My God Is Greater

Posted on October 4, 2018 by bibleteacherorg

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John 11:45-50 (KJV)  Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.  [46]  But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.  [47]  Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.  [48]  If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.  [49]  And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,  [50]  Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.

We miss some of the best Scripture teachings by not carefully reading the text. I don’t know that I have ever heard a sermon preached on the above text. But – if God will – I hope to preach this text tonight.

The resurrection of Lazarus by Jesus was a turning point in our Lord’s ministry

Prior to this Jesus did most of His ministry among the Jewish people. Though He approached a few Gentiles – people like the Samaritan woman at the well (see John 4) – Jesus focused on Israel. The resurrection of Lazarus changed all this. The Pharisees who constantly attacked Jesus were threatened by that resurrection. Many of the Jews who were against Jesus suddenly believed on Him. The Pharisees saw their power ebbing.

[47]  Then gathered the chief priests
and the Pharisees a council (the Sanhedrin)

There were 24 courses or shifts of priests in the Temple, and each had a chief priest. The chief priests and the Pharisees got together to decide what to do about Jesus. These enemies of Christ formed a 70 person “Supreme Court” over Israel called the Sanhedrin. They met for one reason – to decide what to do about Jesus.

[47] What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.

Even with all His miracles they did not see Jesus as God’s Messiah. According to them Jesus was a possessed man.

They called Him “this MAN”. They were convinced in their minds that the things Jesus was doing was not of God, but of Beelzebub. In fact, they accused Jesus of this to His face:

Matthew 12:24 (KJV) … This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

Jesus told them how ridiculous this was. He said:

Matthew 12:26-28 (KJV) … if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?  [27]  And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.  [28]  But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.

But they would not hear. The reason they would not hear is because they were not living for the glory of God, but for themselves. They were not living on FAITH but on FEELING. They were not searching the Scriptures to see if Christ was indeed the Messiah, but were living to support their own agenda.

[48]  If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.

Their fear was that they would lose THEIR PLACE and THEIR NATION. It was not God they were concerned about, but themselves.

Then Caiaphas Spoke Up

[49]  And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all …

Caiaphas spoke up, “You know nothing at all!”. He then proceeded to explain why he thought Jesus ought to be killed.

[50]  Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.

His reason for killing Jesus was that:

  • One Man (Jesus) should die for the people, and that by dying
  • His death would preserve Israel from destruction at the hands of the Romans.

The Bible tells us that Caiaphas was the High Priest of Israel this year. Caiaphas was High Priest in Israel along with Annas when John the Baptist received his call to preach from the Lord (see Luke 3:2).

Caiaphas was a schemer, a plotter,
and lived to make himself great!

  • Caiaphas was unqualified to be High Priest. Caiaphas it seems worked his way into the High Priesthood by marrying Annas daughter. Once married to her, he claimed the right to be the High Priest … though the High Priest was only to be descended from Aaron.
  • Caiaphas did not believe in the resurrection that our Lord preached. Caiaphas was that he was a Sadducee, not a Pharisee (see Acts 5:17). The Pharisees for all their faults believed in a resurrection of the dead. The Sadducees believed that when you died you ceased to exist, that this life was all there is. The Sadducees were the most liberal of those in Judaism. And yet Caiaphas was the High Priest!
  • Caiaphas was focused on his glory, not God’s glory. The man was not a believer in Christ, nor a son of God by faith. He was an opportunist. When he said what he said it was to encourage the council to seek Jesus’ life.

What was the result of this meeting? We read:

John 11:53-54 (KJV)  Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put {Jesus} to death. [54]  Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.

Though Jesus came to this earth to die for our sins,

Romans 4:25 (KJV) {Jesus} was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

His death was not to occur until the Passover. So Jesus began ministering in Ephraim, a village about 13 miles northeast of Jerusalem. Jesus ceased going to the Temple to preach, but continued preaching while He waited for the Passover. We are told:

John 11:55-57 (KJV)  And the Jews’ passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.  [56]  Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast?  [57]  Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take him.

The Pharisees and Chief Priests lay in wait for Jesus. Many thought that Jesus would avoid the Passover lest He be killed. In reality, Jesus would go to the Passover, and would be seized there after celebrating the Meal. Jesus would die.

Jesus Would Die Just As Caiaphas Prophesied!

We skipped a couple of very important verses up until this point. We’ve spoken of Caiaphas and the council that gathered to plot Jesus’ death. We read the words of Caiaphas in verse 50:

.. [50] Nor consider that it is expedient {better} for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.

What did God say of Caiaphas’ words? The Lord told us …

John 11:51-52 (KJV)  And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;  [52]  And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

Caiaphas did not speak these words OF HIMSELF. They did not come from his own power. The words that Caiaphas spoke were a PROPHECY. Now I want you to consider the magnitude of this.

God caused an unbeliever to prophesy!

What does this teach us? It is that ..

God is ALWAYS in control!

When Caiaphas said “it is EXPEDIENT (or BETTER) for us that one Man should die for the people” he was sealing Christ’s death. These words are Jesus’ death warrant. Caiaphas wanted Jesus out of the way for his own purposes – but God was in control.

Jacob stole Esau’s birthright – but GOD is in control.
Saul thought he keep David from being king – but GOD is in control.
Goliath thought he was Big Man On Campus – but GOD is in control.
King David thought he could have Uriah’s wife – but GOD is in control.
Jonah though he could run from God – but GOD is in control.
They tried to make Daniel a happy meal for lions – but GOD is in control!
Herod killed all the babies in Bethlehem – but GOD is in control.
Peter denied Christ before the rooster crowed – but GOD is in control.
Judas Iscariot betrayed Christ with a kiss – but GOD is in control.
Pilate thought to seal Christ in the tomb – but GOD is in control.
Hating SAUL became a Christ filled PAUL because GOD is in control.

Caiaphas set a death sentence on Christ, but GOD made it a prophecy. Prophecy is something only GOD can enable. It is God Who gives the power to prophesy (1 Corinthians 12:28). The Scripture says:

2 Peter 1:21 (KJV)  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 Ghost.

Caiaphas is not a “holy man of God” but God moved him, and used him to prophecy of the coming death of Christ. When Caiaphas said “it is better that one man should die for the people” he sought to execute Christ. But in reality it was God saying “it is better that Christ die”. God the Father killed His Son because it was better for us, and better for Israel. Jesus did not die because of Caiaphas and the council nor because of their death sentence. Jesus died because it was the only way that the Father could make us into His sons. The Prophet Isaiah wrote:

Isaiah 53:3-4 (KJV)  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.  [4]  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, SMITTEN OF GOD, AND AFFLICTED.

Our Jesus was smitten of God. God struck Him. God crushed Him. Jesus was and is our Substitute, and this was God’s intention from the beginning.

he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; [52]  And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

Christ would come to die for the sins not just of Israel, but for all people. Christ came to be the Savior of His Church, His people.

Ephesians 5:23 (KJV) …. Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

Colossians 1:18 (KJV)  And he is the head of the body, the church: …

The stumbling of Israel and their rejection of Christ came about because God not only wanted to save Israel, but because He wanted to save the Gentiles as well. The Apostle wrote:

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

God intends on saving Israel. But Israel rejected Christ, so Christ turned to the Gentiles. Yet God is not done with His Israel. Jesus came so that He could gather all together in one Body His Family.

Ephesians 1:10-12 (KJV)  That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:  [11]  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:  [12]  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

God has a people that He is saving, and they are those who have received His substitutionary death as their own. Christ died for me. God said “It is BETTER that Christ die for me”. Why? Because only in Christ and His substitutionary death can I be saved.

Jesus told His Jewish audience:

John 10:16 (KJV)  And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

Jesus never came just for the Jews – He came for all. He came for every fallen person who would call on Him for salvation. Jesus is the Savior of the Jew first, but also the Gentile:

Romans 1:16-18 (KJV)  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.  [17]  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.  [18]  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Jesus Christ came for the Jews first, but also came for you and I. He came for people of every color. I heard a preacher say the other day “There is only one race of people, the human race. There are diverse people groups because of the Tower of Babel, but only one race, one blood of people”. This is so true.

2 Corinthians 5:15 (KJV) {Christ} died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

Jesus died for all. Though Caiaphas was an unbeliever, selfish and self seeking, the message God spoke through Him is nonetheless true. Christ will save whosoever will, for He died for all.

Practical Application Of Our Text

Though Caiaphas was the High Priest and an unbeliever, he was not the power that day nor any day – God is the power. The Bible tells us:

Romans 13:1 (KJV)  Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

Though Caiaphas was a Sadducee and an idolater, God allowed him to be where he was. And God used Caiaphas for His glory. God is in control. God knows what is best! Here are five truths to take home from this text:

  1. God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). We may not understand why bad things happen or why seemingly wicked people like Caiaphas get ahead but rest assured – GOD IS IN CONTROL.
  2. God uses broken things for His glory, so He can use me. If God can prophesy through a murderous unbeliever like Caiaphas God can certainly use you and I. Trust Him. Do good. He saved you to do good.
  3. The substitutionary death of Christ was absolutely necessary for us to become God’s sons. The Son of God had to become the Son of Man so that sons of men can become Sons of God.
  4. If I am in Christ I will sometimes fail, but Christ suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, so that He might bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18). When I fail I will look to Him Who loved me and gave Himself for me.
  5. God is not done with His Israel. Christ died for Israel as He died for us. There is a wideness in God’s mercy. Let us keep praying for Israel, and for those around us. The door of salvation is open to whosoever will. I pray that all will find Him this very day!
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Redeemed! How I Love To Proclaim It!

Posted on October 1, 2018 by bibleteacherorg

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1 Peter 1:17-23 (KJV) And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: 18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. 22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

The Bible says two things of every believer in Christ. It says that we are redeemed, and that we are born again.

People in America do not understand these two concepts any more. When America was younger and most children learned the Bible either in school or at Church it was easier to explain these great Gospel truths. But in the past few years children have become adults without knowing the Ten Commandments, and without hearing the great truths of the Bible.

When I was a child I understood what “redemption” was because of my daily experiences. Growing up poor we had no ready cash. So if I wanted candy bars – a great treat – I and my brother had to explore the sides of the roads looking for soda bottles. America today is pushing “going green” or “environmental friendliness”. I heard that Kroger Stores are phasing out plastic bags by 2020. They have now outlaws plastic straws in several American cities to protect wildfowl and sealife. Incandescent bulbs can no longer be manufactured on U.S. soil.

“We’re going green!”

In reality we were green and are headed back toward this way of life. The world I grew up in was all biodegradable paper bags and deposit soda bottles. When you bought a soda – in the South a Coca-Cola and in the North a Pepsi-Cola – you paid a “deposit” on the bottle. This deposit was between 3-10 cents. If you found an unbroken bottle you could wash it out, take it to the local Piggly Wiggly, and get money for each clean bottle you turned in. If you turned in enough empty bottles you could buy a full bottle and a candy bar. Finding Coke bottles was like finding money.

There was another thing we did for redemption. When momma shopped at the local Piggly Wiggly she would collect S&H Green Stamps. You would get so many stamps for spending money at the store. Momma had a drawer in the kitchen where she collected stamps. When she got enough she’s say “Kid’s, let’s put the stamps in the books. If we get enough we’ll get you a toy!” I bet I licked a billion stamps to get the little metal Tonka dump truck that I and my brother played with, or the little steam shovel we shared. Redemption meant a sticky tongue and a dry mouth, but redemption brought to me and my brother and sister toys we otherwise would not have had.

I was taught that Redemption takes the empty and useless and replaces it with something of value. We need to understand redemption once more!

The Need For Redemption

1 Peter 1:18-19 …. 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

How does “Redemption” fit into Christianity?

You “redeem” something that is empty or otherwise useless for a greater thing. We must be “redeemed” because of what the Bible says. The Bible tells us:

Romans 5:12 (KJV) Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

“By ONE MAN sin entered into the world”. The world teaches us that man evolved from some primordial ooze. That we came from single cell creatures that evolved over millions of years into fish, then reptiles that walked, then into monkeys, and finally into humans. Many people today have bought into what the world teaches about creation. Scientists calling themselves “Evolutionists” have taught that over millions and yes, even billions of years a blind nature accidentally created life. Our children are being taught this “evolutionary theory” as fact in Science classes in school. Though these claims have never been scientifically proven – this is a blind faith – yet the claims are pushed on our school children and on us.

