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At Home In Christ’s Word

Posted on August 29, 2018 by bibleteacherorg

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John 8:31-32 (KJV) Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Continue In My Word

Last week Jesus had His early morning Bible Class disrupted by the scribes and Pharisees. They brought a woman taken in adultery into the middle of His class and, disrupting it, demanded Jesus give an accounting. If you were here last week you saw how Jesus used the Law of God to defeat His enemies, while at the same time bringing this woman to a place of repentance and renewal.

The Pharisees were not finished.
They had an audience, and were determined to destroy our Lord’s ministry.

We can learn a lesson from this on the persistence of evil. Evil is not easily defeated. The devil is persistent. His disciples are persistent. Evil cannot be defeated by lowering ourselves to its standard. Jesus through the Apostle:

Romans 12:21 (KJV) Be not overcome of evil, but OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD.

Evil is persistent. Though Jesus defeated the Scribes and Pharisees who interrupted His class Pharisees still remained and still attacked. So Jesus said something that we are need to take heed of. There is a mixed crowd before Him. Some believe in Him, others are violently opposed to Him, and yet others are undecided. But Jesus addresses only one faction in that crowd. We read:

John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which BELIEVED on him

Jesus doesn’t address the fence sitter.
Jesus doesn’t address the unbeliever.
He addresses the Believer, the one who loves Him.
How do you defeat persistent evil?
How do you stand as Light in this dark world?
It begins by BELIEF in Christ, but it does not end there.

Jesus says to the Believer – to You if you have committed your life to Him:

John 8:31 … If ye CONTINUE in MY WORD,
then are ye My disciples indeed;

The word rendered “CONTINUE” is the Greek μένω MENŌ which means “To dwell in, make yourself at home in, stay with”. The word is used in this sense in several scriptures:

Luke 1:56 (KJV) And Mary abode with {Elizabeth} about three months, and returned to her own house. The word ABODE is the Greek MENŌ.

When Jesus went to see the little Tax Collector Zacchaeus and saw him sitting in a tree, Jesus looked up and said …

Luke 19:5 (KJV) … Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. The word ABIDE is the Greek MENŌ.

When the first disciples started following Jesus …

John 1:38 (KJV) Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? The word DWELLEST is the Greek MENŌ.

One of my favorite passages of Scripture is in John 15. Jesus tells those who believe in Him:

John 15:1-4 (KJV) I am the true vine, and my Father is the {Gardener}.[2] Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. [3] Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. [4] ABIDE in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it ABIDE in the vine; no more can ye, except ye ABIDE in me. The word ABIDE is the Greek MENŌ, which means “To make yourself at home or dwell in”.

Jesus said we must make ourselves at home in His word.

Now what is a “home”? It is a place we rest ourselves in. It is not like a motel or even – when Sherry and I go to visit our grandkids – a wonderful place my son allows us to stay in. Home is YOUR place.

At HOME I have my special recliner, my own bed, my own pillow.
At HOME I have secure doors and walls where my wife and I can live safely.
At HOME I have a yard I tend, neighbors I know, a place where my car is.
At HOME I have the conveniences of kitchen, bath, and laundry.
At HOME we hang pictures on the wall where we want.
We rest, love, and are blessed at HOME.

Like the old saying goes, there is no place like home!

How do we make ourselves at home in Christ’s Word? I read once of a little girl who shows us the way. When the offering plate was passed the little girl put the plate on the floor, and stepped into it. The shocked usher asked her what she was doing. She said “We were taught in Sunday School to give ourselves to Jesus. He can have all of me!” She got the point. God wants all of us. Christ wants us completely. He doesn’t want just our Sundays, but our every days. We are to make ourselves at home in His Word.

Jesus Christ Is The Faithful Witness

The Pharisees attacked Jesus. They said:

John 8:13 (KJV) The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.

“What You have said about Yourself Jesus is fabricated. You are the only One Who says You are from God”. They were saying “We don’t support You Jesus, and You have no support of Anyone of Any stature. No great Rabbi supports You. You are false.” But Jesus replied:

John 8:14-18 (KJV) Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. [15] Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. [16] And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me. [17] It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. [18] I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.

Jesus was sent of the Heavenly Father, and the Father affirmed Him as His Son. Jesus had at least two witnesses that He was Heaven sent. John the Baptist witnessed that Christ is the Messiah.

John 1:29 (KJV) … John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

When Jesus was baptized of John the Bible says:

Matthew 3:17 (KJV) And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Christ is THE BELOVED SON. There is no other. He is THE BELOVED SON in Whom the Father is WELL PLEASED. Jesus came to do the Father’s will. He spoke as the Father would have Him speak. He went where the Father bade Him go. When Jesus took Peter, James, and John with Him into a high mountain there Christ was transfigured, and stood speaking with Moses and Elijah. Jesus is conversing with the LAW and the PROPHETS, the two greatest representatives of God’s Word. Peter speaks up.

“Let us make THREE SHRINES here, Jesus.
One for YOU, and one each for Moses and Elijah!”

No, Beloved One. The Father spoke:

Matthew 17:5 (KJV) While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; HEAR YE HIM.

THIS is My Beloved Son. Moses and Elijah were great men who followed God, but there is but One Jesus. Hear Him. Hear His Word. Make yourselves at home in His Word.

The Pharisees could not understand this. They sought Jesus to kill Him for they saw Him as a rival to their power.

John 8:21-22 (KJV) Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come. [22] Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come.

Unbelief cannot go where Jesus came from. Jesus was going to a place where the Pharisees could not go. Jesus is in a place that many cannot go. They sought Him to debate Him, to argue with Him, to disparage Him, but NOT to believe in Him. Because the Pharisees would not believe in Christ – resting in Him – they could not go where He was going.

Jesus’ Word is not just a man’s opinion.
His Word is God Breathed.
His Word is Heaven bound.

Jesus told the Pharisees:

John 8:23-24 …. Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. [24] I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

Jesus is the God sent Messiah. Christ is indeed God Himself manifest among us. His Word is the Word of God. In fact, His nickname is “The Word”. He is the Word Who was in the beginning WITH God and WAS God.

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.

He is CREATOR GOD, and so He knows how all things should work. He is the Word of God become flesh (John 1:14) who dwelt among us. And unless we make ourselves at home in Him – believing in Him – we will die in our sins, unable to go to Heaven to be with Him. The Pharisees knew and studied the Bible that they had, the Old Testament. Yet they never knew the Author of the Scriptures, Jesus Christ Himself. Jesus Christ came from Heaven representing the Father. When the Pharisees asked Jesus “Who are YOU?” (I can almost hear the sarcasm dripping from the question) our Lord replied:

John 8:26 (KJV) I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.

Jesus said “The things I am saying I have heard DIRECTLY from the Father. I am not flavoring it or twisting His Words in any way. I am the faithful witness”. The Bible says:

Proverbs 14:5 (KJV) A faithful witness will not lie …

Jesus Christ is the faithful Witness, the first begotten of the dead, the Prince of the kings of the earth Who has loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood (Revelation 1:5). He speaks only what the Father has told Him to speak. When we make ourselves at home in His Word, we rest in the very Word of God! Jesus told the Pharisees:

John 8:19 (KJV) … Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.

To know the Son is to know the Father. We must make ourselves at home in His Word. Not in the word of the world, nor in the word of the world’s religions, but in the Word of Christ.

At Home In Christ’s Word I Am Freed

John 8:31-32 (KJV) … If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; [32] And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

When we CONTINUE (Meno) or MAKE OURSELVES AT HOME IN CHRIST’S WORD it does two things. First, we know the truth. The world doesn’t know the truth. But Christ’s disciples are children of truth. When Jesus stood before Pilate to be judged He told him:

John 18:37 (KJV) … To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

Jesus speaks the truth of Heaven. When Pilate heard Jesus say this he replied:

“What is truth?”

The world believes that “truth” is what it defines as true. Pilate had Christ executed though he found no fault in Him – because the majority said “This is the truth”. Listen Beloved, what the majority says is TRUTH is NOT TRUTH. Christ’s Word is truth. The Word of God is truth. What the Scripture teaches is true, of God, and valid. Jesus prayed for His Church:

Father, sanctify them through Thy truth: THY WORD is truth!
(John 17:17)

The world cries out “This is TRUTH because WE say so! Crucify Him. He may be innocent, but CRUCIFY HIM.” And the innocent hangs on a Cross between two thieves.

The world cries out “This is TRUTH because WE say so! Abort him. Abort her. They are innocent, but ABORT THEM.” And the innocent is removed from the place of safety and thrown in a garbage can.

Sin like a disease has spread throughout our country and our capital and our networks and our families because we have our worldview shaped by the world, not by Christ.

We make ourselves at home with PUBLIC OPINION.
We make ourselves at home with FEELINGS.
We make ourselves at home with OTHER THINGS.
We need to make ourselves at home with Christ’s Word.

When you make yourselves at home in Christ’s Word, when you rest in what He said rather than what the talking heads of Hollyweird says, then you are freed from sin. Jesus said:

John 8:34-36 (KJV) … Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. [35] And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. [36] If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

When you make yourselves at home in Christ’s Word then Christ comes to you and abides with you, and you with Him. He changes your life. Whatever sin was binding you will lose its grip. The world cannot do this. Sin is persistent. It is like a python. It grabs, holds, and slowly constricts. With every breath it gets tighter and tighter. The world cannot fix this. The world normalizes sin. Where must I go? I must go to Jesus. I must go to his Word.

I must make myself home in His Word!

Some people say “My sin has trapped me, so I will focus on my sin.” That doesn’t work. That’s like going on a diet and studying a Pizza Hut menu so you’ll know what to avoid. It’s counterproductive. Repent of your sin, but make yourself at home in Christ’s Word. Read His Word daily. Read it through several times, hundreds of times, thousands of times. Never finish reading. Immerse yourselves in His Word. Meditate on it. Study it. Memorize it. I can walk through my home with my eyes closed because it is my home. I can visualize every room in my home, so even in the darkness I know where I am at. As His Word floods your soul you will be freed from sin. Study what the Bible says about sexual sin, about marriage, about raising your family, about everything.

But first and foremost make yourselves at home with what Jesus has said about HIMSELF. Jesus told the Pharisees:

John 8:42-43 (KJV) … If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. [43] Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

Unless you know Him as Lord and Savior, unless you have first rested in His ability to save you, you cannot hear His Word. The lost person can only hear the Gospel, and then only if the Spirit opens their hearts to the message. You must rest in Him. You must believe in Him. You must solely trust Him. When you do, then He bids you come … make yourselves at home in His Word.

Posted in John, Sermons Preached | Tagged christianity, life, spirituality, truth, Word of God | Leave a comment

Finishing The Work

Posted on August 27, 2018 by bibleteacherorg

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Exodus 40:33-37 (KJV) … So Moses finished the work. [34] Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. [35] And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. [36] And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys: [37] But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.

God Saves A People To Work With Him

God does not NEED us to do His work, but LOVES us, and BLESSES us when we work with Him.

The Bible declares of the Christian:

Ephesians 2:10 (KJV) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

God saves us, then shapes us. He builds our faith. He calls us to serve Him. That which brings the blessing of God on a people is that they do as the Lord says. God gave Moses a task to do. Moses was to honor God in the creation of the Tabernacle.

God Never Bids We Work Alone

Moses did not do the work by himself. God set apart others to become invested in the work. The Children of Israel all contributed. Moses recognized others that the Lord pointed out to do the work. We read:

Exodus 35:30-35 (KJV) And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the LORD hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; 31 And He hath filled {Bezaleel} with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship; 32 And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, 33 And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work. 34 And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. 35 Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work.

The work that God set before Israel was the building of the Tabernacle, a movable Church. The Tabernacle was the precursor to the Temple. Israel could not build a permanent structure until they settled in the land of Canaan. But until then, God wanted them to build a Tabernacle, a place to learn of Christ. We are told in:

Hebrews 10:1 (KJV) For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

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

The Tabernacle, the furniture, the implements, and the sacrifices we SHADOWS of the Christ. The lamb without blemish that was slain taught Israel that the Lamb of God must be slain for their sins. The Burnt Offering emphasized the judgment of God poured out on His Son for us.
The Tabernacle was a teaching tool to bring Israel to Christ.

God Ordered Without Explaining Why

God put an exacting and difficult work before His people, but He didn’t explain the WHY of it. God ordered it. He decreed it. He didn’t explain it. God can do that. In our arrogance we often want to ask God,

“But WHY, Lord?”

