Tag Archives: Jesus Christ

His Mercy Endures Forever

Posted on May 8, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

The last time I was in this Psalm, it was in 2016 – and on a Wednesday night – about 10 years ago. I think it’s time we looked at this Psalm again. I was reading it the other day with a friend, and it struck me how great this Psalm is. In fact, the Jews called this “The Great Hallel Psalm”. It is written like a responsive reading. Every single one of the 26 verses ends with:

His MERCY endureth forever

Word Study: The word translated MERCY is the Hebrew ḥeseḏ (pronounced kheh’-sed). It is translated 149 times as “mercy”, but 30 times as “lovingkindness” and 40 times as “kindness”. The New American Standard translates the word as “faithfulness”, and the Legacy Standard as “lovingkindness”. One source notes that ḥeseḏ refers to faithful, enduring love rooted in commitment, not emotion. A loyal devotion expressed through proper action.

The Christian – like ancient Israel – is in a Covenant Relationship with God. God takes His covenant relationship seriously – and expects us to do the same. As we break this Psalm down, I’m going to ask you to do as Israel would have done. In Israel, the Cantor… Continue reading →

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The Journey Of Faith

Posted on May 5, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Turn with me in your Bibles to Luke 15:11-32. Last Wednesday we started studying Jesus’ Parable of Two Sons:

(Luke 15:11 KJV) And JESUS said, A CERTAIN MAN HAD TWO SONS

The younger son goes to his father and demands his inheritance. This son then begins to wander, gets in a bad situation because he has departed from his father, and begins to suffer and starve. I believe the younger son is a picture of a young Christian. And if I were to summarize this whole parable, I believe …

The Parable shows the faithfulness of God as well as the journey of faith that each believer must go through.

Salvation is not a “one and done”. I often hear of places in America where there are “great revivals”. In California’s 7,750 people were baptized in one day at Huntington Beach May 3, 2025. Called “The Largest Water Baptism In U.S. History”, the reporter wrote:

“The first person baptized Saturday was a 71-year-old woman, Joanne, who told organizers she had considered baptism for 40 years but kept procrastinating. “We now baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,” Francey said as the woman entered the ocean. “We pray that you would rise up out of these waters with a new nature and a new life.”

In another place in California called Pirates Cove some 2100 were baptized in one day at the “Third Annual Jesus Revolution Baptism” on August 17, 2025. The article said:

“Harvest Christian Fellowship’s Senior Pastor Greg Laurie reports, “We had an incredible day yesterday at the 3rd Annual Jesus Revolution Baptism. We baptized 2,100 people in a single day! Can you believe that? Add that number to the last two years, and in just three years we’ve baptized 8,600 people!” Continue reading →

Posted in Parables of Jesus, Sermons Preached | Tagged Bible, christianity, Faith, Following Christ, God, God Is Faithful, gospel, Jesus, Jesus Christ, love God, parables, salvation | Leave a comment

A Question Of Power

Posted on April 29, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Mark 11:27-33 (KJV) And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, THERE COME TO HIM THE CHIEF PRIESTS, and THE SCRIBES, and THE ELDERS, 28 And say unto {Jesus}, BY WHAT AUTHORITY DOEST THOU THESE THINGS? And WHO GAVE THEE THIS AUTHORITY TO DO THESE THINGS? 29 And Jesus answered and said unto them, 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. 31 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him? 32 But if we shall say, Of men; THEY FEARED THE PEOPLE: for all [men] counted John, that he was a prophet indeed. 33 And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

A Rebuking Parable To A Foolish Question

When Jesus spoke a parable (Greek parabole), it was always in reaction to something someone said to Him. Parabole means to lay alongside. It taught a spiritual truth by comparing it to a physical story. In His parables, Jesus taught, but at other times rebuked or corrected. We’re going to look at a rebuking parable today.

You need to understand the background. Jesus has ridden into Jerusalem on a donkey. The people celebrate His coming in an event we call Palm Sunday. In a few days Jesus will be crucified on a cross between two thieves. Before His crucifixion Jesus will cast the moneychangers out of the Temple, something that made the scribes and chief priests angry (Mark 11:15-19). Why? Because they were making money off of selling sacrifices to pilgrims during the Feast of the Passover. The next day we see:… Continue reading →

Posted in Parables of Jesus, Sermons Preached | Tagged Bible, Faith, Following Christ, God Is Faithful, Jesus, Jesus Christ, parables, salvation | Leave a comment

Be Broken Like Agur

Posted on April 24, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Proverbs 30:1 The words of Agur [āḡûr (pro. aw-goor’)] the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,

No one knows who these people really are. We are told in:

1 Kings 4:30-32 KJV Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about. 32 And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.