Yet the Bible says differently. The Bible begins with:

Genesis 1:1 (KJV) In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

God created the Heaven and the Earth. As you read through the Genesis account you see that God did not create our planet over billions of years, but created everything in six 24 hour days. This is clearly stated in the text. God uses the phrase:

…The evening and the morning were the FIRST DAY (Genesis 1:5)
…The evening and the morning were the SECOND DAY (Genesis 1:8)
…The evening and the morning were the THIRD DAY (Genesis 1:13)

These were 24 hour periods. When God got to the Sixth Day He had created a perfect earth, a Paradise God called “Eden”. It is in this “Eden” that God created and placed both man and wife. This couple was male and female, and the pinnacle of God’s creation. God said:

Genesis 1:26-28 (KJV) And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Man was made from the dust of the ground, and his wife made from his own body. They were a beautiful and perfect union. Together they were to reproduce, to dominate the earth, and to guard the Garden that God placed them in. It was to Adam God gave the command:

Genesis 2:15-17 (KJV) … the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Adam was told to guard the Garden, to till the soil, to care for the earth. He was forbidden to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God promised Adam that “the day you eat of it, you will surely die”.

In time evil came into the Garden of Eden. Evil in the form of a serpent tempted Eve to eat the forbidden, and she ate of the fruit and gave it unto Adam. On that day sin entered the world, and death by sin. In our world today people do not understand what sin is. In fact, to hear it told, there is no sin in anything as long as we enjoy it. But this is not true.

Sin is to do anything that God says “Do not do it”.
Sin is to refuse to do anything that God says “Do it”.
God is the Definer of Sin, and Sin always brings death.

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

Adam rejected God’s rule and on that day
sin came into the world.
Mankind began to follow sin rather than God.
We became like empty Coke bottles.
The life without God is the empty and vain life.

Right after Adam sinned the Lord clothed them both.

Genesis 3:21 (KJV) Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

There was no death in the world until Adam sinned and departed from God. God in mercy clothed Adam and Eve in animal skins. The innocent had to die to cover man’s sin. From that time forth if a person would come to God they had to do so through the death of an innocent. Sin is no trifle. Sin is a slave master. Humanity became bound to sin. We needed to be redeemed.

Jesus Christ came to redeem us from the slave market of sin. He said:

John 8:34-36 … 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.

Adam’s sin brought sin into the world. And sin brought with it death. The Apostle said:

Romans 5:14 … death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

Adam sold himself and all of creation into sin by following evil and not God. His children would all be born with a sin nature. What does the Scripture say:

Romans 3:23 (KJV) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

We are all born with a propensity to sin. ALL have sinned. There are many who grow up morally sweet, but none who grow up devoid of sin. We are bound by sin. What does the Bible say?

1 Corinthians 15:21-22 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.

The first Adam brought death on all creation.
He brought death on himself.
He brought death on his wife.
He brought death on his children.
Adam invited the devil into his house, and the devil took over.

The death and dying that you now see in creation is not of God’s doing, but it exists because the first Adam brought it on us all. We are born enslaved to sin.
We need to be REDEEMED.

God Provided A Temporary Covering For Sin In The Law

God provided a temporary covering for Adam by killing innocent animals to cover his sin. God provided a temporary covering for man’s sin in the Law of Moses. The Law covered sin temporarily – and we know it was temporary – because man had to bring sacrificial animals to God not just once, but over and over.

Man is corrupt because of sin.
Animals did not create the problem.
Animals cannot pay for the problem.

Sin is a violation of God’s standard. The Scripture declares:

1 Peter 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, [as] silver and gold, from your vain conversation [received] by tradition from your fathers;

You cannot be redeemed with corruptible things.
All of creation fell under the weight of Adam’s disobedience.
If the Head be tainted, the whole will be tainted!
Creation groans under the weight of sin.

Romans 8:20-21 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected [the same] in hope, (21) Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

Creation itself is bound under sin. The storms that destroy lives are proof of sin. The cancer in the little baby. The suffering child at St. Jude’s hospital. The baby chick eaten by the weasel. The frog or the insect struggling as another creature, the ant, eats it, literally eating it alive. The rains that often turn to floods, destroying rather than nourishing. The young one dying under terrible suffering, under tooth and claw? Look at the great Continent of Africa where man kills man under so called ethnic cleansing. See the children starving, their bellies swollen, while people fight rather than farm, hurt rather than heal.

We cannot be redeemed with sinful things. We cannot make ourselves better. Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things. Sinful cannot make payment for sinful. Something from without of this sinful sphere must pay for sin.

1 Peter 1:18-19 (KJV) … ye were not redeemed with corruptible things …19 But with the precious blood of Christ,

What paid for our sin? What redeemed and redeems us? It is the Precious Blood of Christ. Jesus Christ entered this world to save us. Who is Jesus? He is eternal God. The Scripture declares:

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.

Jesus is the Son of God. He is the Co-Creator of all things. He was there when Adam fell, and there when Adam was covered by the blood of the innocent. Christ chose to enter this world for us. God became Man for us.

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.

Jesus came to be our permanent covering for sin. He came to REDEEM US from that terrible thing that creeps and destroys. The Scripture declares:

Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that hangeth on a tree:

Jesus Christ came to this earth to represent us before the Father. He came to take our sins upon Himself. He died for us, and became a permanent shelter for us. As the Apostle said to the Pastors of Ephesus:

Acts 20:28 … feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

If you have repented – that is, surrendered your life to God – and have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ then God has applied the redemption price to your lives. Jesus Christ died once and for all for you. He died in your place so that you need never die. He was judged and His Blood shed to pay for you and I. Jesus Christ represents us before God the Father not with an animal sacrifice, but with His own Blood sacrificed.

Hebrews 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by {Christ’s} own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for us].

Jesus Christ died on Calvary, shedding His Blood for you. He entered into this sin soaked system, keeping Himself pure. He lived, walked among us, then went to Calvary willingly, shedding His Blood for you. If you have believed in Him, turning away from your former way of life and toward God, then you are forever saved. The payment made for you is not corruptible, does not wear out with time, lasts forever – blessed be the Name of God! How long does this redeeming payment last?

Hebrews 10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Like the old song goes:

Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed through His infinite mercy,
His child and forever I am.
Redeemed, redeemed,
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed, redeemed,
His child and forever I am.1

 

This Redemption Brings The Believer To New Birth

It is the Blood of Christ that redeems us. The Blood has always been that which was necessary for redemption.

Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh [is] in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it [is] the blood [that] maketh an atonement {Covering} for the soul.

Hebrews 9:22 … without shedding of blood is no remission.

1 Peter 1:19, 23 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: … 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Recognizing ourselves to be sinners – sons of Adam – we turn to Christ for redemption. Believing on Him the Spirit of God causes us to be “born again”. Our first birth was tainted with sin, but this second birth is covered of Christ. You cannot buy your way into the Family of God with millions of dollars. You cannot enter Heaven’s Kingdom with the most expensive of diamonds. No Beloved, you must receive Christ as your Redeemer. It must be His Blood that you receive. You must believe that He – the Son of God – died for you. If you are purchased with the Precious Blood of Christ – this makes you precious in the sight of God! You belong to GOD now, not to SIN! You belong to LOVE now, not to LUST. Love purchased you – you belong to Him. As it is written:

Romans 8:38-39 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, (39) Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Where is our faith and hope? It is in God, not in us.

1 Peter 1:21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

God pleads with you to run to Christ’s arms, to believe that He and He alone is the Source of your salvation. Jesus is the …

Hebrews 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things …

He has made a way for you and a way for me. The Blood of Christ pleads to you. What is required of you?

Repent, stop trying to save yourselves.
Trust in Him, turning away from your old way of life.
The Way of Sin is unprofitable, the Way of Satan leads to death.
The Way of Christ is trust in Him, give your lives to Him, obey Him.

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

Have you believed on Him? He pleads for thee. If you have believed on Jesus, then you are saved. You are His, because He is in your lives. His Blood, a testimony of His Love, was shed for you. Your faith and hope must be in God, else you are undone. Trust Him, give yourselves to Him. He pleads for you, Beloved – will you not answer? May God touch your hearts with these words.

1 Words: Fanny Crosby, in Songs of Redeeming Love, by John R. Sweney, C. C. McCabe, Tullius O’Kane, and William Kirkpatrick (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: 1882). Music: William J. Kirkpatrick

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Which Resurrection?

Posted on October 1, 2018 by bibleteacherorg

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(Revelation 19:20-20:6) And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a Lake Of Fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. 1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Is a person annihilated when they go to “Hell”?
What is “Hell” anyway?

The Bible speaks of TWO resurrections. Those in the FIRST Resurrection are given glorified bodies. They live and reign with Jesus for a thousand years on the earth prior to the beginning of Eternity – and live on beyond this. Those in the SECOND Resurrection are the lost – those who have rejected Christ as Savior.

In this section of Scripture we learn several interesting truths about eternal punishment.

Annihilationists Believe That Those Who Die Without Christ Cease To Exist

There are many offshoots of Christianity that teach that God is love and therefore would not cast people into a place of eternal torment. Some believe that when a person leaves this life without Christ they cease to exist. These groups – and here are a few:

Jehovah’s Witnesses
Christadelphians
Seventh Day Adventists
Church of England (Anglicans)
Church of God (7th Day)

This list is not exhaustive – and I am sure that there are many throughout various denominations that reject the concept of eternal punishment. My answer must always be based not on FEELING but on the FACT of what Scripture has said. In our text today we read:

(Revelation 19:20) And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast ALIVE into a Lake Of Fire burning with brimstone.

The Beast – the anti-Christ and his sidekick the False Prophet are the first seized by the Lord Jesus.

They have rejected Christ and so He judges them, casting them ALIVE into the Lake of Fire. As we continue reading we see that

Revelation 20:1-3 (KJV)  And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.  [2]  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,  [3]  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

Jesus our Lord grabbed and cast the False Prophet and the Anti-Christ into the Lake of Fire. These are HUMANS that followed the devil. The devil himself is grabbed and cast – not into the Lake of Fire but the bottomless pit – an entirely different place. Why is he put in a different place?

Because God wants to let him go after 1000 years!

Those cast into the Lake of Fire cannot get out. It is a place of FINAL judgment for those who have rejected Christ. But the devil will be released after 1000 years. Why? I really don’t know. The Bible just says “he MUST be loosed for a lttle season”.

When the devil is loosed he stirs up mankind once more against Israel. At the end of that 1000 year reign of Christ we read:

(Revelation 20:9) And they (Satan’s armies) went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city (Jerusalem): and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

Well that didn’t last long! The armies of the Devil are destroyed by God for trying to take Jerusalem. Christ is on His Throne and will not be removed! What do we read next?

Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the Lake Of Fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet ARE, and SHALL BE TORMENTED DAY AND NIGHT FOR EVER AND EVER.

The false prophet and the anti-Christ – two deceived humans – were cast into the Lake of Fire 1000 years BEFORE the devil was. When the devil is cast into this fiery Lake it says:

where the Beast (anti-Christ) and false prophet ARE

Not WERE but ARE. They are still there. They are still conscious.

The Devil is cast into the Lake Of Fire and brimstone WHERE THE BEAST AND FALSE PROPHET ARE. The anti-Christ and the False Prophet have been “cast alive” into this fiery lake for a thousand years, and are there to greet their Master when he arrives. While in that place the Bible says they “shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever”.

  • Shall be TORMENTED. You cannot torment someone who has ceased to be.

  • DAY and NIGHT. Time continues for those in this Lake Of Fire. They experience day and night.

  • For EVER AND EVER. Time never ends. The torment never ends.

The anti-Christ and the False Prophet are the first ones cast into the Lake Of Fire, then a thousand years later the Devil goes into that flaming prison. The wicked dead do not go into that fiery lake until after the Great White Throne Judgment, also called the Second Resurrection.