God is gracious and often does give the “Why”. But many times God does not, and will not. God may never explain why. And that is fine, because God is God. When God came to Noah He didn’t explain anything. God told Noah:

Genesis 6:13-14 (KJV) … The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make thee an ark …

God did not tell Noah how long he had to make the “Ark”. God didn’t explain why babies would be killed in the floods. God just told Noah to build an “Ark”, and that those who got on the Ark would be safe. And God gave Noah everything he needed to build the Ark.

God gave Moses and Israel everything they needed to build the Tabernacle. God never asks us to do anything that He does not equip us to do. God put every person in every place with every tool and material needed.

But they must finish the work!

When Moses and Israel finished the work we read:

Exodus 40:34-35 (KJV) …Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. [35] And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

God manifested Himself when the work was finished. In fact, God did something else. His Presence led the people. Previously God led Israel by pillar of cloud and pillar of fire. But now the Lord does something different:

Exodus 40:36-37 (KJV) … And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys: [37] But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.

When God’s glory left the Tabernacle, they folded up their tents. The Levites all gathered the holy things, and they traveled once more. If God’s glory was on the Tabernacle they stayed in that place until God’s glory departed. Then they moved – ever forward – toward the Promised Land.

We Are Never Finished Working For God

Moses and Israel finished the work God gave them.
The Book of Exodus ends.
Cinderella has her prince.
The Three Little Pigs roast marshmallows in the fireplace.
Little Red Riding Hood outwits the Big Bad Wolf.
Everyone lives happily ever after.
THE END

This is the difference between Christianity and a fairy tale, the Gospel and a myth. When God saved you by Grace

Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

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

He could have taken you to Heaven. But God wants His people to live for Him FIRST on this earth. So He always gives another work. We never rest. Some people think they are saved so that they can drift through life. That is absolutely wrong! God gives us a work to do, then another, then another until, we reach Him in glory.

Israel Must Enter The Promised Land

God promised the Promised Land to Abraham. We read in …

Genesis 15:18-21 (KJV) In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: 19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, 20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, 21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

God made a covenant with Abraham, giving the land to him and his children. The land was occupied with a godless people. But at the right time God would send His people into the land. Israel was supposed to trust God and dispossess the godless from that land.

The Tabernacle would one day become a Temple, the portable would become fixed. But only when Israel possessed the land. They must finish the work.

The “sequel” to Exodus is the Book of Numbers. Israel heads toward the Promised Land. When they get to the border of that Land we read:

Numbers 13:1-2 (KJV) And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them.

Twelve spies from Israel went into the land. God had already given the land to His people. He said:

which I give unto the children of Israel

Not “I shall give” but “I give”. God owns the land. He just wanted the spies to return and tell Israel how bountiful that land was. Israel needed to finish the work. They needed to go and take what God gave them to finish the work.

The Tabernacle taught of Christ.
The Tabernacle must become a Temple.

Christ must come.
Christ must be born in Bethlehem.
Christ must teach in the Temple.
Israel, you must finish the work!
You must do the hard thing so Christ can come!
Christ must die on Calvary.
You must enter the land, for the future depends on it.

You know the story. The spies went into the land and searched through it for forty days (Numbers 13:25). At the end of that time the spies returned and gave their report:

Numbers 13:27-28 (KJV)27 And they told {Moses}, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. 28 Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.

The children of Anak were exceptionally large people. Joshua and Caleb encouraged the people to go forward, saying:

(vvs 30) Let us go up at once, and possess it;
for we are well able to overcome it

God is with Israel. God sent them to finish the work. God will empower us to do this. Yet the other spies disagreed, and discouraged the people:

Numbers 13:32-33 (KJV) And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. 33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

Fear Crowded Out Faith And
Blasphemy Destroyed Blessing

Israel let their fear control them rather than their faith in God. Fear caused them to say NO, then their NO turned into blasphemy. The people blasphemed God rather than glorifying Him. They began to revolt against God rather than finishing the work:

Numbers 14:2-4 (KJV) And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! 3 And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? 4 And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.

Because they would not finish the work God caused them to wander in the wilderness. They were controlled by fear rather than faith. They would not finish the work, so God finished them. God told Moses:

Numbers 14:21-23 (KJV) But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD. 22 Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; 23 Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:

God demands that He be glorified. God demands His people finish the work.

The Lord’s Table Is A Reminder Of Finished Work

Our Master came to finish the work that God set before Him.

John 4:34 (KJV) … My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

For 3 ½ years Jesus did exactly as the Father asked Him to do. As the end came the Bible tells us that:

Luke 9:51 (KJV) And it came to pass, when the time was come that {Jesus} should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,

Jesus knew that His time was at hand. He must be betrayed. He must be beaten and bruised, whipped and shamed. He should be received up, offered as a lamb without spot or blemish. He must be put on display with two criminals, the innocent with the guilty. He must be mocked, humiliated. And most of all the hand of God’s judgment should be put on Him.

This is what the Tabernacle taught Israel.
This is what the lamb without blemish, killed and burned, showed.
Jesus must take the place of the little lamb.
The Lamb of God must died for the sins of the world.

Jesus knew what was coming, but He set His face to go to Jerusalem. When in Jerusalem Jesus sat with His disciples at the Feast of the Passover. At the end of that meal we read:

Mark 14:22 (KJV) And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.

Christ was not yet sacrificed, but knew He must finish the work. Three and a half years of ministry would mean nothing if He did not go to Calvary. He must finish the work. His body must be broken, crushed, so that we can be blessed. Oh what a Savior!

Mark 14:23-25 (KJV) And {Jesus} took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. 24 And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. 25 Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.

Jesus blessed the broken bread, His Body. Then He THANKED God for His spilled Blood. His Blood must be shed. He must finish the work so that we can be saved.

Nailed to the Cross the next day, He kept His eyes on the work set before Him. Naked, mocked, and hanging from the Cross He prayed:

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

Crying out “I thirst” they thrust gall in His face. Yet Jesus was not defeated. He finished the work. Weary and suffering one of the thieves cry out:

Luke 23:42-43 (KJV)42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Saving souls to the very end, Jesus did not shirk His duty. As He died He said:

John 19:30 (KJV) When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

The last thing Christ tasted before He died was VINEGAR. Even this did not discourage Him. He bore our sins, and our sorrows. He cried out “It is finished!” The work was finished. Our salvation was secured by Him.

Let Us Imitate Christ And Honor The Father

If you are born again, then I encourage you to finish the work set before you. Honor God with your lives. I have known professing Christians who have refused to be baptized. Jesus commanded baptism.

You haven’t even STARTED the work if you haven’t obeyed Him in this simple request.

Hebrews 10:38-39 (KJV) Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Those who live by faith in Christ walk by faith in Christ. We do as He calls us to do. Let us finish the work. Let us follow Him. Let us glorify God. Let us not be weary, nor frightened of the work. I admit there are weeks when I feel so weary. But God says to me:

Galatians 6:9-10 (KJV) And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

God is worthy of our best. Let us keep on serving Him, living for Him, glorifying Him. The Apostle often compared the Christian way of life as a race, saying:

Hebrews 12:1-3 (KJV) Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Keep running. Keep serving. Keep going forward. Keep doing what God has called you to do. We’re not to sit down until the Lord calls us into glory.

May God touch your hearts with His Word.

Posted in Exodus, Faithfulness of God, Following Disciples, Following Jesus, Sermons Preached | Tagged finishing for God, obedience, run the race | Leave a comment

Early In The Morning

Posted on August 23, 2018 by bibleteacherorg

image courtesy of publicdomainpictures.net

John 8:1-6 (KJV) Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. [2] And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. [3] And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, [4] They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. [5] Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? [6] This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.

Nothing hurts worst than to do the right thing and to be maligned for it.
Nothing hurts worst than to have your family turn on you.
I’ve been there, done that, bought the T Shirt.
It hurts. And I’m sure Jesus got hurt.
Jesus did the right things. He always did the right things. Jesus never sinned. We as humans have sin in our lives. The Bible says:

1 John 1:8 (KJV) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

We sin. That doesn’t justify our sin, but as humans we are subject to failure. Not so the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says that that Jesus Christ as our High Priest:

Hebrews 4:15 (KJV) …. was in all points tempted like as we are, YET WITHOUT SIN.

Jesus Christ is the Redeemer, the Lamb of God Who was in all points sinless. We are the redeemed because He is holy and pure. We are redeemed by His precious and sinless sacrifice:

1 Peter 1:18-19 (KJV) Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; [19] But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

There is no sin in Christ. He does what the Father tells Him to do. He is pure, holy. Jesus started His day doing the right thing. We read:

Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.

The Mount of Olives was Jesus’ prayer room. The Mount of Olives is a mountain range east of Jerusalem named for the Olive Groves that once covered its slopes. Jesus often went up on a mountain to pray (Matthew 14:23; Luke 6:12) and to release the hurt that I’m sure He endured.

His brothers did not believe in Him. (John 7:5)
His sisters did not believe in Him.
His friends, the friends He grew up with,
did not believe in Him. (Mark 3:21)
One of His disciples was planning to betray Him (Luke 22:3)
And the leaders of Israel that Christ came to save
Were determined to destroy Him.

Oh Beloved, you can do everything right, and the world itself be against you. When you are overwhelmed with grief do as our Lord did. Find yourself a Mount of Olives, and go there and pray. Jesus had been praying. He had been praying early. We know this because:

John 8:2 (KJV) … And early in the morning he came again
into the temple

Jesus came to the Temple early in the morning, directly after being with the Father on the Mount of Olives. He started His day in prayer, then went to the Temple to fellowship and teach those whom He loved. Jesus didn’t chase after the people. The Bible says:

John 8:2 (KJV) … He came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.

The people came to Jesus. They came to Jesus early in the morning. They met Jesus where He was likely to be. Jesus sat down and taught them. He came and settled in, teaching those He loved the Word of God. The people came to Jesus to hear Him.

They were not in Church to start trouble.
They were in Church to learn.
They didn’t come to show off their new suits.
They came to hear the Author of the New Covenant.
They came to LISTEN, not to DIRECT.
They came focused on JESUS, not on themselves.
And I bet they were all learning something great!

Then Religion Comes In To Hijack The Class

John 8:3 (KJV) …. And the SCRIBES AND PHARISEES brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, [4] They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

Now let me start out by saying that adultery is a horrible sin against God. In America we read about the woman taken in adultery and in our sex crazed society our first response is either:

So What?
Or
As Long As She Wasn’t Hurting Anybody.

Either response is wrong.
Adultery hurts someone.
The Adulterer invades and destroys a marriage.

This woman was “taken in adultery, in the very act”. I don’t believe that the Scribes and Pharisees were lying about this. The woman certainly didn’t protest. She was an adulterer from one of two positions:

She was either a wife who cheated on her husband, or
She was a single person who gave herself to a married man.

Adultery breaks the bonds of a marriage. Any sexual sin that disrupts or warps God’s design of marriage was considered by God to be a very grievous sin.

In the Law God addressed sexual sin and His attitude toward it. We read in:

Leviticus 20:10-15 (KJV) And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the ADULTERER AND THE ADULTERESS SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH. [11] And the man that lieth with his father’s wife hath uncovered his father’s nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. [12] And if a man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall surely be put to death: they have wrought confusion; their blood shall be upon them. [13] If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. [14] And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they; that there be no wickedness among you. [15] And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the beast.

People say “But Preacher, that was another time, another place”. The Scripture says that
God does not change.

James 1:17 (KJV) … the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Malachi 3:6 (KJV) For I am the LORD, I change not …

We certainly do not in this day execute the sexual sinner. But we also do not execute most murderers. Regardless, we need to be aware that God’s attitude toward any sin that violates the covenant union of marriage is that He is NOT IN FAVOR OF IT. However,

The Scribes & Pharisees weren’t interested in God’s Word. This woman was taken in the very act. Now here is the first indication that these so called holy men are not on the up and up. If she was taken “in the very act” then where IS THE MAN? This is one of the great flaws of religions and self righteousness. It recognizes part of God’s standard … the part that it likes … but rejects the rest of the standard. God did not give us His Word so that we can cherry pick it, choosing what we like while disregarding the rest. This is hypocrisy. God gave us the Word for us to agree with, to trust, to obey. Furthermore,
The Scribes & Pharisees were trying to trick Jesus. They said:

John 8:5-6 (KJV) Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but WHAT SAYEST THOU? [6] This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him.

Religion is not concerned with God nor His righteous Law.
Religion is concerned with itself.
The Self Righteous doesn’t look up. They looks around.

Think about this for a moment. When Israel was an independent nation they could and should do as God’s Law said. But Israel at this point in history is under Roman dominion. The Law of Moses did indeed say that the woman AND HER COMPANION be stoned with stones until they were dead. However as a Roman conquered country they were all under the Roman laws. The Jews had no right to execute anyone! Period! The Scribes & Pharisees knew this.

