniquity!”

The Old Covenant and the Law put a “social distance” between God and man. This was not because of God, but because of man. Moses, the arbitrator of the Law, loved the Lord. Yet God gave the Law through Moses.

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

Moses was not saved by the Law that God gave him. Moses was saved by G-R-A-C-E. The Scripture says …

Exodus 33:17 … the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.

Moses found G-R-A-C-E in God’s sight. He loved God, and God knew Moses by name. Moses and God were not socially distant. Why? Because Moses practiced repentance and FAITH in GOD. Not so the children of Israel. When Moses went up on the Mountain to receive the Law from God, God told Moses …

Exodus 19:12-13 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death: 13 There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.

Why did God do this? Well let me ask you,

Why are We being told to practice “Social Distancing”?
Because of a deadly virus called Covid-19.
But there is a deadlier thing among humanity,
a thing God did not want to get too close to. It is called SIN.

Moses, saved by Grace, was not socially distant from God. God called him, saying

“Moses, My son Moses, My servant Moses – come!”

But the unrepentant Israelite, the murmurer, the complainer, the wallower in sin, the contaminated, to those God told Moses “Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.” (Exodus 19:21). Not all would perish. Just “many”. No one is allowed in the presence of the Almighty unless they know Him.

Sadly, the people did not seek Grace from God. Fearfully they told Moses,

Exodus 20:19-20 … Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. 20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.

Israel is a picture of the Church goer, the religious person who knows the rituals, knows the rites, knows perhaps even the Bible, but does not know the Lord.

Israel is like so many who go to Church weekly, faithfully. They know OF the Lord, but need a priest or a Moses to stand in the gap, representing and praying for the people. The Law came by Moses because the people rejected the Grace of God and practiced by default social distancing from God. This is what fascinated people about Jesus when He came teaching. The Bible says:

Matthew 7:28-29 … the people were astonished at his doctrine: 29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

The “scribes” were the copiers of the Old Testament Scripture. From copying the Word of God down day after day and year after year, the Scribes had memorized vast amounts of the Scripture. They knew their Bible. They knew what the Bible said. But the Scribes did not know the Author of the Bible. Jesus Christ, on the other hand, spoke as one having authority (ἐξουσία exousía, [pronounced ex-oo-see’-ah]). Jesus spoke as if He were acquainted with the Author of the Book. In fact, Jesus spoke as if He were the Author of the Book. Each time Jesus said,

“But I say unto you”

He was saying, “This is what you may have been taught – but here’s the TRUTH”. Moses knew God, and was a recipient of Grace. But Jesus Christ IS GOD, and is the Giver of Grace. God is now among us, and He is Jesus!

Are You “Saying” Jesus “Is” Lord,
Or “Receiving” Jesus “As” Lord?

The reason that God gave the Law was to show Israel that they were sinners in need of a Savior. The reason that God sent His Son Jesus to this earth was to show us that God WANTS US TO BE CLOSE TO HIM. We cannot, however, receive Jesus as just another rabbi or just another teacher. Jesus Christ is God Incarnate, God become Man.

And Jesus IS LORD. He is ESPECIALLY LORD of His people.

The Scripture declares that Jesus …

Philippians 2:8-11 8 … being found in fashion as a man, {Jesus} humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD, to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus IS Lord. The Apostles preached “Jesus is Lord”:

Acts 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same JESUS, whom ye have crucified, BOTH LORD AND CHRIST.

Jesus Christ is both Lord and Christ (Messiah, Savior). He is the means by which we receive Grace. God gave the Law to Israel through Moses (a man saved by Grace) so that they could understand their need for Grace. The Law was a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith (Galatians 3:21-26).

We all need the Grace and Truth of Jesus Christ. We need to know Him. Do you know Him? Jesus said:

John 6:40 … this is the will of {God the Father} that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Jesus is BOTH LORD AND CHRIST (Messiah/ Savior)! Is this in your hearts, or just in your mouths? You are saved by faith in Christ the Lord, and Jesus willingly and lovingly will save any who come to Him. Jesus promised:

Luke 19:10 … {I} the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Do you know Him?

Christianity is a personal relationship with
the personal and ever present Biblical God.

Jesus Christ came so that we might have a day to day relationship with Almighty God. The Prophet said:

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Jesus Christ is the virgin born God-Man Who left Heaven to be with us.

Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, GOD WITH US. (quoting Isaiah 7:14)

This is Who Jesus is. He is not just a Rabbi, or a well studied Prophet. Jesus Christ is God the Son. The Father says of the Son:

Hebrews 1:5-10 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? 6 And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. … 8 But UNTO THE SON {GOD THE FATHER} SAITH, THY THRONE, O GOD, IS FOR EVER AND EVER: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom. 9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. 10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:

Jesus was with the Father in the beginning creating all things. John said:

John 1:1-4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Do you know Him? Do you know my Jesus? Oh, I hope you do. Jesus has a name above every name. The Angels of God worship Him. He is, with Father and Spirit, blessed Elohiym, creator of all things. If you do not know Him, let today be the day you call upon Jesus. Call upon Him as Lord, Lord, seeking the salvation that only comes upon a person by Grace. This salvation is freely given to all who will receive Christ.

It Is Not WHAT We Do But WHO We Love

Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Have you received Jesus Christ as BOTH Lord and Savior?
 We receive Jesus as Savior because we are not able to save ourselves.
We receive Jesus as Lord because He rules His people.

Titus 3:3-7 For we ourselves also were {once} foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. 4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior; 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Receive Christ as Savior, Follow Christ as Lord

You cannot have one without the other. The faith of Christ is not a buffet where we pick and choose: “I like this salvation thing, for God promises me Heaven through Christ. But I hate this Lordship thing. I want to be Lord of my own life, so I’ll turn up my nose at that.” What does Jesus say?

Matthew 7:22-23 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I NEVER KNEW YOU: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

There are moral and good people that do good deeds on this earth. There are preachers and Bible teachers and deacons and Sunday School teachers who do good works. There are people who have visited hospitals and nursing homes. There are those who have cooked food for the bereaved and suffering, and many who have fed or clothed the homeless. “In Christ’s name they did many wonderful works”. They are memorialized in pictures on hospital walls. And yet Jesus says to them:

I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity

The good work done apart from a relationship with Christ is of no eternal value. These people – like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day – were doing good with hands that had no knowledge of Jesus. The word translated “knew” here is the Greek γινώσκω ginṓskō, {pronounced ghin-oce’-ko}, which means “to know by experience”.