This Lake Of Fire is the final prison for those who, rejecting Christ, they are placed in a place where there is no Christ. This Lake Of Fire is a place where selfishness comes to be selfish forever. It is a place of no god but ME, no lord but ME, no one but ME.

Jesus spoke of this final prison in:

(Matthew 25:41-46) Then shall {the Lord} say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46 And THESE SHALL GO AWAY INTO EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT: BUT THE RIGHTEOUS INTO LIFE ETERNAL.

Just as life is eternal for those saved through the Grace of Christ, punishment is eternal for those who reject that glorious Grace! The Scripture declares:

Ephesians 2:8-10 (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.  [10]  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

When you die you do not cease to be. You cease to be HERE, but are SOMEWHERE.

If the anti-Christ and the False Prophet – who are deceived HUMANS – ARE in the Lake of Fire still after 1000 years, then that is good evidence that people do not CEASE TO BE when they die. The Bible says:

Romans 2:11 (KJV)  For there is no respect of persons with God.

What God does for ONE He does for EVERYONE. If the False Prophet and Anti-Christ are alive and in the flames, and they are humans who rejected Christ, then the same applies for all.

Isn’t God’s Eternal Punishment Excessively Cruel?

There are some who say that God could not be so cruel as the send anyone into eternal punishment. But they charge God with cruelty without understanding the Bible. You see:

God made us ALL to be eternal

In our world today our children are taught evolution as fact in our schools. When we go to museums our children are taught that dinosaur bones are millions of years old, and that mankind evolved from single cell creatures into fish, reptiles, land animals, monkeys, and then eventually into humans. Though there is no solid evidence for macro-evolution science presents this theory as fact.

No one looks to the Bible. The Bible has a different account of creation. The Bible tells us that God created the earth in six literal, 24 hour days. Then the Bible tells us that:

Genesis 1:26-27 (KJV)  And God said, Let US MAKE MAN IN OUR IMAGE, AFTER OUR LIKENESS: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.  [27]  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

God created man in His image and in His likeness. The word IMAGE is (צֶלֶם tselem) and LIKENESS is (דְּמוּת dĕmuwth). God used two different words to convey that we were made to be like Him. The very nature of God is that He is ETERNAL. He is TRIUNE – and ETERNAL. Your body is an outward representation – carbon based and fallible – of your soul. The soul is the YOU. Your soul is made in God’s image and likeness. It has no expiration date. This is what the Bible teaches. You may one day cease to be HERE, but the YOU that is YOU will be SOMEWHERE. You can burn the body up, but the soul continues on. Because of this great truth – often omitted because we regard evolutionary theory to be FACT and Biblical truth to be FANTASY – there must be a container that holds the eternal unbelieving soul.

There Is A Biblical HELL And A Biblical LAKE OF FIRE

I’m going to summarize this, then prove it to you by Scripture. When you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior you enter into the Family of God and receive an inheritance in Heaven. You become attached to Christ’s real destiny. You are God’s children by faith in Christ, and your eternal self goes to a place – eventually goes – to a place of eternal life. BUT if you leave this life without Christ you go to a container called HELL, and will eventually leave this container called HELL and go to the LAKE OF FIRE. Why? Because unrepentant and unredeemed persons cannot enter God’s Presence either on Heaven or on this earth.

You say “Preacher, that’s a lot of assumption”. Well, let me tell you what our Lord JESUS taught about that container called Hell.

Matthew 5:22 (KJV)  But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

Jesus saw HELL as a DANGER, not a place of annihilation and release. It was a place of punishment. Hell is a terrible place to go. Jesus spoke in the harshest terms about Hell. He said:

Mark 9:42-48 (KJV)  And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.  [43]  And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:  [44]  Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.  [45]  And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:  [46]  Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.  [47]  And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:  [48]  Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

Jesus said that it is BETTER or more DESIRABLE to tie a millstone around your neck and be cast into the sea to drown than to be cast into Hell. If Hell is place a ANNIHILATION – where you cease to exist – then WHY would drowning in the sea be MORE PREFERABLE? That makes no sense! Hell is a horrible place. Jesus said better to cut a hand off and enter eternity and life with one hand than to be cast with two hands into hell. Again, why would that make sense if Hell is a place where the unbeliever ceases to be? Jesus said better to cut off a foot or pluck out an eye and enter God’s Kingdom than to be whole and cast into Hell. Why? Because Hell is a place of eternal torment.

Hell is a place where the unbelieving dead go to upon their physical death. It is not a place of annihilation, but a place of holding and of suffering. Jesus defined the afterlife when He spoke in Luke 16:

Luke 16:19-21 (KJV)  There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:  [20]  And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,  [21]  And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

Jesus spoke of two individuals. Now some people say that this is a parable that Jesus spoke, others a historic reality. Does it really matter? What Jesus taught here defines what HE believes about the afterlife. There are two people. There is a rich man who has a life of ease, who has no suffering. He wears good clothes, and goes to bed with a full belly, resting in comfort. Outside his door is a beggar named Lazarus. He has nothing but crumbs and dogs as his companions.

Luke 16:22-23 (KJV)  And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;  [23]  And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

Both the rich man and Lazarus cease to exist on this earth. Lazarus is carried by the angels to where Father Abraham is. Here he is comforted. But the rich man is in a different state. When the rich man dies NO ONE carries him anywhere. We are told simply:

in HELL he lift up his eyes BEING IN TORMENTS

The rich man can see, suffer, and long. In hell he reaches out to Abraham seeking comfort. “Send Lazarus to give me something to drink – just a drop of water!”. He would give all his riches for a tiny comfort. But it is not to be had. Why? Because as Abraham says:

Luke 16:26 (KJV)  And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

There is a GREAT GULF between Lazarus and the rich man. Do you know what that GREAT GULF is? It is UNBELIEF. The rich man rejected Christ. He cannot enter Christ’s Heaven. He cannot go to where Christ’s children are. His eternal soul is bound in a different container, one that awaits the SECOND RESURRECTION.

If you have Christ you shall never need fear the Second Death, that Lake of Fire. The Scripture declares:

(Revelation 20:6) BLESSED AND HOLY IS HE THAT HATH PART IN THE FIRST RESURRECTION: on such THE SECOND DEATH hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

The “Second Death”, also called the Lake Of Fire, is that final resting place for the lost. It is a place they chose, a place of selfishness and disaster. Yet it is not our place. We who love the Lord will be with the Lord. Think of it this way:

The God you serve and love now is the God you will spend eternity with.

What happens to those in the Second Resurrection. They stand before a Great White Throne:

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

What causes someone to enter the Lake of Fire forever? Is it that they did not work good enough or hard enough to please God? No. The Scripture says:

whosoever WAS NOT FOUND WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE
was cast into the lake of fire.

If your name is not found in the Book of Life you go into the Lake of Fire forever. How does one get into the Book of Life? The Apostle Paul said:

Philippians 4:3 (KJV)  And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which LABOURED WITH ME IN THE GOSPEL, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, WHOSE NAMES ARE IN THE BOOK OF LIFE.

that those who labor with him sharing the Gospel of Christ are in the Book of Life. Those who have received Christ as Lord and Savior are in that glorious Book. Your name is written in His Blood. Heaven is yours. All because of Christ! Jesus said to the Church in …

Revelation 3:4-5 (KJV)  Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.  [5]  He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

Those who walk with Jesus in love, loving God and loving others, are in the Book of Life. Praise Him! Which resurrection will you be in? I pray that you shall be with me and all those who love Jesus in that First Resurrection. Call upon Jesus and be saved. You will be somewhere in eternity – why not be where there is great life everlasting!

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Why Did Jesus Weep?

Posted on September 27, 2018 by bibleteacherorg

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Wisdom is learned by experience. Tim Laws sent this to me and I thought I’d share it with you. It is wisdom that came from small children.

No matter how hard you try you can’t baptize cats.
When your mom is mad at your dad, don’t let her brush your hair.
Never ask a three year old to hold a tomato.
You can’t trust your dog to watch your food.
Don’t sneeze when someone’s cutting your hair.
You can’t hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
Don’t wear polka dot underwear under white shorts.

We learn wisdom in the Bible by experiencing it over and over again. Let’s read the following passage responsively:

John 11:31-35 (KJV) The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. 32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, 34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. 35 Jesus wept.

Jesus has come to the home of His good friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Lazarus has died and has been buried.

And Jesus wept.

This is the shortest verse in the Bible. “Jesus wept”. Now I want to ask you all …

WHY did Jesus weep?

  • Did Jesus weep because He was surprised by Lazarus’ death? No, I don’t think so. Three days before Lazarus died a delegation came from Bethany to Jerusalem and told our Lord:

John 11:3-6 (KJV) Therefore {Lazarus’} sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. 4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. 5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. 6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.

Jesus knew that Lazarus was sick unto death, but He also knew that Lazarus’ death was for a specific purpose:

for the GLORY of GOD, that the Son of God might be GLORIFIED

The Heavenly Father wanted to show the world something about Jesus. A few weeks ago we saw in John 9 a man born blind from birth. God used this man to show a great truth, that

Jesus is the Light of the world.
That whosoever follows Him walks in Light, not darkness!

What is God the Father going to show us in Christ today? That Jesus is not only LIGHT but He is EVERLASTING LIFE. Jesus waited TWO DAYS after He was told that Lazarus was dying. Then He told His disciples:

John 11:7-10 (KJV) … Let us go into Judaea again. 8 His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews (take heed of this phrase) of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again? 9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. 10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.

The disciples were worried because – if you’ll remember – when Jesus healed the man born blind from birth, the Jews (a phrase John uses for the Pharisees and Scribes – REMEMBER THIS) wanted to kill Him. THE JEWS hated Jesus! But Jesus told them that He had to go – and that the JEWS couldn’t help what they were doing. They had none of the Light of God in them. Jesus wasn’t worried about THE JEWS. He had a purpose in going to Jerusalem. He said:

John 11:11-15 (KJV) … Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. 12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. 13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. 14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. 15 And I am glad for your sake that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.

Jesus knew that Lazarus was dead. Jesus called the death of Lazarus “a sleep” because He also knew that He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead. Lazarus’ death is but temporary – for Jesus will conquer his death!

So WHY did Jesus weep?

  • Did Jesus weep because He was too far away to get to Lazarus before He died? Absolutely not!

John 11:17-19 (KJV) Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already. 18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off: 19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

The Bible tells us that the distance between Bethany and Jerusalem where Jesus was is about fifteen furlongs, or two miles. The average person can walk two miles at a slow pace in about 25-30 minutes. Jesus was about a half hour away from Lazarus when he got sick. He could have easily gotten there before Lazarus died – and Lazarus has been in the grave four days now as Jesus arrives. Please notice that when Jesus comes THE JEWS – again, the Scribes and Pharisees who hate Him and sought to kill Him are already there, and have been there for four days.

  • Did Jesus weep because of Martha and Mary’s pain? I’ve seen this often in the commentaries. Charles Stanley wrote:

“Jesus did not weep over the death itself since He knew that Lazarus would soon be raised and ultimately spend eternity with Him in Heaven. Yet He could not help but weep when confronted with the wailing and sobbing of Mary, Martha, and the other mourners.”

Though the Bible tells us to:

Romans 12:15 (KJV) Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

With all due respect to Bro. Charles – I don’t think that this is the case. The first person to meet Jesus when He arrived at Lazarus’ home was Martha.

John 11:21-24 (KJV) Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. 23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. 24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

Martha is sad, but Jesus isn’t weeping. In fact, she’s almost accusing Jesus in her sadness.

If Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died

Jesus tells her “Thy brother shall rise again”. Jesus is going to bring Lazarus back to life. But Martha says “Oh, I know he’ll rise at the resurrection”. Not now, but then. Jesus tells her:

John 11:25-26 (KJV) …. I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Jesus is the Resurrection. He is the Source of life. He is going to give life to Lazarus in just a few moments. Jesus asks her:

Do YOU believe this?

Martha replies:

John 11:27 (KJV) …. Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

Martha dodges the question. Jesus asked her if she thought He had control over life, that He is THE RESURRECTION, that Jesus can defeat death. But instead of saying “Yes, You ARE the RESURRECTION. You can raise Lazarus from the grave. There is nothing You cannot do. She instead says, “Well yes, I believe You are the Christ, God’s Anointed One.” She doesn’t express full faith in Christ.