If Jesus said “Yes, the Law says stone her”, then the Pharisees & Scribes could have reported Him to the Roman authorities, and Jesus could have been imprisoned for insurrection. But if Jesus said “But we are under Roman control” the Jews could accuse Him of colluding with the enemy, and the people would have turned against Him. Either way they figured that they had won.

They figured wrong.

Jesus Is Far Better Than Religion

John 8:6 (KJV) … But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.

Jesus shows us the best way to react when the foolishness of the world and religion comes. Too often I find myself saying something I wish I had never said. Jesus said nothing. He occupied Himself while He thought – and waited. He was not going to be forced into something foolish. Oh that we could all understand this.

John 8:7 (KJV) So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is WITHOUT SIN AMONG YOU, let him first cast a stone at her.

Jesus said “Let the one who is ἀναμάρτητος anamartētos” which means “sinless”. The word is only found HERE in the Greek New Testament. In the Law no one was executed for sin unless there were two witnesses to the fact of the sin. Once judgment was pronounced these two witnesses were to be the first ones to cast the stone at the guilty. We read:

Deuteronomy 17:6-7 (KJV) At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death. [7] The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So thou shalt put the evil away from among you.

Jesus was asking for the two witnesses to step forward and do their duties according to the Law. Yet here’s the problem. First, if the two witnesses stepped forward and cast the stones, those men could be tried in Roman court for rioting and insurrection. Second, I don’t believe there was two guiltless witnesses in the bunch. Those who saw the woman in adultery were guilty of conspiracy, for they allowed her lover to flee. Both Adulterer and Adulteress were to be executed. These people either did not see the woman, or were guilty themselves.

Jesus looks at all of us who would be judgmental and self righteous and says:

He that is WITHOUT SIN AMONG YOU,
let him first cast a stone at her, him, or them!

The reality is we are all at heart sinners. We shouldn’t be chucking stones at one another. We should be pointing toward the Christ of Calvary, the One Who loved the world so much that He died for it.

John 8:8-9 (KJV) And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. [9] And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

They all departed. Religion and self righteousness will stand up in the presence of Christ our Lord. Jesus and this woman are standing before Jesus’ Bible Class, but His eyes are on her and her alone.

John 8:10 (KJV) When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

The woman replied “No man accuses me, Lord”. Notice that she calls Jesus “Lord”. Jesus tells her in front of His disciples:

Go And Sin No More

John 8:11 (KJV) … Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

I do not condemn you … but do not commit adultery again. Repent of that lifestyle. You are not to violate God’s standards, but to walk in love with Me.

But Jesus is not finished. He looks at His disciples – His Bible Class – and says:

John 8:12 (KJV) Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

To the person in sexual sin Jesus says “Go and sin no more”. Walk with Christ. When you follow Christ – Who is the Light of the world – you shall not walk in darkness. There are so many bound to sexual sin today who declare themselves to be Christian. You cannot be. Jesus said “the one that follows Me SHALL NOT WALK in darkness, but SHALL HAVE the light of life”. You cannot walk with Jesus and walk in darkness. He changes us. He moves us from dark to light. And when we err, when we sin, He draws us ever inexorability and absolutely into His Kingdom of light. The Scripture says that because of Christ:

Colossians 1:12-14 (KJV) … the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: [13] Who 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:

This woman was changed by Christ. She came to Jesus an adulteress, and left a Child of God. She came to the Lord a sinner, but left a saint, marked by Christ. She was whole and clean because she gave herself to Him and He gave Himself for her. Thank God for His unspeakable gift! Thank God for Jesus! As that dear woman walked away from that encounter that day I can imagine her heart sing:

Jesus lifted me, Jesus lifted me
When no-one else would help
Jesus lifted me
Jesus lifted me, Jesus lifted me
When no one else could help
Jesus lifted me

I was sinking deep in sin, Far from the peaceful shore
Very deeply stained within, Sinking to rise no more
But the Master of the sea, Heard my despairing cry
From the waters lifted me, Now safe am I

All my heart to Him I give, Ever to Him I’ll cling
In His blessed presence live, Ever Christ’s praises sing
Love so mighty and so true, Merits my soul’s best songs
Faithful, loving service too, to Him belongs

Posted in John, Sermons Preached | Tagged adultery, Jesus loves me, sexual sin, sinners, sinners prayer | Leave a comment

They Repented Not!

Posted on August 20, 2018 by bibleteacherorg

image courtesy of publicdomainpictures.net

Revelation 16:1,15 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. …15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

As we come to chapter 16 of this wonderful Book of Revelation we see the Bowl Judgments of God poured out on the earth. These Judgments are different from the Judgments of the Trumpets and Seals. In those Judgments there was a break between the sixth and seventh judgments:

The Seven Seals (Revelation 6:1-17 … 8:1-5)
The Seven Trumpets (Revelation 8:6-9:21 … 11:15-19)
The Seven Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls are connected to one another.
The Seventh SEAL introduces the Seven Trumpets (Revelation 8:1-5)
The Seventh TRUMPET introduces the Seven Bowls (Revelation 15:1-8)

The Bowl Judgments have no break in them. The seven plagues of the bowls are rapidly poured out on a rebellious world.

The Bowl Judgments Are The Culmination Of God’s Wrath

Revelation 16:1 And I heard a Great Voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.

As we come to Revelation 16 we see 7 angels carrying 7 “vials” or “bowls”, the Greek φιάλη phiale (fee-al’-ay) which means “a broad shallow cup or bowl”. It’s interesting that this word is used. The bowl isn’t DEEP, it’s SHALLOW. It is easy to spill a shallow bowl. I remember when I was a little boy my first chore was to take Daddy a cup of coffee when he got home from work. He’d work hard all day, come home, and sit down in his recliner to read the paper. Momma would call me, “David, come take daddy some coffee”. I was probably about 8 years old, and I’d go get his cup. Momma would fill it up to the brim then tell me, “Daddy likes it full. Be careful you don’t spill it!” And I’d carefully carry it, watching the brim of the cup as I walked, until I got it into Daddy’s waiting hands … it was very easy to spill.

God calls to the seven angels – Seven is the number of God, of completion.
God rested on the Seventh Day, and gave us a Sabbath to rest and remember Him.

These 7 seven Angels are not rushing to judgment, but carrying these 7 shallow bowl judgments exactly where they need to be. The Bowls are easily emptied out on a fallen and unrepentant world. A Great Voice from the Temple in Heaven releases these Angels, saying “Go your ways, and pour out these bowls”. These Angels are representatives of God, judging sin on the earth.

I don’t think we as a nation are far from the Judgment of God.

We live in a day where – like it was in the time of the Judges of Israel:

Judges 21:25 (KJV) In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

The world has rejected the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and is making up it’s own rules and standards. “I am King, and there is no other” is in the heart of many. So God sends Judgment – a well deserved Judgment – on the earth. But it is not just broadcast or scattered Judgment.

a The Bowl Judgments Are TARGETED and SPECIFIC. We read:

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

Though the Judgment is “poured upon the earth”, it has a very specific focus. The First Bowl targets those who had the Mark of the Beast, those who worshiped his image. These are the people who compromised with the anti-Christ. They are the people who forged the god of their imagination and made out that he was the God of creation. They are idolaters, worshipers of the created rather than the Creator. God brings grievous sores – cankers – on these people.

These people allowed the anti-Christ to “mark” them,
now they are “marked” with sores.

God despises idolatry. God created us to worhip HIM. Dr. J.I. Packer said:

“It is impossible to worship nothing: we humans are worshipping creatures, and if we do not worship the God who made us, we shall inevitably worship someone or something else.”

The first THREE of the Ten Commandments deal with worshiping God properly. Worship is in our makeup. God told His people Israel when they entered Canaan:

Deuteronomy 7:25-26 (KJV) The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God. [26] Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.

You were not just to destroy the image, but also throw away the raw material. What you WORSHIP determines what you WILL BE. If you worship the God Who loves you then you will be like Him. If you worship money, power, sex, or any one of the false gods of this world, you will be like what you worship. Dr. Timothy Keller said:

“{An idol} is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give. … An idol is whatever you look at and say, in your heart of hearts, “If I have that, then I’ll feel my life has meaning, then I’ll know I have value, then I’ll feel significant and secure.” … [An idol] is anything so central and essential to your life that, should you lose it, your life would feel hardly worth living.”

Revelation 16:3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.

The world turned away from God and received a godless mark so that they could buy and sell. In both ancient and modern times the sea is a source of great commerce. Fishermen take their livelihood from the sea. Ships bring commerce from the sea.

God now turns the sea to the clotted blood of a dead man. Not just blood, but the “blood of a dead man”. The imagery is sickening. The second Bowl kills every fish, every creature that can be used for food.

every living soul died in the sea

The Second Trumpet Judgment caused a THIRD of all life to die in the sea. The Second Bowl destroys ALL LIFE.

The Redeemed starved to death because they would not take the mark.
Now those with the mark of the Beast starve, for the sea provides much of what we eat.

Revelation 16:4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.

The wildlife drink from fresh water streams, but now they are as blood. Farmers irrigate their fields with fresh water – but now it is blood. We bathe in water, cook in water, we are 60% water ourselves …. and now it is blood. Why does God cause ALL the waters to become blood? We are told:

Revelation 16:5-7 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. 6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. 7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

The “Angel of the Waters” is only mentioned
here in the Bible.

The commentaries suggest that this is the Angel responsible for the water on the earth, the Superintendant of God’s Water Department. When the water are turned to blood this Angel – now out of work – acknowledges that what God has done is right and righteous.

they have shed the blood of saints and prophets,
and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy
(they deserve it)

God will avenge His people. Do not avenge yourself if someone does you wrong. Look to the Lord. Has He not said:

Deuteronomy 32:35 To Me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.

Hebrews 10:30-31 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Pharaoh drown the Jewish boy babies
And he and his army drown in the Red sea.
Haman planned to hang Mordecai on the gallows
But he himself was hanged on the gallows.
King Saul refused to obey God and slay the Amalekites
So he was slain by an Amalekite.

God will balance it all out!

These are the people who killed the Tribulation Saints.
These are the people who killed prophets,
Maligned pastors, & mutilated the people of God.
And God will repay.
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

b The Bowl Judgments Show The Hardness Of The Lost. The world will not repent. We read:

Revelation 16:8-9 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. 9 And men were scorched with great heat, and BLASPHEMED THE NAME OF GOD, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

The Fourth Angel’s Bowl causes the sun to erupt. Maybe this is a solar flare. I was watching a documentary of the Sun the other day on the Discovery Channel. On September 2, 1859 telegraphs went crazy all over the world. Operator’s lines were overflowing with electricity. They unplugged the telegraphs from their batteries, and they continued to work from the current in the air. A solar flare erupted and it’s discharge headed toward earth. The documentary I was watching said that if such a thing happened today it would shut down all computers, electrical grids, and technology worldwide. A strong enough solar flare can punch a hole in our atmosphere, allowing radiation to come through and microwave the planet.

The Fourth Bowl Angel causes a great solar flare, one that causes terrible heat and, along with it, I suspect a suspention of all technology. Cars with onboard computers will shut dow, The Internet will close down. Banking services will cease. You will have money in the bank, but no way to get it. Computers run our stores, so you will not be able to buy or sell. Electric grids will shut down. There will be no air conditioning, and God will turn up the heat.

The King James says that men were “scorched” with the heat. The actual word is καυματίζω kaumatizo (kau-mat-id’-zo) which means “to burn”. I saw a movie once where a hole formed in the ozone layer of our earth. Where that hole was, the microwaves from the sun pierced through and literally set people and things on fire. That’s the image we see here.

With all of this suffering and agony, what is the response of those who are being judged. They blasphemed the name of God, which had power over the plagues, and they repented not to give Him glory. They refused to repent.

The world is so hardened that they blame God for the first four plagues, not their own sinfulness. They cursed God for interfering in their lives. “How dare You allow this? How can a Loving God allow such a thing? You do not exist. You are a lie!”

Revelation 16:10-11 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat {thronos – throne} of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, 11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

As the Fifth Bowl is poured out, it is poured out on the Throne of the anti-Christ. Where his kingdom is it is full of darkness. I don’t think that this is dark as in the absence of light. The Fourth Angel caused the sun to flare, so their will be light from it, the moon, and the stars. I think that this darkness is spiritual darkness, depression, panic attacks, mental illness on an unheard scale. It will be so painful that they will gnaw their tongues for pain.

Will they repent? No. They blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

They want life without the Father of Life.
They want peace without the Father of peace.
They want Heaven on earth, but not the God of Heaven.

