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Praying Like Jesus #4

Posted on March 2, 2019 by bibleteacherorg

John 17:1-3 (KJV) These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: [2] As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. [3] And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

This section of Scripture is often called by the commentaries The High Priestly Prayer of Christ. Jesus Christ is indeed the High Priest of His Church. Yet I do not believe that calling this prayer a High Priestly Prayer of Christ is exactly accurate.

Jesus Did Not Become Our High Priest Until After He Offered Himself Up For Our Sins.

When you look at the Scripture of:

Romans 8:34 (KJV) Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also MAKETH INTERCESSION FOR US.

Hebrews 7:25-27 (KJV) Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. [26] For SUCH AN HIGH PRIEST became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; [27] Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

1 John 2:1 (KJV) 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:

At this point in His ministry Christ is still the Lamb of God (John 1:29, 36; Romans 8:3; 1 Peter 1:18-21). His sacrifice was coming, but was not yet done. He has walked on the earth for over three years, being examined by all to see if there was any sin in Him. There wasn’t. Even Pilate, on condemning Christ to death, said:

John 19:4, 6 …. “I find no fault in him …”

None could find fault in Jesus. He is the Lamb of God without spot or blemish. He will offer up Himself for our sins, and following His resurrection Christ will be our High Priest.

As I look at John 17 I prefer to call it either “The Shepherd’s Prayer”. Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd:

John 10:11 (KJV) I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

Jesus is soon to give His life as the Lamb of God for His Church. As He prepares for this moment, this hour for which He was born, Jesus has two things in mind.

(1) Jesus prays that He will meet His death in a God honoring way.
(2) Jesus prays for His people whom He will leave for three days.

Jesus’ Prays To The Father For Empowerment

John 17:1 (KJV) These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven …

The Oneness Pentecostals – a branch of Christianity – do not believe in the Trinity of God. They teach a form of doctrine called Modalistic Monarchianism which teaches there is but one God Who manifests Himself in three different ways – as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This doctrine was initially taught in the early Church by a man named Sabellius, who was a theologian and priest from the 3rd century. Sabellianism or Modalism is rejected by most Christians because of texts like Matthew 3:16-17:

Matthew 3:16-17 (KJV) And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: [17] And lo a VOICE FROM HEAVEN, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

At Jesus’ baptism you see three distinct Persons. Christ is being baptized, the Spirit comes to Him, and the Father speaks from Heaven. This is a Trinity.

The Trinity comes into play as the Shepherd Jesus prays. Christ looks toward Heaven, where the Father sits enthroned! Jesus taught His disciples – that’s us – to pray:

Matthew 6:9 … After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in Heaven …

John 17:1 (KJV) These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father …

Now Jesus prays looking toward Heaven, just as He has taught us to do. Though Jesus was just hours from excruciating pain and absolute humiliation His eyes and His heart was not focused on the coming crucifixion, but on His Father and the Kingdom of Heaven.

The Lamb of God was focused on the Father.
The Son of God was focused on doing what was required.
The Lamb, like Abraham’s son Isaac, was willing to die.
Abraham’s son was saved from death (Genesis 22:11).
But the Lamb of God would not be.

John 17:1 (KJV) These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee

Jesus spoke. “The hour is come”. What is He speaking of? When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane with His disciples they fell asleep rather than praying. Our Lord said:

Matthew 26:45 (KJV) … Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the HOUR is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

When Jesus spoke of the “hour” He spoke of the Cross. As He will hang on this Cross as the Lamb of God our Lord will be forsaken by both Father and Spirit. In the agony of our sins being poured out on Him He will cry out:

Matthew 27:46 (KJV) And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

quoting the prophetic Scripture of

Psalms 22:1 (KJV) … My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

The Lamb knows why He is forsaken. Our sins will be poured out on Him and judged. He Who is without sin shall be made sin for us, so that we who believe might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). The beatings Christ could endure without groaning. The nakedness Christ could endure without blushing. The nails Christ could endure without a whimper. But as our sins are placed on Him He must cry out.

As hornets burn the flesh with their sting and bite, so our sins torment the soul of the Perfect Redeemer.

We see a great truth here that we need to learn in prayer. Faced with a seemingly impossible burden Christ prays for strength to endure.

John 17:1 (KJV) … glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee

Father, let Me be strengthened in what is to come. Fill Me up with power so that I can do that which is undoable. Let Me glorify You as the Lamb of God! If Jesus prayed thus before His trials, should not we pray the more? If the Strong Man that is our Messiah looked to the Father for empowerment in the flesh, should not we who are weak look upward with confidence and pray?

Jesus Is The Source Of Life

John 17:2 (KJV) As thou hast given HIM power over all flesh, that HE should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given HIM.

What is interesting and often overlooked – I know I have not noticed it till now – is that Jesus prays in the third person at this point. He doesn’t says “as You have given ME power over all flesh” but instead prays outside of Himself, saying “as you have given HIM power over all flesh”. Jesus often did this in Scripture, and it has caused a lot of interesting statements in the various commentaries. In John 5 Jesus speaks of Himself :

(Third Person) John 5:19 (KJV) Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

(First Person) John 5:30 (KJV) I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

Personally I believe that Jesus Christ is unique. He is both God and Man. The God of Him could not fail – but I believe He prayed for strength in His humanity as He approached the Cross. I think this would explain the “third person references” that Jesus makes to Himself. Regardless as to whether you agree with me or not, Jesus prayed for strength as the Cross loomed on the horizon. The Giver of Eternal Life is facing death. Christ is the Source of all life. It is through Christ that the Godhead created humanity.

John 1:3-4 (KJV) 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.

There is no eternal life apart from Christ. There is ETERNITY – an ETERNAL DEATH. But NO LIFE without Christ. You must embrace Him and Him alone if you expect to live into eternity.

John 17:3 (KJV) And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

The reason for ETERNAL LIFE is explained in this prayer. As Jesus prayed for strength He wants us to know that God gives Eternal Life to us – not just so we can live forever – but so that we can live forever in union with God. You are given salvation and with it LIFE so that you can know the only True God and Jesus Christ. Let’s break this down textually.

Word Study The word translated KNOW is the Greek γινώσκω ginōskō which means “to perceive or understand intimately”. The reason for Heaven is not that we live forever in uselessness (as many on this earth live). Heaven is not about self existence without end. We are given eternal life so that we can forever learn of the Infinite and Eternal God of the Bible. He is the only TRUE God. All other gods are mere figments of man’s imagination. Eternal life is to KNOW God. Jesus is the Bringer of the New Covenant.

Hebrews 8:10-11 (KJV) For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: [11] And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

God gives us life so that we may know Him.

Life NOT so we can reunite with loved ones
Though we WILL!
Life NOT so we can continue animate
Though we WILL!
Life NOT so we can occupy a mansion
Though we WILL!
We are given eternal life so we can EXPERIENCE GOD to the fullest!

This was God’s plan in Eden, a plan rejected by Adam but re-established by the Second Adam, Jesus Christ our Lord. Praise Him for His unspeakable Gift! We who are saved will spend all of eternity learning of God, the true God, the Triune God. We will sit at Jesus’ feet and learn of Him forever. This is what Heaven is meant to be. Listen Beloved. If you are YAWNING through this sermon, and are BORED with what God’s Word says NOW, why would you want Heaven THEN? You wouldn’t. And you probably aren’t where you need to be spiritually.

Now Jesus Prays In The First PERSON

John 17:4-6 (KJV) I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. [5] And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. [6] I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.

The God-Man Jesus Christ now prays from His humanity, as the Great Shepherd of the Sheep. He is at the end of His earthly existence, and has “finished the work which thou gavest Me to do”. Jesus speaks of His work of representing the Godhead on the earth. From the age of twelve Jesus was focused on “doing My Father’s business” (Luke 2:49).

John 14:8-10 (KJV) Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. [9] Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? HE THAT HATH SEEN ME HATH SEEN THE FATHER; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? [10] Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

Jesus lived to do the Father’s will, so much so that to see Him was to see the Father. Would that we who are Christians live our lives as imitators of God, as dear Children (Ephesians 5:1). Jesus lived to glorify God, and His road was at an end. Barclay noted in his commentary:

“There is only one way to glorify God, and that is to obey God.”

Jesus lived as we should live, representing the Father on this earth. As His work is finished He will soon die. Beloved, we live on this earth until we have finished the work that God has given to us. Once completed – or rejected – then God brings us to Himself. Christ ran a good race. He did as the Father commanded. Now His time was closing. So Jesus prays for His little flock that He must soon leave.

John 17:5-9 (KJV) And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. [6] I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. [7] Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. [8] For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. [9] I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

All souls belong to God. The Father gave these men to the Son, and Jesus was faithful to the stewardship He was given.

John 6:37-38 (KJV) All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. [38] For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

John 15:19 (KJV) 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.

The Christian who is a Christian indeed is no longer OF this world. We belong to God. Jesus prayed for the men whom He taught, those called of God His disciples. He prayed that His disciples would remain strong as He moved toward the hour of the Cross. Jesus did not pray for the world. Jesus does not pray for the lost who reject Him as Lord and Savior. He prays for His own. He prays that they will be strengthened.

John 17:10-11 (KJV) And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. [11] And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

Jesus prayed for His disciples as the Good Shepherd. Jesus prays for His disciples today as our High Priest. He prays to the Holy Father. This phrase is only found in Bible in this Scripture. That makes the phrase unique. God is our Father in that He loves us and provides for our needs. And yet, even though our Father He is holy. He is without sin.

If the Father is holy, then we who are born
into His family are to be holy.

Leviticus 19:2 (KJV) …Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.

1 Peter 1:14-16 (KJV) As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: [15] But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; [16] Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Amy Grant sang a song a few years ago called “My Father’s Eyes”:

I may not be every mother’s dream for her little girl

And my face may not grace the mind of everyone in the world

But that’s all right as long as I can have one wish I pray

When people look inside my life, I want to hear them say

She’s got her Father’s eyes, her Father’s eyes

Eyes that find the good in things

When good is not around

Eyes that find the source of help

When help just can’t be found

Eyes full of compassion, seeing every pain

Knowin’ what you’re going through, and feeling it the same

Just like my Father’s eyes

What she was speaking of was imitating God. As Jesus imitated the Father so perfectly that to see Him was to see the Father, we who are His are to imitate our Father.

We are to be like our Creator in behavior.
We are to reject sin.
We are to be like our Creator in unity.
Jesus prayed “That they may be ONE as we are”

God is glorified in this present world when His people – His Church – is united as the Trinity is united. As God is, so shall we one day be. Let us be in One Accord in all things holy, imitating God to His glory. The Church is not to be like the world, but like the Father. Let us band together to do so as He has called us to do. May God touch your hearts with his Word!

Praying Like Jesus Series #3

Posted on February 25, 2019 by bibleteacherorg

The Prayer Closet

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“Prayer is an act of faith. Just by praying to God, you are declaring our trust in someone other than yourself. Your faith is increased as you pray and watch how God answers your prayers. God says in Jeremiah 33:3, Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know. God is awesome in power and there is never a time when He is not beside you.”

Charles Stanley

“There is no promise God cannot keep, no prayer God will not answer, and no problem too hard for Him to solve.” Adrian Rogers

Our country is terribly divided today. Civil discourse has ceased. The two leading political parties – Democrats and Republicans – will not work together with a common goal. Even the Church in America seems to have lost its purpose. Beloved, we as Christians must pray.