Look at the words of this text:

John 11:28 (KJV)28 And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.

Why is Martha “calling Mary her sister SECRETLY”. Why the sneaking around? We see in a moment:

John 11:31-32 (KJV) The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. 32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

Martha whispers to Mary that Jesus is there. Mary gets up, and THE JEWS get up with her. These are the same people that sought to stone Jesus. THE JEWS.

It was THE JEWS …

.. that questioned John the Baptist’s ministry (John 1:19)
.. that asked Jesus for a sign (John 2:18)
.. that were angry that Jesus healed a cripple on the Sabbath (John 5:10)
.. that sought to kill Jesus (John 5:16, 18)
.. that murmured when Jesus said He was the Bread of Life (John 6:41)
.. that ran Jesus out of Jerusalem (John 7:1)
.. that said Jesus had a devil (John 8:48)
.. that tried to stone Christ (John 8:59)
.. that threw Jesus’ disciples out of Church (John 9:22)

Who are “THE JEWS”? Again, this is the Scribes and Pharisees along with the Sadducees that despised Jesus.

These people have been infiltrating the home of our Lord’s good friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus. They have gathered around the family as they have mourned the loss of Lazarus. Like wolves around sheep, they cluster about Christ’s own and infiltrate unbelief where once there was belief. Mary goes to Jesus, and right behind her are THE JEWS that despise the Lord. She says …

John 11:32 (KJV) …. Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

She says exactly the same thing that Martha her sister said. This was planted in her head by the Jews. It is almost an accusation. “Jesus, why did YOU wait so long? Why didn’t you come? You were just 30 minutes away, and now my brother is dead. Oh Jesus, YOU let us down!”

Unbelief Causes Jesus To Weep

John 11:33-35 (KJV) When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, …

Jesus looks at Mary, then at the JEWS who have been four days with her. These who hate the Lord have infiltrated a family of faith.

When Jesus sees this “He GROANED”. This is the Greek (ἐμβριμάομαι embrimaomai) which is a very interesting word. The word means “to have indignation, to internally be very angry”. Jesus is stirred not with compassion at the weeping of Mary and THE JEWS, but is internally angered, indignant. But He does so “in the spirit”, in His soul. We are also told that Jesus “was troubled” (ταράσσω tarassō) which means “to be internally agitated, disturbed, rendered anxious or distressed”.

Jesus asks Mary “Where have you laid Lazarus”? But notice Mary doesn’t answer. THEY answer.

34 … They said unto him, Lord, come and see. 35 Jesus wept.

The Jews have been running the show for four days now. The Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducee have taken over the household.

And Jesus wept!

I can only find THREE places in Scripture
where Jesus was said to weep.

In our text today He wept because of unbelief. Later in His ministry when Jesus rides into Jerusalem on the day we call Palm Sunday we read:

Luke 19:41-44 (KJV) And when {Jesus} was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, 42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. 43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, 44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

Jesus wept over Jerusalem because they did not understand why He came. Christ came to give us light and life. Christ came to save us from our sins. Christ came to take our punishment upon ourselves. Christ came to save whosoever will. But Jerusalem was not looking for a Savior, but for Someone Who would fulfill their temporary needs.

Jesus wept because of unbelief.
Jesus wept before He raised Lazarus because of unbelief.
Jesus wept over Jerusalem because of unbelief.
Jesus weeps over the lost who will not hear Him.

Jesus weeps for the sinners. Jesus wept for the Jews who would not understand. Jesus wept because Martha and Mary had been swayed by unbelievers. There is one other place in Scripture that tells us Jesus wept. It is in:

Hebrews 5:7-9 (KJV) {Jesus} in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; 8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

Before Jesus went to the Cross He wept and prayed unto the Father. He did not weep or pray for His own life. No. Jesus told us:

John 10:17-18 (KJV) Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself….

Jesus laid His life down for you and for me. He alone has the power to give life. Jesus wept in the Garden of Gethsemane as He prepared to die for you and I. He wept for us. He prayed for us. And He weeps when we do not believe in Him. What can cause God to weep? Unbelief. A rejection of Him.

Hebrews 3:12-14 (KJV) Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end;

Jesus weeps when we allow unbelief to creep in. We come together as His Church to exhort one another to belief in Christ and His Word. We are to do as He says. He alone is the Source of life.

Jesus wept, but He demanded to see Lazarus. Martha – now filled with unbelief – says “But Master, Lazarus stinketh” (John 11:39). Jesus reminds Martha of what He said just moments before:

John 11:40 (KJV) Jesus saith unto {Martha}, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?

You cannot see the glory of God unless you believe. The way of the JEWS does not bring blessing. Religion without Christ brings nothing. Has not God said:

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

Belief does not let unbelief take over the home. Belief keeps its eyes on Jesus. Looking unto JESUS, the Author and Finisher of our FAITH (Hebrews 12:2). Look unto Him! Believe Him! Though Lazarus is dead, he shall yet live because of Christ.

And Lazarus lives!

John 11:41-44 (KJV) … Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. 42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. 43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. 44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

You can believe what you want, but I choose to believe Jesus. He is able! He is able!

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The King Is Coming

Posted on September 23, 2018 by bibleteacherorg

History Chart

(Revelation 19:11-21) And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

When Jesus first came into the world the Father decreed:

Hebrews 1:6 (KJV)  And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM.

The Bible declares (1 Timothy 1:15) “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”. He entered the world with a manger for a cradle. Though all the angels of Heaven worshiped Him, praising God and saying:

Luke 2:14 (KJV)  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Man barely acknowledged Him. There was no room for Him at the inn, and today little room for Him in men’s hearts. His first visitors were a few shepherds. When He was taken to the Temple to be circumcised on the 8th day two old people – a man and a woman – recognized Him as the Messiah. There was no other fanfare.

It is amazing to me that the Lord of Glory (1 Corinthians 2:8) grew up in a tiny, unknown place called Nazareth. He was unknown as Messiah as He grew from Christ Child to Adult Christ. When John the Baptist introduced Jesus he did so as a prophet should:

John 1:27 (KJV)  He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

When Jesus was baptized of John the next day John introduced Him as the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29). At that moment you would think that the rulers of the Temple would have knelt before Him, honoring Him, giving glory to Him. And yet there are many Churches today that have little time for Christ. Many come together to discuss progressivism, politics, or petty people. There is always something else on the agenda. We have no room at the inn.

Jesus went about healing and doing miraculous things in His first coming. You would have thought that when He entered Jerusalem for the last time on a young donkey that He would never be hurt nor harmed. The Bible says that He rode into the city …

John 12:12-15 … when {the people} heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. 14 And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, 15 Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt.

The inhabitants of Jerusalem cheered Jesus because they thought He had come to conquer the Roman Empire. Rome would eventually be conquered. But a greater thing had to be conquered first. Our sins needed to be conquered. Our death needed to be conquered.

It wouldn’t be long before the crowds shout “Crucify Him! Release Barabbas, but crucify Him!” Put Jesus – the Lord of Glory – on a Cross. Jesus came into the world unwanted. He left the world unwanted. It is telling that Pilate wrote the charge for which He was crucified on the titular. The charge was simply …

John 19:19-22 … JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. 21 Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. 22 Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.

Pilate’s official reason for crucifying Jesus was insurrection or revolt, but Jesus did not come for that. Jesus told Pilate:

John 18:36 (KJV) …. My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

Jesus’ first coming was for
REDEMPTION not REVOLUTION.
But His Second Coming will be for RESTORATION.
He will return all power in the world back to Himself!

Behold A White Horse!

(Revelation 19:11) I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse..

When a King rode into a city on a white donkey He came to make peace. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem the first time He came to make peace.

He came to give His life as the Savior of His people. The Child Mary brought forth was foretold:

Matthew 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Jesus came “to save HIS people”. Who are “His people?” They are those who love Him. The Scripture declares:

Romans 5:1 (KJV) Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

The Child of God by faith in Christ is at peace with God. God is our Father, Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit our Guide and Teacher. We received Christ in the Manger, Christ in Nazareth, and Christ on the donkey. But the world has rejected Christ, and Jesus returns this second time to overthrow and overcome!

(Revelation 19:11) And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, …

  • Our King Rides A White Horse Out Of Heaven. The White Horse symbolizes victory over the enemy. He is called “Faithful and True”.

At the Last Supper Jesus shares with His disciples that His Body is to broken and His Blood to be shed for them. He is going to be betrayed by all. In the midst of this teaching Peter speaks up

Matthew 26:33 (KJV) … Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.

Jesus looked at Peter with love in His eyes.

Matthew 26:34 (KJV) …. Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.

When Jesus was taken Peter and another Apostle followed from a distance. As Peter followed I can almost hear his thoughts. “Look at me. I’m not denying Jesus. I told Him I wouldn’t.” But before long his resolve is put to the test. “Aren’t you one of His disciples?” a milk maid asks. “No, absolutely not!”. Then a relative of the man that Peter injured in the garden of Gethsemane says “You are one of His disciples!” Peter denies it. The man says again, “I know I saw you in the garden with Jesus” (John 18:25-27) and Peter denies Christ the third time.

And the cock crows.

Thank God that Jesus is faithful. One of the faithful sayings of Paul was:

2 Timothy 2:11-13 (KJV) It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: 12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

Jesus is faithful. He is faithful to us even when we fail. There are times when we do fail, but Jesus loves us. He is faithful to His Word. He is the faithful Witness of God. Jesus told the Church at Laodicea:

Revelation 3:14 (KJV) … These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

Jesus is faithful to His people and faithful to His Word. Though Israel has rejected Him Jesus is returning on a white horse to restore Israel and to usher in His millennial Kingdom. He is always faithful to His people.

Hebrews 3:1-2, 6 (KJV)1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; 2 Who was faithful to him that appointed him… 6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

The war that Jesus is bringing to the earth is faithful and true. We read:

(Revelation 19:11) … and in righteousness he
doth judge and make war.

The wars that men fight have to do with human greed and power. Very few wars among mankind have ever been just wars. People kill people for land, for oil wells, for ethnic cleansing, for profit.

When Jesus comes He comes to cut the cancer of sin out of His world, a world He made.

Jesus must come, He MUST COME to purge sin and establish His righteous rule before the Millennial Reign can ever start. Isaiah foresaw this in:

(Isaiah 11:4-6) But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. 5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. 6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

There cannot be PEACE until the power of sin lies in PIECES. Progressivism is falling, and killing others as it goes. Evil must be cast down. The anti-Christ and those who love him must be disposed of …. only then can Christ reign!

Jesus comes to the earth to restore the righteousness of God and righteous rule. In righteousness He doth judge and make war. The world shall bow to Christ, as it is written:

Isaiah 45:23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

Romans 14:11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

  • King Jesus Rides A White Horse Out Of Heaven To Judge And Set Things Right According To God’s Standard.

(Revelation 19:12) His eyes were as a flame of fire, …

When John first saw Jesus at the beginning of Revelation he wrote:

(Revelation 1:14) His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

Fire in the Scripture is used to purge trash from something precious.
To take the dross from gold or silver, making it more valuable.
Fire is used to burn up trash, and as a place of torment.
Fire speaks of God.

Deuteronomy 4:24 (KJV) For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.

The world has been taken from God for a long time. Now God comes to reclaim His own. He looks with jealousy on His Israel and on His earth and will judge the wicked. He looks at a world that has persecuted and martyred His people, and now judgment comes:

2 Thessalonians 1:8-10 (KJV) In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

Today is judgment day, and Christ the Judge.

(Revelation 19:12) … and on his head were many crowns …

The devil stole the crown from Adam in the Garden of Eden by deception and lies. When Jesus came into the world the devil offered a crown to Jesus.

Matthew 4:8-9 (KJV) … the devil taketh {Jesus} up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

Jesus refused that devil’s crown. “Get thee hence, Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve”. Jesus refused the devil’s crown and chose the Cross. When Christ returns on His head shall be MANY crowns! His crowns are not stolen, nor given, but His by right.

(Revelation 19:12) … and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

The “Name” symbolized the unique nature of Christ. He is different and unique. Though Man, He is perfect Man. Though God, He is fully God. He is fully God and fully Man without hybrid, perfect and whole. So much s that He and He alone is the Mediator between God and Man.