The Godless Revolt Rather Than Repent

The 6^th and 7^th Bowl Judgments do not bring a plague to mankind as the first five Bowls did. They enable man to do what he has always wanted to do. If a person will not repent and turn to God saying “Thy will be done”, in time God will turn to man and say “All right, now THY will be done”. Mankind has been in rebellion from the day of his creation. When God said “You can have it all BUT this” man said “But I want THAT TOO!”. When God – in the fullness of time …

Galatians 4:4-5 ^(ESV) ….. sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law ….

Israel rejected the Messiah. The Leadership, rather than following Him, followed their own hearts, and God turned them over to destruction. Everyone has a choice to accept Christ or not, but in the end those who will not choose God cannot go into God’s Heaven nor possess God’s creation. He made it, and He will give it to whosoever will.

Whosoever will believe on Christ and submit to His Lordship shall be saved, shall be adopted into the family of God, and shall inherit the things that the Father made. Whosoever will not shall not. It is that simple!

a The 6^th Bowl Judgment Gives All Nations In Rebellion A Pathway To Invade God’s Jerusalem.

Revelation 16:12-14 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

The Euphrates River is the northeastern border of the land God promised to Abraham’s descendants (see Genesis 15:18; Deuteronomy 1:7; 11:24; Joshua 1:4).

God dried up the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21-22) when Israel took her exodus from Egypt under the leadership of Moses.
God dried up the Jordan River (Joshua 3:13-17) as the second generation of Israel from the Exodus moved back into the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua.

Now God dries up the Euphrates River – not so the righteous can pass, but so the unrighteous can pass. They have rejected God, have revolted on God, and now declares war on God and His Israel. They are encouraged in this blasphemous revolt by the dragon, the beast (the anti-Christ), and the false prophet, who call forth “three unclean spirits” or demons who “work miracles”. The unholy trinity of evil speaks words of encouragement, then uses demons to produce miracles, convincing the rulers of the earth that Jerusalem and God can be overthrown. They will not win, for we see in verse 14 that this is “that great day of God Almighty”. Evil will be destroyed at Armageddon. God paves the way!

b The 7^th Bowl Judgment Releases The Battle Of Armageddon. Before the battle begins Jesus gives a warning to all who will hear. We read:

Revelation 16:15-16 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. 16 And HE GATHERED THEM TOGETHER into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

1 Thessalonians 5:2-4 (KJV) For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. [3] For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. [4] But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

Jesus will come unexpectedly – first to Rapture His Church, and second to save Israel and His Earth.

Please note that though these forces are in rebellion against God and supposedly following the leadership of Satan’s unholy trinity, the Bible says “HE gathered them together”.
God provided the crossing.
God lead them to the attack.
The God destroys them.

Note the next verse:

Revelation 16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, IT IS DONE.

We are told in John:

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

“Was made” is the Greek γίνομαι ginomai (ghin’-om-ai) meaning “to cause to be, to become or come into being”. God became Man to bring us to Himself. God loves us, and went above and beyond to redeem us. Redemption begins when we repent and turn to Christ. Yet the world will not come to Christ. It will not receive the God Man Jesus as Lord and Savior. It chooses instead a Beast, a Dragon, and a False Prophet. Since the world rejects the Ginomai of Christ, the Lord now says:

IT IS DONE
γίνομαι ginomai (ghin’-om-ai)!

You rejected Me, so now Judgment has come. You could have chosen the Christ and the Cross. Instead you chose to reject Christ, and have become the defeated, the destroyed, the disinherited, the demonized.

Revelation 16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

A great earthquake comes and destroys all the powerful cities of the world. Babylon is destroyed. The capital city of the unholy trinity is destroyed. God’s wrath is poured out to the last drop!

Revelation 16:20-21 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and MEN BLASPHEMED GOD BECAUSE OF THE PLAGUE OF THE HAIL; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

and even then they repented not. Holy Father, even then they repented not! Oh that they had repented. Oh, that you would repent!

Posted in Revelation | Tagged Bowl Judgments, hard hearted, Jesus, repent, repentance, Revelation | Leave a comment

Shine For Jesus

Posted on August 19, 2018 by bibleteacherorg

image courtesy of publicdomainpictures.net

Exodus 34:28-30 (KJV) And {Moses} was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. [29] And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with {God}. [30] And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.

Fasting for forty days does not usually cause a person to look better, but to look starved. Moses had been on the mountain with God for forty days. He fasted. The Bible says that :

he did neither eat bread, nor drink water

This was not the first time Moses fasted. Deuteronomy 10:10 tells us that he fasted this long more than once.

Moses did not suffer for being without food or water.
The Lord sustained him.

When Moses came down the mountain the Bible tells us that:

the skin of his face shone; and they {the Israelites} were afraid to come nigh him

The people saw the shining of Moses’ face. The glory of God had literally rubbed off on Moses, and as they saw it they were frightened by it. The people were so frightened that they could not hear what Moses had to tell them. They were afraid to come near to him. Moses was God’s Ambassador, and he needed to tell the people what the Lord had told him. But the people would not come near or, if they did, they were more focused on the glow of Moses’ face than they were with the message that Moses brought. So what did Moses do?

He covered his face.
He hid the light of God’s glory,
So the people would hear what God had to say.

Moses Wanted The People To Hear God’s Word

Exodus 34:32-35 (KJV) And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai. [33] And TILL Moses had done speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. [34] But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the veil off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded. [35] And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone: and Moses put the veil upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

Moses put the veil on his face so that he could keep his audience attention. Some of you may be thinking “How silly that they would be distracted by a shining face!”. I have stood and addressed audiences with the Word of God for over 22 years now. When a baby burps or giggles some will focus on the baby rather than on the Word of God. I have seen a wasp come into the Church while I was preaching, and all eyes stare at the wasp as it wanders across the ceiling. I saw one person stare throughout a service once at the carpet. After the service was over I went to where that person was staring and found a dead bug on the carpet. To be kind, perhaps the distracted one was praying for the resurrection of that bug. I don’t know. We are easily distracted.

A young preacher I was mentoring preached in my place one Sunday morning. Following the service an old, retired pastor in the congregation came to him and handed him a piece of paper. On that paper he had tallied up every tick or repeated phrase that young preacher used throughout the sermon. The retired pastor did not hear the Word of God – he heard the ticks or mannerisms. He couldn’t see the glory of God for the man that was there.

Moses wanted his audience to see the glory of God, to hear the Word of God, to be blessed by his encounter as much as he was blessed. So he placed a veil over his face so that the people could perhaps hear. I suspect some in the audience still didn’t hear, but were distracted by the veil.

The Apostle Paul spoke of the veil of Moses in 2 Corinthians 3. In 1 Corinthians 13 the Apostle spoke to us the need of LOVE, love toward God and love toward one another. In 2 Corinthians 3 He speaks to us of the two Testaments or Covenants, the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. The Apostle said that the Church was the “epistle or letter of Christ …

2 Corinthians 3:3 (KJV) … written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; NOT IN TABLES OF STONE, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

Moses was a minister of the Old Testament, the Law of God. The people focused on the Law were frightened of Moses’ shining face. They were frightened of God. They did what God told them to do because the Law was written on tablets of stone. It was never God’s intent to save anyone by the Law, but by Grace.

The Law entered because Israel, experiencing the grace of God over and over again, never trusted in God nor received His Grace.

It was by Grace that Israel was not destroyed of the Destroyer. It was the Blood of the Lamb without blemish, sacrificed, eaten, that caused the Death Angel to Pass Over Israel. This is Grace. This is love.

It was the love of God and His graciousness that parted the Red Sea for Israel. It was not by works that Israel was saved, but by God. The armies of Egypt died, but Israel lived because of God’s love.

It was the love of God for His people that He gave them manna and water in the wilderness, yet Israel would not believe. So God called Moses up the mountain and gave the Law. If you are not under Grace, you are under the Law. If you are under Grace you are not under the Law. You must be one or the other. There is no fence sitting with God.

Moses’ Face Shined NOT Because Of The Law
BUT Because Of Grace

God called Moses up the mountain to receive the Law.

Exodus 34:1-3 (KJV) And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest. [2] And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount. [3] And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount.

Moses cut two tablets out of stone, but it is God Who wrote the Law on these tablets.

It was not the Law that caused Moses’ face to shine.
It was GRACE.
It was that God communed with Moses.

Exodus 34:4 (KJV) And {Moses} hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone.

Grace loves God.
If you are under Grace you love God!

John 14:15 (KJV) If ye love me, keep my commandments.

God told Moses to hew two tablets of stone like the first. Cut out TWO tablets. Not three. Not one. Two. TWO. What size should they be? “Like the first”. Moses, you know what that is. You broke the first set of tablets, so make them again. Make them EARLY.

Exodus 34:4 (KJV) … and Moses rose up EARLY in the morning …

Don’t procrastinate. People say “I’ll read my Bible later on, when I have time.” Or they say “I’m going to read through the Bible … but NEXT year”. We put God on the back burner. Moses didn’t do that. God said “Do it” so Moses “Did it”. He went “Early in the morning”. When God went to Father Abraham and said:

Genesis 22:2 (KJV) And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

Did Abraham put it off to a better time? No! The Bible says:

Genesis 22:3 (KJV) And Abraham rose up EARLY in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

The Lord says in Proverbs 8:17 (KJV) I love them that love me; and those that seek me EARLY shall find me.

Moses did not procrastinate. The Bible says:

Exodus 34:4 (KJV) … Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, AS THE LORD HAD COMMANDED HIM, and took in his hand the two tables of stone.

A lot of people say “I Love God” but never show it.
God wants to see your love in action!

When Moses did as God asked – showing his love for the Lord – we read that:

Exodus 34:5 (KJV) And the LORD descended in the cloud, and STOOD WITH HIM THERE, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.

God came down and stood with Moses.
God proclaimed His Name.
He proclaimed Who He was.
God did not start by giving the Law,
but by describing Himself to Moses.
Moses experienced God!

What is “The NAME of God?”. It is Who God is. God defines Himself to Moses. He moves into Moses’ presence.

Exodus 34:6 (KJV) And the LORD passed by before him …

God defined Himself by His Presence. He is the LORD, the Eternal and Great I AM. This infinite and eternal God “passed before Moses”. He loves His people. He loves them that love Him. God defines Himself as:

Exodus 34:6 (KJV) And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed,
The LORD, The LORD God …

He is “The LORD, the LORD God”. It is the LORD God Who made the heavens and earth (Genesis 2:4). It is the LORD God Who made man, and put him in Eden (Genesis 2:15). He is the LORD God who punished Cain, but provided for Noah. It is the LORD God who called Abraham from Babylon, and promised the land of Canaan to his descendants. He is the One Who came in Christ to redeem His people.

The LORD Defines Himself To The Obedient

In our world today everyone thinks that they are an authority on Who God is. Yet God alone is the Authority on Who God is. God defines Himself to Moses, and defines Himself to us. God is …

Exodus 34:6 (KJV) …. MERCIFUL and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,

God has not written one word on those stone tablets yet. He did not want to write anything on those stone tablets. Yet Israel would not see Him as He is. God is first of all MERCIFUL. He is filled with mercy. Why would God mention His mercy first? I read a statement the other day that said:

God’s Mercy Is Bigger Than Any Mistake
That You’ve Made!

Moses is standing before God right now.
Yet Moses is not perfect.

When Moses came down the mountain with the first set of commandments he broke them when he saw the children of Israel dancing before a golden calf, worshiping it! That was not in accordance with the will of God. Because someone else violates God’s Law is no reason for ME to break God’s Law. Yet many of us are like Moses. Someone does something wrong, then we respond by doing something wrong. My brothers and sisters, this must never be!

Self righteousness says “I would never do that”. Yet the truth is, we all are subject to failure. Moses had no right to break God’s Law just because Israel broke God’s Law. If someone breaks the Law of Love and hurts me, I have no right to break God’s Law and hurt them back. Instead, I am to …

Love my enemies. Do good to those who do bad to me.
Vengeance is God’s, not mine.

Though Moses did not worship the golden calf, he later would worship himself when he let anger get the best of him. Rather than glorify God Moses will strike the rock (Numbers 20:12), making himself a golden calf in the eyes of the people. Though Moses broke God’s Law and later would fall into idolatry God was still merciful to him. God came down to Moses in love. He comes to us in mercy and love.

Ephesians 2:4-6 (KJV) But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, [5] Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) [6] And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

God is merciful and gracious.
Mercy is an ocean, and from it run rivers of grace.

God is not only merciful and gracious, but longsuffering. He is patient. He is more patient than we deserve. If God gave us what we DESERVED then none of us would be alive. The Psalmist said:

Psalms 103:10-13 (KJV) He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. [11] For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. [12] As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. [13] Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.

