Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church

Where We will the Church Be in Eternity? Revelation 21:2

Intro:  John 14:2  I Go to prepare a place for you…..

With Thanksgiving coming up this week.  I think about home and the many thanksgiving dinners I had with my mom and dad and family.  I think of the Thanksgiving dinners I had with Cindy and her family, and now I look forward to Thanksgiving with Anita’s family. 

Many times I have been asked about where will the church be when we die?  Or where will we be after the rapture.  I have the answers from the word of God.  To be brief we are going to be totally focused on Christ and His glory and His work. But we are going to be moving around a little bit as God brings us to the new heaven and the New earth and New Jerusalem.  There are some things that first have to be accomplished by God.   (1:00)

1.  First seven Years in Heaven.

AS YOU ARE HEADING UP INTO THE CLOUDS TO JOIN JESUS AND ALL THE RESURRECTED SAVED, you might be wondering “What next?” Well, my friends, it is time to party, and you are going to be one of the guests of honor. You are cordially invited to your wedding party. Welcome to the great “Marriage Supper of the Lamb,” where you, one of Jesus’ brides and part of His Church, the elect, the ekklesia, the called-out ones, finally get to celebrate your marriage with Jesus. You became part of His Bride the minute you accepted Him into your heart, and now you finally get to have the wedding supper, and it is going to be the party to end all parties—well, at least up until this point.

John described it like this:

Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!” And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’”Revelation 19:5–9

From that point on, the Bible is silent as to what the celebrations consist of, but we can rest assured that if Jesus is planning the party, it is going to be totally out of this world.

There is another event that will apparently take place at this time, referred to in Scripture as the Judgment Seat of Christ. This is when the saved will come individually before Jesus Christ to receive their rewards. Paul writes: “We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Then each of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:10,12). Also, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

Jesus said, “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Revelation 22:12). And, “The Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works” (Matthew 16:27). And also, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). The apostle Paul, at the end of his ministry, shortly before his death, said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7–8). This crown is your reward.

When a heavenly messenger was speaking to Daniel, he said: “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever” (Daniel 12:2–3). Those who have been wise by living a life dedicated to being what God wants them to be, and to turning others to righteousness, will shine as the stars.

So those who have done more will receive more rewards. But it also has to be understood that “the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). He knows what you are capable of and what you desire to do, and if for some reason your circumstances hold you back from being as much of a force for good on Earth as you would like to be, then those circumstances will be taken into consideration. Jesus is called the Righteous Judge, and your reward will be a righteous one. Nevertheless, it is important that we do our best to be and do all that God expects of us.

Paul wrote, “Now if anyone builds on this foundation [salvation] with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward” (1 Corinthians 3:12–14). Having received Jesus, if you live for Him and do what you can to be a living sample of His love for others, when you stand before Him at this great Judgment Seat, these works will endure the test, even as gold and silver endure and come through the fire. They will endure and you will receive a glorious reward. “That the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ!” (1 Peter 1:7).

But, the Scripture passage in Corinthians continues, “If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:15). Those who have received Jesus, but yet did nothing for Jesus in thanksgiving, who lived their lives selfishly and did not live by the golden rule of “whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them” (Matthew 7:12), will find their works burned as wood, hay, and straw, and will not receive much of a reward, if any. They’ll still be saved, but they’ll suffer such a sad loss! So if nothing else, this should be strong motivation to do our best to live the way God wants us to live and do the things He wants us to do on Earth, so that we can receive His reward and commendation in Heaven!

Meanwhile, as we are rejoicing at the Marriage Supper and receiving our rewards, the angels of the Lord are taking care of unfinished business on the earth.  10:00

2.  The Next thousand years on the Earth

What Will The Role of The Church Be During the Millenium?

As we have seen in previous chapters, it is at the first stage of Christ's second coming that the Church is removed from earth. At the Redeemer's descent from Heaven, the Church, like Enoch and Elijah, is miraculously caught up, caught up to meet the Lord in the air and evermore shall it be with its glorious Head. Therefore, when the Saviour returns to the earth, the Church will accompany Him. This is clear from Col.3:4 and Jude 14..