The King Returns With His Bride

(Revelation 19:13-14) And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

The text now focuses on what Jesus is wearing, and what His people are wearing. Jesus comes with a vesture or robe dipped in BLOOD. This Blood could have two meanings.

  • It can speak of the BLOOD OF CHRIST that saves us.

Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

1 Peter 1:18, 19 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:

Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

Those who believe on Christ shall not fall under His hand. The armies that follow Jesus arrayed in white are so clothed because of His Blood.

Revelation 7:14 (KJV) … These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Human blood leaves a stain that is nearly impossible to get out of white linen. But the Blood of Christ cleanses us of all sin. The armies that follow Christ back to the earth are the saints who are cleansed by His Blood.

  • This Blood can also symbolize the JUDGMENT that is about to come on the earth. Rejecting the Blood of Christ and rejecting therefore peace with God, the world is now going to be judged.

The armies that follow Christ are His Church. Though the armies also ride white horses they have no weapons. Dr Thomas Constable wrote in his commentary:

“This heavenly army, unlike their leader, has no swords or spears. They take no part in the action. They wear no armor because, being immortal, they are immune to injury. They are noncombatant supporters of the Messiah as He wages the war single-handedly . . .”

Jesus will do the battle, and we will be the witnesses. Oh praise Him for His faithfulness.

Revelation 19:13 … his name is called The Word of God.

Jesus is called “The Word of God” because He is the visible and vocal manifestation of God’s heart and mind.

Hebrews 1:1-3 (KJV) God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

It Is Christ’s Word That Will Defeat The Enemy

(Revelation 19:15-16) And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

The Word that created life and this earth and the Word that brings new life to the believer is now the Word that smites the disobedient and defeats the Devil!

When Jesus returns to this earth in His Second Coming it will be to cast down the unbeliever and to save the believer. The unbelieving Jew and the unbelieving Gentile will both be judged. Christ will reign. God told His Israel:

(Ezekiel 20:33-38) 33 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you: 34 And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out. 35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. 36 Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord GOD. 37 And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant: 38 And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

Israel will be saved during Christ’s second Coming, but unbelieving Israel will be purged. Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and He will rule! As He returns this second and last time the Bible says:

(Matthew 24:29-31) Immediately after the tribulation of those days … then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

The believing Jews will be gathered together by Angels, and Israel will be restored to her land. Israel shall be saved – but only believing Israel. The Bible says that every eye shall see Christ in this Second Coming – and He will come in GREAT power and GREAT glory. His Coming will be

“immediately after the Tribulation of those days”

The Second Coming of Christ was a great comfort to the Christians of John’s Day, and should be a great blessing to us as well. The Apostle Paul encouraged the beleagered Thessalonian Church by writing:

2 Thessalonians 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels ..

When Jesus returns He is not coming to “make nice”. He is coming to reclaim what is rightfully His. And this will not be a pretty picture.

(Revelation 19:17) And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;

An angel stands in the sun – in a place where all will see it’s shadow. The angel cries out to the carrion birds – the crows, the vultures, the turkey buzzards:

Come, gather yourselves unto the supper of the Great God

Those who missed the Marriage Supper of the Lamb are called to a horrible feast of the Lion. The angel cries out to the carrion birds …

(Revelation 19:18) That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

The carrion birds will eat the flesh of kings, captains, mighty men, horses and them that sit on them, of all men. Those who thought themselves important, and those who did not. The free and the bond, the small and the great. There is no difference. All will die who stand against Christ. All who will not believe will depart into a devil’s hell.

(Revelation 19:20-21) And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

And thus ends the evil of Satan and his unholy trinity. I hope you are in Christ! If not, call upon Him today!

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How To Be Light In The Midst Of Darkness

Posted on September 23, 2018 by bibleteacherorg

burning-candle.jpg

image courtesy of publicdomainpictures.net

1 Peter 1:13-16 Wherefore1 gird up2 the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; (14) As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: (15) But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; (16) Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Last week we saw the Apostle address the Church of Christ as “Strangers Scattered”. We are “Strangers” because God has caused us to be born into His family:

Galatians 3:26 (KJV) For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

If you have received Jesus Christ as Lord believing that He died for your sins and rose from the grave to be your Savior then God has changed you.

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

Saved, born into the Kingdom of God, you who are Christians are strangers to this world. You are “peculiar people” (Exodus 19:5; 1 Peter 2:9). As the Bible says:

Titus 2:13-14 (KJV) …. the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; … gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

You are strangers to this world. Christians are often scattered through persecution. But God left you here on this earth to be a people who walk in light the midst of this present darkness.

God left us here as Light in the midst of darkness. So how are we to be light in darkness?
This is what the Bible tells us this week.

That is what the first word of our text tells us today. Do you see it? “WHEREFORE”. The word “WHEREFORE” is the Greek DIO (DEE-O) which means “For this cause”. Last week we were told what we as Christians are meant to be. This week the Bible tells us HOW to be light in the midst of darkness.

Children Of God Must Prepare Our Minds

There is a lady who frequently calls me to discuss her spiritual life. Her life is in disarray, and she can’t understand why it is she seems to be in darkness. I ask her “Where are you going to Church now? How often do you spend time in the Word of God and prayer?” Her response is always, “I know I need to do this, but I just don’t have the time.”

As I am typing this there is a knock on the Church door. Here is another woman who always has a sad story. She starts the familiar story, crying that she needs help. A few weeks ago I saw her and a friend of hers at the local Walmart with two shopping baskets overflowing with food. I’ve asked her to be in Church, and have given her Bibles to read. I have explained Christ to her. But her life is in disarray. She has no time for Christ.

So many who profess to know Christ as Savior live lives as desperate and dark as those who do not have Christ. Why? They shoot at the wrong target. They aim at the wrong goal.

Matthew D. Emmons is a rifleman, a past Olympic gold, silver, and bronze medal winner. In the 2004 Summer Olympics he was in the lead, and just needed to get one shot in the target to take home the gold. He hit the target … and lost. Why?

He shot the wrong target!

1 Peter 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind

What does it mean to
“GIRD UP the LOINS of your mind”?

In the ancient world men wore robes that usually hung down to mid calf or lower. The concept of “pants” was not yet developed. The robe was, however, very effective for those who lived in desert environment. A robe doesn’t trap sand. It is easily shaken out. It’s layers protected you from heat and rain. When you laid down at night you could arrange the robe to keep you warm. It was a great asset.

Unless you had to run or do battle.

Hanging loosely around your lower legs the robe could become a tripping hazard if you tried to run or go into battle. So before getting serious in battle you attended your robe. You would pull the robe UP toward your belt so that the robe hung about mid thigh. This was called “girding up the loins” (see 2 Kings 4:29; 9:1).

To “gird up the loins” is to man up, to get ready to be serious or do something serious. To “gird up the loins of the mind” is to take your mind in hand, to gather it up so you can get down to serious business,
to tuck the flowing robes of your mind behind your belt.

What is the BELT that we tuck our minds into?
It is the TRUTH that is God’s Word.

In Ephesians 6 the Christian is told to:

Ephesians 6:10-11 (KJV)10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

What is the BELT that the Christian has?

Ephesians 6:14 (KJV)14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

When you GIRD UP the loins of your mind you take the flowing robes of your thought processes and tuck them behind the BELT OF TRUTH, the WORD OF GOD. What did Jesus pray to the Father?

John 17:17 (KJV) (Father) Sanctify them through thy truth:
thy word is truth.

What God has presented to us in His Bible is the Truth. When we get away from what the Bible says is true, we always flounder. We cannot be light in darkness if our minds do not embrace the truths of God’s Word. We need to think as God thinks, and do as God says. It is the Bible that defines truth for us who are His.

When Job began to question his situation, coming close to accusing God of wrong, the Lord told him:

Job 38:3-7 (KJV) Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. 4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. 5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? 6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; 7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Job, I am the Creator Who made all things, even you. I know what is best. Gird up the loins of your mind. Focus on MY TRUTH, on what I have said.

When God sent the Prophet Jeremiah to speak His Word to a people that would not hear the Lord told him:

Jeremiah 1:17-19 (KJV) Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. 18 For, behold, I have made thee this day a defensed city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. 19 And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.

When we stand on the truths of God’s Word we do not stand alone, but God stands with us. Our target is to do His will. Our business is to uphold His Word – though all the world reject us, we will stand with Him.

1 Peter 1:13-16 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober,

To BE SOBER is to be LEVEL HEADED. Some Christians live by their emotions, by their feelings, but not by their FAITH.

FEELINGS always say what IF
FAITH always says EVEN IF

You have all probably seen the drunkard, overemotional, whining, staggering about. The drunkard is not himself. He is controlled by alcohol. The control point for the Christian is the Word of God and the Spirit of God. We do not STAGGER but WALK.

1 Thessalonians 5:6-10 (KJV) Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a 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.

We are to “walk in the Spirit” (Romans 8:1, 4; Galatians 5:16, 26)
We are to “walk in love” (Ephesians 5:2)
We are to “walk in the light” (1 John 1:7)
We are to walk knowing our works will be judged by Christ
We are to walk knowing “the end of all things is at hand” (1 Peter 4:7)

We are not to stagger, but to walk. Abraham staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was STRONG IN FAITH, GIVING GLORY TO GOD (Romans 4:20). We are to be sober.

1 Peter 1:13 gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

We who are God’s Children should be looking for Jesus every single day. It is put this way in another text:

Hebrews 12:2-3 (KJV) 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.

Our eyes should be on Jesus. Our hearts should be dedicated to Jesus. Just as Jesus was about His Father’s business, so should we be about our Father’s business. We are to be like Him.

Children Of God Must Shape Our Conduct

As evening shadows faded and dusk was giving way to darkness, the poet Robert Louis Stevenson, a small boy at the time, had his nose pressed against the window pane of his home. He was fascinated by the old-fashioned lamplighter coming down the street lighting the gas street lamps. “Look,” he cried out in excitement to his nanny, “there’s a man coming down the street punching holes in the darkness.”from actsweb.org

How do we as Christians “punch holes in the darkness”?

1 Peter 1:14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

We are to be “Obedient Children”. We are to put into practice our faith. We are to genuinely DO what Christ has told us to do. We are not to live the way that we used to live. The Bible says:

Ephesians 2:2-3 (KJV) Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

We used to be part of the darkness.
Darkness cannot punch holes in darkness.
We used to walk according to the Devil.
We used to walk according to the flesh and this world.
We used to be “children of disobedience”.
We used to be “children of wrath”.

That is where we WERE. But when we realized we were lost and “called upon the name of the Lord” Jesus entered our lives.

Ephesians 2:4-9 (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: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 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.

We are QUICKENED now, made alive and light by Jesus Christ. We are no longer children of this world but are Children of God.
This changes our behavior.

If you are God’s Child then BE God’s Child!

Philippians 2:2-5 (KJV) Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

We are to be Light. Light loves. Light lifts up. Light does for others. Light does not boast of itself, but boasts of God. Light looks upward to light, the Father of Lights. We are to be obedient Children of God, not imitators of this world. We are to live SACRIFICIALLY.

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

We are to live together as OBEDIENT CHILDREN. We are to be focused upon Christ, living like Christ.

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

We who are God’s Children by the sacrifice of Christ’s Blood are to seek to be HOLY. Now, what does it mean to be HOLY?

When you think of the word “HOLY” what do you think of? Some think of chapels or cathedrals with lit candles. Others think of monks chanting, or church music. This is not what it is to be HOLY.

Holy is to do what God says do, and reject what God rejects.
Holiness is both positive and negative.
Holiness is to imitate God in behavior.

When Isaiah was allowed to look into Heaven what did he hear the angels say about God? Did the angels cry out:

Love, Love, Love, the LORD of Hosts?

No, but Isaiah heard the angels cry:

Isaiah 6:3 “Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts
the whole earth is full of his glory.”

When John the Revelator looked into Heaven what were the angels declaring about God?

Merciful, Merciful, Merciful, Lord God Almighty, or
Giving, Giving, Giving, Lord God Almighty?

Now God is all these things. But what did John hear?