If you KNOW Jesus and are not socially distant from Him, you will be imitators of God. Jesus chastised the religious of His day, saying:

Matthew 23:23 23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

It was good that the Pharisees and scribes were tithing – Jesus said they ought to have done that. But Jesus said that these same Pharisees omitted the weightier matters of the Law:

Judgment
Mercy
Faith

The Law of God promised Judgment upon all for sin. But God in His mercy reached out in Christ, and offered Grace to all who would receive Him by faith. The Pharisees and scribes lived their lives pleasing themselves, not the Lord. Beloved, if you are a born again believer in Christ, you will serve the Lord Jesus in Christlike love. You will do the things He says to do. Christ is the Head of the Church and the Savior of the Body (Ephesians 5:23). We are not dominated by fear or by sin.

I have decided to follow Jesus. Have you?

The Saved Are Stable Because They Obey The Savior

Matthew 7:24-25 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

Tragedy and trial comes to all of us.

Beloved, unbelievers will die from Covid-19.
Believers may die from Covid-19.

The young and old will suffer from Covid-19.

The Scripture truthfully says:

Job 5:7 … man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.

Regardless as to trials, Jesus promised to be with those whom He loves. You who love Him will live your lives cherishing His red lettered words. When the trials come you will be buffeted, but destroyed. Why? Because the life founded on the Rock that is God is a life that cannot be upended.

But to those who hear but do not receive Jesus as both Lord and Savior, what is the promise unto them? Jesus said:

Matthew 7:26-27 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

A father helped his children build a beautiful sandcastle on the beach. They got mostly done, but the children grew tired and the day long. Daddy helped the children back to the car, and they all headed back to the motel, promises of “We’ll come back tomorrow” ringing in the kids ears. The next day the family returned to the same beautiful beach. But to the children’s dismay the sandcastle they worked so hard on was gone. The tide came in and took it all away.

If you are building your lives on the words of Christ, then nothing will upend your life. Storms will come. Covid-19 will grab headlines. People will panic, and buy out the grocery stores. But you will remain. Why? Because Christ Jesus is our Rock. The tides of time and trials will not wipe out the life built on Christ. Let us commit to knowing Him by faith, and to be faithful followers of Him in love. May God bless your lives with His Word and His empowering Spirit. Amen! Amen!

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Narrow Gate Of Salvation (Red Letters Series #16)

Posted on March 22, 2020 by bibleteacherorg

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Matthew 7:12-20 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. 13 Enter ye in at the strait1 gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait1 is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

After much prayer and meditation I believe the Lord is telling me that the key to understanding this text is what the King James translates as “strait”:

Enter ye in at the strait1 gate

The word translated as “strait” is the Greek στενός stenós, (pronounced sten-os’) which means “a place that is narrow because of obstacles or distractions that are close by”. Jesus is telling tells His followers to enter in at the narrow gate.

The way to DESTRUCTION and DEATH is wide and unobstructed. The way to PRESERVATION and LIFE is narrow – not because God limits it, but because there are obstacles in its way that God had nothing to do with.

God Is Not The Obstacle To The Narrow Way

Some have said that God Himself is the obstacle to the narrow way. Some believers (and they are believers in Christ) feel that Christ only came for a select group called “The Elect”. Those who feel this reach that conclusion, I believe, honestly, though I cannot agree with them. I believe that Jesus Christ came and gave His life for ALL, not just a select group. The familiar Bible school Scripture I think we have all learned (I meet few who cannot say it) is:

John 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.

God so loved – not just the nice, the moral, the white, the black, the sincere, the whatever. He so LOVED the WORLD. What did God do? He sent his Beloved Son Jesus Christ to die for the world. The scripture says WHOSOEVER believes in Him shall not perish, but have life. The Apostle recorded these words of our Lord, and later wrote:

1 John 2:1-2 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Jesus Christ came and took the penalty of sin on Himself so that ANY MAN – any person regardless of race or gender – can have an ADVOCATE with the Father. When Christ is received by faith He stands between us and the Father, covering our sins by His own dear self. He does this for any who believe in Him. Christ is the “propitiation” (ἱλασμός hilasmós, hil-as-mos’; atonement or covering, appeasement to God) not just for MY sins, but for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD. When Jesus told His Church to go out and tell others of His wonderful Gospel Jesus did not limit us. He said:

Matthew 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:

and before He ascended to the right hand of God our Savior commanded:

Acts 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, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

God has never hindered the Gospel message to any. The narrow way is wide open for whosoever will hear it. The Apostle said:

Romans 5:18-19 Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

The free gift of salvation is to all – ALL – who will receive it. He did not come and die just for some, but again we read:

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

Jesus Christ came to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15), of whom I am chief. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for US (Romans 5:8). Jesus did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance (Matthew 9:13). Did Christ die for you? Are you a sinner? Then yes, He died for you. God is no obstacle to the narrow way of salvation. None whatsoever!

Humans Are The Obstacle To The Narrow Way

Driving through our beloved city of Columbia, going down Trotwood Drive, the road changes to West 7th Street which is now a terrible mess. What used to be an area easy to traverse, a lovely area across from Harris’ Grocery and our Columbia Post Office, is now a terrible mess with metal plates, orange cones, potholes, and confused looking men standing around looking at earth moving equipment. Piles of rubble have obstructed traffic. I am amazed there are not more accidents in that area, especially since it is the road directly in front of Oakes and Nicoles Funeral Home. Why is it such a mess? Because the city fathers decided we needed to do something with the pipes and infrastructure of that section of road. I’m sure they had a good reason to do it. I just wish the people doing the work would finish it soon. It is a mess.

It is a man made mess. God didn’t make that mess. Humans did.

The barriers around the narrow way of salvation are not there because God put them there. These “orange cones” and “piles of debris” are not in place because our Heavenly Father wants to limit those in His Kingdom. These barriers are in place because of US.

What was the very first message Jesus ever preached? It was:

Matthew 4:17 … REPENT: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

The word translated “repent” is the Greek μετανοέω metanoéō, {pronounced met-an-o-eh’-o}, which means “change your mind for the the better, think differently, reconsider and begin to think correctly”. The beginning of salvation is not for GOD to change HIS MIND, but for US to change OUR MINDS. God is our Father in Heaven. He sent His Son to reach out to us in love. We must change our minds, and stop being god. Someone once said:

If you are your own master, then you are a poor one
for you have a FOOL for a servant!

God made us in His image and in His likeness (Genesis 1:26). We were made to follow God. Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, summed it up this way:

Ecclesiastes 12:13 … Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

When Jesus came to this earth He preached a Gospel that required we ALL REPENT and FOLLOW HIM.