Exactly what part the Church will play during the Millennium it is not easy to say. Few details are revealed. A moment's reflection will show why this is the case. It is in the Old Testament that the Millennium receives the fullest consideration, whereas the Church is the subject of New Testament revelation. Moreover, we must remember that the Millennium is the time when God's Kingdom is revealed on earth, whereas the Church is a Heavenly creation, and has a heavenly citizenship and destiny (Phil.3:20; 1 Pet.1:4).

Nevertheless, one or two things are sure. The Church will be with Christ throughout the Millennium, and the saints will reign with Him -- "And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou was slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on (or "over") the earth(Rev.5:9, 10).

And again we read, "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"(Rev.20:6).

Who a picture the blessed accomplishment of this promise! For two thousand years the saints have (more or less) lived as strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Many of them have been maligned, ostracized, persecuted and martyred. They went forth unto Christ "without the camp, bearing His reproach" (Heb.13:13).

But now shall they be richly rewarded. They suffered "with Him" and now shall they be also "glorified together" (Rom.8:17

And then will it be fully manifested that "the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Rom.8:18).

In the Parable of the Pounds we have a Scripture which sets forth one aspect of the reward which shall be enjoyed by the faithful in that day. "And He (Christ) said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou has been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities" (Luke 19:17).

This Scripture seems to intimate that during the Millennium the saints will occupy a prominent part in the government of the world. Yes, it is written, "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?" (1 Cor.6:2).

Ah! how different things will then be. The first shall be last, and the last first. Positions shall be completely reversed. Today the children of God (that is, those who really walk as such) are despised and hated by the world, but they shall yet be placed in authority over the world. This is the promise of our Lord: And he that overcometh, and keepeth My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of My Father" (Rev.2:26, 27). Yes, Christ's position, Christ's power, Christ's prerogatives, shall be shared by His people, for He and they are one.

Again; it is during the Millennium that the unity of the Church --the innumerable sects in Christendom which now divide believers -- will be fully manifested, and our Lord's prayer of John 17:22, 23 fulfilled -- "And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are One: I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me."

Not until the "Day of Christ" will the world "know" these things, for then it is that we shall all have come "in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Eph.4:13). Yes, and then it is, also that Christ shall come "to be glorified in His saints and admired in all that believe" (2 Thess.1:10). In that day, the Church will be an object of beauty, wonderment, and admiration to all the world. It will then be fully seen what great things the Lord hath done for His Church, in giving it a higher place -- a place nearer to Himself than that which even the holy angels will occupy. We turn now to consider.

The Bible isn’t Clear what the Old Testament saints will be doing during the Millennium.  They are resurrected after the Tribulation.  Daniel 12:1-2 At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your people, shall arise. There shall be a time of tribulation, such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.   So I assume they will also have access to the new Temple. Only those who are not sinners nor anything impure can enter that temple.  So they are enjoying the king ship of Jesus Christ on the earth.  19:00

3  Finally Eternity In The New Jerusalem

The New Jerusalem

John 14:2  I Go to prepare a place for you…..After God remakes the heavens and the earth, the Bible speaks of a city called the "new Jerusalem" coming down out of heaven. It will be an actual material city with spiritual significance.

New Jerusalem.  The future home of believers is called the new Jerusalem. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband (Revelation 21:2).

The city comes down out of heaven, uniting both heaven and earth. It is where believers will forever live with God.

Large Size

According to the biblical description, the city is approximately 1,500 miles by 1,500 miles by 1,500 miles.

The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width; and he measured the city with his rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal (Revelation 21:16).

High Walls

The city will have high walls.

He also measured its wall, one hundred forty-four cubits by human measurement, which the angel was using. The wall is built of jasper, while the city is pure gold, clear as glass (Revelation 21:17,18).

Golden City

The heavenly streets of gold will be in this future city, yet to appear.   And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass (Revelation 21:18).

Tree Of Life In City

In the midst of this city is the tree of life, as well as a river.

And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations (Revelation 22:1,2).

No Temple

There is no temple in the new Jerusalem.   I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple (Revelation 21:22).

No Sun Or Moon

There is no sun or moon the new Jerusalem.  The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it (Revelation 21:23,24).

This will fulfill a prophecy given by the prophet Isaiah.

The sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you by night; but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory (Isaiah 60:19).  27:50

Summary

After God makes a new heaven and new earth, then the city of the new Jerusalem will come down from heaven. Its glorious description is given to us in Scripture. Although it will be a city of incomparable beauty, the greatest thing about it is that the Lord will dwell there with His people.