Praise God for His patient and gracious love.

Exodus 34:6-7 (KJV) …. abundant in goodness and truth, [7] Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

And yet God does not forget the guilty. To those who repent and come to Him in love, He forgives and loves. Yet God does not wink at sin. Today in America we think that god winks at sin. That’s just not true. God is abundant in GOODNESS and TRUTH. What is “truth”? Pilate asked Jesus Christ

“What is TRUTH?”

Do you know what Jesus said? He said:

John 18:37 (KJV) …. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

Jesus Christ came into the world – Eternal God in human flesh – to bear witness to the truth. The truth is that we need the Lord. We need God in our lives. We need Him, and need to spend time with Him.

Moses’ face shined because he spent time with the Lord. Moses’ face shined because he loved the Lord. Moses’ face shined because he loved Israel, God’s people. We read:

Exodus 34:8-9 (KJV) And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. [9] And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.

Moses did not want to make excuses for his sin and the sin of the people. He bowed himself before the Lord. He asked God’s forgiveness for both himself and the people. And he asked that the Lord not just come and be a temporary blessing, but that the Lord …

go among us

If God Goes Among Us, We Too Will Shine

Israel was frightened of Moses’ shining face because Israel did not understand grace. Beloved, we who are Christ’s are called to shine as Moses shined. Jesus said to us in …

Matthew 5:14-16 (KJV) Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. [15] Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. [16] Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

And again in …

Philippians 2:12-15 (KJV) Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. [13] For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. [14] Do all things without murmurings and disputings: [15] That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

We are to shine for the Lord. We do this by entering into His Presence by prayer and by His Word. We spend time with Him. We do as He says do. We love the Lord by showing our love. We are not to hide the glory of God in our faces by a veil. We are to love the Lord boldly. We are to be a Spirit Filled people, loving and doing, walking hand in hand with our Savior. We are to shine for the Lord.

Romans 13:12-14 (KJV) The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. [13] Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. [14] But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.

Oh that God would go among us. That He would visit His Church. That He would manifest Himself in our hearts, writing love and obedience there. Oh that we would worship Him so that unbelievers could see Christ in our midst. Oh God, come and be among us. Let us be revived again. Let Your Church be revived again, both here and throughout America.

In Christ’s name we pray.

Amen!

Posted in Exodus, General, Sermons Preached | Tagged amazing grace, grace, Light of God, obedience | Leave a comment

Living Water, Living God

Posted on August 17, 2018 by bibleteacherorg

image courtesy of publicdomainpictures.net

John 7:37-39 (KJV) In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. [38] He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. [39] (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

As we come to John 7 we see it is the time for the Jewish Feast of Booths – also called Tabernacles or Sukkot. Tabernacles was an important and joyous time for the Jews. The Feast was when Solomon’s Temple was dedicated to the Lord (1 Kings 8:2). When that Temple was destroyed and the people came to rebuild they gathered to heard the Word of God at Booths (Nehemiah 8).

During Booths or Tabernacles Jewish males were to go to Jerusalem, and take with them their tithes and offerings (Deuteronomy 16:16). It was a time of celebration and thanksgiving to God. During the eight days of the Feast the Israelites were to dwell in booths or tabernacles (tents) made from branches of trees (Leviticus 23:40-42).

Booths symbolized God’s provision for wandering Israel.
Booths symbolized that God is faithful to His people.
God comes to His people and leads them.

As Israel left Egypt and headed toward the Promised Land God promised to be with them, and to be in their midst. Though wanderers, God met their every need.
God promised one day to come to His people and tabernacle with them forever.

Jesus Revealed Himself As God Tabernacling With Man

In John 6 Jesus fed 5000 men with a child’s lunch.
Jesus walked on water in the midst of a storm.
Then in Capernaum, Jesus taught that He was the Manna of God
Sent to give eternal life to all who believed on Him.

This was too much for the Pharisees. They didn’t want Him stirring up trouble – PARTICULARLY at the Feast of Tabernacles. So they plotted Jesus’ death. They weren’t secretive about it either, and Jesus knew what they plotted. The Pharisees didn’t believe in Jesus.

And neither did Jesus’ brothers!

His brothers told Him:

John 7:3, 5 (KJV) His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. … [5] For neither did his brethren believe in him.

Jesus told His brothers:

John 7:6-8 (KJV) …. My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready. [7] The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. [8] Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up YET unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come.

Jesus was going to the Feast, but not yet. If He went too soon He would be a target of the worldly self righteous Pharisees. He would go, but only at the best time. Jesus knew He was going to die for our sins, but only at the appointed time of the Father. He would not go with the crowd. So Jesus tarried while His unbelieving brothers went on ahead. When He later went to Jerusalem for the Feast He went to the Temple about the third day of the Feast to teach.

John 7:14 (KJV) Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.

There were large crowds gathered in the Temple, and this protected Him from the assassins who would try and kill Him. As Jesus taught people were amazed at the knowledge He had. Was this not the Carpenter’s son? A common Man? How could such a person know so many things? He never went to Seminary, Bible College, or even sat at the Rabbi Gamaliel’s feet! Jesus told them:

John 7:16-17 (KJV) … My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. [17] If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

Jesus spoke the words of God. He came doing the Father’s business. He is the Christ, the Messiah foreseen by the Prophets, promised by God. The source of what He said was not human opinion nor of man’s learning, but it came from God.

John 7:28-29 (KJV) Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. [29] But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.

The Pharisees and Chief Priests sent soldiers to take Jesus captive (verse 32). They were too cowardly to step up and do it themselves, so they hired it done. But they could not take Jesus. Why? Because His time had not yet come. The Messiah had to be fully presented to the people. As the Apostle said:

Galatians 4:4-5 (KJV) But 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.

Until God’s time was right Christ would not be killed. Then He would not be murdered, but sacrificed as the Lamb of God to pay for our sins of Calvary.

Only Christ Can Satisfy Our Thirst

John 7:37 (KJV) In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

Jesus taught in the Temple for about three days during the Feast. For each of the first seven days of the Feast the priests would go to the Pool of Siloam and there draw water into jugs.

That water was taken back to the Temple and poured on the altar as the Israelites sang Psalm 118, praising God for His provision. The site Bible-History.com notes:

“On the Eighth day, the last day, called “the great day of the feast” the priests made no procession and poured no water onto the pavement and this too was very significant, because it symbolized the fact that God had fulfilled the promise to their fathers, He had now brought them into this land that was well watered, flowing with milk and honey, they no longer needed the miraculous supply out of the Rock.

It was on this day the last day that Jesus stood and cried out: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

It is interesting to note that it was on this day that they sang the marvelous “hallel psalms” of praise, which conclude with this passage Ps. 118:22 “.. and You have become my salvation, the Stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone .. and blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”

The Messiah is in the midst of the people. He is the One Who will provide Living Water to those who believe. There is salvation in no other but in Christ. Jesus went on to say:

John 7:38 (KJV) He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the promise God made in …

Isaiah 44:3 (KJV) For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:

During the Feast the people lived in temporary tents, receiving sustenance from the Lord. But Jesus promised something greater to those who believed in Him. He promised that once we believed on Him we would become tabernacles in which God’s Holy Spirit would live. God would place wells – not in the ground where we lived, but in our bellies or within our bodies. This would not be a limited supply, not a trickle, but …

RIVERS of living water

Not a little bit, but a lot. To those who give themselves to Christ there is the satisfied life. He meets our needs. He slakes our thirst. And the Spirit indwells us. He flows through us. The Bible tells us:

John 7:39 (KJV) (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy {Spirit} was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

In the Old Testament era the Holy Spirit was active among the people of God. Yet the Spirit did not indwell people to stay. The Spirit came upon people, and then after they accomplished their mission the Spirit left. Charles Ryrie noted:

“The Spirit “came upon” such Old Testament people as Joshua (Numbers 27:18), David (1 Samuel 16:12-13) and even Saul (1 Samuel 10:10). In the book of Judges, we see the Spirit “coming upon” the various judges whom God raised up to deliver Israel from their oppressors. The Holy Spirit came upon these individuals for specific tasks. The indwelling was a sign of God’s favor upon that individual (in the case of David), and if God’s favor left an individual, the Spirit would depart (e.g., in Saul’s case in 1 Samuel 16:14). Finally, the Spirit “coming upon” an individual doesn’t always indicate that person’s spiritual condition (e.g., Saul, Samson, and many of the judges). So, while in the New Testament the Spirit only indwells believers and that indwelling is permanent, the Spirit came upon certain Old Testament individuals for a specific task, irrespective of their spiritual condition. Once the task was completed, the Spirit presumably departed from that person.”

With the death and resurrection of Jesus – His glorification – the Spirit would take on a new role for every believer. He would come to stay in us. He would flow through us. He would live in us. We are told in …

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (KJV) Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? [17] If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

With the indwelling of the Spirit comes a graver and greater responsibility for every believer. We are to be aware that the Spirit indwells us, and are not to defile our temple. We are not to fall into and remain in sin. Sexual sin defiles the body. The Apostle wrote:

1 Corinthians 6:18-20 (KJV) Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. [19] What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? [20] For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

We are to glorify God in our body – and in our spirit – which belong to God. We are not our own. We are His, and He is ours. The Spirit of God indwells the Christian (Ephesians 1:13-14), and will not tolerate unrepentant sin in that which He indwells. We can let Him flow through our lives like living water. This is the way we are to go. We are to walk in the Spirit:

Galatians 5:16 (KJV) This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Posted in John, Sermons Preached | Tagged Feast of Booths, Holy Spirit, Jesus, living water | Leave a comment

Choose God NOW

Posted on August 13, 2018 by bibleteacherorg

image courtesy of publicdomainpictures.net

Revelation 15:1-8 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God. 2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. 3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. 4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest. 5 And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: 6 And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles. 7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. 8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

We come now to the shortest chapter in the Book of Revelation. Being the shortest does not make it unimportant. In fact, this is one of the most powerful chapters in the Book. As we start the chapter we read:

Revelation 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

The Wrath Of God Must Be Filled Up

“And I saw” tells us John has another vision. John sees seven angels with seven plagues. What is the purpose of these “plagues”? We are told:

in them is filled up the wrath of God

The culmination of God’s wrath is in these plagues. People in our world today do not believe in a God of wrath. They believe that God is no more than love embodied, the kindly Eternal and Absentminded Grandfather who always has a little change for his grandbabies. This is not what the Scripture says of God. God must exercise wrath against sin. The Bible tells us that God’s wrath is justified. The Apostle said to those who would not repent:

Romans 2:5-11 (KJV) But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; [6] Who will render to every man according to his deeds: [7] To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: [8] But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, [9] Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; [10] But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: [11] For there is no respect of persons with God.

To those who reject Christ and His Lordship Salvation the Lord promises a payday someday. As we come to Revelation 15 we see payday coming. The world has been given the Gospel. The Lord was preached to by

Three Angels, and
144,000 Hebrew Evangelists, and
Two Witnesses

The world has been told of Christ for more than 2000 years now. The world has been blanketed by the Gospel. Had they come to Christ they could have claimed the promise …

Romans 5:9 (KJV) Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Oh Christian, you never need fear the wrath of God! Has He not promised that the Blood of Christ is sufficient? Has He not promised that He poured out ALL THE WRATH OF GOD onh HIS BELOVED SON so that you do not need to endure it. Oh Beloved, what a wonderful truth is this! We Who are Christ’s shall not see Hell, nor Great Tribulation, nor Great White Throne. Christ took the weight of God’s just wrath on Himself. What a wonderful promise:

1 Thessalonians 5:8-10 (KJV) But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. [9] For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, [10] Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

Wrath is for the lost. And wrath will come to the lost. J.I. Packer said:

“God’s wrath in the Bible is never the capricious, self-indulgent, irritable, morally ignoble thing that human anger so often is. It is, instead, a right and necessary reaction to objective moral evil” ^{(Knowing God, 151)}.

God’s wrath will be poured out on those who are not under the umbrella of Christ’s magnificent Gospel. People will be soaked to the bone with God’s wrath!

The Prophet Nahum said:

Nahum 1:2-3 (KJV) God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. [3] The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.