True Prayer Begins In The Prayer Closet.
Our Lord Calls Every Christian To Pray Daily.
We Must Pray Often.
We Must Live Lives Of Prayer.

Let us stand together and read this promise from our Heavenly Father:

2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV) 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.

How Does Christ Want His People To Pray?

E.M. Bounds “What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use – men of prayer, men mighty in prayer.”

The disciples often heard Jesus pray in public.
They saw how passionate Jesus was about prayer.

When Jesus spoke to God He did so not as other Rabbis of that time did, but spoke to God as “Father”. Though God is called “Father” in the Old Testament Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology notes that:

“Throughout the Bible we find God portrayed as a Father. This portrayal, however, is surprisingly rare in the Old Testament. There God is specifically called the Father of the nation of Israel ( Deuteronomy 32:6 ; Isaiah 63:16 ; [twice] 64:8 ; Jeremiah 3:4; 3:19 ; 31:9 ; Malachi 1:6 ; 2:10 ) or the Father of certain individuals ( 2 Samuel 7:14 ; 1 Chronicles 17:13 ; 22:10 ; 28:6 ; Psalm 68:5 ; 89:26 ) ONLY FIFTEEN TIMES.” {emphasis mine}

The Jews had an almost superstitious fear of calling God “Father”. Yet when Jesus prayed His prayers were intimate. He frequently and lovingly called God “Father”. This happened so often in earshot of His disciples that one day we read:

Luke 11:1 (KJV) And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

John the Baptist taught those who followed him how to pray. Now the disciples were committed to Jesus, and asked Him to teach them how to pray.

Jesus Taught That Effective Prayer
As Well As Giving Begins In The Heart.

Luke records the request of the disciples, but Matthew gives further background to Jesus’ teaching on prayer. Jesus taught that both giving as well as prayer – to be effective – must begin in the private life of the believer.

Prayer And Giving Are Tied Together

Matthew 6:1-4 (KJV) Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. [2] Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. [3] But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: [4] That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

When we give, we are to give out of a generous heart to our God. We are not to be like the hypocrites are. Who were the hypocrites?

The word hypocrite is the Greek HUPOCRITES, which means “an actor under an assumed character, a stage-player, someone who is playing a part”. A HUPOCRITOS is someone who is pretending to be what they are not. Jesus used HUPOCRITOS for religious pretenders like the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes). They did not give out of a love for God, but out of a love for good PR – public relations. The HUPOCRITOS loved the pat on te back, the atta-boyz, the commendations and rewards. When they gave, they gave just enough to gain the praise of man. Our God looks on the heart:

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

Jesus taught His disciples how to GIVE before He taught them how to PRAY because God will not listen to the selfish or prideful person. We are told in Job 35:12 “there they cry, but none giveth answer because of the PRIDE of evil men.” James tells us (James 4:3) “Ye ask, and receive not, BECAUSE YE ASK AMISS, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”

You Must Get Your GIVING Right
Before God Will Give You Anything!

If our giving comes from a heart that is perverse, then our praying will be perverse. We will find ourselves publicly praying like the Pharisee in the Temple who said:

Luke 18:11-12 ^(KJV) …. I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

Proud at the offering plate, proud at the altar. Get right in your giving and you will be right in your praying!

Matthew 6:5 (KJV) And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

The hardest thing for me to do is to pray publicly. Why? Because many times the flesh rises up, and I begin to listen to the background noise of the congregation as I pray rather than to the Lord. Frequent and daily private prayer helps me to focus my attention on the Father and not on that which is going on around me. When we pray to be heard of man then you have your reward. You need not expect God to answer your prayer.

Matthew 6:6 (KJV) But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

The “closet” that Jesus speaks of is a TAMIEION, which is a dedicated place used for praying. It doesn’t mean a “closet” as in a “clothes closet”, but does speak of a sacred place where you meet with your Heavenly Father. Where can your “closet” be? It can be any place where there are no cell phones and no interruptions. It could be a favorite place in the woods or by a stream, in a park, or on a prayer walk. It is a place where you can speak to your Heavenly Father in secret, where no one else will hinder. A place where you can pour your heart out to God. Your prayer closet can even be in a crowd of people if you can focus yourself Godward. Before Jesus was crucified He went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. We read:

Luke 22:39-41 (KJV) {Jesus} came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. [40] And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. [41] And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,

Prayer Is Not A Formula But A Conversation

It is surprising to me as to how many professed Christians are involved in Yoga today. The dictionary definition of Yoga is:

“a Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline, a part of which, including breath control, simple meditation, and the adoption of specific bodily postures, is widely practiced for health and relaxation”

Yoga has no roots in Christian or Judaic faith. An integral part of Yoga is the mantra, a word that is repeated and focused on. This is not what Jesus taught His disciples to do. Jesus said:

Matthew 6:7-8 ^(KJV) But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

The “heathen” or unbelievers use vain repetitions. This is the Greek BATTOLOGEO, which means “stammering speech, stuttering, prating tediously”.

The purpose of prayer is communication with God. You do not communicate with God when you say ten “Hail Marys” and fifteen “Our Fathers”. You do not communicate with God when you rattle off the “Lord’s Prayer”. You do not communicate with God as your “Father” when you repeat “Om” or some other word.

The Elements Of Effective Prayer

Matthew 6:9-13 ^(KJV) 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.

What are the elements of effective prayer?

a Prayer is made to the Father Who is in Heaven. He is to be exalted, for He is exalted!

b Before we ask anything of God, we pray that “His Name be hallowed”, that God be glorified. We pray that “Thy Kingdom come, and Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven”. God is to be praised and magnified first before we begin to seek the satisfaction of our needs.

c We ask that God “Give us this day our daily bread”. This request shows us that prayer

(1) is made in before the day has begun. It would make no sense to pray “give us this day our daily bread” at the end of the day, because you would have already received it.

(2) Further, we do not pray for more than our daily bread. Just as Israel was given manna for each day, we should not expect a treasure trove, but that our Father meet our daily needs.

d We also pray that God deliver us from the evil one, which is the literal translation of the text. By praying thus we remind ourselves that our preservation from evil and evil’s Master is in God’s hand – not in ours.

e We pray “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors”. Every day we pray for forgiveness, and every day we forgive those who have offended us. Jesus added as He finished the model prayer:

Matthew 6:14-15 (KJV) For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: [15] But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

An unforgiving heart is an unforgiven heart!

The Christian is called to love our enemies. Jesus said:

Matthew 5:44-45^(KJV) But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

f We end our prayers with “Thine is the Kingdom”. We recognize that our existence is devoted to God’s Will and God’s Work, to build His Kingdom on this earth.

When Should I Pray?

Jesus made solitary prayer the first part of His day. The Scripture says:

Mark 1:35-37 ^(KJV) And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. 36 And Simon and they that were with him followed after him. 37 And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.

Prayer was not something that Jesus tacked on to the end of His day. It was something He did first. He found a solitary place, a place where He could be alone with His Father. Jesus didn’t apologize for this either. When the disciples came and said, “All men seek for You”, Jesus didn’t say “I’m sorry, I’ve been praying”. No, not at all! Jesus said, “Let’s go into the next towns, that I may preach there, for that’s what my duty is” (Mark 1:38).

Jesus made solitary prayer the last part of His day as well. Jesus prayed before He preached. Prayer did not stop Him from going, but prayer came first. Jesus prayed after He preached as well. We read:

Matthew 14:23 ^(KJV) And when {Jesus} had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

Prayer was a deliberate act for Jesus. He sent the crowds away. He literally said, “Go away – I’m busy. I’m going to talk with My Father.” Jesus walked away from the crowds. The Scripture says:

Luke 5:15-16 ^(KJV) But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities. 16 And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.

Jesus had multitudes clamoring for Him. They all wanted to hear. They all wanted to be healed. Yet at the end of the day Jesus withdrew Himself into the wilderness and prayed. If we would be a blessing to others, we must go to our Heavenly Father in prayer. We must seek His guidance and His protection. He must guide us through the day, and give us perspective at the end of the day.

There were times when Jesus prayed all night long, forgoing physical rest so He could gain spiritual rest. The Bible tells us that just before He chose His disciples He prayed.

Luke 6:12-16 ^(KJV) And it came to pass in those days, that {Jesus} went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. 13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; 14 Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, 15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, 16 And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.

While we toss and turn, worrying about important decisions we are going to make, Jesus prayed until the Father told Him what to do.

Isn’t that the much better option? Wouldn’t it be better if we prayed over the important stuff of our lives until the Lord gave us clarity and direction? This is what the Scripture tells us:

Philippians 4:6-7 (KJV) Be careful for nothing; 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 keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

One day, a little girl is sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly notices that her mother has several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head. “Why are some of your hairs white, Mom?” she asks. Her mother replies, “Well, every time you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white.” The little girl thinks about this awhile, then asks, “So how come ALL of Grandma’s hairs are white?”

If we want to peace that is our inheritance, we need to do as God says. Don’t worry – pray!

Posted in prayer, Sermons Preached | Tagged prayer, prayer closet, prayer series | Leave a comment

God’s Word Is Life

Posted on February 25, 2019 by bibleteacherorg

Deuteronomy 8:1-3 (KJV) All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers. 2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. 3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

carolyn-v-537271-unsplash

Photo by Carolyn V on Unsplash

What is the most important thing in the world to you?

You might initially think it’s …

your job (if you have a good job)
or your spouse (if you love your spouse)
or your bank account (if you have money in the bank)

The beautiful person might believe the most important thing is their looks. The aging person might wish for youth once more. But in reality, the most important thing to all of us is

Life!

Our Lord Jesus asked:

Mark 8:36-37 (KJV) For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

The most important thing to each of us is life. I have never met anyone on their death bed who looked back over their life and wished for one more moment at work, or one more penny in a bank account. When we come to the end of our road – for we will all come there – we will look back on our lives and long for more life. Jesus came to give us life. The Master said

John 10:10 (KJV) The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Jesus is the wellspring of life! As John tells us:

John 1:4 (KJV) In him {Jesus} was life; and the life was the light of men.

In Jesus there is life! We look to Him for life, both now and into eternity. There is no life apart from Christ. And if you are living your life WITHOUT Christ then you are living but a shadow of what God wants you to have.

John the Baptist told the Pharisees and Sadducees that they were “a generation of vipers” (Matthew 3:7). Was John just name calling? No. A viper is a deadly poisonous snake. What is in the viper’s mouth? Death. Not life, but death. What the Pharisees and Sadducees were teaching brought only death, not life. The Pharisees were representative of religion, the Sadducees representative of liberal politics. What they offered in their teaching was death, not life. They were the thieves and robbers Jesus spoke of later on in His ministry. John preached:

Matthew 3:10-12 (KJV) And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Jesus is the Giver of Life, not of death. Jesus will destroy death, destroy that which is not of God. He will erase evil, and magnify God’s good. After His baptism what happened to Jesus? The Bible says that after He was baptized by John that He was:

Matthew 4:1 (KJV) Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

Jesus would be put in a place where He would do battle with the devil. The devil is real. The devil is the thief and robber behind the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The Bible says “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, and the rulers of the darkness”. We wrestle against the devil’s forces. So God the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to do battle with the evil one, to show us a battle between life and death. The King of the vipers will wrestle the King of Kings. Jesus fasts – goes without food – for forty days and nights. There is nothing to eat. The Bible says that at the end of this fast:

Matthew 4:2 (KJV) … when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

Jesus is hungry. He is God in spirit, but God become glorified Man. Man must eat. If Jesus doesn’t eat, He will die. Here comes the devil. The devil always comes to attack us at our weakest moment, and Jesus is at His weakest moment. His stomach hurts. He craves food. He must soon eat, or He will die. The devil, that thief and robber, says to Jesus:

Matthew 4:3 (KJV) …. If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

What is it the devil is saying to Jesus? He is saying “you have the power to make bread. You are able to alleviate this hunger. Command the stones. Turn them into warm, toasty loaves of bread. Eat! Fill your belly! Your life is more important than anything else.” How would you answer this challenge? We are weak, you and I. But Jesus is not weak.