Mark 1:14-15 … Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: REPENT ye, and BELIEVE the gospel.

The King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the only Potentate Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 6:16) left His Throne in Heaven to offer citizenship to all who would come to Him. And yet many today still decided to make war with the Lamb, Who shall overcome them: for He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings (Revelation 17:14). Jesus came to this earth and opened the borders of Heaven. He hung out a sign not saying “Help Wanted”, but “Sinners Wanted”. Any who come to Him are promised the blessings of salvation not just in this life, but in the life to come.

And yet we put up road blocks, pot holes, and debris in front of the narrow way. What are some of these obstructions?

  • There is the “Politically Correct” obstruction. In our day it is fashionable to say “There are many roads to God”. For this reason many who are false prophets have stood in pulpits saying, “Whatever your God is, just believe in Him and you’ll be all right”. Jesus spoke about these false prophets in our text today.

Matthew 7:15-16 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

These men and women look like sheep, like the saved of Christ. They sound good. It sounds loving to say “God loves everyone. Just as long as you believe in the God of your choice, and you love, then all will be well”. This type of nonsense has been in the Church from the very beginning. The Apostle Paul addressed it at Galatia:

Galatians 1:6-12 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. 10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. 11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

The devil has perverted the Word of God from the beginning. He did it as a serpent in the Garden of Eden, telling Eve “Hath God really said you shall not eat of every tree in the Garden? If so, God is just trying to deprive you! (See Genesis 3:1-5)”. Adam and Eve listened to the serpent, and brought death into the world. Snakelike preachers slither into pulpits and preach a gospel that never was in order to appease the world. The point of the Gospel is not to appease the world, but to appease the wrath of God. We are all sinners in need of Jesus.

Beloved, there are not many ways to salvation. This is a lie which comes from satan. Jesus was very clear when He said:

John 14:6 … I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

You will find no place in Scripture where Christ ever preached another as a means of salvation. Jesus Christ alone is the only way unto God.

Jesus told this to a Chief Pharisee named Nicodemus:

John 3:15, 18 … That whosoever believeth in {Jesus} should not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Jesus Christ is the sole Messiah. He is the Only Way that a person may find peace with God. Jesus is the Door of the Sheep:

John 10:7, 9 … Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. … 9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

There is no salvation, no rightness with God the Father and King of Heaven, unless you have received the Prince of Heaven, Jesus Christ our Lord. He came to give life, and promises eternal life to all who will receive Him.

  • There is the “I’ll Come To Jesus Another Day” obstacle. Despite the fact that the Scripture says “behold, NOW is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2” people harden their hearts and put off what they should do this very day. If nothing else, the CORONAVIRUS should have taught us that we are NOT GUARANTEED TOMORROW. “NOW is come salvation (Revelation 12:10)”.

Someone asked Jesus once:

Luke 13:23 … Lord, are there few that be saved?

Jesus told that person:

Luke 13:24-29 … Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: 26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. 28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. 29 And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.

Humans love to procrastinate. We put things off until tomorrow. But Beloved, if you are not right with God, following Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, then COME TODAY. Do not wait.

  • There is the “Self Righteous” pothole. Throughout Jesus’ ministry on this earth, His greatest enemies were the Pharisees. The Pharisees were good at keeping the Law of Moses. In fact, they added to the Law of Moses to make it even tougher. They were so focused on their works, and so certain that their works made them righteous with God, that they ended up being the major players in the crucifixion of Christ. Self righteousness is so dangerous because it blinds a person to their own need of salvation. What does the Scripture say?

Romans 3:10-12 10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

The Bible is not saying that there are no moral or “good” people. It is saying that when we are measured for righteousness according to God’s standard – which is Himself – we all fall short. It is commendable that a person be law abiding. I would rather be around law abiding, morally responsible people, much more than be around the lawless and inconsiderate. Yet no work that you do can bring you to the narrow way unto salvation. Jesus told the Pharisees:

Matthew 23:25-28 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

The Pharisees were just like each and every one of us are. God can see our hearts. He knows what is on the inside. The Pharisees were not following the Law out of love for God. They were following the Law to look good to one another, and to those around them. They loved the acclamation of the fellow man. They loved being seen as spiritual “Supermen”. Yet the inside was still rotten.

They needed Jesus. You and I need Jesus. Our works are not enough to earn us Heaven. Good works become an obstacle that keeps a person from entering that narrow way unto life and blessed peace.

The Narrow Way Brings An Inner Change

Matthew 7:18-20 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

When a person repents – changes their mind – and comes to Jesus Christ surrendered, something happens to that person. Before salvation we are all “corrupt trees”. What did Jesus say about the “corrupt tree”? He said:

a corrupt tree CANNOT bring forth good fruit

IEvery person is born into this life a “corrupt tree”. We cannot of ourselves do good in such a way that it pleases God. Why? Because sin taints us. It’s like going to a fine, top dollar restaurant, and ordering a $50 steak. When it comes out it’s cooked perfect. It’s seasoned wonderfully. There are beautiful, perfectly cooked mushrooms on the side, and a wonderfully loaded baked potato. Then you notice something. The chef didn’t put your meal on a nice, clean plate. He took the lid off of the garbage can and put all that beautiful food on that filthy lid.

That’s how our good works look like to God if we are without Christ. Everything we touch or do is tainted with the garbage of sin. But when when we come to Christ believing, receiving Him as both Lord and Savior, what happens? We are told in Scripture:

Titus 3:5-7 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior; 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

When you come to Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior, God Himself changes the heart of the tree. What was a corrupt tree is now a good tree. And what did Jesus say about the good tree? The good tree cannot bring forth corrupt fruit. Once you are saved by faith in Christ, God changes you. You cease being a child of Adam and become a child of God. And as a child of God your behavior changes. You do as Jesus says. Jesus said:

Matthew 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

You do not just do good to those who did good to you. You treat all people – even your enemies – in the same way you want to be treated. You obey God’s Law not to be saved, but because you are saved. Oh Beloved, are you saved? If not, this very day is the day to make your life right with God. Receive the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. Receive Him without delay. Do not follow the crowd, but the Christ.

May God the Holy Spirit touch your hearts and minds through this message. For the glory of God. Amen and Amen!