God’s wrath will be poured out on those who have rejected His standard. He says in …

Romans 1:18-22 (KJV) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; [19] Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. [20] For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: [21] Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. [22] Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

God has not kept Himself secret, but has revealed Himself to us in:

Our bodily design
Our moral attributes
Our world itself

Even moreso during the Great Tribulation God will reveal Himself through supernatural and magnificent ways. And yet mankind will reject Christ. And so God’s wrath will be fulfilled. It must be poured out. But before we see the Angels pour out this wrath there is another vision John sees. He sees …

Those Who Chose The Wrath Of Man Rather Than God

Revelation 15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

“And I saw” marks another vision, not of wrath, but of salvation. We see the Tribulation Saints – those who missed the Rapture of the Church but who received Christ rather than receive the Mark of the Beast – standing on a sea of glass mingled with fire. The last time we saw this “sea of glass” was in Revelation 4:

Context Revelation 4:6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass
like unto crystal …

Previously the “sea of glass” was like crystal, but now it is mingled with fire. The Judgment of God is now here. The Tribulation Saints – those who went through the worst time of martyrdom in all of human history – shed their blood rather than bow their knees to the anti-Christ. They refused to compromise, and loved God until the end.

They stood not with popular opinion, but the Lord.
The rested in Christ, not in the curiosity of the culpable.
They went through the fire like the Hebrew Children.
And now stand before the Almighty God!

They stand now before the Throne of God on a “sea of glass mingled with fire” and they are not afraid.

Those who love the Lord have the harps of Gold. They worship God. For God has saved them and brought them to His side! They Choose To Praise God!

They chose the Harp of Gold over the Bowl of Gold.

1 John 4:17-19 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19 We love him, because he first loved us.

These Saints are standing before the Source of all Power and Majesty. They are standing before the Almighty God before Whom even the most powerful nuclear weapon that man can make looks like a mosquito bite in comparison. These Saints respect God and are in holy awe of Him. But they do not quake. They SING! They PRAISE HIM. They are not judged, but they are loved!

Choosing to follow Jesus will put you at odds with the fallen world. These Tribulation Saints died for their faith. They were not merely ostracized – they starved to death because they would not receive the Mark of the Beast. Yet what do these Saints do?
They praise God. They magnify Him by singing.

Revelation 15:3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, …

The Tribulation Saints Sing The Song Of Moses.
There are three songs of Moses in the Bible.

Exodus 15:1-19 – written at the Red Sea Crossing
Psalm 90
Deuteronomy 32

The substance of each of these songs is that God is Almighty, Faithful, and True. In the first song of Moses (which is the first recorded song in the Bible) Moses sang:

Exodus 15:1-2 (KJV) …. I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. [2] The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

Exodus 15:11 (KJV) Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

This is just a portion of this song, but it is wonderful because it magnifies God. The Song of Moses recorded in Psalm 90 states in part:

Psalms 90:1-2 (KJV) …. Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. [2] Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

Psalms 90:12 (KJV) So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

The third Song of Moses was written at God’s direction. God told Moses in:

Deuteronomy 31:19 (KJV) Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that THIS SONG MAY BE A WITNESS FOR ME AGAINST THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL.

The song is in Deuteronomy 32. In part it reads:

Deuteronomy 32:1-4 (KJV) Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. [2] My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: [3] Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. [4] He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

Deuteronomy 32:9 (KJV) For the LORD’S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.

Which “Song of Moses” did these Tribulation Saints – more than likely Redeemed Israelites – sing unto the Lord? I don’t know. But I do know whichever song they chose,

it magnified God as He triumphed over their enemy.

Revelation 15:3 (KJV) And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God,
and the song of the Lamb, …

They also sang “The Song of the Lamb”. Some have suggested certain Psalms as the “Song of the Lamb”, but I think this makes the interpretation too difficult. The Song of the Lamb is actually right here:

Revelation 15:3-4 (KJV) … Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. [4] Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

The Song of the Lamb magnifies God and His Great Salvation wrought through Christ. He is Just and True. He is the King of the Saints – of which you are a part, if you are Christ’s. You are set apart for His glory. You are called to worship and glorify Him and Him alone. Because of the Lamb:

all nations shall come and worship before Thee

Many shall be saved because of Christ. Praise God and His magnificent Grace!

Proper Worship Of God Releases Judgment

Revelation 15:5-6 And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: 6 And the seven angels came out of the temple ….

If we would worship God, God would take care of our enemies. Too often we become entranced with an eye for an eye philosophy. Someone hurt us, so we want vengeance. What did the Lord tell us?

Romans 12:19-21 (KJV) Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. [20] Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. [21] Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Those who stood before the Throne were martyred for their faith. They did not moan, but sang praises unto God. They trusted God to do what was right. As soon as they finished singing to God judgment was released. God will repay. Oh yes, God will repay!

Let God do the whipping, and we’ll do the worship!

Following worship the Seven Bowl Angels are released from Heaven to the earth. These angels are carrying terrible plagues with them. How are they dressed? We read:

Revelation 15:6 {they are} clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.

These plague carrying Angels are dressed in pure, white linen.
What they are doing is sinless.
It is what is right, regardless as to what we think.

God offered Heaven, but the world refused.
So now the world gets the alternative.
It receives wrath!

We read that:

Revelation 15:7 (KJV) And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.

Do you remember who these “four beasts” before God’s Throne are? They are the Heavenly Worship Leaders. One of the Worship Leaders passes off the vials of the wrath of God to the Angels. He loads the gun. Now judgment comes.

Revelation 15:8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

What is this symbolic of? “No one can enter the Temple”? In Old Testament times a person accused of wrongdoing could run to the Temple and grab hold of the horns of the altar, crying out for mercy. There will be no running to the Temple. There will be no crying for mercy. Man was offered mercy, but rejected it.

He could have got on the Ark.
But the door is closed, and the water is rising.
He could have killed the Lamb without blemish.
But he ignored the warning, and the Death Angel has come.
He could have walked the aisle, and committed himself to Christ.
But he was too proud to do so. He would not obey.
He could have cried the name of Jesus.
But instead he cursed His Name.
Mercy would have come running a thousand times.
But he had no time for God.
And now the door is closed.
The service over.
Damnation.
Sure.

Posted in Revelation, Sermons Preached | Tagged Great Tribulation, martyrs, Saints, salvation | Leave a comment

The Glory Of His Presence

Posted on August 13, 2018 by bibleteacherorg

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Exodus 33:12-17 (KJV) And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. [13] Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. [14] And {God} said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. [15] And {Moses} said unto {God}, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. [16] For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth. [17] And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.

What separates us as God’s people?
Is it not that God is with us?
That God goes with us, goes before us?
That He is in a very real way in our midst?

I was reading an article the other day written by a young Christian who thought that what made the Church was its music. Music is fine. I love music. I love all types of music. But you have music in a honkey tonk, in bars, at Walmart, and most stores. You have music in elevators. God’s people should be joyous, singing people. But if God is not in it, there is nothing.

When we gather, we gather under God’s authority for His glory. It is this type of gathering that causes God to be present. Jesus said:

Matthew 18:20 (KJV) For where two or three are gathered together IN MY NAME, there am I in the midst of them.

It is not the number of people in a service that brings blessing, but that we are gathered together in His Name and for His glory. The Church has, in many respects, lost this in America.

We need the Lord in our lives, present, living, and real to us. There is no real healing in us unless God is with us. When Jesus healed ten lepers but only one returned to praise the Lord He declared:

Luke 17:17-19 ….. Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 18 There are not found that returned TO GIVE GLORY TO GOD, save this stranger^{(the Samaritan)}. 19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

It is the faith that seeks God first and foremost that brings wholeness. We must worship the Lord.

God Will Not Walk With The Prideful

God is often better to us than we deserve. As Israel prepared to go into the Land of Canaan the Lord called out to Moses:

Exodus 33:1 And the LORD said unto Moses…

Don’t miss this. Don’t gloss this over. God spoke to Moses. Moses was having coffee one day and the Lord walked in. Moses, let’s talk. Oh what a blessing this would be! God spoke to Moses. He knew his name. He was on a first name basis with Moses. Oh, what a wonderful thing that is! The LORD – the Eternal and Everlasting I AM – spoke to the temporal Moses. He said:

Exodus 33:1-2 … Depart, and GO UP HENCE, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it: 2 And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite: [3] Unto a land flowing with milk and honey:

You GO UP Moses – GO UP on the Mountain that I promised to give you. When you go I will send an angel before you and I’ll drive out the bad things and the bad people. I’m going to give you the Mountain. Just Go UP.

You’re going to get everything you ever wanted.
You’ll get the land. You’ll be at rest.
Your enemies will be chased out.
Your children will keep the land.
You will have a progeny.
The land will literally flow with milk and honey.

It will be ALL that you dreamed. You will have it all. However, Moses …

Exodus 33:3 … for I WILL NOT GO UP IN THE MIDST OF THEE; for thou art a STIFF-NECKED PEOPLE: lest I consume thee in the way.

You can have it all – but I won’t be there.

What if God told you the same thing. “You can have it all, but I won’t be there with you”. What would you think? God said …

… the people are too “stiff necked”.

You may not know what that means, but ancient farmers did. When a horse or an ox decided it didn’t want to be trained it would stiffen its neck and fight the bit. It was its way of saying “You’ll not be my master no matter what!” To be “stiff necked” is to refuse to bend, to refuse to honor God as Lord and King.

The people would not honor God. God said “I’m not going to go with you for YOUR OWN SAKE, because if I go I MAY CONSUME YOU INTHE WAY”.

God cannot tolerate pride and arrogance.
God will not go with the prideful.
He will not be disrespected by pride filled people.
God is God!

When the Seven Deadly Sins are mentioned in Proverbs 6:16-19 do you know what the number one Deadly Sin is? P-R-I-D-E. Yes, Pride!

Proverbs 6:16-17 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an ABOMINATION unto him: 17 A PROUD LOOK ….

The proud look, the stiff neck, the “I am the center of the Universe” pride is an abomination to God. The word ABOMINATION means:

“That which causes disgust or hatred”

Why would God call pride an “ABOMINATION”?
Because pride leads us from Him Who loves us.
Pride depraves a nation and a people.
A pride filled people descend into idolatry.
They worship CALVES rather than their CREATOR.

Proverbs 16:18-19 PRIDE GOETH BEFORE DESTRUCTION, and a haughty spirit before a fall. 19 Better it is to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

PRIDE caused ADAM to fall from Paradise.
Pride said “God is depriving you – go ahead, EAT”.
PRIDE caused the destruction of all but eight in the FLOOD.
PRIDE caused SAMSON to fall for Delilah, then fall to Philistia.
PRIDE lead King DAVID to adultery and murder.
PRIDE caused LUCIFER to become Satan, the arch evil angel.
PRIDE causes many to reject the GOSPEL of Christ,
And leads them to a fiery Hell.

Listen to me – if you have something, you have it because God allowed it. If you have a talent, it is because God gave it to you. If you have beauty, or a powerful job, or even life itself it is because the LORD our God gave it to you. Do not think that you are self sufficient.

Without God we are but dust in the wind. God is the Giver, and we need His Presence.

Pride Is Horrid Because It Blinds
The Prideful To Their Condition

You cannot correct a prideful man. You cannot lead a prideful woman to repentance. Why? Because pride convinces me I AM RIGHT and EVERYONE ELSE IS WRONG.

Some of the saddest words in Scripture are those that follow. Moses shared what God said to Israel, but the Israelites could not hear what God said. Read with me:

Exodus 33:4 And when the people heard these EVIL TIDINGS, THEY MOURNED: and no man did put on him his ornaments.

The people MOURNED. The word ‘ABAL means to cry aloud, to wail. They began to wail and weep. Was it because they realized they were going into the Promised Land without God? No, but we are told:

Exodus 33:5-6 (KJV) For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiff-necked people: I will come up into the midst of thee IN A MOMENT, AND CONSUME THEE: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee. [6] And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb.

They mourned because God said He was going to destroy them. They did not mourn because they realized they realized their sin.
They mourned because they were going to be punished.

Part of what blinded them to their condition was their ornaments, their stuff. They had lots of “stuff”. Now this was “stuff” that God let them have, but now God told them “get rid of those ornaments, those trinkets, because that “stuff” is bringing you to destruction. God said the same thing to the Church at Laodicea in:

Revelation 3:15-17 (KJV) I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. [16] So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. [17] Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

That Church – like Israel – had lots of “stuff” … but the didn’t have the Lord. Jesus said “You think you are rich, but you are LUKEWARM, a nasty taste in My Mouth”. This is where Israel was. They had trinkets, but not God. They had

Four wheelers
Fishing boats
Two or more cars
Televisions in every room
Healthcare
good bank accounts
Several vacations a year
Condominiums
Jewelry
Social networks
Good jobs

But they did not have the Lord’s Presence in their daily lives. They had no sense of God, so lived senseless lives. I have seen so many obituaries lately of young people – 65 years old and younger still – who lived their lives empty of God. How do I know? The obituary spoke nothing of the Lord. Nothing. Nothing. They had no Church family, no pastor officiating their final service, and in many cases no final service. They had STUFF but did not have the Lord.