Jesus is life, and life does not compromise with death

How does Jesus respond to the devil? His reply is taken from today’s text:

Matthew 4:4 (KJV) … It is written, {in Deuteronomy 8:3} Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8:3 to defeat the devil, to defeat death himself. It is not BREAD that gives life, but GOD. It is not THINGS that give life, but GOD. There is life in God. There is life in Jesus. We must obey the Lord if we want to be blessed in life.

Obeying God’s Word Brings The GOOD Life

Deuteronomy 8:1 (KJV) All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye OBSERVE TO DO..

God knows what is best for His people. He is our Maker, and the Lover of our souls. He tells His people “You need to not just HEAR what I’m saying, but to DO it.” Why does God give us commandments? He says:

Deuteronomy 8:1 …. that ye may LIVE, and MULTIPLY, and GO IN and POSSESS the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers.

God wants us to really LIVE!
God wants us to MULTIPLY or INCREASE.
God wants us to GO IN or ACHIEVE.
God wants us to POSSESS and not be possessed by!

God offers all who will heed Him a great life. Not just EXISTENCE, but LIFE. To be blessed we must heed the Great Shepherd of our souls!

Psalms 100:3 (KJV) Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

The devil and the world tells us to disconnect from God and be blessed, to live life without God and His Word. He whispers in our ears …

Your life is the most precious thing.
YOU do what YOU can to make it better.

It is this type of thinking that has brought godless abortion to America today. I am told that several states now allow the killing of a baby all the way up to the time of delivery – and celebrate this death! What has brought us to this place of immorality?

It’s MY life and I’LL do what I want to with it.

Following this line of reasoning women have allowed themselves to be used by men to satisfy their sexual desires. The godless bedroom has caused an unwanted pregnancy. What to do? Well, let’s kill it. Yet the Bible tells us that life is most precious. God has a purpose for each person, even while that person is being formed in the womb. He said to Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 1:5 (KJV) Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

And David said:

Psalms 139:14-16 (KJV) I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. 15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

Life is precious. God gives us His Word and directs us to the best life. When Israel rejected God’s Word and refused to enter the Promised Land the Word of God caused them to wander for forty years. During that time though they wandered God blessed His people.

Deuteronomy 8:2 (KJV) And thou shalt REMEMBER all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.

God led His people by humbling them.
Oh, how we need to be humbled!
In America today we are so arrogant.
We think we know all things, but we know nothing.

God makes us wander until we are humbled, realizing that he is God and we are not. God proves us by bring trials our way. He puts what seems to be more than we can bear on us. God does that when we are arrogant. The beginning of the good life comes through humility. What saith the Scripture?

1 Peter 5:5-7 (KJV) … Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6 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. He wants you to have a good life. But in order for you to have a good life you must come to Him as God. He knows what is best. Praise Him! Magnify Him! Lift Him up!

Obeying God’s Word Brings CONTINUED Life

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

There are times when God will take away your bread, or allow affliction to come to you. Why does He do this? Because He is mad at you? No. Because He is cruel? Absolutely not. God allows us to hunger so that we will learn to love Him above all else. God is the Giver of life. We were made by Him to live with Him.

God did a very interesting thing with Israel that He did with no other nation. He allowed Israel to be hungry. When they became hungry they started to complain. They murmured against God (Exodus 16:8). God said to His people:

Exodus 16:12 (KJV) I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.

God hears when we complain. He hears when we praise Him. God said “I’ve heard your belly aching … so I’m going to give you meat and bread, and you’ll know that I am God!” The Bible says:

Exodus 16:13-15 (KJV) And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. 14 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. 15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.

Illustrate The Israelites knew what the quail was. It was meat. But when they saw the bread of God they called it מָן mân, (pronounced mawn), which means “What is it?” They had no clue what this bread of Heaven was, for it was something never before seen. So they called it “What is it?” or Manna. It was God’s provision given day by day. But God put a stipulation on the manna. He said “Gather no more than what a person can eat in a day – one OMER – (which is equivalent to about 2.3 liters according to the Jewish Study Bible). A bottle of soda is 2 liters. Considering this then the amount of manna that each person was allowed was about the size of 1 1/3 of a bottle of soda.

If they were greedy and gathered too much then
“it bred worms and stank” (Exodus 16:19).

If they were lazy and didn’t gather it
early in the morning, then it melted (Exodus 16:21).

They were allowed to gather
two omers the day before the Sabbath (Exodus 16:22)

What was God showing His people and us? He was showing us that God is true to His Word. He provides enough blessing for us each and every day. When we heed His Word then we have a blessed life. When we do not heed His Word, if we are GREEDY life becomes WORMY. If we are LAZY then we lose His blessings. We are to HEAR and DO as God says if we will be blessed!

God loves you, and wants to bless you. But God tells Israel:

Deuteronomy 8:5-9 (KJV) Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee. 6 Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him. 7 For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land …

We are to hear and obey our Lord if we are going to have a blessed life. Our God loves us. He wants us to be blessed!

Let Us Hear And Obey The Word For EVERLASTING Life

Deuteronomy 8:3 (KJV) {God} … FED THEE WITH MANNA, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

God sent manna from Heaven to feed His Old Testament people. What did this “Manna” represent? Someone asked Jesus one day:

John 6:28 (KJV) … What shall we do, that WE MIGHT WORK THE WORKS OF GOD?

That is a very good question. God wants us to both HEAR and DO His will. So what is the thing that God wants us to DO above all else? Jesus replied:

John 6:29 (KJV) …. This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

Jesus Christ was sent of God the Father. He is the Eternal Son Who was SENT of the Father. Jesus said to the Father:

John 17:3 (KJV) And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Jesus is sent of the Father. In Him is life. Jesus told the Jews “God SENT Me so that you can BELIEVE on Me”. The Jews replied “Give us a sign that You are sent of God. God SENT us manna in the wilderness (John 6:31). Prove to us You are SENT, Jesus!” And Jesus replied:

John 6:32-39 (KJV) … Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35 And Jesus said unto them, I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. 37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

The manna that God sent in the Old Testament to Israel is a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Precious Bread of Heaven. The Israelite was to gather the manna daily and early to be blessed. They were to gather enough manna for one day. Jesus is God’s manna from Heaven. He came to give us eternal life. Jesus is enough! He is all we need to live.

Oh, how life is empty until you discover that Manna that is Christ. Oh, how wasted life is that is not lived in Christ. But how rich life is in Him, God’s Manna from Heaven!

I love the story Chuck Swindoll tells of the time he was in service as a Marine many years ago. These are Chuck’s words (from God’s Word – It Never Returns Void”):

“When I served overseas in the Marines many years ago, I had a bunk mate named Eddie. When he found out I was a Christian, he told me in no uncertain terms: “Hey, I want to tell you something, Swindle. I didn’t come over here to Okinawa to be evangelized. So just back off, okay?”

“Sure, that’s no problem,” I answered. So, I’d lie up on my top bunk and I’d try to figure out how I could get Eddie interested in the Lord Jesus. One day I said, “Hey Eddie, can you help me with some of these words?” I dropped down about forty of my verse cards, and I said, “Let’s see if I can do these.” They were verses like John 3:16 and other verses on salvation. So I began: “For God, uh . . .”

“SO,” Eddie added impatiently.

“Oh, okay,” I’d reply, “For God so . . . uh . . .”

“LOVED!”

“Yes, yes, that’s it. For God so loved the world.” We went through dozens of verses just like that. Fast-forward thirty years . . . and the phone rings one day in my study. “Hey, Swindle!” I said, “This can only be a guy named Eddie.”

“Yeah,” Eddie answered, “Hey, you know that trick you played on me in Okinawa? Well, it worked! I’m loving Jesus now.”

Chuck ended with …. “Isn’t God good? The power of the Word of God never fails to amaze me.”

God’s Word has power. His spoken Word created the universe and all that is in it. His written Word promises us life. And if we receive His Sent Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, and live by Him daily, then we have not only a blessed life but ETERNAL life. Oh praise God for His unspeakable and wonderful Gift! May you find Jesus, the Eternal Word of God. May you both HEAR and DO His Word to be blessed!

Posted in Deuteronomy, Sermons Preached | Tagged death, devil, Jesus Is Worthy, life, manna | Leave a comment

Jesus Shed His Blood 7 Times For You

Posted on February 21, 2019 by bibleteacherorg

Great message!

Lift Him Up

The Holy Body Of Jesus Shed Blood For Us 7 Times.

During the sacrifice of Jesus for the atonement of sin, Jesus shed His blood 7 times for mankind. Each time His precious blood flowed a freedom was returned to us. Read how Jesus’ blood redeems you and sets you free from bondage.

Leviticus 16:19He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times to cleanse it and to consecrate it from the uncleanness of the Israelites.

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Posted in General | Leave a comment

Praying Like Jesus Series #2

Posted on February 21, 2019 by bibleteacherorg

Jesus Prayed In Community

As a pastor I can tell you not everyone is comfortable praying aloud and in public. If you find that you cannot pray out loud and in public this does not diminish you as a Christian. It is difficult to pray publicly. One of the hazards of public prayer is to become puffed up with pride in your praying. Jesus warned against being puffed up. Let’s read this text responsively to start:

Matthew 6:5-6 (KJV) And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. [6] But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

Sunday when we have more time we’ll discuss the prayer closet. Tonight I want to talk about community prayer.

Whether you pray out loud in public or not, every Christian is called to pray in community.

We are one of the few Churches in our Association that still have a Wednesday night prayer service. Many Churches have stopped this practice because so few are in attendance. Other Churches have replaced the Wednesday night prayer service with inter-Church sporting events. I think this is a very bad trend that every Church needs to stop. Why? Because …

Jesus Believed In Community Prayer

Jesus believed in community prayer. There were times when Jesus prayed alone.

Luke 9:18 ^(KJV) And it came to pass, as {Jesus} was alone praying ….

There were times when Jesus prayed in the presence of others. For instance, we read:

Luke 11:1 ^(KJV) And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

There Were Other Times When Jesus Got Together With Others To Pray. This Is What We Call
Community Prayer.

Luke 9:28 ^(KJV) And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, {Jesus} took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.

Jesus taught His disciples how to pray together because they would one day have to work as a team. The Lord often took Peter, James and John with Him when He prayed.

Peter needed to be taught community prayer because he would lead the Apostles.
James needed to be taught community prayer because he would oversee the highly influential Church of Jerusalem.
John needed to be taught community prayer because he would write the bulk of the New Testament.