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Faith Is (Names of God Series)

Posted on March 19, 2020 by bibleteacherorg

Faith_Is_CVR

Hebrews 11:1-3, 6 Now faith is the substance1 of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders2 obtained a good report. 3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. … 6 But without faith it is impossible to please {God}: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

What is that which we call “Faith”? A lot of people define “faith” a lot of different ways. But how does GOD define “faith”? After all, this is what matters most. Let’s break down our focal text:

The word translated “substance” is the Greek ὑπόστασις hypóstasis, (pronounced hoop-os’-tas-is) which means “the firm foundation, the confidence, a substantial quality of a thing”. I hear people speak of “blind faith”, but “blind faith” is not the faith of the Christian. Our faith has substance.

Faith Is That Which Connects Us To The Real God

Even when things do not go our way, our faith is in the Faithful God Who loves us and has promised to personally stay with us, as in:

Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for {God} hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

The Prophet Job, though he lost his riches, his family (all except his bitter wife), his business and his body, nevertheless said:

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

faith is the substance1 of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen

Faith focuses not on the things that are visible, but on the reality of the invisible God Who saved us. He is not a figment of our imagination, a pretend “Friend”, or a fairytale. Faith is that which every Christian has experienced. I use myself for an example.

As I look back over my life I can honestly say, though I have never actually seen the God of Scripture with my eyes, I have experienced His very real presence. He was with me on the day of my salvation. The Pastor, whom I only remember as “Brother Edwards”, issued a call to salvation. As he did, I felt the touch of God on my body three distinct and different times. When I went forward to pray the Church moved and, in love, went forward and prayed with me. When I rose from that altar that day I can truly say that I died, but God gave me new life. My old life was gone, a bitter memory. My new life in Christ began. I can see numerous times in my life where God has answered my prayers. These were not coincidences, or fate, but distinct actions of a Creator God.

Faith is more than just a feeling. Yes, faith brings good feelings, but faith is much more than that. Faith does business with the true Biblical God! God is! God is!

Hebrews 11:2 For by {faith} the elders2 obtained a good report3.

The word translated “elders” is the Greek πρεσβύτερος presbýteros, (pronounced pres-boo’-ter-os), which is a reference to the Old Testament Saints. The Old Testament Saints “by faith” “Obtained a good report”. The last four words of the above text is the Greek μαρτυρέω martyréō, (pronounced mar-too-reh’-o), from which we get our word “martyred”. A “martyr” is a person who dies contending for what they believe is true. Many Christians were martyred since Christ came, rose from the grave, and ascended into Heaven. The Child of God has always been a target for martyrdom.

The world despises the light that is Christ. The darkness has always hated believers in God. Jesus told the Pharisees and even His own step-brothers …

John 7:6-7 Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready. 7 The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

The unsaved world hates Jesus. Why? Because He is the Light and sin is the darkness. The world wants to retain its sin, to wallow in its sin. Jesus tells His Church:

John 15:18-21 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.

The world despises the Blood bought sinner turned follower of Christ. The world does not understand those who live to please God. The elders – the Old Testament Saint, experienced rejection, persecution, and even martyrdom. Yet though the saints of God have always been sought out for destruction, those who love Jesus continue to follow Him regardless as to what others may do. Our context gives us some examples of those who were saved by faith.

To illustrate this thing we call “faith”, the Bible starts off with two presbuteros or elders who were subjected to martyréō – they died for and in their faith.

Abel Died FOR His Faith In God

Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

Abel stands as the first martyr for faith in the Bible. “Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice”. What is interesting about Abel is that there is not one word in Scripture recorded from Abel. His actions proved his faith. Abel was saved by faith in God, trusting and loving the Lord. Abel loved the Lord enough to DO what the Lord told him to do. Let’s go back and review this in the Old Testament.

When Adam and Eve fell from perfection in the Garden of Eden, before God sent them out of the Garden the Bible says:

Genesis 3:21-23 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God (YaHWeh ‘Elohiym) make coats of skins, and clothed them. 22 And the Lord God (YaHWeh ‘Elohiym4) said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: 23 Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

Though Adam and Eve disobeyed God – Yahweh (the Eternal I AM) Elohiym (the name of the Godhead) “made coats of skins, and clothed them”. This was an act of Grace. Adam and Eve deserved death for what they did. God could have wiped them out at this very moment. But instead YaHWeH Elohiym sacrificed an animal, and took it’s skin to be a covering for our fallen foreparents.

This is a picture of the Cross of Christ. Jesus Christ, God’s Only Begotten Son, came from Heaven to die for our sins. He was, is, and will always be “The Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29, 36). He had to die to cover our sins. The animal that God used to cover Adam and Eve’s sin had to die to do so. With that action in the Garden of Eden God established that without blood there is no remission or corrective action over sin. Adam taught this truth to his children. How do I know? Because this is what led to Abel’s murder. The Bible tells us that:

Genesis 4:3-5 3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord (YaHWeH). 4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord (YaHWeH) had respect unto Abel and to his offering: 5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

Cain was the elder brother to Abel. I am sure that Adam taught Cain to bring animal sacrifices to Yahweh, the Great “I Am”.

Cain, like so many today who profess to be Christian, decided he would do it “my way”.

Cain brought fruit of the ground to the eternal God. I am sure that this was very good fruit. Yet God rejected this. Why? Again, because of Christ. God wanted to show the Old Testament believers that “apart from shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin”. Jesus Christ must one day come. The world must understand that we ourselves cannot make ourselves righteous before God. Sin must have death. Sin must have the shed blood of the Redeemer.

Cain brought the wrong offering. Abel brought “of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof”. He sacrificed a lamb without spot or blemish. Yahweh loved this offering, but did not receive Cain’s offering.

This enraged Cain. God told Cain:

Genesis 4:6-7 … the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

God – the Eternal I AM – did not turn His back on Cain. He loved Cain enough to tell him the truth. “If you do well, Cain, I’ll accept your offering. Go and get me a animal without spot or blemish. Quit trying to do it your way. I’m God, you’re not!”

Oh how I love that our God is the God of second chances, and third chances, and fourth chances, and … you get the point. Our God did not slam Cain. He just told Cain “do what you have been taught. It dishonors Me when you do not listen. Get your eyes off of your pride, and do what I say. If you don’t, your sin will snowball into something far worse.”

Cain left God’s Presence to kill his brother Abel. When the Great I AM asked Cain “Where is your brother Abel”, Cain deflected God by saying “Am I my brother’s keeper?” God told Cain:

Genesis 4:10-11 {YaHWeH}said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground. 11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;

Though Abel never had a recorded word in Scripture, God said “his blood is crying out to Me”. Abel believed in God. He had faith in God, and focus on the Eternal I AM though it put him at odds with his older brother. Abel died for his faith. He was martyred for his faith.

Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which HE OBTAINED WITNESS (μαρτυρέω martyreō) that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

Abel was the first martyr in human history. He lived for God despite what his brother said.

The proof of a persons salvation is the witness of their works. If a person says “I love God” but then refuses to do what God has decreed, that person has no witness of salvation. The Apostle speaks of people like this who infiltrate the Church,

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

Beloved, your works do not save you, but once you are saved you will work for God.
You will outwardly show the love
you have for Him inwardly.

Abel’s witness was that he was willing to have his blood shed in order to do what the Lord Who loved him told him to do. The Bible says of Abel’s work:

Hebrews 11:4 … by {his martyrdom} he being dead yet speaketh.

Abel’s shed blood stands as an eternal Witness as to what genuine faith is. Genuine faith is willing to die for God. Fake faith is willing to look good, to dress up, to do many things. But only the saved are willing to be martyred for their faith. Our Lord Jesus called Abel,

“Righteous Abel”

Why? Because his actions proved how much he loved and trusted God.

Enoch Died To The World But Lived To God

Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

Unlike Abel, Enoch had a family. The Bible says:

Genesis 5:18, 21-22 And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch: … 21 And Enoch5 lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: 22 And Enoch walked with God (אֱלֹהִים

‘elohiym) after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:

Jared had a child he named “Enoch”, which is the Hebrew חֲנוֹךְ Chănôwk, (pronounced khan-oke’), which means “dedicated”. Enoch was a dedicated person. The first 65 years of his life Enoch had children, both sons and daughters. But at the age of 65 the Bible says that he began walking with God. I don’t know if this means he was saved at the age of 65, or that he just finally grew to the point in his Christian walk to where God became the most important Person in his life.

Enoch walked with God (אֱלֹהִים ‘elohiym)
after he begat Methuselah three hundred years

Methuselah was Enoch’s oldest child, and the last child he had before he dedicated his life to the Lord. Both Enoch as well as his father Jared were in the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 3:37). What led Enoch to walk away from his family and focus entirely on God (Elohiym)?

One way that Enoch differs from Abel is that Enoch did have a prophecy recorded in Scripture. It is not recorded in Genesis, but toward the end of our Bibles in the Book of Jude. We read:

Jude 14-15 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 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.

Enoch foresaw the Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, and His future judgment on the earth. Communing with Elohiym (the Triune God) Enoch dedicated his life to following the Lord Who loved him. Enoch walked with God. Someone told me of a little girl who, on hearing this Bible truth, went and told her friends:

“Enoch walked with God for a long time. He walked and walked until he was so far from home the Lord told him, ‘Why don’t you just come on home with Me?’ And Enoch did.”

Enoch walked a long time with God, focused on pleasing the Lord. We are told:

Genesis 5:23-24 23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: 24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

God took Enoch off of this earth to be with Him. Our focal text says:

Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

Enoch lived his life to please God. We know little about Enoch other than these few scriptures. His whole life is summed up in “Enoch pleased God”. He did not live for himself, nor for the pleasure of those around him, but for Elohiym, the Eternal God. Our final verse tells us:

Hebrews 11:5-6 (Enoch) pleased God 6 But without faith it is impossible to please {God}: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

If you and I are going to please God like Enoch pleased God, then our faith needs to have two overriding characteristics.

We must believe that God IS.

Our God is YaHWeH, the Eternal “I Am”. He is always in the present tense. God is always with us. Always. But the second characteristic our faith must have is that:

God rewards those who “diligently seek” Him.

Enoch diligently sought after Elohiym, the Triune God, for three hundred years. He foresaw the Coming of our Lord Jesus. He was saved by grace, as we are all saved by grace. Enoch loved God more than he loved himself, or even his family. And God loved him back. Our God is like that.

May God touch your hearts with His Word and His Spirit. In Christ’s name I pray. Amen!

Posted in General, Names Of God Series, Sermons Preached | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Against Human Judgments

Posted on March 16, 2020 by bibleteacherorg

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Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

The “Red Letters” we are going to examine today are some of the most abused Scriptures in the Bible. You’ll understand why when you read it with me. Let’s read:

Matthew 7:1-6 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye. 6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

I have heard believer and unbeliever alike use these verses when they are engaging in and
trying to justify sin.

This Scripture Does Not Mean That We Are
To Justify What God Says Is Sin

Those involved in sexual sin, be it …

  • “fornication” (sexual intimacy outside of Biblical marriage),
  • “adultery” (sexual intimacy that violates the union of a Biblical marriage),
  • or “homosexuality” (sexual union outside God’s design of marriage)

will draw these verses out and say “Jesus said you ought not to judge”. My response when challenged this way is to say,

“This is not MY judgment, but God’s judgment. God forbids fornication, adultery, homosexuality, and any other type of sexual sin. When I tell you that these activities are sinful I am sharing with you the Word of God. God can save anyone from their sin, just as He saved and keeps on saving me from my sins. As a Christ follower I cannot say that sexual sin is normal, because the Bible considers sexual sin abnormal.”

This is certainly a hot button topic in our world today. There are some who say that “God forbade certain sexual practices under the Law, but if you are a Christian you are “not under the Law but under Grace”. That’s true. The Christian is not bound under the Mosaic Laws. We do not sacrifice animals for sin, nor keep the feasts. We do not have a “Day of Atonement”. The Bible says:

Galatians 3:22-26 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

Yet the Bible must be read in context. The same Apostle who wrote Galatians under the guidance of God the Holy Spirit is also the same Apostle who wrote:

Romans 6:1-2, 14-18 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid! … For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

The Christ follower is freed from sin – what God has said is sin – to serve righteousness. The same Apostle who wrote that inspired Romans text also wrote against sexual sin in:

Romans 1:24-27 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.

The Apostle – under God’s direction – condemned sexual sin as “vile affections” and “dishonoring their own bodies” and “against nature”. God did not design us for sexual sin. The same Apostle wrote in the same Bible:

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (ESV) Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

Again, this is not my judgment but God’s judgment. It is clear in the reading of the New Testament scriptures that the moral codes found in the Law are not rescinded. Jesus Himself spoke against sexual sin, and recognized marriage as a union between one man and one woman (we studied this a few weeks ago in Matthew 19:4-9).

When Jesus came, He did not come to destroy or eradicate the Law, but to fulfill it. He said …

Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.