Revelation 4:8 (KJV) “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty
which was, and is, and is to come.

God is Holy, which means that what He says is right is always right.
God never speaks a lie (Numbers 23:19)
There is no darkness in God (1 John 1:5)

We who are God’s Children must not fashion ourselves after the old dark ways of this world. We must follow Christ. We must follow His Word. We must be led of His Spirit. What are we told?

be ye holy in all manner of conversation

The Christian does not compartmentalize his life. Jesus is not a Visitor to our hoes, but He is at home in every aspect of our lives. ALL MEANS ALL. We are to imitate God:

Ephesians 5:1-6 (KJV) Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor. 3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; 4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this ye know, that no whore monger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

We are to live our lives so that – no matter where we go or what we do – we look different than the darkness. We are to live to honor our Lord. Jesus gave everything for us, and we are called to give everything to Him. The Scripture is our flashlight, and we are headed toward glory. Take off the old man, and put on the new.

For Christ lives in you!

C.H. Spurgeon once said “It is a blessed thing for a Christian to be strapped up in one bundle, and not to be divided into a number of separate parcels. … Paul wrote to the Colossians, “Set your affection on things above” that is, have all your affections bound up into one supreme, all-embracing affection, and then fix it all upon Christ. When the many men within the man become all one man, and he is, as we say, “all there,” and you know that he is “all there,” then has he indeed girded up the loins of his mind. May we all obey this apostolic command, and earnestly avoid the opposite!”

Focus on the Jesus Christ our Leader, our Savior, our Lord!

When a newborn baby is brought into this Church it’s members gather around that precious bundle of joy and coo over it. You often hear, “he has his father’s eyes”, or “she has her mother’s hair”. The baby always has certain traits that are inherited from mother, father, grandmother, or grandfather.

This same thing is true of the Christian. Those who are born again by faith in Jesus Christ, though they may still stumble from time to time (and what child doesn’t stumble?), bear a striking resemblance to their God. He who has called you, who has caused you to be born again is holy – separate from this world – so you should be holy. The concept that one becomes saved then ignores God until death is not taught in Scripture. If God has saved you, you are called to be like Him. Saved by faith, justified by God the Holy Spirit, you are called to live out your faith.

Live for Him if He lives in you!

1 G1352, διό, dio, dee-o’, From G1223 and G3739; through which thing, that is, consequently: – for which cause, therefore, wherefore.

2 Aorist Middle Participle of G328, ἀναζώννυμι, anazōnnumi, an-ad-zone’-noo-mee, From G303 and G2224; to gird afresh: – gird up.

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You Are Gods

Posted on September 20, 2018 by bibleteacherorg

John 10:27-31 (KJV)  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:  [28]  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.  [29]  My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.  [30]  I and my Father are one.  [31]  Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.

John_10_27t31_You_Are_Gods

I like to cook, so I like to watch cooking shows from the Food Network. One of the shows Sherry and I often watch is called “Chopped”. In that show four chefs are given four basket ingredients that they need to make into a tasty dish. Each round one chef is eliminated – he or she is “Chopped”.

On one show one of the chefs that got “Chopped” was making biscuits. When I make biscuits I sift the dry ingredients into one bowl and the wet ingredients (egg, buttermilk) into another bowl. Once you blend the dry you add it to the wet ingredients until the biscuit dough is the right consistency. The chef I was watching put his flour in one bowl, then (and I don’t know why) his baking powder, soda, and salt in another bowl with a little more flour. He went off to do something, lost his mind, then put buttermilk into the bowl that had nothing but flour in it. In other words he never added the leavening agents to his flour. He mixed these “biscuits” up and put them on a pan in the oven. They were hockey pucks. He was chopped. Flour and buttermilk doesn’t make biscuits. You need the leavening and the flavor. You need the shortening. If you don’t put that in you’re making hockey pucks.

There are a lot of nominal Christians in the world today who believe they have eternal life, but do they?

Jesus was very clear that “His Sheep” have eternal life. If you are one of His sheep then praise God, you have eternal life. But are you one of His sheep? The Bible says:

Philippians 2:12-16 (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;  [16]  Holding forth the word of life ..

We are not told …

Work FOR your own salvation

but ….

Work OUT your own salvation

After saying this the Apostle says “It is God that worketh IN YOU”. If God is IN you, then your salvation will show. You will do what JESUS says. You will actually DO what JESUS said. Yes, you will DO what Jesus said. You will not just SAY you will do it, you will DO it.

The Pharisees hated Jesus and wanted to stone Jesus because they wanted God without Jesus.
But you can’t have God without Jesus.
You can’t enter God’s Heaven without Jesus.
You cannot have eternal life without Jesus!

The Sheep Are One With Jesus

John 10:27-28 (KJV)  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:  [28]  And I give unto them eternal life …

Jesus said three things about “My sheep”. He said:

  • “My sheep HEAR My voice”. The word translated “HEAR” is the Greek ἀκούω akouō which means not just to hear noise, but to hear so as to attend to, to consider what has been said, to perceive the sense, to hear with understanding, to comprehend, to focus upon and listen to. Those who belong to Jesus not only hear what He says but love Him and want to hear what He says. The Pharisees would not hear Jesus, and could not hear Jesus because they were not His sheep. Jesus told them:

John 8:43-45 (KJV)  Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot HEAR (akouō) my word.  [44]  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.  [45]  And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

The darkness can never hear the light, and the children of this world cannot hear the Son of God. They hear only what they believe, and they do not believe Christ. Jesus calls whosoever will to His side. He came to die for the sins of all people, even the Pharisees. But they would not hear His call. They constantly sought to find fault with Jesus, to stone Jesus, to take His life though He never did any wrong. What has God said in Hebrews?

Hebrews 3:7-14 (KJV)  Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will HEAR (akouō) his voice,  [8]  Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:  [9]  When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.  [10]  Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.  [11]  So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)  [12]  Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.  [13]  But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.  [14]  For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;

His sheep hear His Voice. His sheep do not harden their hearts to His Voice, but love Him because He loves us. The sheep call to one another, exhorting one another to follow Him lest they be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

  • “My sheep HEAR My Voice, and I KNOW them”. Jesus knows His sheep.

He knows His sheep by what they do.
He knows His sheep by what they do.
I’ll say it again, Christ knows His sheep by what they DO.

Jesus told us:

Matthew 7:17-23 (KJV) Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.  [18]  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.  [19]  Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  [20]  

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them

[21]  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but

he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

[22]  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  [23]  And

then will I profess unto them, I NEVER KNEW YOU: depart from me, YE THAT WORK INIQUITY.

What is “the will of the Father which is in Heaven?” Jesus was very clear on this. The entirety of the Law is summed up in two commandments that revolve around one thing. Jesus said:

Mark 12:29-31 (KJV) … The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:  [30]  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.  [31]  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

God must be loved above all else. The sheep know this. God loved us by sending His Son to us. His Son died for us. Why? Because He loves us. His Spirit indwells us. Why? Because He loves us. Our salvation is based on love, not hate. We love God more than anything or anyone else. If we:

Prophesy without love to God
Cast out devils without love to God
Do wonderful works without love for God
You are a biscuit without a leavening agent
You are a biscuit without flavor
You are a hockey puck without love!

These seemingly godly things are defined by Jesus as working iniquity or evil. We love God first. We love our neighbor as ourself. If we don’t want it done to us, we don’t do it to others. If we want it done to us, we do it to others. Love thy neighbor as thyself. If you are a recipient of Grace you know that God loved you when you were unlovable. We are to love others even if they are unlovable. That’s tough. Jesus said:

Matthew 5:43-48 (KJV)  Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy.  [44]  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;  [45]  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.  [46]  For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?  [47]  And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?  [48]  Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Love is the mark of perfection, the Will of God. Love God, love others. Do good. Bless. Pray for. The Apostles understood this and emphasized it through the Scriptures:

Romans 13:8-10 (KJV)  Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for

he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law

[9]  For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely,

Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

[10]  Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Galatians 5:13-15 (KJV)  For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.  [14]  For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this;

Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

[15]  But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

Jesus knows His sheep for His sheep are marked by love. His sheep do not murmur and backbite. His sheep love God with all they have, and love their neighbors – those who are around you – as they love themselves. This is scripture. This is the Word of God. Hear it!

  • “My sheep HEAR My voice, and I KNOW them, and THEY FOLLOW ME”. Those who are saved follow Jesus. They do what Jesus says do. Jesus said:

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

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

You cannot be saved and not be lead to keep His commandments. If you love Christ you WILL keep His commandments. If you love Christ He WILL manifest Himself to you. If you love Christ, the Father WILL love you. Obeying Jesus is not optional. Loving Jesus means to follow Him. Jesus told His Church in His Great Commission:

Matthew 28:20 (KJV)  Teaching them to

observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: …

Jesus Is One With The Father

John 10:28-30 (KJV) … they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.  [29]  My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.  [30]  I and my Father are one.

The sheep of Christ shall never perish – but has eternal life. When Jesus said:

They shall NEVER perish

this is a double negative in the Greek – ou me apolontai – which is,

They shall NEVER, NOT EVER perish!

Two sets of hands guard the sheep. Bible Scholar A.W. Pink said:

“The ‘hand of Christ’ is beneath us, and the ‘hand’ of the Father is above us. Thus are we secured between the clasped hands of Omnipotence!”

When Jesus affirmed out salvation, equation His power over us to the Father’s power beneath us, the Pharisees sought to stone Him for blasphemy. They said:

John 10:33 (KJV) … For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

Jesus did not deny their charge, but instead used the Scripture.

John 10:34-36 (KJV)  Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?  [35]  If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;  [36]  Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?

Jesus quoted from the Psalms:

Psalms 82:6 (KJV)  I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.

The children of God are called “gods” by God in that Psalm. What does this mean? When we present the Word of God as God presents it to us then we are His representatives on the earth. When God sent Moses to Pharaoh he told Moses:

Exodus 7:1 (KJV)  And the LORD said unto Moses, See,

I have made thee a god to Pharaoh

: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.

Moses faithfully presented God’s Word to Pharaoh he represented “God”. Though not literally God he spoke for God. Jesus spoke for God the Father. He did not add to nor take away from God’s Word. In fact, Jesus declared:

John 10:35 (KJV) the scripture cannot be broken

Jesus is One with the Father. He is not the Father, but He, the Father, and the Spirit are all in one accord. The Scripture – written by the Spirit – cannot be broken or annulled. What God has said stands true forever.

Jesus is One with the Father.
The sheep are One with the Son.
We will all be One one day in glory!

The basis of our salvation is oneness. The Pharisees rejected this oneness and were lost forever. Jesus presented Himself to the Pharisees as God’s Son – the set apart and sanctified Representative of God from Heaven. The Pharisees rejected Christs WORKS in ..

John 5:16-17 (KJV)  And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.  [17]  But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

Christ did miraculous things that only God could do on the Sabbath. But they rejected Him. They would not see His works. They not only rejected His WORKS, but rejected His WORDS:

John 8:58-59 (KJV)  Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.  [59]  Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

Jesus clearly defined Himself as equal to God. He is the great I AM in the flesh. But they would not hear. They were of their father the devil. Rejecting His WORKS and His WORD they now reject HIM as THE WORD. They called Jesus a blasphemer, and sought to stone Him to death. They did so without referring to the Scripture which is what Jesus did. So Jesus departed. The Bible tells us:

John 10:39-42 (KJV)  Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand,  [40]  And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode.  [41]  And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true.  [42]  And many believed on him there.

Jesus will not keep calling if you will not come. Jesus left Jerusalem and headed back to Bethany in Perea on the east side of the Jordan river. Here the Pharisees had no authority. He left.

Christ will not tarry where He is not wanted. He came to save the lost but, dear One, you must want to be saved. You must hear Him. If you do not, you risk Him leaving. He calls. “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men”. Will you come? Will you submit to being one of His sheep? Will you hear Him, and be known of Him? I pray you will while it is today – for tomorrow never comes. May God touch your hearts with His Word!