Community Prayer Ignites And Unites The Church

A man came up to Jesus one day and asked: “Master, what is the great commandment in the Law?”. Jesus replied:

Matthew 22:37-40 ^(KJV) Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

This is the center of our faith. We are to love God passionately, and love one another passionately. When love is our driving force then His Kingdom is built. Our Lord Jesus said “love the Lord your God with ALL”. All of our passion is to be poured into Him.

When the passion of the Church dies or is misdirected, the mission of the Church goes undone. We pray together to share our passion with one another.

Just as a small spark will ignite the tinder which will lead to a blaze, we who are Christians pray together to share our love for the Lord and to grow in our zeal. Our Lord Jesus told His disciples after His resurrection:

Acts 1:4-5 ^(KJV) they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

How did the disciples respond? The Bible says:

Acts 1:14 ^(KJV) These all continued WITH ONE ACCORD IN PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION ….

While they waited, they prayed. If we want to be a force that God uses we need to pray while we WAIT ON HIM!

Community Prayer binds a Church together. The Bible tells us that the Church is a group of believers bound to one another by a common faith and an uncommon God.

It is the UNIFIED Church
that is the Body of Christ!

1 Corinthians 12:12-14 ^(KJV) For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many.

Every member in the Body of Christ, the Church, is important to God. Every member has a spiritual gift that he or she must discover an exercise. God did not design the Christian to walk alone through this life, but we are called of God to work together as a team. Again, we see this happened in the early Church. The Bible tells us:

Acts 2:1 ^(KJV) … when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

All one hundred and twenty disciples were praying in one accord in the Upper Room when God manifested His power.

Once God moved on the Church we read that the disciples – with Peter leading – went out into the streets of Jerusalem and began proclaiming the Gospel. What was the result of this unity in prayer? The Bible says:

Acts 2:41 ^(KJV) … and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

If we want to have an impact on our community we need to learn to pray together.

Community Prayer shares burdens so as to make them bearable.

1 Corinthians 12:25-27 ^(KJV) That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

If we are members of the same body then we should be concerned when our fellow believers suffer. We are, after all, in this together. The Lord commands that we pray together so that we can share our burdens. James said:

James 5:13-14 ^(KJV) Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. 14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

When a member is suffering he should want the other believers to lift him up to God in prayer. Note that James speaks of “calling the elders of the Church” for specific prayer. Those who are “elders” are mature in their faith. Last Sunday night we called the elders of the Church forward to pray for two grieving mothers. Elder believers should set the tone in the prayer meeting. King Solomon spoke of the blessing of sharing burdens when he said:

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (KJV) Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. 10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. 11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? 12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

When we stand together in prayer we lift one another up, and bless the Lord, for we who believe are all of His Family.

Community Prayer helps resolve conflicts and reveal sin. The Bible tells us that unresolved conflict can hurt us. The Scripture says:

Job 5:2 ^(KJV) For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.

The Scripture tells us that the first thing we are supposed to do when we come to God in Community Prayer is forgive one another. We read:

Mark 11:25-26 ^(KJV) And when ye STAND praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

Highlight the words “STAND praying”. This is only something the Jew would do if he was praying publicly. When we come together in Community Prayer the Lord commands that we first forgive, the pray. Again, we who believe are One Body in Christ.

A bitter an unforgiving spirit is a poison in the Body of Christ that will destroy it if it is not addressed.

How Often Did Judas Iscariot Pray?

I did a search to see if I could find out how often Judas Iscariot prayed. The Bible says that Jesus chose him just as He chose the other disciples (Mark 3:14,19; Matthew 26:14). What do we see Judas doing in the Church of Christ? Absolutely nothing! Judas criticized and found fault. When Mary anointed the feet of Jesus with an ointment Judas fussed:

John 12:5-6 ^(KJV) Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

Judas skipped every Wednesday night prayer meeting Jesus had. He was too busy to pray. He had too much else much better to do.

When we pray publicly we are forced to examine our lives and ask ourselves, “Am I where the Lord wants me to be?” If not, the Community Prayer will lead us closer to the Lord and away from the Spirit of Iscariot.

“Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer.” Pastor John Bunyon

Community Prayer encourages us to keep on going forward for our Lord. When we come together as a community and pray, we provoke one another to love and good deeds:

Hebrews 10:24-25 ^(KJV) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Those who are the least effective and the most trouble in any local Church are those who will not come together in prayer with their brothers and sisters.

Evangelist Greg Laurie interviewed a young woman who had been on the television show Survivor. This woman was a Christian. She was told that she could bring five things to the island with her. The lady said, “I want to bring my Bible”, but was told that she couldn’t do that because someone else was bringing a Bible. This young lady went to the island without her Bible and found out that contrary to what she had been told, no one had a Bible, and there were no practicing Christians on the island. As each day passed this Christian began to be like the others on that island. Her language changed, her character changed, and in time she became quite hateful, jealous, and spiteful. She told Greg, “I didn’t realize how weak I really was”.

Community prayer releases the power of God. Jesus told us:

Matthew 18:19-20 (KJV) Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

God hears the united prayers of Christians. We need one another, Christians. We need to lift one another up in prayer as we meet together. We need to encourage one another. Nothing blesses me more than, as the Pastor, to hear someone praying for me and my wife. Jesus said:

Mark 11:17 ^(KJV) My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer …

“…Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons — but they are helpless against our prayers.” Pastor Sidlow Baxter

That which should distinguish a Church is that it is a house of prayer. God bless you all for being here tonight. God help us to faithfully pray together for His glory and honor!

Posted in prayer, Sermons Preached | Tagged prayer, prayer series, praying | Leave a comment

Praying Like Jesus (Part 1)

Posted on February 18, 2019 by bibleteacherorg

Jesus Believed In Praying

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (KJV) Pray without ceasing.

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Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash

The Bible tells us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). In the original text this is the Present Middle Imperative of προσεύχομαι proseuchomai. This is a command for our own benefit, rendered as a habit. “Pray without ceasing” or “keep on praying”. When you saw Jesus on this earth He was always praying. His whole life was a prayer. Jesus believed in praying, for when you pray you release the power of God on your life and on the circumstances that surround you.

We believe that our Jesus is God Incarnate, that is God in the flesh. We believe that the Bible teaches that He is not only the Son of God, but that Christ is equal to God His Father. He is the Eternal Word spoken of by John. The Apostle declared:

John 1:1-3 (KJV) 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.

The Father Himself said of Jesus:

Hebrews 1:8 (KJV) But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom.

Jesus Christ is Creator God. He is enthroned God. He was “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). Yet Jesus prayed. He prayed so much that one day His disciples came to Him.

Luke 11:1 (KJV) And it came to pass, that, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, one of His disciples said unto Him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

If Jesus Christ – both God and the Son of God – needed to pray, then how much more we His creations need to pray?

To Have Power In God We Must Pray

God has given the world many great Evangelists, but two names stand out in history. During the 19^th century the Lord gave us Dwight L Moody, and during the 20^th century Billy Graham.

Dwight L. Moody didn’t grow up in a Christian family. His parents were Unitarians, believing that all people upon death – by default – enter Heaven. Moody only completed the fifth grade in his education. When he left home at the age of 17 he became a shoe salesman. When he was 18 years old Moody was led to the Lord Jesus by a Sunday School teacher named Edward Kimball. Because of this influence Moody left the shoe business and began to preach the Gospel of Christ. He along with his worship leader Ira Sankey traveled traveled around the world preaching Christ and seeing souls saved. Moody wrote in his book Prevailing Prayer:

“The two first and essential means of grace are the Word of God and Prayer. By these comes conversion; for we are born again by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever; and whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. … These two means of grace must be used in their right proportion. If we read the Word and do not pray, we may become puffed up with knowledge, without the love that buildeth up. If we pray without reading the Word, we shall be ignorant of the mind and will of God, and become mystical and fanatical, and liable to be blown about by every wind of doctrine.”

Billy Graham has preached the Gospel of the Lord Jesus to more than 80 million people. Born to a dairy farmer, and gave his life to the Lord Jesus Christ when he was 16 years old under the preaching of evangelist Mordecai Hamm. Billy wrote in his book Answers to Life’s Problems:

“I am convinced that prayer makes a difference. Let the Bible answer your question: “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). God always answers prayer – not sometimes, but all the time. … one of the greatest privileges of the Child of God is the privilege of coming directly to God in prayer. This is possible because Jesus Christ has reconciled us to God through His death on the Cross. …. We have access to God through Jesus Christ.”

Jesus’ Ministry Began And Ended With Prayer

Twice our Lord Jesus went to the Temple and did something that shocked the Pharisees. Jesus chased the money changers and salesmen out of the Temple. At the beginning of His ministry we read:

John 2:13-16 (KJV) And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, [14] And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: [15] And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; [16] And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.

Pilgrims coming to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration would often seek out merchants who had animals without spot or blemish to offer as sacrifices in the Temple. Because of this need greedy merchants had set up sales booths in the outer court of the Temple. The Cambridge Bible commentary said: “The needs of the pilgrims—the money which had to be changed—the purchase of cattle for sacrifice —had made the cloisters, precincts, and even the outer court of the Temple a scene of noisy and greedy barter..”. When Jesus saw this He picked up the discarded ropes that had been used to bring the animals into the Temple and made a whip. With this rope whip Jesus chased both man and beast out of the Temple.

Why did Jesus run the vendors out of the Temple?

The last time Jesus entered Jerusalem for the Passover – just prior to His death – He reenacted this scene. We read:

Luke 19:45-46 (KJV) And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; [46] Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves. (see also Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-17).

The outer court of the Temple – considered part of the Temple was called the Court of the Gentiles. Jesus often ministered in this area as – unlike the other parts of the Temple – both Jew and Gentile could come into this place. The vendors and sellers had taken over the outer court with the blessing of the Pharisees. When Jesus chased them out of the area He cried out:

Matthew 21:13 ^KJV … IT IS WRITTEN My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

Jesus was not giving a personal opinion as He chased these vendors out. He was quoting God’s Scripture. He quoted from God’s Holy Word:

Isaiah 56:7 (KJV) Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.

Jeremiah 7:11 (KJV) Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.

God’s Temple was to be a place where ALL people – regardless of race or gender – came together to approach the Throne of God’s Grace. The Pulpit Commentary states:

“This visit of the Lord to the temple, in which he spoke and acted as King Messiah, was a fulfillment of:

Malachi 3:1-2 (KJV) Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. [2] But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap”

Prayer Must Be A Priority For Every Church

When Jesus the Messiah came into the Temple He purged it, and restored prayer to its rightful place. There are several spiritual truths we can see in Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple.

When Prayer Is Not A Priority And Other Things Become More Important Jesus Will Purge The Church Or Even Destroy It Entirely. At the beginning of His Ministry Jesus purged the Temple and reminded the Pharisees to maintain a proper priority toward God (John 2:13ff). Just a few years later – most believe it to be 3.5 years – Jesus once more has to purge the Temple (Luke 19:45ff; Matthew 21:13).

Our God is the God of second chances. But if His warnings are not heeded, God will judge!