Solomon was the wisest man of his day. But there are others who were wise, “Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol”. My commentary notes that āḡûr (pro. aw-goor’) – his name means “one who gathers or collects” – could have been one of the wise men who lived during Solomon’s reign.

What is interesting about āḡûr (pro. aw-goor’) is that Derek Kidner’s Commentary he notes that both chapters 30 & 31 are from non-Israelites, just like the Book of Job.

When Agur refers to God, he uses the Hebrew אֱלוֹהַּ (‘ĕlôha), rather than Elohim the Triune Name of God. Eloha is singular, and used in the Book of Job (who was from the land of Uz) about 44 times. The Bible tells us that:

2 Peter 1:20-21 (NKJV) … no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for PROPHECY NEVER CAME BY THE WILL OF MAN, but HOLY MEN OF GOD SPOKE[as they were] MOVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Though he might have been a Gentile (perhaps an Arabian from Massa per Derek Kidner), the words he wrote as he was moved by the Holy Spirit. One of the most overriding principles of Christianity is that … Continue reading →

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The Bridegroom Comes

Posted on April 22, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Last Sunday night I started preaching on the Parables of Jesus. It is my intention to preach through the parables of our Lord Jesus. If you were not here last Sunday, to recap a parable is a story that illustrates a spiritual principle. About one third of Jesus’ preaching is found in parables.

Word Study: The word “parable” is the Greek parabole, which means “to place or cast alongside”. When Jesus wanted to teach a spiritual principle, He would cast it alongside a physical thing that people were familiar with.

If you were a follower of Christ, the parable REVEALED spiritual truth. But if you were not a follower, and had a heart hardened to God, the parable hid spiritual truth.

You weren’t ready for a parable (see Matthew 13:10-15) until you were willing to submit to and follow Jesus. Jesus always spoke parables in response to things that people were saying and doing around Him. The first two parables deal with old coats and old wineskins.

Matthew 9:14-17 (KJV) Then came to him the DISCIPLES OF JOHN, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but thy disciples fast not? 15 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast. 16 No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. 17 Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved…. Continue reading →

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True Christians Belong To God

Posted on April 2, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

To have “respect of persons”{nāḵar pānîm} is to treat one person differently than you treat another person because you feel that the one person so treated can somehow benefit you better than the other person. A person who will hold one person above another based on how it benefits you is for sale. God forbade this in the courtroom, and forbade it from His people. When Moses set up judges throughout the tribes of Israel, he told them:

Deuteronomy 1:16-17 (NKJV) Then I commanded your judges at that time, saying, ‘Hear [the cases] between your brethren, and JUDGE RIGHTEOUSLY BETWEEN A MAN AND HIS BROTHER or THE STRANGER WHO IS WITH HIM. 17 ‘You shall NOT SHOW PARTIALITY IN JUDGMENT; you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid in any man’s presence, for THE JUDGMENT IS GOD’S. The case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.’

When judges and leaders have different standards for different people, it hurts the stability of the land. God said:

Deuteronomy 16:19-20 (LSB) You shall not distort justice; YOU SHALL NOT BE PARTIAL, YOU SHALL NOT TAKE A BRIBE, for A BRIBE BLINDS the eyes of the wise and PERVERTS the words of the righteous. 20 “Righteousness! RIGHTEOUSNESS, YOU SHALL PURSUE, that you may live and possess the land which Yahweh your God is giving you.

The stepbrother of Christ wrote:

James 2:1-4, 8-9 (KJV) My brethren, HAVE NOT THE FAITH OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, [the Lord] of glory, WITH… Continue reading →

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The Righteous Must Stand With God

Posted on April 2, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

When wicked Presidents ascended to power praising sexual deviancy – contrary to what the Bible says (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:9-10) – it wasn’t long before it became a celebrated MONTH where such lifestyles were pushed. When our Judicial System endorsed nationwide abortion on demand through Roe vs Wade (which was law for 49 years), over 60 MILLION children were thrown into landfills. When national television shows began to show murders and sexual deviancy – hiding behind First Amendment privilege – generations of children grew up with no respect for the sanctity of life. In our modern Internet age, wickedness of all types is broadcast across social media and the news channels. What is the result? “MEN HIDE THEMSELVES”. People go along to get along. No one wants to rock the boat, to go against the flow.