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The Marriage Supper Of The Lamb

Posted on September 16, 2018 by bibleteacherorg

the-wedding-bandw-blurred.jpg

image courtesy of publicdomainpictures.net

Revelation 19:5-9 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. 6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

Four Hallelujahs

What is the backdrop for one of the greatest celebrations of all time, a spectacular party in the glory that we call Heaven? It is the destruction of Babylon the Great Whore. Babylon was the false religious system that lead so many away from Christ. Babylon was the commercial system that demanded the Mark of the Beast or the Number of His Name. Religion and Money, Idolatry and Mammon joined together to bring as many to Satan as possible. That is why the first few verses of Revelation 19 read:

Revelation 19:1-2 (KJV)1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God: 2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.

Heaven is rejoicing! It is:

A Voice – Unified in praise!
A GREAT Voice – Unashamed and Unrepentant in praise!
A Great Voice Of Much People In Heaven – The world weeps, but we praise!
A Great Voice Of Much People In Heaven Saying Alleluia!

The word HALLELUJAH (Greek ἁλληλουϊά) is actually from the Hebrew language. The Hebrew HALAL (הָלַל) means “Praise, honor, glory, to boast or brag upon” and in the Hithpoel stem means “to act like a madman”. It is exuberant praise! It means to praise without concern of what others may think, to magnify, to lift up! The Hebrew YA (יָהּ) is the ancient name of God. The word HALLELUJAH means “Praise and honor unto our God!”. This word HALLELUJAH has been carried into many of earth’s languages without translation. It’s root is in Israel, God’s first chosen and elect people, but it is carried forward into Heaven by God’s second chosen people the Church.

The word HALLELUJAH occurs only in this chapter
in the New Testament!

The word in the Old Testament is often translated “Praise the Lord”, and is found 24 times in the Psalms alone. In Revelation the HALLELUJAH is repeated four times:

  1. To praise God for His REDEMPTION and RIGHTEOUS judgment (vs 1-2)

  2. To praise God for the eternal destruction of infernal Babylon (vs 3)

    And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.

    HALLELUJAH! Her smoke rose up forever and ever. Her destruction is eternal. Babylon shall never rise again.

  3. To praise God for His worthiness (vs 4)

    .. the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.

  4. To praise God for His reigning power (vs 5-6)

    … Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

Though Babylon and the devil have often had the illusion of control, God was and will always be in control. The Lord God OMNIPOTENT REIGNETH! He has proven He is in control by the destruction of Babylon. He hath judged the Great Whore. Having judged and destroyed the devil’s mistress, the people praised God once more:

Revelation 19:7 (KJV)7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

In the ancient world one of the greatest of all celebrations was when a young man – the Bridegroom – would present his Bride to his family. When the wedding occurred it was not just a one day event. Families would come together as one, and the Bridegroom’s Family would provide enough food and drink to carry the celebration out for a week. It was a joyous, happy time. It was the greatest party of the Bride and Groom’s lifetime.

The Marriage Supper Is A Celebration

When we think of “marriage” we think of “sex”. Marriage is not first and foremost about sex. It is about civilization, stability, and family. The goal of marriage is not to have sex, but to unite with our God given spouse in harmony, glorifying God.

The Bible tells us in Ephesians that Biblical Marriage is patterned after Christ and His Church. These are God’s Words:

Ephesians 5:22-33 (KJV) Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

The clear meaning of the text is to define what we call “Marriage”. Biblically “Marriage” is the union between one man and one woman. The husband loves the wife as Christ loves His Church. The wife follows her husband as the Church follows Christ. Looking at the text we see a picture where Christ is likened to the Bridegroom, and the Church His Bride. In the Ephesians text:

The Church is alluded to as the BRIDE of Christ
The Church is alluded to as the BODY of Christian

The Apostle Paul often used marital language when addressing Christ’s Church. In …

2 Corinthians 11:2 (KJV) For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

The Church is “espoused” (ἁρμόζω harmozō) or to be given in marriage to. Paul “wed” the Church at Corinth to Christ,
not to the world.

The Apostle uses similar language to the Church at Rome, saying:

Romans 7:4 (KJV) Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

We who are saved and of the Church are as a group “married” to Christ, not to the Law. We are of His Body. He bled and died for us. As His Elect people we shall one day come to the celebration that we read about today.

The Wedding Feast is a celebration because those who are there are the SAVED!

(Revelation 19:1) I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God:

We Will Praise God For The Wonderful Gift Of His Salvation. God did not have to save us … but He did. God was never under any obligation to reach out to us in love … but He did. Salvation Belongs To The Lord. I do not think that we truly understand what God has done for us in Christ. The Bible says:

(Psalms 37:34-40) Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it. 35 I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. 36 Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found. 37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. 38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. 39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble. 40 And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

God will save whosoever will, but does not have to save any. He reaches out to the wicked, but the wicked, following their false gods, will not be found. Yet God reaches and reaches. Salvation of the righteous is of the Lord – He is their strength in time of trouble. The LORD – Eternal JAH – shall help them and deliver them from the wicked. Blessed be the Name of God!

When the Redeemed are gathered for we shall praise God for what He has done. In Christ the Father redeemed to Himself a Family of love. Jesus Christ is the Chief Cornerstone – the Architect of salvation. We are told in Hebrews:

(1 Peter 2:6-10) 6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. 7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. 9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: 10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

When we who are redeemed gather around the Throne of God at this Marriage Supper we shall give God the glory He deserves. We shall be unreserved in our praise of Him! We shall not be looking AROUND to see who’s watching us, but will be looking UP at our Bridegroom Jesus Christ!

He BOUGHT us with His Blood.

(1 Corinthians 6:19, 20) 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 SAVED because of Him. But not only SAVED, but …

The Wedding Feast is a celebration because those who are there are the SECURED!

Babylon has been destroyed. Her smoke rose up forever and ever. She shall no longer try and hurt the Bride of Christ, but as His people we shall be eternally protected by our Superman.

A grandfather sat on the front porch with his little grandson watching the traffic go by, the sun setting just over the horizon. The little boy said excitedly: “Look Grandpa at the shadows the cars and trucks are making!” Grandfather said, “They do cast long shadows! Those shadows can’t hurt us, though. They’re just shadows!” The Redeemed at the Marriage Supper will see the shadows of evil Babylon, but it’s smoke rises up forever and ever. It cannot hurt us anymore. God is in control, and we are in God’s hands.

We are secure because the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. He reigns now, but often we cannot see His hand. We are to trust His heart when we cannot see His hand. The Bible says:

(Daniel 7:14) … his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

(2 Chronicles 20:6) 6 And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?

Our God reigns! Our God reigns! When we come together at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb we will know that He is in control, and has always been in control. God reigns!

Revelation 19:7-8 (KJV) Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

The Bride is dressed in white – the righteousness of the Saints.
The Groom is the Lamb – by Whose Blood we are made righteous.

Because it is He that caused us to be arrayed in fine linen. It is He Who made us acceptable unto a holy and righteous God. It is Jesus Who saves us, and calls us with a holy calling. We are His because of His Blood. The Blood of God was shed for us. The Apostle spoke of …

Acts 20:28 (KJV) … the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

The Bride of Christ is His Redeemed, those who have received Him by faith.

Ephesians 1:7 (KJV) In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Hebrews 9:13-14 (KJV) For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

It was His Blood shed on Calvary that saved a wretch like you and me. When we gather at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb the Church and Israel – the saved of Christ – shall gather not to honor ourselves but to honor the Lord Jesus Christ Who saved us.

Over the last 22 years of ministry I have done many weddings where the Bride is the center of attention. All eyes are on her.

At the Marriage Supper of the Lamb
all eyes will be on Jesus.

All eyes were on Jesus when He walked this earth.
All eyes were on Jesus at His trial before sinners.
All eyes were on Jesus as the crowd cried out “Crucify Him”!
All eyes were on Jesus as He bore His Cross to Calvary.
All eyes were on Jesus as they threw Him to the ground.
All eyes were on Jesus as they nailed Him to the Tree.
All eyes were on Jesus as they mocked Him, and naked gambled for His clothes.
All eyes were on Jesus as He suffered, and bled.
All eyes were on Jesus as He said “It is Finished”.
All eyes were on Jesus as a soldier pierced His side so that blood and water ran out.
All eyes were on Jesus as He was taken from the Cross, and laid in the Tomb.
All eyes were on Jesus as He rose again the third day.
And all eyes were on Jesus as He ascended into Heaven.
If you are saved, your eyes are on Jesus.
And one day you will be at this Marriage as all eyes are on Him!

Revelation 19:9 (KJV)9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

This is the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. The ones who are there, the redeemed, the Angels, the Godhead, they shall all love Him Who gave everything to redeem this lost world.

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

What a glorious day this shall be! Will you be there? I pray that you will, but you will not get to that place in your own power, but by receiving the Bridegroom, by receiving Christ as both Lord and Savior. May God move your hearts to do so today!

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Salvation Truth

Posted on September 16, 2018 by bibleteacherorg

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1 Peter 1:1-3 (KJV) Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

One day Peter’s brother Andrew (a follower of John the Baptist) interupted him while he was fishing. “Peter …

… We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. (John 1:41)

This intrigued Peter. Every Jew knew that God had promised to one day send a Savior to His people, a “Messiah” or “Anointed One”. The Messiah would be the Servant of God, filled with God’s Spirit.

Isaiah 42:1 (KJV)1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

Isaiah 61:1-2 (KJV)1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

The Messiah would save Israel – and Peter knew (along with all others who were Jews) that they needed saving. Rome had conquered Israel. The King placed over Israel was an Idumean named Herod. So Peter went to see Jesus – and that day was given the name Cephas (John 1:42) meaning “The Stone”. Though Peter went back to his fishing boat it wasn’t long before Jesus saw him again. Calling out:

“Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men”
(Matthew 4:19)

Peter and Andrew immediately left their nets and began to follow Jesus. That is the mark of the Christian – that we follow Jesus. Abraham our Father left family, country, everything in order to follow the Lord. We are to follow Him and Him alone. We are to go where He goes, do as He does, and obey His Word as it were the Word of God – for it is!

It took Peter some time to fully understand what salvation is. Called to Christ’s side Peter thought at first that Jesus was going to bring in a new kingdom on the earth. When Jesus told Peter that He had to go to the Cross:

Matthew 16:21 (KJV) … how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

Peter would hear none of this. Kill Jesus? Absolutely not! Peter declared:

Matthew 16:22 (KJV) … Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.

Jesus rebuked Peter. Matthew 16:23 (KJV) … Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

At first Peter didn’t understand why Jesus had to die. Jesus had to die because we are ALL SINNERS. Sin has separated us from God. Sin has blinded us, bound us, beaten us, and be-damns us. When the Messiah came the Old Testament spoke of His death and suffering. Isaiah particularly wrote of the Suffering Savior. Peter could not understand why Jesus had to die, and many today do not understand the death of Christ as a very real necessity.

He had to die because …

ALL HAVE SINNED &
ALL HAVE FALLEN SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD.

Jesus Christ is the Anointed One. By His death He has Anointed Us who believe in Him with His Blood. This Anointed from the Anointed changes us.
This change is called Salvation.

Salvation Is God’s PLAN For Whosoever Will

1 Peter 1:1 (KJV) Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia ….

You may not understand where these places are in the Holy Land, but I want you to notice two things about this text. First, though Peter is the Chief Apostle, the Leader of the early Church, he does not emphasize himself when he speaks of salvation. He emphasizes Jesus Christ. He is …

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ

The immature believer pushes himself forward. The immature believer in Peter was always seeking attention. But now that he is maturing in Christ he is not Peter THE CHIEF APOSTLE, but he is Peter AN apostle. He is a representative of Jesus Christ. Notice also how he addresses the Church:

to the strangers scattered

The word “STRANGER” means “A traveler, a foreigner, someone just passing through another country (parepídēmos)”. We who are saved by faith in Christ are just passing through this world. We are told in:

Philippians 3:20-21 (KJV) For our conversation (políteuma, citizenship) is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

We who are saved by faith in Christ are part of the plan of God. The Lord saved us by His sacrifice. We are saved by faith. But we are left on this earth as sojourners, travelers for the Kingdom of God. While here we represent our Lord Jesus. But we never forget that:

This world is not my home I’m just a passing through 
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue 
The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door 
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore

Just like Israel wandered the earth till they reached the Promised Land, we are wanderers. We belong to Christ our Lord. We live to honor Him and Him only. He calls whosoever will to be saved, and then calls the saved into His Church.