Where will we be in Eternity?

Heaven for seven years,  Earth for one thousand years, the New Jerusalem for eternity. 28:04



11/17/2019

1 Thessalonians 1:10 and 5:9 What is the pre-wrath view of the rapture?

Intro:  There are two over-all views of the end-times prophecies in the Bible: That they are literal and that they are symbolic. The literal view states that the rapture of the church, the seven-year tribulation, and the return and battle of Christ are all real events in our future. Although churches and scholars may agree on these points, there is still considerable debate about timing; specifically the timing of the rapture.  1:00

1.  Different Views

Pretribulationalists believe that the church will be taken away before the tribulation begins. Midtribulationalists believe the rapture will occur at the mid-point of the tribulation. And posttribulationalists say Jesus will come for His church before the final battle. A "pre-wrath" view of the rapture tries to reconcile the three beliefs.

 The one belief all views have in common is that the church will not suffer the "wrath of God," which is the period of time when God sends judgment to the world (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9). What is less clear is what exactly constitutes the "wrath of God" in the context of the tribulation—does it include all seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments or just some?

 Pretribulationalists believe the wrath of God includes all judgments and, therefore, includes the entire tribulation. They allow that people will come to Christ and suffer through the tribulation (including the period designated as God's wrath), but it is the church that is to be spared; "tribulation saints" are part of a separate dispensation from the church proper.

 Midtribulationalists teach that the tribulation is divided into two eras of wrath. The first three-and-a-half years are the "wrath of man;" specifically, the wrath of the Antichrist as he grows in power and persecutes the church. It is the second half, also called the "great tribulation," that is specifically the wrath of God in the form of just the bowl judgments. The problem with this view is that Daniel 9:27 states during the first half of the tribulation, Israel and the Antichrist will be at peace, and it is during the second half that the Antichrist's regime turns to extreme persecution.

Posttribulationalists redefine the "great tribulation" as the wrath of the Antichrist on believers during most of the second half of the tribulation. The "wrath of God," then, is the same as the day of the Lord and consists of a very short time during the end of the tribulation. The main problems with posttribulationism are that they redefine the "rapture" to mean God's supernatural protection of His saints, not their removal from the earth, and that there isn't sufficient time for the trumpet and bowl judgments.  7:00

1.  Different Views.  2. Prewrath View

The pre-wrath view of the rapture attempts to reconcile the truths and difficulties of the other three beliefs. It is similar to midtribulationism in that there is a distinction between the wrath of the Antichrist, which believers will live through, and the wrath of God, which they won't. The main difference is that the pre-wrath view does not identify the shifting of wrath from the Antichrist to God with the exact mid-point of the tribulation—instead, it's sometime after. The Antichrist's persecution of the church will be "cut short" (Matthew 24:22), meaning it will suddenly end before all believers are killed. It is the rapture of the saints that cuts it short, and the wrath of God immediately follows, wherein the Antichrist loses power so quickly that only God is glorified (Isaiah 2:12–22). This will happen sometime during the last half of the tribulation, but unlike postribulationalism, the timing leaves enough room for God's trumpet and bowl judgments.

There are three major problems with the pre-wrath teaching of the rapture. First, it denies that the first six seal judgments, which are ordained by God, are part of His wrath (Revelation 5—6). Second, it denies the dispensational difference between believers of the church age and those of the ages of Israel; the tribulation is the final of Daniel's "weeks" concerning Israel, and tribulation saints will be a part of Israel's age, not the church's. Finally, it denies the imminence of the rapture. There is nothing that must happen, including the Antichrist's persecution against believers, before Jesus takes His church (Titus 2:13; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;  also we know about  1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; 1 Corinthians 15:50–54).  14:00

1.  Different Views.  2. Prewrath View   3.  The Most Likely View

I say most likely because it lines up with the scriptures. 

1 Thessalonians 1:10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, [even] Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come." And to [look forward and confidently] wait for [the coming of] His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead—Jesus, who [personally] rescues us from the coming wrath [and draws us to Himself, granting us all the privileges and rewards of a new life with Him].

“To wait”: signifies waiting with expectation, looking ahead in faith, to the fulfillment of Christ’s promises to return to the saints.