What gives us the POWER to OVERCOME in life is GOD’s PRESENCE!

The Scripture says:

1 John 5:4-5 For whatsoever is born of God OVERCOMETH the world: and this is the victory that OVERCOMETH the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that OVERCOMETH the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

If God is with me, I can OVERCOME all things. Canaan is no challenge if I go to Canaan with God. But even if God casts all of my enemies out of Canaan, if He will not go with me, then Canaan will not be Canaan.

One day Jesus sought to explain to His disciples – and US – the importance of God in our lives. Jesus stood in front of a beautiful field filled with wildflowers, and birds, and bees. Jesus stopped, and presenting the field to His disciples said:

Matthew 6:25-33 (KJV) Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? [26] Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? [27] Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? [28] And why take ye thought for {clothing}? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: [29] And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. [30] Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? [31] Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? [32] (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. [33] But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

God takes care of those who love Him. Seek HIS Presence. This is what Moses did next. He sought God. He told the people to quit seeking stuff and to seek God. Read with me:

Exodus 33:8-9 And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, AFAR OFF FROM THE CAMP, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp. 8 And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle. 9 And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses.

Did you read with me? Did you see what Moses did? He set up a place to meet with the Lord. It was a place far from the camp. Why? It wasn’t convenient to Israel. Some people say “I’ll stay home and worship God by watching Charles Stanley on television”. Go ahead, but you won’t find God there. God isn’t your God just when it’s convenient to you. God is not an APP that you dial up on your phone. God is God. Moses set up a place outside the camp

Afar Off From the Camp

a place you had to get up and go to. It wasn’t a McDonald’s sort of Christianity that Moses proposed to Israel. You had to be inconvenienced. You had to get up, get in your cart and donkey, and drive to it. Who experienced God? Those who went to the Tabernacle. Those who sought the Lord.

Jesus Christ went without the camp to pay for our sins. He calls us to go without the camp to worship Him. To step outside of our comfort zone. To intentionally seek God.

Hebrews 13:11-14 For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. 12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. 13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. 14 For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.

When we worship the Lord without the camp, we will worship Him in the home. We see that next.

Exodus 33:10 And ALL the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and ALL the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.

Our homes would be blessed if we loved the Lord outside the camp. If we sought Him at Church, in our businesses, in the marketplace.

Oh, How I Need The Presence Of God In My Life!

Many of the songs we sing every Sunday emphasize our need of God’s Presence in our daily lives. We need the Lord. We need the Lord more than stuff. We need Him every moment of every day. Moss told God:

Exodus 33:13-14 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. 14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.

It is the Presence of God in our lives that gives us rest. Moses did not want the Promised Land without the Precious Savior. He did not want Canaan without the Creator. He said:

Exodus 33:15-16 And {Moses} said unto {God}, If Thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. 16 For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.

If You are not with us, God, we don’t want the Holy Land.
We don’t want the stuff without You.
We desperately need You!

That is the mark of God’s people, that they want God.
That they hear God.
That they love God.
That they represent God.
That they follow God.
That they are God’s own.

Are you? Are you God’s own? May God touch your hearts with His Word.

Posted in Exodus, Sermons Preached | Tagged Kingdon of God, presence of God, stuff, things | Leave a comment

The Holy Spirit

Posted on August 10, 2018 by bibleteacherorg

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John 14:1-6 (KJV) Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. [2] In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. [3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. [4] And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. [5] Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? [6] Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

John 14:15-18 (KJV) If ye love me, keep my commandments. [16] And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; [17] Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. [18] I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

All Together John 14:26 (KJV) But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Most people are familiar with the first six verses of John 14. You have heard these words at funerals, heard them preached. I personally love the politically incorrect John 14:6 where Jesus unashamedly declares:

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

Here He declares the uniqueness of Christianity.
Jesus is the only Way to God.
Jesus leads us to the Father.
Jesus imparts to us the Holy Spirit.

As Christians we are well aware of what Jesus did for us. He died for our sins, and rose again for our justification. He promises us eternal life. We are aware of the Father, the Provider of all things. But what of the Holy Spirit?

Many Christians think little of the Holy Spirit. We acknowledge Him, but are confused over His role in our faith. We are confused by Him. Should we call Him “Holy Spirit” or “Holy Ghost”? Sometimes He is presented as “Spirit” and other times in the King James as “Ghost”.

The title “Holy Spirit” in the original text is Hagios Pneuma which should be translated “Holy Spirit”. The word “Pneuma” in the Greek also means “Wind”. Jesus used the wind to describe the operation of the Holy Spirit when He told Nicodemus:

John 3:8 (KJV) The wind^pneuma bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit^pneuma.

It is the Holy Spirit Who brings new Birth to the Christian. Like the wind blowing through the trees you see His effect on the Church and on the individual believer. He brings change to the Child of God who calls upon the Name of Christ. He empowers us to live the Christian way of life. He draws us to God, and binds us, marking us for Heaven and as the lights of God on this present earth.

The Holy Spirit Is A Person, Not A Power

I have heard people refer to the Holy Spirit as “It”, as if the Spirit were a power or a thing. He is not a thing. The Spirit is a Person. As Jesus develops the Doctrine of the Spirit notice how He refers to Him:

John 14:16-17 And I will pray the Father, and HE shall give you another Comforter, that HE may abide with you for ever; [17] Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth HIM not, neither knoweth HIM: but ye know HIM; for HE dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

When Jesus referred to the Father it was as HE or HIM. When Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit it was as HE or HIM, not IT.

You will find no place in Scripture where the Blessed Spirit is an IT. He is misrepresented as an IT (Itself) in the Authorized King James texts of Romans 8:16 and Romans 8:26, but this is a bad translation. This error is corrected in the New King James Version,
where the text properly reads “The Spirit HIMSELF”

The Holy Spirit is a HE. He is the Third Member of the Godhead. He is accorded equal respect and admiration in the Christian faith. Jesus told us to baptized new converts to our faith:

Matthew 28:19 (KJV) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the HOLY {SPIRIT}:

There is but one NAME – one GOD, but He is in three Persons. Father, Son, and Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a Person. The Bible says:

Ephesians 4:30 (KJV) And GRIEVE not the HOLY SPIRIT of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

The Holy Spirit can be GRIEVED or SADDENED by our actions. You cannot sadden a Power. Electricity does not get upset over the things we do in our homes. Power is a thing, but the Spirit is a Person. The Holy Spirit can become VEXED or UPSET with us.

Isaiah 63:10 (KJV) But they rebelled, and VEXED his holy SPIRIT: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.

The Spirit can be sinned against. ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA lied to the Holy Spirit of God:

Acts 5:3 (KJV) But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to LIE TO THE HOLY {SPIRIT}, and to keep back part of the price of the land?

Both Ananias and Sapphira lost their lives because, Peter told them:

Acts 5:4 (KJV) … THOU HAST NOT LIED UNTO MEN, BUT UNTO GOD.

The Holy Spirit is God. He is a Person. We are to obey the Spirit and honor Him with our lives. It was the Holy Spirit Who told Peter to go to the home of Cornelius:

Acts 10:19-20 (KJV) While Peter thought on the vision, THE SPIRIT SAID unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. [20] Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.

The Holy Spirit guided men to Peter so they could take Peter to Cornelius. He is not a Power but a Person. A Power cannot send people from one point to another. A Person can. A Person has volition. “I have sent them” the Spirit said. We get confused by the Spirit because He empowers us. God told His servant:

Zechariah 4:6 (KJV) … This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but BY MY SPIRIT, saith the LORD of hosts.

It was the Holy Spirit Who spoke to Philip the Evangelist:

Acts 8:29 (KJV) Then the SPIRIT SAID unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.

And because of the Holy Spirit an Ethiopian Eunuch – a high ranking official – was led to dedicate his life to Christ. This man would carry the Gospel to Africa because Philip heeded the Word of the Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit Who gives the spiritual gifts to the Church. The Scripture says:

1 Corinthians 12:7-11 (KJV) But the MANIFESTATION OF THE SPIRIT is given to every man to profit withal. [8] For to one is given BY THE SPIRIT the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge BY THE SAME SPIRIT; [9] To another faith BY THE SAME SPIRIT; to another the gifts of healing BY THE SAME SPIRIT; [10] To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: [11] But ALL THESE WORKETH THAT ONE AND THE SELFSAME SPIRIT, DIVIDING TO EVERY MAN SEVERALLY AS HE WILL.

It is the Spirit Who WILLS the gifts to the Body of Christ. He places members in the Church. He empowers the members to serve Christ.

The Scriptures Were Written By The Holy Spirit

The Apostle Peter wrote under the inspiration of God:

2 Peter 1:20-21 (KJV) Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. [21] For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy {Spirit}.

The Scriptures that we have are written by men – but as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul put it this way:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (KJV) All scripture is given by INSPIRATION OF GOD, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: [17] That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

The words “inspiration of God” is the Greek word THEOPNEUSTOS which literally means “God breathed” or “Spirit breathed”. The Holy Spirit came on the writers of Scripture and guided them as they wrote. The personality of the writer shows in the writings … but they are God’s Word. Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit and Scripture when He said:

John 16:12-14 (KJV) I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. [13] Howbeit when he, the SPIRIT OF TRUTH, IS COME, HE WILL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. [14] He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

The Spirit wrote the Scripture.
The Spirit guides us in the Scripture.
As Spiritual people we must be guided by His Spirit.

The Apostle Paul said:

1 Corinthians 2:12-15 (KJV) Now we {who are saved} have received, NOT THE SPIRIT OF THE WORLD, BUT THE SPIRIT WHICH IS OF GOD; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. [13] Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but WHICH THE HOLY {SPIRIT} TEACHETH; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. [14] But the NATURAL MAN RECEIVETH NOT THE THINGS OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. [15] But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

The born again Christian receives the Holy Spirit of God. The Spirit teaches us the Scriptures that He wrote. The Spirit guides us into the truth of God’s Word. The unbeliever cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are spiritually dead. But we who are saved are spiritually alive because of the Holy Spirit.

The Christ Operated By The Holy Spirit

When Jesus came to this earth He was both fully God as well as fully perfect Man. Yet Jesus did not operate in His own power while on this earth. The Apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote:

Philippians 2:5-9 (KJV) Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: [6] Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: [7] But made himself OF NO REPUTATION, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: [8] And BEING FOUND IN FASHION AS A MAN, HE HUMBLED HIMSELF, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. [9] Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

When Jesus came to this earth – perfect God/Man – He humbled Himself. The King James says “He made Himself of no reputation”. This is the Greek KENOSIS which means “to empty oneself”. When Jesus Christ as Messiah came to this earth He had the power of God, but did not use His own power to do what He did. When Jesus entered this world as perfect man, He entered through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Angel of God told the virgin Mary:

Luke 1:35 (KJV) And the angel answered and said unto her, The HOLY {SPIRIT} 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.

The Holy Spirit would cause the conception of Christ in the blessed virgin. Before Jesus’ ministry started in full He had to be baptized by John. At His baptism we see:

Luke 3:22 (KJV) And the HOLY {SPIRIT} DESCENDED IN A BODILY SHAPE LIKE A DOVE upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

The Father endorsed the Son, but the Spirit indwelt the Son. He descended looking like a dove, I believe, because the Spirit brings the peace of God that passes all understanding. Right after His Baptism we find Jesus in the desert being tempted by the devil. How did Jesus get to the desert? The Bible says:

Luke 4:1-2 (KJV) And JESUS BEING FULL OF THE HOLY {SPIRIT} returned from Jordan, and WAS LED BY THE SPIRIT INTO THE WILDERNESS, [2] Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

The Spirit led Christ to the desert to show us how to battle that old devil. When tempted, Christ defeated Satan with “it is written”. He quoted the Book the Spirit wrote, and stood against the devil in the power of that selfsame Spirit. As Jesus ministered and did miracles He did so through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Luke 4:14-21 (KJV) And Jesus returned IN THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. [15] And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. [16] And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. [17] And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet {Isaiah}. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, [18] THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, [19] To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. [20] And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. [21] And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

It is the Holy Spirit that anointed the preaching of Christ, and empowered the miracles that He did. Jesus as God could have done the miraculous – but He humbled Himself and became like us, but without sin. Jesus told the Pharisees:

Matthew 12:28 (KJV) But if I CAST OUT DEVILS BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.