Jesus did not come to erase or redefine that which God called sinful. Jesus came to be the Perfect High Priest to His people. Jesus came to be the “Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29, 36). Jesus did not come to stand against God and His Law, but to show us how to practically live for righteousness sake, as lights in the midst of this current darkness.

In our context Jesus commands that we DO make a judgement. He said:

Matthew 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

In this command we have to discern what is “holy” and who are “dogs” and “swine”. In Jesus’ day these phrases were applied to unbelievers who have heard and rejected the Word of Truth. Dr. Thomas Constable in his commentary states:

“The pigs and dogs probably do not represent all Gentiles, but people of any race who react to the good news by rejecting and turning against those who bring it to them … {the Bible says}

Matthew 10:14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.

One example of this type of person is Herod Antipas, who heard John the Baptist gladly (Mark 6:20), but then beheaded him (see Matthew 14:1-12; Mark 6:14-28; Luke 9:7-9). Later when Christ stood before Herod, He said nothing to him (Luke 23:8-9). Such enemies should be left alone (see 2 Corinthians 6:14-18). However, Jesus answered Pilate when Pilate questioned him. This verse urges wisdom in dealing with people; we need to know how to deal with each individual in each situation.”

We make judgments every day. God expects us, however, to make our judgments according to the Holy Scripture, that Scripture that Jesus both quoted and fulfilled.

Just as a butcher weighs meat on a scale, we measure our judgment based on what the Scripture clearly states. As a sinner I have no right nor ability to judge another. Like a butcher, I take the overt actions of people – myself included – and weigh it by the Bible. Our guide is ALWAYS “What says the Scripture”?

What is the size of the cover on your hymnal? I need to know exactly what it is. What do you think? What is your opinion? Now let me measure this with my tape measure. I am not making a judgment. I am putting the standard of the tape measure against the height and width of this cover. The hymn book is EXACTLY ______. How do I know? I pitted it against the standard. Now consider the Bible to be like the tape measure, and a person’s activity to be the hymnal cover. How does that person’s activity measure up? Does it meet God’s criteria? Does MY life meet God’s standard? If not, I am to “pull the beam” out of my eye first.

The First Sin Was A Human Judging
Instead Of A Human Obeying God

Sin entered this world because of bad judgment. When God put Adam in the Garden of Eden, God ordered Adam to dress and keep the Garden. God then ordered Adam …

Genesis 2:16-17 … Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Now I want you to notice what the name of the fruit of the forbidden tree was. The TREE of the KNOWLEDGE of GOOD AND EVIL. Adam could eat anything in the Garden. He could eat of the Tree of Life. But not the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil. Why? Well, because God said so. But there’s another reason:

Though Adam was made in the image of God, Adam is not God. Neither are YOU and I!

We have God’s creativity. We have God’s community. We have the higher senses that God imparted to us. But we are not God. It is not up to US to determine what is good or bad, righteous or evil. God establishes the criteria for good and evil.

Let me illustrate. God made one Adam and one Eve, and …

Genesis 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over …

All people came from one Adam and one Eve. In order for this to happen, Adam and Eve’s children had to marry. God did not – in the beginning – forbid marriage within the family, for there was only ONE family. Yet later on in the Law God forbade such practices (Leviticus 18:17, 24, 27-30). In the Garden of Eden “Eve was the mother of all living” (Genesis 3:20). God is the judge of right and wrong – not us.

When we ourselves try to determine right and wrong apart from God and His Word we inevitably mess up. The Bible teaches us that:

Psalms 7:11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.

Psalm 9:8 And {God} shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.

Psalm 50:6 … the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.

Isaiah 33:22 … For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us.

God alone is fit to judge, for God does not judge from the outside. I am amazed at how – many times in my lifetime alone – when serial killers are found out, those that were closest to them are shocked! “But he was such a nice man! She was such a sweet girl”. We judge – when we judge – from the outside. We see the masks that others put on. We see what others let us see. But God is different. The Scripture says:

1 Samuel 16:7 … the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

Our God is able to look into the very soul of every person. When we see someone praying prettily, God sees the heart, and if that prayer is really just a mask for pride. When we see someone dressed up and smiling, ready to worship on Sunday, God sees the heart of that person, and knows whether their worship is genuine or fake. God “gives to every man according to his ways, whose heart He knows” (1 Kings 8:39). Our God “searches all hearts, and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts” (1 Chronicles 28:9). Doesn’t the Scripture tell us that:

2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. …

God knows. God knows. When God sent His Son to this earth our Jesus said:

… the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son (John 5:22)

It is not my job nor your job to judge anyone. We are to be mirrors of God’s Word, spokesmen for our Lord Jesus Christ. We are to affirm that what God has said is sin is actually sin. Our God sets the standard. Not us.

The Danger In Human Judgment Is That It
Makes Us Feel Superior To Others

Matthew 7:1-3 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

The fallacy of judging is that it makes the one judging feel superior to the one being judged. The Bible is quite clear:

Romans 3:23-27 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

We all have sinned, do sin, and I’m pretty certain will sin in the future. Now I am not condoning sin. Sin is awful, and sin must be repented of. We are to judge ourselves daily for sin, lest sin bring premature death to us.

The danger of judging others is that – while I judge you – I ignore my own sin. Humans are so blind
to our own sins.

Judging becomes a trap that allows us to comfortably wallow in our sin while EXAGGERATING the SIN OF ANOTHER. When we judge, our sin is always a minor mistake, whereas their sin is a major damnation! Jesus warned:

with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again …

When you begin to judge others, then God will apply the same judgment to you. Ken Ham of Answers In Genesis states:

“When a Christian lovingly and graciously presents the gospel to unbelievers, a judgment is made regarding their standing with God. The Bible clearly declares that all men are sinners, have fallen short of the glory of God, and are in need of redemption from their sins (Romans 3:23). This judgment is not made from the opinion of the Christian who is presenting the gospel but rather by what the Bible clearly declares. … The point Jesus emphasizes here is to judge yourself first before you make judgments about others. …

As Christians, we should be living godly lives so that we can first concentrate on our own repentance of sin. Sanctification is a lifelong process of being transformed every day into the image of Christ. Without this, we have no place in helping another brother or sister. What Christ teaches His believers in Matthew 7 is that if we ourselves are not personally repenting of our sins, we are in no place to tell others how sinful they are acting. But the Bible does tell us to preach the gospel—and part of the gospel message is that people are sinners in need of salvation.”

I could not say that any better. As Christians we are not to follow our own opinion or judgment, but the judgment of God. We are to share the Gospel of salvation with others, understanding that it is Christ Who saves the sinner, not the sinner nor I. There are no BIG SINS and little sins. Sin is Sin.