Right after Jesus purges the Temple for the last time we read:

Matthew 24:1-2 (KJV) And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. [2] And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. (see also Mark 13:1-2)

The disciples went to the Temple and marveled at its beauty. As they were moved by the stately walls Jesus prophesied that the Temple would be destroyed. It was, just 35 years after Jesus foretold it. The historian Josephus wrote of the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD:

“Now as soon as the army had no more people to slay or to plunder, because there remained none to be the objects of their fury, Titus Caesar gave orders that they should now demolish the entire city and Temple… “It was so thoroughly laid even with the ground by those that dug it up to the foundation, that there was left nothing to make those that came thither believe Jerusalem had ever been inhabited.” (The Wars of the Jews, Book VII, Chapter 1.1).

By 135 AD nearly 600,000 Jews had been killed and over 1000 towns and villages were destroyed. Scrolls were burned, and the practice of Judaism was outlawed throughout the Roman Empire. In our day Churches are closing their doors because prayer is not a priority. Beloved, we must give prayer the same priority that Jesus gives prayer.

Right after Jesus chased the vendors out of the Temple (Matthew 21:13) what do we read?

Matthew 21:14-15 (KJV) And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. [15] And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,

Three things happen when prayer becomes a priority.

Those with needs come to Jesus “and He heals them”.
People begin to praise God … even the children. Children stop leaving the Church and start worshiping the Lord. They cried out “Hosanna to the Son of David!”
Self righteousness is exposed and eradicated. “The Chief priests and Scribes were sore displeased”

Greg Ezell writes:

“When you read the biographies of Jesus’ life, the Gospels, you learn one of his great secrets. Jesus modeled prayer. If he prayed, we need to pray. If he needed time alone with God, we need time alone with God. We need to emulate what he did. Obviously and practically, Jesus believed that prayer works.”

If our Church believed that prayer works just as Jesus believes prayer works then our prayer meetings would be standing room only.

Prayer is the Child of God calling on the Precious Father to help. Our Father will help. He will bless us. But we must call on His Name believing.

Prayer Is To Ask Our Father For Blessing

Matthew 7:7-11 ^KJV 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?

The Bible teaches us that every genuine Christian is a priest before God. We are to “come boldly to the throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace, in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). The stepbrother of our Lord said:

James 4:2-3 (KJV) Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. [3] Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

Jesus often prayed, but never asked amiss. He sought to glorify the Father in His asking. Jesus stayed in constant contact with His Father. The more we pray, the less influence Satan will have over our lives. Jesus said “if you, being evil (fallen creatures) know how to give good gifts to your children”, then shouldn’t the Lord Who is good and perfect and holy know how to give good things to His Children? That’s a rhetorical question: the Lord does know how to give us good things. The Bible promises:

James 1:17 ^KJV Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

God doesn’t give bad gifts. When we have needs, we should go to our Heavenly Father and ask Him to supply them. Billy Graham wrote in his book The Enduring Classics of Billy Graham:

“Prayer is powerful, but if our prayers are aimless, meaningless, and mingled with doubt, they will be of little hope to us. Prayer is more than a wish; it is the voice of faith directed to God.”

Prayer is not a wish, but FAITH VOICED. Prayer believes in the God Who is, and Who is a rewarder of those Who diligently seek Him.

Rick Ezell writes: “The evil one chides us into believing: “Prayer doesn’t work, so why pray at all.” We link, all too frequently, prayer requests and prayer answered and miss the main business of prayer and that is conversation, dialog, the building and maintaining of a relationship with our Heavenly Father. If we reduce prayer to nothing more that asking for things, we are no different than the spoiled child that comes to their parent only to make demands.”

When we pray, we pray believing not that we will get everything we ask for, but believing that the Lord Who loves us will only give us what is in our best interest. He would not give us a rock if we ask for a loaf of bread, nor a snake if we ask for a fish. God loves us, and will only give us that which is for our good. Our Lord Jesus prayed knowing this, and was never afraid to ask – nor was He bitterly disappointed when the Father said “no”.

Right after Jesus left the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter, James, and John, a man came to Jesus with his son. The boy was possessed of a demon, so much so that he “fell on the ground, and wallowed while foaming (at the mouth) (Mark 9:20). The man said, “I brought my son to Your disciples but they couldn’t do anything. Will You help, Lord?” Jesus asked the man, “If you can believe, for all things are possible for those who believe”. The man gave the most honest answer I’ve ever heard. He said, “I believe. Will You help my unbelief?” Our Lord cast the demon out, and the boy was made whole. The disciples came to Jesus and asked Him, “Master, Why couldn’t we do this?” Jesus said:

Mark 9:29 ^KJV … This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

How serious are you in your prayers? Jesus not only prayed but He fasted as well. Fasting is a deliberate act of the will where we put aside other things in order to focus on prayer. There are many different types of fasts. You may stop eating food, or may stop taking liquids. You may do this for a predetermined amount of time. You do not fast to lose weight, but to focus on dedicated prayer to the Lord. The person who fasts puts the Lord first, and this world second. Fasting means that I give up my rights in order to grow closer to my Lord.

Mark 11:24-26 ^KJV Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive [them], and ye shall have [them]. 25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

Fasting is a natural part of dedicated prayer. Forgiveness is a absolutely necessary part of dedicated prayer. As Jesus hung on the Cross dying for our sins, naked, bleeding, and bruised, our Lord prayed:

Luke 23:34 (KJV) Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

We who believe must forgive, or else God will not hear our prayers. There are local Churches – good local Churches – that are dying today because its members are carrying around with them festered wounds on unforgiving souls. Jesus said “if you don’t forgive, your Heavenly Father will not forgive your trespasses”. Know this, the Bible tells us that:

John 9:31 ^KJV Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshiper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.

You both worship and do the will of God when you do not bear a grudge, but forgive one another. Let us abide in Christ and do that which He has commanded we do. He has promised:

John 15:7-8 ^KJV If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

We pray in the Will of God when we view life through the filter of the Word of God. God wants us to bear much fruit as we work for Him in this life. This will only happen when our prayers are within His Will – and His Word tells us what His Will is. God’s Will is that His Kingdom increase on this earth. TheKingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21). As we give ourselves over to His Kingdom He will grow our Church by bringing more souls in. On the Day of Pentecost 120 were praying in an upper room, seeking God’s face. By the end of the day over 3000 came into the Church by faith. This is the power of dedicated, Christlike prayer.

Billy Graham “Prayer is more than a plea, it is a place where we must spend time if we are to learn its power.”

The Lord Jesus Christ came from Heaven to this earth with one thought in mind, to seek and save those who are lost (Luke 19:10). What Jesus went through on the Cross was so terrible that The Bible tells us that as He prayed in Gethsemane:

Luke 22:42-43 ^KJV … Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. 43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.

God had to send an angel from Heaven to strengthen our Lord. As Jesus prayed and considered the coming horror of the Cross:

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

His sweat dropped like blood to the ground. Jesus put everything He had into our salvation. He Who is perfectly sinless and innocent died a criminal’s death in our place.

This is why God puts such a premium on building His Kingdom and leading others to Christ. Jesus went to hell’s kitchen for us. He died for all, so that whosoever will believe in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Because of this God WILL answer the prayer that builds His Kingdom and leads others to Christ. He will answer the prayer that has our Lord Jesus at the center of glory. We are to pray believing not to satisfy our lusts, but to lead many to glory through faith in Christ.

May God touch your hearts with His Word!

Posted in Praying Like Jesus Series, Sermons Preached | Tagged imitating Christ, Jesus Christ, prayer | Leave a comment

The Spiritual Element

Posted on February 18, 2019 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Rasmus Smedstrup Mortensen on Unsplash

Deuteronomy 7:1-2 (KJV) When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou; [2] And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them … [6] For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

1 Peter 1:15-16 (KJV) But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; [16] Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

The Bible tells us that:

2 Timothy 3:16 (KJV) ALL scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

All that is in the Bible is profitable. All that God has given us in His Word has a purpose to teach, to equip, to grow the Christian in his or her faith. There is no part of Scripture without value – even those hard passages.

As God the Holy Spirit leads let learn from His precious Word the truth …

With God All Things Are Possible

The Holy Spirit will give us truths from these texts, truths we need. Look! Listen! As we read of Israel entering the Promised Land the Lord tells His people to cast out the nations before you. How does God characterize these nations? He says that they are …

vvs 1 … seven nations greater and mightier than thou

God has just ordered that Israel cast out these seven nations but then – nearly in the same breath – the Lord says they are GREATER (רַב rab – bigger in SIZE) and MIGHTIER (עָצוּם `atsuwm – better skilled in battle, more able) than Israel. What the Lord just told Israel is:

Go Whip A People You Can’t Possibly Whip
Go Beat A People That Are Unbeatable

God has asked His people to do that which is impossible. And yet – it is possible, or God would not have commanded it. Our Lord Jesus told us:

“With men this is impossible, but WITH GOD all things are possible”
Matthew 19:26

When God saves a person and saves a people He can work THROUGH us and do wonderful, miraculous things. What is impossible with man is possible with God. But here is the key.

You must be WITH GOD.

I have often heard people misquote and misapply the text of:

1 Corinthians 10:13 (KJV) 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.

I have heard preachers who should have known better preach this text and say “God will NEVER put more on you than YOU CAN BEAR”. And everyone will say “AMEN” and go home believing an untruth. The very DEFINITION of “Faith” is when God puts more on you than YOU can bear! That’s the point. Let GOD bear it! Let GOD enable it.

Read all of that precious text. It not only says:

God will not suffer (allow) you to be tempted
above that which you are able …

BUT it also says:

BUT will with the temptation ALSO MAKE A WAY TO ESCAPE

When the impossible is before you, look to God.
When before you is an undoable task, ASK … am I WITH GOD?
God OFTEN gives impossible tasks to His people.
David didn’t fight a midget with a sling and a stone, but a GIANT.
Daniel wasn’t cast into a bird cage but a LION’S DEN.
Gideon didn’t fight a superior enemy with a MILLION warriors.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not find Jesus in a JACUZZI.
Joshua didn’t knock down the walls of JERICHO with a TANK.
Moses didn’t part the Red Sea with the CORPS OF ENGINEERS.
Faith is God doing the impossible through the weak,
The broken, the pitiful.
God will make the UNABLE ABLE if we trust in Him.

God loves to challenge His people. God’s Angel came to Mary, the earthly Mother of Christ. The Angel came to Mary and said:

Luke 1:31-33 (KJV) And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. [32] He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: [33] And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Mary, you’re going to have the Messiah. Christ will be born of you. He is the Promise of God to David, the One Who will rule the world one day. And Mary hearing this says:

Luke 1:34 (KJV)… How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

Angel, how can I have the Messiah? Angel, how can I have even a child. I have been pure. I have not known a man sexually. I am pure, as my Heavenly Father has commanded me to be. The Angel says:

Luke 1:35-36 (KJV) … The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. [36] And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

Mary, the Lord shall fill your womb as He filled Elizabeth’s. Then the Angel says a great truth I hope you all hear:

Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

With God. With God all things are possible. With God there is nothing we cannot do. But we must be with God.

Did The Lord Lead Me Here?

Deuteronomy 7:1 (KJV) When the LORD THY GOD SHALL BRING THEE INTO THE LAND whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee

As humans we get ourselves into many places that are horrible. We make bad decisions. Beloved, if we will do the impossible we need to first ask ourselves is this where God has led me? Where God leads you, God will guide you. Where God tells you go the Lord will enable you.