1 Peter 1:2 (KJV) Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father ….

The Church is God’s “Elect”. He chose Israel in the Old Testament to represent Him, and chooses the Church to represent Him in the New Testament. In the Church we discover later in Peter that …

1 Peter 2:9-10 (KJV) But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

It was God’s plan to call the Church to represent Him. If you are saved, you are part of that plan. We are told in …

Ephesians 1:4-7 (KJV) According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

As Christ’s Church you represent Him on this earth. As His people you magnify Him by your lives. Christ hath said “by this shall all men know you are My disciples, that you have love one toward another” (John 13:35).

Saved by His Grace, we magnify Him. We are saved:

1 Peter 1:2
through sanctification of the Spirit
unto obedience
and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ

We live on this earth according to His Plan. We are saved by faith in Him THROUGH the Spirit TO obey BECAUSE OF His Blood. Blessed be the Name of the Lord! We are strangers on this earth …

Salvation Promises A PERMANENT Home In Heaven

1 Peter 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

It is by mercy that we are saved. Yes, we answered the whosoever will call, but there is no more merit in that than a drowning man grasping a life preserver thrown his way! I was drowning in my sin when I first heard the whosoever will call. The Spirit of God whispered my name. I heard His love. I reached out and, grasping Christ and Christ alone, on that day I was saved.

The Lord left me, as He has left you, on this present earth. Yet this earth is not my home. I have an inheritance incorruptible that is beautiful!

Our Inheritance is undefiled (it cannot be perverted)
Cannot fade away (it is persistent)
Reserved for the saved (it is PERSONAL)

Jesus told us when He was on this earth:

John 14:1-3 (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.

While on this earth I am a stranger to it, but I am no stranger to Heaven. If you are Christ’s then Heaven is your home. You are …

3 begotten … again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible

Jesus Christ died on the Cross, then He rose again and ascended unto the Father. We have a lively or a living Hope in Christ. He has promised us Heaven. He rose again from this earth and ascended unto Heaven. And He has promised:

John 12:25-26 (KJV) He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. 26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor.

We serve Christ. We were born again to serve Christ. We are strangers on this world, but children of the Living God. We live to honor Him, and one day we shall be with Him all eternity.

Salvation Is PRECIOUS So It Is Tried

1 Peter 1:6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

If I an saved by faith in Christ, a stranger to this world …. then why do I still suffer in this world? How can a loving God let me suffer? Because, dear one, suffering proves your salvation. Suffering reminds us that this world is but temporary. The Apostle said:

James 1:9-12 (KJV)9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: 10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. 11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. 12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

In this fallen world we all have trials. But trials are not without purpose. Trials can draw us to Christ, or trials can prove we are in Christ. Adrian Rogers once rightly said:

An untried faith is an unproven faith

Peter told the Church to REJOICE when tried by this world, for it is all part of the plan of God’s salvation. If you are Christ’s the trial of your faith will be found:

found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ

A genuine faith can endure the trials of this life. A genuine faith revels in the trials. Jesus told us “If any man will come after Me …

…let him take up his RECLINER and follow Me!”

Is that right? No! Jesus said:

Matthew 16:24-27 (KJV) … If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

We will be tried in this world. But trials just test our faith to see if it is of God or not. If we are Christ’s He will will hold to us as we hold onto Him. Our faith is precious, and trials prove our faith. In the trials we draw closer to Jesus:

1 Peter 1:8-9 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

The saved love the Lord, and show that love even in the midst of trials.

The Salvation We Now Enjoy Was
Prophesied And Promised

1 Peter 1:10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

From the very fall of Adam God promised a Redeemer would come, a Messiah who would save us. That Messiah is Christ. The Bible declares:

Acts 4:12 (KJV) Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

As Hurricane Florence was moving toward the coast of the Carolinas and Virginia I read with interest how millions of people evacuated to farther inland. Those who did not evacuate prepared for the worst. I read of one lady who was having trouble finding water. Bottled water, bread, canned goods, electrical generators, blankets, all types of emergency items were grabbed off of grocery store shelves. Most stores were empty of all but little items by Friday morning. Meteorologists who are well trained and with good equipment predicted the storm damage, and people rushed the stores to be prepared for what is coming.

And yet, few people even pay attention to the God of this universe and His call to salvation. The Bible tells us that:

Hebrews 9:27-28 (KJV) And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

We will all stand before God one day and be judged. If we are in God’s Plan of Salvation then our works will be judged for reward or loss. If we are not in God’s Plan of salvation our works will be judged for Heaven. The Bible tells us that every work shall fall short of God’s standard. It is but the work of Christ that will save.

Have you believed in Him?
Have you received Him as Lord and Savior?
Be prepared, for death is coming.
Be prepared, for life is short.
May God touch your hearts with His Word.

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A Difficult Parable

Posted on September 13, 2018 by bibleteacherorg

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John 10:1-6 (KJV) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. 4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. 5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. 6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.

Among the Jews of Jesus’ day there were Rabbis – teachers who lead different schools of disciples. One of the most famous Rabbis was called Gamaliel. When people like Jesus went about teaching those in charge of the Jews would ask:

“By what Authority do you say these things?”

The Pharisees asked Jesus this question very frequently (see Mark 11:28; Luke 20:2; Matthew 21:23). They expected Jesus to answer …

“I speak under the authority of Rabbi ____”

If it was a well known Rabbi then the Pharisees would accept His Word. “Who is YOUR Rabbi, Jesus? Who gave YOU authority?” Jesus never answered their question of authority. When they asked Him the question Jesus asked them a question:

Mark 11:29-30 (KJV) …. I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me.

John the Baptist announced Christ as the Messiah, but John was never endorsed by any Rabbi. His authority was from God. So the Pharisees never got an answer to their question. But in John 10 Jesus is going to answer the question of His Authority.

The Parable Few Understand

Jesus spoke a parable that no one understood, and few understand today. He spoke a parable about AUTHORITY. Jesus said:

John 10:1-2 (KJV) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

The sheepfold or place where sheep were kept had but one door in it. The sheep were hedged in and protected because there was only one way to get to them. The wolf or the thief would try to get to the sheep without going through the door. But the Shepherd who owned the sheep would always openly and without hiding enter by the door.

The reason sheep were hedged in and protected by the sheepfold is that sheep have no natural way to defend themselves outside of the Shepherd.

Illustrate

Sheep teeth are suitable for grinding grass, not for tearing flesh.

Sheep have no armor like the armadillo or the turtle.
Sheep have no poison in their teeth, nor fangs to deliver it like the adder.
Sheep do not have the fleetness of foot that the antelope or the rabbit has.
Sheep cannot climb like the cat or the monkey.
Sheep cannot burrow like the mole or the prairie dog.
Sheep are slow land animals.
Sheep cannot swim away like the fish.
Sheep have no size like the elephant or even the bull.

Their protection is the Shepherd or the Sheepfold.
They are either hedged in or watched over.

John 10:2-3 (KJV) But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

The Shepherd may leave the sheep temporarily in the Sheepfold, but when he does the Porter watches the door. The Porter’s job is to guard the door, to protect the sheep for the Shepherd until He comes.

The Porter knows two things –
the DOOR and the SHEPHERD.

The Porter doesn’t know the sheep by name, but he knows the SHEPHERD BY NAME. When the Porter sees the Shepherd he opens the door so the Shepherd can come in and call His sheep. When the Shepherd enters the sheep hear HIS VOICE. They may not hear the Porter’s voice, but they hear the SHEPHERD’S Voice. And the Shepherd knows them. He calls them by name. There is a relationship between the sheep and the Shepherd. And the Shepherd …

Leadeth them OUT

They do not stay in the same Sheepfold day after day – lounging about and doing nothing. The sheep follow the Shepherd OUT. They go where HE GUIDES them.

He calls them.
He loves them.
He owns them.

The sheep do not own themselves, nor where they stay, nor even what they even do. He guides the sheep. He protects the sheep. He loves His sheep.

John 10:5 (KJV) And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

The stranger who does not know the sheep cannot lead the sheep. The stranger unknown by the Shepherd cannot lead the sheep. They know not the voice of strangers.

What Makes The Parable Difficult

Why didn’t anyone understand the parable? It’s because we don’t put ourselves in the role of “sheep”.

When the Pharisees asked Jesus “By what authority do You do these things”, this was the sheep asking a perceived sheep for the endorsement of sheep.

When Jesus began to explain the parable He did not initially make Himself to be either Porter or Shepherd. I have seen so many pictures of Jesus standing with sheep, being a Shepherd. But Jesus doesn’t start out with this, but ..

John 10:7 (KJV) … Verily, verily, I say unto you,
I am the door of the sheep.

The DOOR is watched by the Porter. Who is the Porter? It is not Jesus, but the Father that sent Him. Jesus told Nicodemus:

John 3:16-17 (KJV) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Jesus is the DOOR to Heaven, the DOOR to Everlasting and Worthy life. The Father is the Porter Who sent the Door, Who presents the Door. Jesus said:

John 8:28-29 (KJV) …. When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. 29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

The Door is opened by the Porter – Our Heavenly Father.
The Door is protected by the Porter.
The Door is presented by the Porter.
The Porter loves the Door & so do the sheep.
The Door protects the sheep in the Sheepfold.

Jesus said:

John 10:8-10 (KJV) All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Those who came before Jesus presenting themselves as the Door – as Authorities – are thieves and robbers. There is but one Door. There is but one Sheepfold. Jesus is the Door of the Sheepfold. The Pharisees are thieves and robbers. The preacher who departs from God’s Son is a thief and a robber. The denomination that speaks of many ways unto God are thieves and robbers. The so called “prophet” who does not recognize Christ as the Door is a thief and a robber. He is the Door.

Christ is the Door of Salvation
Christ is the Door by which we enter & leave the Sheepfold
Christ is the Door by which we find pasture or sustenance

Christ is the Door by which we have abundant life!
My ability is not the door. My Lord is the Door.
But …

Jesus Is Also The Good Shepherd

John 10:11 (KJV) I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

Jesus Christ is the Door in this parable, but He ALSO the Shepherd. The Porter (the Father) opens the Door for the Shepherd. Christ is both Door and Shepherd. He guards us in the Sheepfold, and guards us outside of the Sheepfold.

  • Jesus guards us from ourselves. He watches over us, and disciplines us when we wander away. A sheep outside of the gaze of the Shepherd is susceptible to death, disease, and destruction. The Psalmist prayed:

Psalms 119:176 (KJV) I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.

When we wander, Jesus seeks us. He seeks to save the lost. What did our Great Shepherd do for us? The Bible says:

Isaiah 53:6-7 (KJV) All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 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.

We are born into this life wandering like sheep, seeking the love of God. What did Jesus do?

The Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep
The Shepherd became the Lamb of God
He laid down His life for us!
He bled and died for us!

What has Peter declared?

1 Peter 3:18 (KJV) For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

The Shepherd bled and died for us that
He might bring us to God.
The Son of God became a Son of man
so that sons of men might become sons of God.

  • Jesus not only guards us from ourselves, but from the enemy. He does not run away. He does not leave us. Jesus did what He did not for Himself, but for us. Jesus is not a sharecropper. He is not hired to do what He did. He said:

John 10:12-13 (KJV) But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

The hireling doesn’t own the sheep. But Jesus owns His sheep. He said:

John 10:14-15 (KJV) I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Did you see the word “MINE” in the text above. Jesus said “I am known of MINE”. If you are Christ’s then YOU BELONG TO JESUS.

You do not belong to yourself. You are bought with a price:

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (KJV) 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.

You do not belong to you. Your body does not belong to you. You are a sheep. He is the Shepherd. You are His, not yours. What you have in this life you have temporarily. What is given to you is a stewardship – everything you have or hope to be belongs to the Great Shepherd Jesus. You live for His Voice. You live to obey Him.

But to be with Jesus is to be safe. He is the Door. He is the Good Shepherd. He watches over His own and keeps us from straying. He disciplines the unruly, feeds the young, and loves all that are His.

I love being one of His sheep!

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