This was the world that Jesus had to contend with. Israel was under Roman Rule. Tiberius Caesar ruled Rome, and demanded worship as a god. Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor of Judea. Herod Antipas – who had John the Baptist beheaded – ruled Galilee. The High Priest of Judaism, Caiphas did not love God, but he loved religion and his power. The religious rulers of Israel, the Sanhedrin, was a blend of both Pharisees and Sadducees, conservative and liberal, but neither side loved the Lord our God. When Jesus came, He had to stand against this darkness. And Jesus told us:… Continue reading →

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Watch Who You Walk With

Posted on March 21, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

People are made in the image of God. All life has value because of that. Animals are NOT made in the image of God, but people are. I heard a young woman the other day say that she wished all women had abortions, as many as they could, to exercise their rights as women. Other women have had abortions and celebrated it on social media platforms.

When human life becomes cheap, and we have more value for animal life, then civilization begins a fall that it cannot recover from.

When the first murder was committed by Cain against Abel, God did not require that Cain die for his sin, but marked him instead and gave him a life long curse. God told Cain:

Genesis 4:10-15 (NKJV) “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. 11 So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.” 13 And Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear! 14 Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me.” 15 And the Lord said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him.

When innocent blood is spilled on the land, God hears it. When Cain destroyed his brother, he also destroyed the “image of God”. To do this without just cause is to commit treason against God. God is the Giver of life. The Prophet Job (33:4) said, “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life”. The Apostle Paul declared, “God Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else”. When people begin to hold life as cheap, it destroys civilization. When Cain killed Abel, God took away Cain’s livelihood. A farmer brings life from the ground. A murderer cannot prosper, nor bring life. Cain also became a “fugitive and a vagabond on the earth”. All would know the evil that he did. He would have no acquaintances unless God protected him. God put a mark on Cain that identified him as a murderer, but also noted he was under God’s protection. Later in the Scripture God would mandate death for the murderer, but with Cain, God did not order him dead. Why? Continue reading →

Posted in Proverbs, Sermons Preached | Tagged Bible, christianity, Faith, Following Christ, God, God Is Faithful, gospel, Jesus, Jesus Christ, salvation | Leave a comment

Better To Walk With God

Posted on March 13, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

This proverb is not telling us that riches are necessarily evil. There were well off people – like Joanna the wife of Chufa, the household manager of King Herod of Galilee. We are told in Luke 8:1-3 that she helped Jesus and his ministry financially. Joseph of Arimathea was a rich member of the Sanhedrin. Matthew 27:57-60 tells us that he gave his tomb to Jesus (temporarily anyway). Nicodemus, also a high ranking member of the Sanhedrin, helped prepare Jesus for burial by donating 75 pounds of expensive spices (John 19:39-40). When the Bible talks about those who are chosen to salvation, the Scripture says:

1 Corinthians 1:26 (KJV) For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, NOT MANY NOBLE, [are called]:

We are told “NOT MANY Noble”. It doesn’t say “NOT ANY”. God does call noble or well off people. It’s not a sin to have riches. However, it is a sin to love your riches MORE than you love Jesus. Those who prioritize their riches over their walk with God will find themselves wallowing in perversity. I am certain that Jeffrey Epstein didn’t start out trafficking underaged girls to Little Saint James Island. But as he amassed power and fortune, the darkness grew, and he enticed others into his web of evil. … Continue reading →

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Right Place, Right Time

Posted on February 13, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Proverbs 27:8 As a bird that WANDERETH {nāḏaḏ} from her nest, so is a man that WANDERETH {nāḏaḏ} from his place.

Word Study: The word translated “WANDERETH” is the Greek nāḏaḏ, which means to “stray, retreat from the safety of, to be chased from”. The safest place for a bird to be is in its nest. It is when the bird leaves its nest to seek food or freedom that it is subject to being attacked by a bird of prey. God even gave a special provision in the Law:

Deuteronomy 22:6-7 (LSB) If A BIRD’S NEST happens to be before you along the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, with the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you SHALL NOT TAKE THE MOTHER WITH THE YOUNG; 7 you shall surely LET THE MOTHER GO, and TAKE THE YOUNG FOR YOURSELF, that it may be well with you and that YOU MAY PROLONG YOUR DAYS.

If you came upon a bird sitting on her eggs, it was acceptable to take the eggs for food – but not to kill the mother. The nest was a place of safety. How does this relate to the man? In the Bible, there are times when the relationship we have with our God is poetically expressed, as if God is a Mother Bird and we are the chicks. This is particularly found in the Psalms: Continue reading →