If the LORD leads you TO it
The LORD will lead you THROUGH it
Put away YOU and grasp GOD
He is able!

One of the worst examples of faith is seen in the life of King Saul. God told Saul to lead the armies of Israel against the Amalekites, a godless and horrid people. God said …

1 Samuel 15:3 (KJV) Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

As we who are of the House of Christ read this we may think this to be utterly harsh. And yet the Amalekites were a people totally without redemption or repentance. They worshiped false gods, sacrificing their children on altars of bronze, spilling the blood of innocents. God told Saul utterly destroy them. Yet Saul and Israel did not do as God commanded. The Bible says:

1 Samuel 15:9 (KJV) But Saul and the people spared {King of the Amalekites} Agag, and the BEST of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and ALL THAT WAS GOOD, and WOULD NOT UTTERLY DESTROY THEM: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

Saul did as Adam did in the Garden of Eden. He knew the command of God, but wilfully disobeyed it. As a result Saul lost the throne. God said…

1 Samuel 15:11 (KJV) It REPENTETH ME that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and HATH NOT PERFORMED MY COMMANDMENTS.

This was why God caused the downfall of Saul, and installed a little Shepherd named David as King. David was “a man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22). God blessed David because David was “with God”.

God tells Israel …

Deuteronomy 7:7-8 (KJV) The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the FEWEST OF ALL PEOPLE: [8] But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers

God called Israel to Himself because God is faithful. God made a promise to Abraham many years before (Genesis 15:18-21). God is …

Deuteronomy 7:9 (KJV) … the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

God did not call Israel because they were a strong people. God said “you are the fewest of all people”. God never calls the mighty or the proud to salvation. He calls those who are weak. The Scripture declares:

1 Corinthians 1:25-29 (KJV) Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. [26] For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: [27] But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; [28] And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: [29] That no flesh should glory in his presence.

God does not choose the powerful, the wise. No Beloved. Our Christ came to save the weak, the poor, the lowly. Who came to Christ in His earthly ministry? The proud Pharisees and Scribes? The arrogant Sadducees? It was

The cripple.
The blind.
The leper.
The weak.
Those without hope.
Those without help.
The sinner sought the Savior.

Jesus said …

Matthew 9:12-13 (KJV) … They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. [13] But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Israel was being sent into the Promised Land because they loved the Lord, and the Lord loved them. Those seven nations had no love for God, but loved sin and darkness. The Promised Land is for those who love the Lord and obey His way. The Promised Land is for those who have been saved by Him and live through Him. Heaven is not for the evil, but the surrendered that walk with God.

Micah 6:8 (KJV) … {God} hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and WHAT DOTH THE LORD REQUIRE OF THEE, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to WALK humbly WITH thy GOD?

Who’s Side Am I On?

There are too many who claim to be “Christian” but have not made up their minds which side they are on. Are you on God’s side, or the world’s side? God tells Israel:

Deuteronomy 7:2, 6 (KJV) And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt MAKE NO COVENANT WITH THEM, nor shew mercy unto them … [6] For thou art AN HOLY PEOPLE unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

If God has saved you from Egypt, if God has called you to His side through Jesus Christ, then you are to walk with Him in holiness. We are to be imitators of God. We will not compromise with the darkness. He said “you will make no covenant with them”. You will follow Him and Him alone.

The greatest single cause of darkness in America today
is the Christian who compromises with sin.

1 Peter 1:15-16 (KJV) But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; [16] Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

To be “holy” is to be dedicated to God.
To believe what God says believe.
To do what God says do.

The day that you were saved by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ God brought you from one kingdom to His Kingdom. You are … here’s a King James word – TRANSLATED. We find this word in:

Colossians 1:13-14 (KJV) {God} hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and HATH TRANSLATED US into the kingdom of his dear Son: [14] In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

You are no longer to be like the world. You are to be like Christ, to imitate your Heavenly Father (Be ye imitators of God, as beloved children – Ephesians 5:1-2). We are called to be light in a world of darkness (1 John 1:7). God told His Israel:

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

Oh Beloved, we must not be as the world,
but our world must be the God of Scripture!

God did not make you holier than thou, but He did make you HOLY when He saved you. If you are HOLY then you are to live WHOLLY for Him. You no longer belong to this world. You belong to God. He purchased you with the Blood of His dear Son. The Bible says:

1 Corinthians 6:20 (KJV) For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, WHICH ARE GOD’S.

You belong to God. You are not your own. God saved you. He did an impossible thing the day He saved you and I. He made us His. He made us clean. He covered us and forgave us our sins. As His Children, we are to imitate Him. We are to live for Him.

If you live for Him, He will live in you. Do you know Him? Is Christ yours by faith? If not, today is a good day to call upon Him and be saved! Those whom He saves, He empowers. I can do all things through Christ Who strengtheneth me! (Philippians 4:13). Live for Him. Glorify Him. Speak of Him. May God touch your hearts and lead you to a total commitment to the Lord Who bought you.

Posted in Deuteronomy, Sermons Preached | Tagged commitment, God Is Faithful, obey God | Leave a comment

What Is My Purpose?

Posted on February 14, 2019 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Derek Thomson on Unsplash

Deuteronomy 6:20-23 (KJV) And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD our God hath commanded you? 21 Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh’s bondmen in Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand: 22 And the LORD shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes: 23 And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers.

Several years ago my wife and I had just finished eating at a Tennessee restaurant. At this restaurant the waitress brought you the bill, and you carried the bill up to the register to pay. As I stood in line at the register I noticed a sign on the wall behind the cashier. What was written on the sign stuck in my head. It said:

We Do Not Cash Checks
We Do Not Loan Money
We Are A Restaurant
The Bank Is One Block North!

When I read that sign it really blessed my heart. That restaurant knew what it’s purpose was, and stuck to what it knew. It didn’t pretend to be anything but a good restaurant. As far as I know that restaurant is still in business, and still packed with customers. It knows its job, and does its job.

In our town of Columbia there is another restaurant – part of a franchise – that was newly built. They stayed in business less than three months. You can find that brand new store closed, a sign on the window. What does the sign say?

Closed For Reasons Beyond Our Control

That sign is not true. I know why they are closed. I waited in line over 30 minutes for a simple order. When I complained to the manager he said – and I quote – “It’s been hard to get good workers”. That’s not a good excuse. The restaurant never figured out it was a restaurant. It died quicker than it took to build it.

As Israel got ready to go into the Promised Land the Lord wanted His people to know their purpose. That’s what this text is about – to know your purpose, then to
live so as to fulfill that purpose

Purpose is very important. You need to know your purpose.

Not too long ago we had Columbia Power and Water come to our church to put a light out in our parking lot. Because Brother Bill was on the ball he arranged it, and very quickly the light was put in. It looks great! Someone started asking me technical questions about the light. “Is it a halogen bulb?” My reply: “I don’t have a clue. It’s a BRIGHT bulb. It does what it’s supposed to do. I didn’t install it. If you want to know something technical about it, see the Power Company. That’s their job!”

Several years ago Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren wrote a book called The Purpose Driven Life. The first paragraph of the book says:

“It’s not about you. The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It’s far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by his purpose and for his purpose.”

That is very true. As Israel got ready to enter the Promised Land He wanted every parent to make sure that their children knew why Israel was. They were not to send their children to the priests, but were to do this themselves. If the parents lived faithfully and on purpose for God then then there would be a time when that growing child would come to the parent.

Deuteronomy 6:20-23 (KJV) And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD our God hath commanded you?

Faithfulness as a believer in fulfilling your purpose will cause your children and grandchildren to be faithful as well. As a parent or grandparent you are to give YOUR testimony of salvation.

Deuteronomy 6:21 (KJV) Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh’s bondmen in Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand:

The testimony of every believer saved by the Grace of God is that we were broken, we were without strength, but God brought us out with a mighty hand. Israel was enslaved, just as we who were without Christ were enslaved. Israel was enslaved by the Egyptian world, and every believer now saved by Christ was once enslaved by this godless world. The Scripture says:

Romans 5:6-9 (KJV) For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Israel did nothing to save themselves other than to step out by faith and follow God. We who believe did nothing to save ourselves. We were dead in trespasses and in sins (Ephesians 2:1). We were by nature the children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3). We were without Christ and without hope (Ephesians 2:12) but God in His infinite mercy led us out of Egypt, just as He led Israel. Our faith was small, but God took this small faith and blessed us anyway.

Deuteronomy 6:22 (KJV) And the LORD shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes:

God made a miracle when He opened our eyes to Christ. He miraculously changed us from the inside out. Whereas sin was once a pleasure, now it becomes a horror. God drowned out sin – just as He drowned Pharaoh and his army – beneath the mighty waves of the sea of Grace. Praise Him for that. I remember the day of my salvation when the Lord led me out with a mighty hand. What happened that day?

God Brought Us Out

Deuteronomy 6:23 (KJV) And {God} brought us out from thence …

There is no salvation, dear one, if God has not brought you out. In our day many believe themselves to be saved, and yet they are still in the same old bondage they were in at the beginning. It is certainly true that we as Christians are still fragile, broken, and breakable. And yet if you are saved God has brought you out.

Imagine, if you will, the week after Israel came out of Egypt with God’s mighty hand. Though many who were born of Israel came out, there were many others who did not go. They heard the Word of God. They heard that God expected them to kill the lamb without spot and blemish, and to make unleavened bread. They heard that God was going to kill the firstborn of every house not under the Blood. But some born of Israel were better placed than others. They were comfortable in Egypt. So they did not leave with Israel the next day. They did not follow the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night. What are these people? Are they God’s people?

Absolutely not!

If you have not been brought out by God then you are not Israel, and you are certainly not a Christian. The Apostle Peter spoke of this in:

2 Peter 2:20-22 (KJV) For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

The key to that text is:

the DOG is turned to its own vomit AGAIN
and the SOW that was washed to her WALLOWING in the mire
When God led Israel out – they were OUT, not IN Egypt.
When God leads the Christian out – we are OUT.
We are no longer DOGS.
We are no longer PIGS.
We are God’s Sheep!
We are Christ’s flock!

The Christian is much like the young man born blind from birth. After Jesus gave him his sight the Pharisees began to question him. They said:

John 9:24 (KJV) … Give God the praise: we know that this man {Jesus} is a sinner.

The young man did not debate these Pharisees. Beloved, never wrestle with an unbeliever! If you wrestle with the lost, they’ll just confuse you. The young man simply told the Pharisees:

John 9:25 (KJV) … Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.

I know all the theological explanations as to what happens when a person is saved. I know what all the powerful preachers with multiple doctorates say. But in reality I do not know how God saved me. I know that the day I was saved I was radically changed from what I was to what He made me. I know that I was blind, but NOW I see. I do not question my Jesus. He is My Shepherd, and I am His sheep.

Psalms 100:3-5 (KJV) Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

I was led OUT.
Israel was let OUT.
It’s time for the Christian to be OUT.
He is my God, and He changes me daily.

Before I was led out I loved the world and the way of sin. Now that I am led out I despise the world and the way of sin. The Israelite in bondage was taught to hate Egypt by Egypt itself. Pharaoh told his taskmasters:

Exodus 5:7-9 (KJV) Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 And the {tally} of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God. 9 Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labor therein; and let them not regard vain words.