That which He did He did through the Spirit of God. When Jesus went to the Cross He was able to endure what He did through the power of the Blessed Holy Spirit. The Writer of Hebrews said:

Hebrews 9:14-15 (KJV) How much more shall the blood of Christ, WHO THROUGH THE ETERNAL SPIRIT offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? [15] And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

Life is in the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit Who participated in the resurrection of Christ. The Scripture declares:

Romans 8:10-11 (KJV) And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. [11] But IF THE SPIRIT OF HIM THAT RAISED UP JESUS FROM THE DEAD dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

The Holy Spirit caused Christ’s body to resurrect. That same Spirit indwells every believer, and promises to make us alive as He made Christ alive. Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

The Christian Operates By The Holy Spirit

John 14:15-18 (KJV) If ye love me, keep my commandments. [16] And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; [17] Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. [18] I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

Jesus promised His Spirit to those who love Him, who have received Him as “the Way, the Truth, and the Life”. The Holy Spirit is not optional to the Christian. The Bible declares:

Romans 8:9 (KJV) But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

It is a fact that gravity is what holds us to the earth. It is a fact that we must have oxygen to live. It is a fact that the Christian is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. If any has not the Spirit of Christ, He is none of His. It is the Spirit that is the mark of God on our lives.

Ephesians 4:30 (KJV) And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, WHEREBY YE ARE SEALED UNTO THE DAY OF REDEMPTION.

Jesus promised us the Holy Spirit, our Companion throughout eternity. He dwelleth with you, and SHALL BE IN YOU Jesus said. The Holy Spirit is called “The Comforter” or “The Helper” because He enables us to live the Christian way of life. We are to “Walk by the Spirit”, following His direction as we read His Word. The world cannot know the Holy Spirit. The worldly Christian will not experience the power of the Spirit. But we, like Christ, must empty ourselves to be availed of His Spirit. It is the Spirit Who helps us understand the things of God. Jesus said:

John 14:26 (KJV) But the Comforter, which is the Holy {Spirit}, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

It is the Holy Spirit Who teaches us, guides us, and keeps us company as we walk through this life. The Father loved and planned to save us. The Son loved and moved to save us. The blessed Spirit comes to us when we call upon Jesus. He indwells us. He empowers us. He assures us that we are adopted into God’s family.

Romans 8:15 (KJV) For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Galatians 4:6-7 (KJV) And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. [7] Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Posted in John, Sermons Preached | Tagged Bible, God, Holy Spirit | Leave a comment

Babylon Must Die

Posted on August 6, 2018 by bibleteacherorg

Revelation_14_Babylon_Must_Die_Israel

image courtesy of publicdomainpictures.net

Revelation 14:1-7 (KJV) And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. [2] And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: [3] And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. [4] These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. [5] And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God. [6] And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, [7] Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

In The Midst Of Tribulation The Lamb Stands

In the previous chapter we saw the rise of the unholy trinity, the devil, the Anti-Christ, and the False Prophet. But as we come to chapter 14 we see that the devil has not won the day. The devil and his evil partners have led many into receiving the mark of the Beast in their right hands and foreheads. The False Prophet …

Revelation 13:16-18 (KJV) And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: [17] And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. [18] Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

You might think that the entire world would be under the devil’s spell, but you’d be wrong. As we enter this chapter we read:

Revelation 14:1 (KJV) And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood …

The Lamb STOOD. He has not fallen. He STOOD. He STOOD tall, and strong. He STOOD undefeated. How can a Lamb stand against all the forces of evil? Because He is the Lamb of God. He is the Lamb foretold in the sacrifices of Israel. He was represented in the Lamb without spot or blemish. He was introduced to Israel at the first Passover at Exodus 12:

Your Lamb shall be without blemish (vs 5)
You shall keep it until the 14^th day of the month (vs 6)
You shall kill it in the evening, and take its Blood
Striking it on the two side posts and upper door post (vs 7)
You shall eat it’s flesh, and burn the rest (vs 9-10)
For I will pass through and smite every household where there is no Blood.
When I see the Blood, I will pass over you (vvs 13)

Though an animal at the Exodus, it represented the Lamb of God. It was Jesus that Isaiah saw when he wrote:

Isaiah 53:5,7 (KJV) But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. … Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

When John the Baptist came preaching he saw the Lord, and declared:

John 1:29 (KJV) … Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Though God Eternal, Jesus came to this earth to redeem a people. He lowered Himself to be the Lamb of God. He died on Calvary to save a wretch like me … and you! It is His Blood shed on Calvary that paid our sin debt. The Apostle said our redemption is not purchased with money or gold …

1 Peter 1:19 (KJV) But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

Worthy is the Lamb in the midst of the Throne of God (Revelation 5:6, 12). This is the Christ, sacrificed for our sins. BUT THE LAMB STOOD. He STANDS. Beaten and bruised, nailed to a Tree, mocked and scorned, He died for you and me. He was laid in a borrowed tomb. BUT THE LAMB STOOD. Death could not hold Him. The devil could not defeat Him. He was dead. The soldiers knew it. The Centurion who executed Him …

John 19:34 (KJV) …. with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

He was dead. He was embalmed. His body was wrapped, and laid in a borrowed tomb. But the Lamb STOOD. He rose again on the third day, just as He promised. He could not be defeated.

In The Midst Of Tribulation
The Lamb Stands On Mount Zion

Revelation 14:1 (KJV) And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion,

The Lamb is standing firm on the mount Sion. Peter wrote:

1 Peter 2:5-6 (KJV) Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. [6] Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in SION a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

Peter was actually quoting from Isaiah

Isaiah 28:16 (KJV) Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in ZION for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

Zion or Sion are actually the same place. Zion is the City of God, the City of David, Jerusalem. The Scripture declares:

Psalms 87:2-3 (KJV) The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. [3] Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.

Zion or Sion is God’s Jerusalem. On earth it is the City of David. In Heaven it is the City of God. Overlooking the earthly Zion is a Mount called Mount Zion or Mount Sion. This was a high place on the southeast size of the city of Jerusalem where King David built a citadel to protect that city. The Lamb STOOD on Mount Sion. He guards God’s City. Who stands with Him?

Revelation 14:1 (KJV) And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.

We were introduced to the 144,000 back in …

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

These are 144,000 HEBREWS. They are from the tribes of

Judah
Reuben
Gad
Asher
Naphthali
Manasseh
Simeon
Levi
Issachar
Zebulon
Joseph
Benjamin

Though the False Prophet is busy making disciples of hell, these 144,000 are sharing the Gospel to Israel. God is not done with Israel. The Lamb STOOD in the midst of Mount Zion. Though many are fallen to the devil, many are coming to Christ, to the Lamb of God. What can we learn about these 144,000?

Revelation 14:3 (KJV) And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.

The 144,000 sung a new song before the Throne of God, a song that only they could sing. The Psalmist wrote:

Psalms 40:3 (KJV) And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

These 144,000 have a special mission, a calling from God that only they can do. They are redeemed from the earth. They are special emissaries from God.

In The Midst Of Tribulation The Lamb Stands
On Mount Zion With Firstfruits

Revelation 14:4 (KJV) These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the FIRSTFRUITS unto God and to the Lamb.

These emissaries forgo sex. They are virgins. Their focus is not on self gratification, but on Jesus. They follow the Lamb where ever He goes. They are redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb, and their allegiance is to Him and Him only.

They are FIRSTFRUITS. These 144,000 Hebrews are not the only redeemed that come out of the Great Tribulation. The term “firstfruits” is used in the Bible of the first and greatest harvest of the field. The tithe was to come from the firstfruits. During the Church Age the genuine Blood bought Christian is the “firstfruit” of the redeemed. James wrote:

James 1:18 (KJV) Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of FIRSTFRUITS of his creatures.

Christ is the firstfruit of the resurrection, which tells us that others shall be blessed as He was.

1 Corinthians 15:20-23 (KJV) But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. [21] For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. [22] For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. [23] But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

When Jesus comes for His Church we shall all be given glorious, resurrected bodies as He has. He is the firstfruits, we the second harvest. These 144,000 Hebrews are the firstfruits of the Great Tribulation. Their focus will be primarily Israel, though the whole world will have an opportunity to receive salvation and redemption through the Christ. The Lamb stands on MOUNT ZION with the 144,000. Israel is the primary focus.

Yet the world will hear the Gospel.
The world will hear the warning of impending judgment.
No one can say that they did not know.
An angel from Heaven will preach it!

Revelation 14:6-7 (KJV) And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, [7] Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

The Judgment will not come without warning. Babylon must die. Man must worship the Creator, not the created. God must be honored. The Lamb of God must be revered.

The Lamb Will Stand But Babylon Must Fall

One angel preaches the Gospel and calls the world to repentance, but two other angels declare the destruction of Babylon.

Revelation 14:8 (KJV) And there followed another ^{(the second)}angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

There are over 100,000 false religions in America and the world.

It would take me weeks if I were to start naming them and what they believe. They are false because they depart from the clearly written Word of God. They are characterized in Scripture as Babylon. You see Babylon on television, masked as God’s Word. The Bible declares:

2 Samuel 22:31 (KJV) As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.

Isaiah 40:8 (KJV) The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

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

It is God’s Word that spoke creation into being.
It is God’s Word that changes the sinner into a New Creation.
It is God’s Word that holds the created together.
His Truth endureth to all generations (Psalm 100:5)
There has always been a Babylon.
It started in the Garden of Eden.
It whispered “Hath God really said?” and waited for converts to its evil.
Babylon goes by many names, by many denominations.
Yes, it even hides itself as “Non-Denominational”, which is a mask on a mask.

In ancient times Babylon was “Pharisee” or “Sadducee”.
In modern times it may be “Conservative” or “Liberal”.
The mark of Babylon has always been the mark of the world,
a departure from Scripture Truth.

The focus of Babylon has always been worship not of God but of the little “g” god of mankind and womankind. Babylon was manifest in the evil that caused the Noahic Flood. Though God destroyed all but eight by water, Babylon rose up again in hearts that would rather worship anything other than the Creator of Scripture.

Babylon was at the foot of Mount Sinai, building a golden calf.
Babylon demanded that the Prophet Daniel pray only to the King, and cast him into a lion’s den.
Babylon demanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego worship a golden statue.
Babylon ignored God’s directive and told the Israelite to marry the Canaanite.

Babylon today says that the priest can forgive sins, though the Scripture declares only God can forgive sin. Babylon prays to a man made statue and ignores the God Who has manifested Himself in glory before us.

But Babylon will die, and Christ will reign.

The THIRD angel cries out:

Revelation 14:9-11 (KJV) And the THIRD angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, [10] The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: [11] And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

The third angel warns specifically against worshiping the Beast and his image. The angel is very specific. If any person WORSHIP the Beast and his image (his idol) he SHALL DRINK THE WINE OF THE WRATH OF GOD. In other words, God’s judgment shall fall on that person without dilution. Wine is not grape juice. Wine is fermented, stored, kept until it reaches a certain consistency. What is the outcome of God’s wrath?

he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: [11] And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night

Some cults believe that there shall be no eternal punishment, just annihilation. God shall burn people up. But this is not what the Lord says in His Word. The text gives a clear presentation of eternal torment to those who worship the Beast. THEY HAVE NO REST DAY NOR NIGHT. This is not temporal, but eternal. In contrast, however, we see the Children of God at rest:

Revelation 14:12-14 (KJV) Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. [13] And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.

Those who love the Lamb of God rest, whereas those who love the Beast never rest. Those who love the Lamb of God their works follow them. The good that was done for Christ and for the glory of God shall be given to us as rewards in glory. We will be blessed then, though we may suffer now.

There Are Two Reapers At The End Of This Chapter

As the chapter closes, we see Two Reapers. One is like unto the Son of Man – a title for the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ. We read:

Revelation 14:14-16 (KJV) And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. [15] And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. [16] And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.

Jesus is reaping souls unto salvation. To those who love Him as Lamb of God, He shall reap unto salvation. But to those who reject Jesus there is another Reaper. A Grim Reaper. A Judgment Reaper.

Revelation 14:17-20 (KJV) And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. [18] And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. [19] And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. [20] And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

This reaping is unto judgment, terrible judgment. Blood will flow up to the horse bridles, about 4 ½ feet deep for about 200 miles. Thomas Constable writes:

“Much of this action will take place in the “Valley of Jezreel” in northern Israel (i.e., the battle of Armageddon; 19:17-19). There God will put vast numbers of people to death (cf. Isa. 63:1-6). The blood will evidently drain out of the Jezreel Valley for a distance of 200 miles, probably flowing eastward down the Harod Valley to the Jordan Valley, and south all the way to the Dead Sea.”

Though many saved will die during the Tribulation, they will be blessed in Eternity with Christ. Though many will choose the easy route of following the crowd and the Beast, they will suffer eternally. And Christ will destroy Babylon. He will reign supreme for He is Lord!