Ezekiel 18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

God judges sin. Make sure that YOUR life is right, and your sins confessed and under the Blood of Christ, BEFORE you examine others. Even when you examine others do not measure their lives according to your opinion nor your feelings. Measure all things according to the Scripture.

But we do not ignore sin. Here’s an example from Scripture. In the Church at Corinth a problem cropped up. The Apostle addressed it:

1 Corinthians 5:1-7 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife. 2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. 3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

The Apostle addressed sexual sin in Corinth. He expected the Church to deal with the young man in sin. Not to look the other way. Not to justify or normalize his sin. To condemn the activity, for it did not measure up to the Scripture. And that is very dangerous. The Apostle illustrated with “leaven” or “yeast”. If sin – overt sin – is tolerated in the Church contrary to the will of God, then that “leaven” will spread, and infect the entire congregation. This is what has happened in many Churches in America today. We have tolerated yeast in our midst, and the infection has grown. What must we do?

We preach the Gospel. We preach Jesus Christ as the solution for sin. We preach repentance from forbidden activity, and that people turn and follow Christ as both Lord and Savior. We love those around us enough to speak truth to them. We are always to be:

… speaking the truth IN LOVE (Ephesians 4:15)

Let’s end with our Lord’s words:

Matthew 7:3-5 … why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

How is YOUR standing with God? Are you right with Him? Have you received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior? Are you following Him and not the crowd? Do not let your judgment of others rob you of Heaven’s glory. The Scripture says:

John 3:16-19 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. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

You will stand before Jesus one day. Will you stand before the Judge of the earth, or before the Savior of your soul? May God touch your hearts with His Spirit and His Word. Amen!

Posted in Sermon Series "Red Letters", Sermons Preached | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Priority Of Prayer

Posted on March 16, 2020 by bibleteacherorg

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Matthew 7:7-12 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? 12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

In Matthew chapter 6 the Lord gave us as His disciples a model of prayer. He said:

Matthew 6:9-13 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Jesus said “after THIS MANNER”. Our prayers should all mimic the pattern that Jesus gave us for prayer. We studied this model a few weeks ago, and learned the prayer is

to the Father (for His glory)
in the Name of the Son
in the power of God the Holy Spirit

Jesus gave us a PATTERN of prayer. Then He takes an intermission while He discusses how we are to avoid human judgments. We saw this last Sunday night.

I find it ironic that Jesus teaches against using human judgments … then we immediately begin to use human judgment in interpreting tonight’s Bible verses.

I have heard this text preached – and have preached it myself – as a simple message on each one of us getting what we want. I have heard it said:

“God loves you! (and this is true, for He does love you). He wants you to ask Him for things. So “ask”, and “seek” and if the door seems closed, “knock”. Why? Because Jesus has promised that:

Matthew 7:7-8 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

I have heard this verse abused by prosperity preachers. I myself have abused this verse. Why? Because I missed one little important word in this text. You probably missed it too.

“It”

Do you see “it”?

What Is Your “It”?

We take that word “it” and put something that we want in it’s spot. I want this. I want that. I think we do a disservice to the text when we make it about meeting our needs.

We need to look at our context!

There’s another small word we need to look at. It is the word “seek”. Jesus said “SEEK”, and you shall find {it}. The word translated “SEEK” is the Greek ζητέω zētéō, (pronounced dzay-teh’-o) which means “to crave or desire a thing so much that you must have it, to be absorbed with desire for it so that you strive for it”. The same word was used of that old politician King Herod, who would kill all the babies in Bethlehem to destroy the Messiah. The Angel of the Lord told Joseph:

Matthew 2:13 … Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek {zētéō, (pronounced dzay-teh’-o)} the young child to destroy him.

Herod’s desire consumed him so much that he cared nothing for decency. He had to destroy Jesus! Later on in Christ’s ministry the chief priests, elders, and the Jewish Council {Sanhedrin} were so incensed by Jesus that the Bible says:

Matthew 26:59 … they sought {zētéō, (pronounced dzay-teh’-o)} false witness against Jesus, to put him to death

When Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to finish the preparation of Jesus’ body for burial they found the Tomb empty. The Angel of the Lord appeared and told the ladies:

Matthew 28:5-6 … Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek {zētéō, (pronounced dzay-teh’-o)} Jesus, which was crucified. 6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said….

Zētéō is not a casual looking for something. It is a compulsion, a desire that must be filled.

What does Jesus want us to “zētéō”? You find the same word in the previous chapter, where our Lord said:

Matthew 6:31-33 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek (zētéō) ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Our “seeking” should be driven toward the Kingdom of God. If you “seek {zētéō} first the Kingdom of God AND His righteousness THEN all these other things (what you need to eat, drink, and wear) will be added to you.

seek {zētéō, (pronounced dzay-teh’-o)} ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you.

Jesus said the Gentiles or the lost unbelievers URGENTLY SEEK {ἐπιζητέω epizētéō, (pronounced ep-eed-zay-teh’-o)} or are consumed with their need to get “stuff”. God’s people are to be different. Our first and foremost concern must be the Kingdom of God AND His righteousness.

Believers, we are to magnify God. We are to be a people who make our God’s throne a reality in our lives, and in the lives of others. We need to be imitators of God. If we love God, then God promises …

“All these things shall be added unto you”

Our God is to be first in our lives. As a Church, the glory of our God and His Gospel are to be our priority.

It Is Our Duty To Bring Glory To God

God will always seek His glory. When our Lord Jesus later prepared for the Cross, He prayed:

John 12:27-30 Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. 28 Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.

If Jesus were like us He would have prayed that He never had to go to the Cross. He would have been fixated on that. Yet Jesus is not like us. Jesus prayed that – regardless as to what occurred – that God would be glorified. The Father said – in essence – “This is a prayer I will always answer. I WILL glorify My Name!”

God will glorify His name. God will prevail. When we as believers put first things first, God will bless us and protect us as His Kingdom grows. God loves to answer the prayers that expand His Kingdom and righteousness. Didn’t Jesus teach us to pray:

Our Father, Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy name.
THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE,
ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN!

Our prayers should not be first about ourselves, but about glory to God. Our prayers should ASK that His Kingdom come. We should SEEK God’s Kingdom in our lives and in the lives of others. When the door seems closed, we should KNOCK. God honors these prayers. God must be glorified!