There are many who are happy to wear the name “Christian” until the world begins to mock them and mar them. But let martyrdom come, or even be hinted at, and the false Christian will fall back to the world. The world despises the true Christian just as Egypt despised the Israelite. But this world is not our home. We one day will go to be with our Jesus. Until that day we will be tried in the world. Praise God for it!

My Purpose Is To Honor My Lord

Deuteronomy 6:23 (KJV) And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers.

God brought Israel out of Egypt not to let them go back to Egypt, but to live for Him in the Promised Land. What is the purpose of every Christian? It is to honor God. We honor God by living for Him no matter where we are.

Romans 6:12-17 (KJV) Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14 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.

The old task masters have no hold on me anymore. If I err, then I confess my sin before Him. When we confess out sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-9). If you are a Christian your sins may pursue you like Pharaoh and his army pursued Israel. If that happens, look up and ask God to drown that sin in the Red Sea of Grace. Let His Blood cover it. Let the depth cover them!

Romans 8:32-34 (KJV) He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

I do not belong to the devil anymore. I belong to Jesus. You do, too, dear Christian, if you are indeed a Christian. We are out so that we can go in. Heaven is ours. Christ is ours. The Father is ours. Let us live to glorify our Lord and Savior.

Posted in Deuteronomy, Sermons Preached | Tagged purpose, serving christ, serving God | Leave a comment

Hear O Christian

Posted on February 11, 2019 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Alireza Attari on Unsplash

I normally have us focus on a Scripture text by standing, and we’ll do this in a moment. But first let us review some truths that we all ought to know by now. This morning we studied Deuteronomy 5 and it’s call to that nation: Hear, O Israel or שָׁמַע shama` יִשְׂרָאֵל Yisra’el

Chapter 5 focused on the Ten Commandments – “Statutes” – which are God’s blueprint for a blessed nation.

Genuine Faith Works By Love

The Old Testament Law is a list of the Commandments (Mitzvot) that God gave to Israel the nation and believing Israel. The Commandments are categorized as “statutes” (laws for all) and “judgments” (laws for a specific people – in the Old Testament specifically Israel). Some of the judgments God gave believing Israel were:

Ceremonial laws (Day of Atonement, Booths, Feasts)
Circumcision laws (eighth day of birth)
Sacrificial laws (animals without spot)
Dietary laws (clean and unclean foods)
Social laws (dress codes, menstrual or death times of uncleanliness)

When Christ came and died for our sins the Church had to come to the realization that the Gentiles were not under the same Judgments as the Jews were. In one of the early business meetings of the Church we read:

Acts 15:1-11 (KJV) And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, EXCEPT YE BE CIRCUMCISED AFTER THE MANNER OF MOSES, YE CANNOT BE SAVED. [2] When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. [3] And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. [4] And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them. [5] But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. [6] And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. [7] And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. [8] And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; [9] And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. [10] Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? [11] But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

The leadership of the early Church realized that God did not ask the Gentiles to be under the same judgments as the Jews. This caused a lot of confusion in the early Church – and causes a lot of confusion today.

The Apostle Paul – himself a Jew of the Tribe of Benjamin, saw circumcision as one of the judgments to Old Testament Israel
that ceased with the coming of Christ.

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit the Apostle said that He saw all believers as spiritual heirs of the promise of Abraham if – on believing on Christ, the Holy Spirit circumcised their hearts. He radically stated:

Romans 2:28-29 (KJV) For he is NOT A JEW, WHICH IS ONE OUTWARDLY; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: [29] But he is A JEW, WHICH IS ONE INWARDLY; AND CIRCUMCISION IS THAT OF THE HEART, IN THE SPIRIT, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Gal 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but FAITH WHICH WORKETH BY LOVE.

Gal 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, BUT A NEW CREATURE.

Col 3:11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but CHRIST IS ALL, AND IN ALL.

To the Apostles true circumcision was evident when – upon receiving Christ as Lord and Savior – the heart was circumcised and the hardened heart was eradicated. This is what God prophesied through Ezekiel:

Ezekiel 36:26-27 (KJV) A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. [27] And I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU, AND CAUSE YOU TO WALK IN MY STATUTES, AND YE SHALL KEEP MY JUDGMENTS, and do them.

God promised a New Covenant to His people one day. Integral to the New Covenant was the new heart and new Spirit. God would change the heart of His people. His people would supernaturally be obedient to God’s statutes (rules that transcend time) and His judgments (specific directions to His people NOW). We who are His “do them”, obediently obeying our God. We are not saved by the keeping of the Law, but once saved we become obedient to the Law.

Jesus ushered in the New Covenant when He shed His Blood on Calvary for all who believe. He said at His Table:

Luke 22:20 (KJV) Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the NEW TESTAMENT (διαθήκη diathḗkē, pronounced dee-ath-ay’-kay, which means “covenant” or “contract”) in MY BLOOD, which is shed for you.

Christ’s Blood shed on Calvary brought in a New Covenant, with new judgments that we are to obey.

The Christian is not lawless but spirit driven.
Saved by the grace of Christ (for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves – it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast [Ephesians 2:8-9]) we now walk daily obeying the indwelling Spirit, loving God and loving one another.
We are to walk in the Spirit rather than walk I the flesh (Galatians 5:16-26).
We are to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
We are no longer to walk selfishly or self driven, but are to walk in love, imitating God as dear children (Ephesians 5:1-2).
We are a people who have been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. (1 Peter 1:23).
The Christian does not belong to this world. We are not of Adam, but of Christ. In Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive (1 Corinthians 15:22).
We are a people under new judgments. Jesus said in John 13:34-35 “A NEW COMMANDMENT I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” And again in John 15:12 “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”

The Great Commandment Endorsed By Jesus

Deuteronomy chapter 6 gives us a command that every believer in God must keep. Let us stand and read this commandment together:

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (KJV) Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: [5] And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

God speaks to His people of all ages. HEAR Me, the Lord says. If you belong to Me, if you are born of Me, if you have been saved by Me, Hear this. Do not just hear this, but DO THIS. Do you wish to be blessed? DO THIS!

Deuteronomy 6:2 That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.

We are to FEAR the Lord, to have a reverential awe of Him. Every child should have a somewhat awe and fear of their parent. I loved my daddy, but knew that if I misbehaved that he could and would PUNISH me. He could take away my privileges, or tan my behind. I had deep respect and love for Him.

Psalms 111:10 (KJV) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.

Why do many who profess Christ not fear the Lord today? I believe it is because of cheap preaching of a worthless grace. Grace was blood bought. Grace was purchased at a great price. See Him. See Him hanging there on Calvary’s tree. See Him, bleeding. His eyes swollen shut. The crown of thorns about His brow. His flesh in tatters, His body naked. People pass by and spit. “If God is your Father come down from that Cross.” The thieves next to Him mocking. One says, “Get yourself down, and take us down too.” His breath shutters. He struggles to breath. What Law did He break? None. What stature or judgment did He refuse to follow? None. And yet He is convicted. Cheap grace preached is a travesty in our day, a mockery of the truth of the Cross. There He is dying for you and I. He took the beating. He died in my place, so that I might live. The Father commanded the death of His Son because of our sin. He stood in our place. This is why I love the Lord.

love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might

Matthew 22:35-36 (KJV) Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, [36] Master, which is the GREAT COMMANDMENT in the law?

A lawyer asked Jesus a sly question. Lawyers can be sly. He didn’t ask Jesus what was the FIRST commandment. The FIRST commandment given by God was “do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:15). The Lawyer did not ask what the FIRST of the TEN commandments was. The first of the ten commandments is (Exodus 20:3) Thou shalt have no other gods before me. God is to be first as your God. The lawyer asked:

What is the GREAT (μέγας megas) Commandment
Megas means greatest in weight
Massive in size
The largest and most overshadowing
The most intense and powerful

The lawyer thought that Jesus – considered by the Pharisees to be an uneducated man – would quote one of the statutes from the Ten Commandments. Jesus is very educated. He is God Almighty in human flesh. As God, He wrote the Scripture through the Apostles and Prophets. So Jesus without hesitation knew the answer to the Book He wrote. Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:5, our focal text! Jesus said:

Matthew 22:37-38 (KJV)… Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. [38] This is the first and great commandment.

This is the one overshadowing Law upon which all other laws come.

Man is made in the image of God.
All men are made in the image of God.
All men and women are made in the image of God.

The chief and most predominant Law of all Scripture is Deuteronomy 6:5. We are to love God with everything we have. If we love God with everything we have, then the second most preeminent Law is …

Matthew 22:39-40 (KJV) And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. [40] On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

All laws proceed out of these two Parent Laws. When God made man He made them male and female (Genesis 5:1-2). God made man to lead in the union of marriage, and the wife to follow. In the Law God gave us He married these two commands together. The preeminent Law is that you Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. The Law married to this Adam of laws is to love your neighbor as you love yourself. The God Who made you made both you and your neighbor in His image and after His likeness (Genesis 1:27). If you love God, you will love your neighbor. If you love God you will love the person next to you regardless of race or gender because they are made in the image of God.

I came across a picture of the KKK going into a Church building. Once in the Church building they acsended the stage, where there they sat in front of a sign saying “Jesus saves”. Beloved, this is NOT of God. Christ came to save all. Christ loves all. He loves us all regardless as to our color. If you understand that the Great Commandment is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind” then you will love the one that God tells you to love. You will love your neighbor as yourself. Why? Because my neighbor is made in the image of God.

The Ten Commandments were statutes written to a nation, but Deuteronomy 6:5 is a statute written only to those who belong to God, members of His family. When you keep the command of Deuteronomy 6:5 then you quite naturally keep all the other commandments as well. Jesus said “on these two commandments hang ALL the Law and the Prophets”, that is, all of Scripture.

The Jews wove Deuteronomy 6:4-9 into a daily prayer that they called “The Shema” because they considered this Scripture to be most important to the believer.

What if our neighbor is our enemy? MY ENEMY IS MADE IN GOD’S IMAGE. We are to love even our enemy because God said so … and God is in control.

The Shema Teaches Us Our God Is Always In Control

Deuteronomy 6:4 (KJV) Hear, O Israel:
The LORD our God is one LORD:

Who created Israel? It was God. Who caused Israel to become a mighty nation? It was God. How did God create Israel? He created Israel by controlling events, people, and places. Our God is ONE LORD. He controls all things. We all remember the story of Joseph and his coat of many colors. Joseph was the son of Israel, a favorite son. Because Israel spoiled Joseph above all the other children, his brothers cast him into a pit and sold him into slavery. After many years of suffering God caused Joseph to rise up in power to become the right hand man of Pharaoh. Was it an accident? No, it was God is in control. God is always in control. Joseph loved God with all his heart, soul, and mind. Loving God this way he forgave his brothers, telling them:

Genesis 50:19-21 (KJV) … Fear not: for am I in the place of God? [20] But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but GOD MEANT IT UNTO GOOD, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. [21] Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.

The Scripture tell us, dear believers, that “the LORD our God is one LORD”. There is but one God, the God that has saved us and the God that loves us. He is the LORD, the great God Who called Moses from the burning bush. (Exodus 3:14-15).

Our God is the Eternal and Everlasting I AM. He controls all things. God’s hand was on Israel from it’s very beginning. There are no other gods above our God. He alone is LORD. He reigns over all things. This is why the Bible tells the believer to rejoice in trials, for trials are not accidents, but God’s hand on our lives. We are promised troubles in this life for following the LORD. Jesus said:

John 15:19 (KJV) 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.

The world may hate us – yet we are to love our neighbor regardless as to what he or she does. How can we do this? Because Jesus said:

John 16:33 (KJV) … In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD.

He is the Lord our God. He has overcome the world. Rest in Him. Trust Him. Give all to Him. He is able! Christians are strangers in this world, peculiar people in the midst of darkness (Deuteronomy 14:2; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 2:9). We will be tried as Israel was tried, as Joseph was tried, as Jacob was tried, as Abraham was tried. Yet the Bible tells us in …

James 1:2-4 “brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; [3] Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. [4] But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Our Lord is the Lord of all. He is in control! (Romans 8:28)

Love God With All You Have

Deuteronomy 6:5 .. thou shalt love the LORD thy God
WITH ALL…

God does not want the leftovers of your life. He demands ALL of your life. After all, He gave ALL of HIS LIFE for you. The Scripture says:

1 John 3:16 (KJV) Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

God laid down His life for us. We are to love Him with all that we have. We are not to be PART TIME Christians but FULL TIME Christians. God tells His people …

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (KJV) And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: [7] And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

We are to “walk in love” – to be the same at home as we are during the Church gathering. We are to keep Christ’s commandments at all times. You may look to be a Christian at Church, but do your children know you are Christians? Do your fellow workers know that you are Christians? Your testimony is to be Christlike not just under the preacher’s eyes, but under God’s eyes, eyes that never close. To be obedient to Him (John 14:15). To fall head over heels in love with Jesus.

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

We are to love Jesus more than we hate our enemies (Matthew 5:44-48). We are to love our Lord so much that we do good to those who do bad to us. We are to be clothed in love (Colossians 3:14). In so doing we will make a difference.

Let us be the difference. For Christ’s sake I pray – Amen!

Posted in Deuteronomy, Sermons Preached | Tagged obedience | Leave a comment

Angels: God’s Messengers

Posted on February 11, 2019 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by 小胖车 on Unsplash

Angels: God’s Messengers

The late Evangelist Billy Graham wrote in his book “Angels, God’s Secret Agents” about John G. Paton, a Missionary to the New Hebrides Islands. He wrote:

“Hostile natives surrounded his mission headquarters one night, intent on burning the Patons out and killing them. John Paton and his wife prayed all during that terror filled night that God would deliver them. When daylight came they were amazed to see the attackers unaccountably leave. They thanked God for delivering them. A year later, the chief of the tribe was converted to Jesus Christ, and Mr. Paton, remembering what had happened, asked the chief what had kept him and his men from burning down the house and killing them. The chief replied in surprise, “Who were all those men you had with you there?” The missionary answered, “There were no men there; just my wife and I.” The chief argued that they had seen many men standing guard-hundreds of big men in shining garments with drawn swords in their hands. They seemed to circle the mission station so that the natives were afraid to attack. Only then did Mr. Paton realize that God had sent his angels to protect them. The chief agreed that there was no other explanation. Could it be that God had sent a legion of angels to protect His servants, whose lives were being endangered?”

You might be tempted to think this was just a figment of the chief’s imagination – but the chief’s army also saw these shining soldiers. This is not without a Biblical precedent.

In the book of 2 Kings we see an interesting account that mirrors what happened in John Paton’s life. The Kingdom of Syria and the Kingdom of Israel were at war with one another. Every time the King of Syria met in secret with his general to plan an attack on Israel, the Prophet Elisha knew what was going on. Why? Because he was a Prophet of God! Well Elisha would contact the King of Israel and say “Don’t go in this direction, for the King of Syria has set a trap there”. This went on for a while, and the King of Syria got fed up. He asked his men, “How is this possible that our battle plans keep getting to the Israelites?” His servants replied:

2 Kings 6:12 (KJV) …. Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.

The problem is Elisha! He somehow knows what we say in secret. The King of Syria said, “In that case, go and get this Elisha and bring him here.” So a troop of soldiers – heavily armed – set out to capture God’s Prophet.

2 Kings 6:15-16 (KJV) And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? 16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.

I am sure that Elisha’s servant thought that his master had gone crazy. Elisha saw the look on his servant’s face. Instead of arguing with the servant, Elisha went to God in prayer. He prayed:

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

God sent a host of angels to protect His servant Elisha. These angels don’t sound like the feminized angels that we see portrayed with heart shaped wings, nor do they look like the little baby kissing angels that women like to collect as statuettes in curio cabinets. A silly and fanciful angel would not frighten away a host of battle hardened Syrians.

In 2 Kings 19 the Bible tells us that Sennacherib the King of Assyria brought 185,000 armed soldiers to attack and destroy Jerusalem. We are told that:

2 Kings 19:32-36 (KJV) …. thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it. 33 By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD. 34 For I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake. 35 And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. 36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.

One angel – the Angel of the Lord – attacked the army of 185,000 and destroyed it in one night. This a powerful being containing unfathomable power.

Humans have created strange doctrines about angels – doctrines not taught in Scripture. One statement I have heard is when a loved one dies “Heaven gained another angel”. I am sure that the statement is made innocently enough, but it is not in accordance with the Scripture.

Do those “saved by faith in Christ” born again of the Spirit of God become angels when they die?

No, they do not. The Bible teaches that God created two distinct sets of intelligent beings. There are ANGELS and there are HUMANS.

Hebrews 12:22-23 (KJV) But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, AND to an innumerable company of angels, 23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Angels are sexually different from humans. God made humanity “in His own image … male and female created He them” (Genesis 1:26-28, 31). Humans were created with the capacity to reproduce, and in fact were commanded to “multiply and fill the earth”. Angels were never given this ability, nor were angels made in God’s image. Jesus said that when humans enter God’s glory that we lose the ability to reproduce. He said:

Matthew 22:30 (KJV) For in the resurrection {departed humans} neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.

Luke 20:34-36 (KJV) Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: 35 But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: 36 Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.

When we get to Heaven we will be equal in power to the angels with one distinct difference – we will be the Children of God.

Humans are flesh and bone. Adam was created by God from the dust of the earth (Genesis 2:7). God told Adam (and us) “you were made from dust, and to dust you will return”. The Bible tells us that angels are “ministering SPIRITS”:

Hebrews 1:13-14 (KJV) But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Our Lord Jesus said that “Spirits do not have flesh and bones”.

Luke 24:39 (KJV) {Jesus said} Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

When angels were seen and reported in Scripture they are spoken of as beings of light. The angel that rolled back the stone from Christ’s grave is described:

Matthew 28:2-3 (KJV) … the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow…

Angels can take on the appearance of man – and have done so in the Scripture. Angels sometimes take on this appearance and walk among us, which is why we are warned:

Hebrews 13:1-2 (KJV) Let brotherly love continue. 2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Though angels can appear to be human they have one distinction that makes them different from us. Jesus Christ did not die for sins of the angels.

Can the Angels that fell from Heaven following Satan in rebellion be saved?

Hebrews 2:9 (KJV) But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

Jesus was made lower than the angels. Angels are far superior to us in power (remember the 185,000 killed by one angel?). When angels fell from Heaven rebelling against God there was no provision made to redeem them. A fallen angel is a fallen angel. Period. But God offers salvation to whosoever will:

Galatians 4:4–5, 7 (KJV) … when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Angels are called “Sons of God” in the Scripture because they are created by God. They are also called the Morning Stars because they are composed of light. We read in:

Job 38:4-7 (KJV) Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. 5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? 6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; 7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

All the sons of God (the angels) shouted for joy when God created the earth.

Theologians tells us that based on:

Genesis 2:1 (KJV) Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

that all the host of them refers to angels. If so, all the angels were created at the same time by God. When the Chief Angel Lucifer (also called the Devil, Satan, and the Great Red Dragon) rebelled that he led one third of the angels to follow him.

Revelation 12:3-4 (KJV) And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: …

Some of these rebellious angels were placed in chains of darkness, reserved until the judgment day:

2 Peter 2:4 (KJV) For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

Jude 1:6 (KJV) And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

What Do The Fallen Angels Do On This Present Earth?

Some of the fallen angels, along with Lucifer also known as Satan, remain on this earth to vex and try the saints of God:

Ephesians 6:10-12 (KJV) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

All fallen angels will one day be cast into the Lake of Fire along with those who reject Christ as Savior and Lord. Jesus told us that on judgment day:

Matthew 25:41 (KJV) Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

The wording that Jesus used tells us that God never designed hell for humans, but for fallen angels. God does not want any human to end up in hell. This is a choice that each person freely makes by either accepting or rejecting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Our God loves variety. You see His love of variety in the animal kingdom, in the plant kingdom, among the fishes and birds, and among humans. No human is exactly the same. God loves variety. The Chief Angel in Heaven is called an Arch-Angel. The scripture says:

Ezekiel 28:14-17 (KJV) Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. 15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. 16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. 17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.

Are All Angels The Same?

Lucifer was called a Covering Cherub or the Anointed Cherub that Covereth. He, along with Michael and Gabriel were Arch-Angels, those who ruled all the other angels under the authority of God. The name “Lucifer” means “Shining One“. Lucifer is not a hideous monster, nor is he a cute little devil with a red tail. He is beautiful beyond measure – beauty gone bad.

The Cherubim have four faces (man, lion, ox, eagle), four wings (two to fly with), and cloven calflike feet. They move about in groups of four, guarding God’s Throne. (see Ezekiel 1:4-28; 10:1-22).

The Seraphim have six wings (two to fly with). Their name means “burning ones” and they lead heavenly worship and singing. (see Isaiah 6:1-7).

Of the fallen angels, Satan has divided them into groups called ruling angels. They are classified as principalities and powers (Ephesians 6:10-12).

There are guardian angels that watch over saved believers and children under the age of accountability.

Matthew 18:10 (KJV) Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

Hebrews 1:14 (KJV) Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

There are other angels mentioned in Scripture beyond Arch-Angels, Cherubin, Seraphim, and Guardian Angels. These angels:

Lead worship and praise (Isaiah 6:1-3; Revelation 4-5).
Revealing the will of God (Acts 7:52-53)
Guiding God’s people. An angel told Joseph about the virgin birth of Jesus (Matthew 1-2). See also Acts 8:26; Acts 10:1-8.
Angels provide for God’s people. An angel ministered to Hagar (Genesis 21:17-20), Elijah (1 Kings 19:6), and even ministered to Jesus Christ following His temptation (Matthew 4:11).
Angels protect God’s people. They shut the mouths of the lions for Daniel. (Daniel 3).
Angels delivered the Apostles (Acts 5, Acts 12).
God sometimes uses angels to answer our prayers (Daniel 9:20-24; 10:10-12; Acts 12:1-17).

Are Angels As Powerful As God?

NO! Angels are stronger than men, but are not all powerful (Psalm 103:20; 2 Peter 2:11). They have a greater knowledge than we do, for the have access to the Throne room of God. But they do not know all things (2 Samuel 14:20; Matthew 24:36). Though angels can travel faster than us, they are not able to be everywhere at the same time as God is (Daniel 9:21-23; 10:10-14). They are created as we are created. They are just made different. The devil and his demons have no power greater than what our Father allows them to have. Praise God for His unspeakable gift of salvation!