One the wisest men who ever lived was Solomon. Solomon said at the end of his book of Ecclesiastes:

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

God calls His people to fear – that is, respect Him and keep His commandments. This is an Old Testament way of saying “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness”. Live in such a way that you honor God. When you live to honor God, God gives you a blessed life.

How did Solomon get to be the wisest and richest man who ever lived? He put the Kingdom of God FIRST, and sought to honor God in all that he did. Read with me:

2 Chronicles 1:1 … Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly.

Now why did God magnify Solomon exceedingly?

Because Solomon lived for the God Who saved him. Solomon did not just stockpile riches. He used his riches to glorify God. The Bible says:

2 Chronicles 1:6 And Solomon went up thither to the brazen altar before the LORD, which was at the tabernacle of the congregation, and offered a thousand burnt offerings upon it.

This is a lot of wealth that Solomon disposed of. A burnt offering couldn’t be eaten. It was totally destroyed. And a THOUSAND burnt offerings would take a great deal of time to offer. Solomon invested both his riches and his time in honoring the Lord Who saved him.

When your heart is on God and His righteousness, God’s heart is on YOU! We read further …

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

God gave Solomon an open door. “Ask whatever you will, Solomon”. Solomon could have asked for food, drink, and stuff. He could have asked for all the gold in the world, and I’m sure God would have given it to him. But here’s the thing: God looks at our hearts. He saw Solomon’s heart before He offered to give Solomon anything he wanted. In response Solomon prayed the perfect prayer:

2 Chronicles 1:8-10 … And Solomon said unto God, Thou hast shewed great mercy unto David my father, and hast made me to reign in his stead. 9 Now, O LORD God, let thy promise unto David my father be established: for thou hast made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude. 10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great?

Solomon’s prayer was not to fill his vaults with gold. His prayer was not that his kingdom be extended. Solomon honored God by thanking Him for what he had been given. Solomon didn’t ask for stuff. Solomon didn’t ask for power. Solomon didn’t ask for glory. Solomon asked for wisdom and knowledge so that he could effectively take care of the stewardship that God had given him. Solomon’s aim was to glorify the God Who saved him.

How did God answer Solomon’s prayer? Read it:

2 Chronicles 1:11-12 And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honor, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king: 12 Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honor, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.

God said “You ASKED for that which honored Me, you SOUGHT My glory and Kingdom, you KNOCKED at the door not for yourself but for Me. Because you have done so, I will give you wisdom and knowledge – and along with this riches, wealth, and honor!” Beloved, when we seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness like Solomon did, then we need not worry about the other things. They all come as a package!

The Priority Of Prayer Is Not “Stuff” But God

I have a number of people ask me about the nation’s current crisis, the Coronavirus. People are in a panic over this – what the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization are calling a pandemic. The Governor of Kentucky called for churches in his state to cancel services this weekend. As I was checking out at the Dollar Store yesterday the lady in front of me refused to touch the card reader. She told the cashier – and everyone in the line – what her four digit pin number was, which is, I think, foolish. The cashier touched her purchases with her hands as she put them in a shopping bag.

Is no one thinking?

I am told that people are buying up all the toilet paper they can get. Why people are stockpiling toilet paper is beyond me. Disneyland has shut down. Schools are shutting down. Everyone is in a panic.

Christian, you should not be in a panic. What does Jesus require that we do? PRAY. I visited my Doctor this past Friday, and at the end of my appointment (a six month checkup) I asked my doctor if I could pray with him. He said yes, and I did. Before I left his office we embraced as brothers. God will take care of us!

Christian, are you PRAYING or are you PANICKING with the darkness. Let us pray. Let us seek God’s Kingdom. Remember His promise:

Matthew 7:7-8 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

The priority of prayer is God. We look up to God. We trust God. God looks after His children. God is greater than the Coronavirus. God is greater than anything. The Psalmist said:

Psalm 33:6-11 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. 7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. 9 For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. 10 The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to naught: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. 11 The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

It is never God’s intention to hurt His children. As this pandemic sweeps the nation the false security and bravado of the rejectors of Christ is being shredded. In the midst of this even the Church is being purged. God brings to nothing the counsel of the unbeliever. The Prophet said of God:

Job 42:2 I know that Thou {O Lord} canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.

God’s purposes and His Kingdom will come. Beloved, we live in a fallen world. When Adam sinned he brought everything under the weight of sin. There is coming a day when creation shall be delivered. It is a time – the Millennial Reign of Christ – when the Bible says that:

Isaiah 11:6-9 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

When Christ’s Kingdom encompasses the earth “the creatures shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:20-23). That shall be a glorious time. Why? Because the earth shall be FULL of the knowledge of the LORD. Christ will reign. God’s Kingdom will be a priority. That is not the case now. Many local Churches have compromised with the darkness. Many local Church follow the panic of the people rather than give glory and dominion to God our Savior.

When light becomes darkness, the darkness increases, and confusion reigns. Let us who are of the Day – born of the Spirit – adopted into the Family of God – be the Light that God has called us to be. ASK for His Kingdom. SEEK, desire his Kingdom. KNOCK on every door until His Kingdom comes.

Have you, dear friends, considered that this Coronavirus panic is a perfect opportunity for us who are of the Day to bring others into the Kingdom of God? Let us remember that our God is always good. Jesus said:

Matthew 7:9-11 … what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

God wishes to give us the best life NOW. He will do so when we trust Him and are faithful to live in Him. And we are to continue to remember that we must live under the family code of love. Jesus said:

Matthew 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

Let us not be like the lost, grabbing, hoarding, acting foolishly. Let us live as Christ calls us to live. Let us glorify our God, and be the Light of Christ to all around us. John Piper of Bethlehem Baptist writes:

“{In} Luke 13:1–5 … Pilate had slaughtered worshipers in the temple. And the tower in Siloam had collapsed and killed eighteen bystanders. And the crowds want to know from Jesus, just like I’ve been asked, “Okay, make sense of this, Jesus. Tell us what you think about these natural disasters and this cruelty. These people were just standing there, and now they’re dead.”

Here’s Jesus’s answer in Luke 13:4–5: “Those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent [he shifts from them to you], you will all likewise perish.”

Now, that’s the message of Jesus to the world at this moment in history, under the coronavirus — a message to every single human being. … every person who hears about this, is receiving a thunderclap message of God, saying, “Repent.” … Repent and seek God’s mercy to bring your lives — our lives — into alignment with his infinite worth.”

Let us as Christ’s Church not fail the test before us. Our nation depends on the Light of every follower of Christ! May God touch your hearts with His Word and His Spirit. Amen, and Amen!

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