Ephesians 5:6 "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

The tribulation was going on, but we are taken out of it. The wrath falls on the unbelievers only and those who deserve His anger or wrath!

1 Thessalonians 5:9 "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ," God did not choose us to suffer his anger, but to possess salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, For God has not destined us to [incur His] wrath [that is, He did not select us to condemn us], but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:9 "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." By his blood[d] we are now put right with God; how much more, then, will we be saved by him from God's anger!  Therefore, since we have now been justified [declared free of the guilt of sin] by His blood, [how much more certain is it that] we will be saved from the [b]wrath of God through Him.

Paul felt that the coming of the Lord was very near. Of course, it was for him, because none of us live much beyond one hundred years old. It is near for each of us, whether we are part of those physical dead who rise first, or whether we are those living who will be changed in the twinkling of an eye. We shall rise, because He arose.

Our hope is of the resurrection in Him (Jesus). Notice, we are delivered from the wrath to come, not the tribulation to come. The wrath of God occurs the last three and one half years of the great tribulation period. When the wrath of God falls on this earth at the end of the Gentile age, we Christians will be standing around the throne of God in heaven.

1 Thessalonians 5:10 "Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him." Revelation 3:10   "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth."

This verse presents a promise that Christ will rapture genuine believers out of the world before the Tribulation period begins. The “hour of temptation” is the period of worldwide testing (Greek peirasmos), which has not yet occurred.  Christ promises to keep them “from” (Greek ek, “out of”), the period of the Tribulation. That is, they will not even enter into this period of history. The Tribulation is for the purpose of trying or judging “them that dwell upon the earth”, those who are connected to the earth and its system. Believers are not even included in this term.

Trials, tribulations, and temptations come to all. It seems the group here mentioned, have been tested and found to stand in their temptation. There is a time of testing, and a time of victory, or defeat. Jesus was tempted forty days and nights and came out victorious. When trials come, we can do one of two things. We can stand against the temptation and experience victory, or we can take the easy way out and succumb to temptation and fall to defeat. If you are a Christian and if the temptation wins, then you will go through this particular temptation over and over until you stand against it and Overcome it.

 It appears that this group mentioned here has stood against these temptations, so their promise from Jesus is that they will not be required to go through the great temptation. There is a time specified of God when the temptations, tribulations, and trials will be so great that it will be next to impossible to stand. An hour with God can be any specific time. God's time and our time is not the same. This hour mentioned here certainly does not mean sixty minutes, but a period of time, the Tribulation. There will be seven years of tribulation at the end of the Gentile age. The last three and a half years of this will actually be the wrath of God. God has promised the believers in the Lord Jesus Christ that we will be saved from the wrath to come.

Revelation 7:9 "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;"    Revelation 7:13-14 "And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, what are these which are arrayed in white robes? And whence came they?" "And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, these are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

 You see, these are believers in Jesus the Christ (the saved), who have been brought out (saved in), great tribulation.     Matthew 24 describes the severity of this great tribulation.  Matthew 24:21-22 "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." "And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened."

The timing of the rapture is not a salvation issue. Many good Christians believe in the pre-wrath view of the tribulation. The Bible doesn't explicitly say when the rapture will occur. As interesting as the debate may be, Jesus' commission to us is clear: preach the Word over all the world.  Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen."  27:50

1.  Different Views.  2. Prewrath View   3.  The Most Likely View

What is the pre-wrath view of the rapture?  Now you have the facts.  You have the scriptures.  I don’t believe for a minute that the church is going through any of the wrath of God poured out on this world.  28:04



Luke 21:10-19
Troublesome Times

Intro: We know that bad times are coming.  The weekly newspaper in Letcher County Kentucky is called “Troublesome Creek Times.”  We are used to trouble in this life.  Not everything goes smoothly but we thank God and because of Him most things go okay.  And we know that All things work together for good to those who love God.  But troublesome times are coming for this world and the followers of Jesus Christ and the Jewish people.  1:00

1.  Troubled Nations

Luke 21:10 "Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:"

He went on to say, “Countries will fight each other; kingdoms will attack one another.  Ethnic group against Ethnic group. Every nation on the earth today has some sort of civil unrest and lack of civility toward each other.  It is world wide, not just in America.   4:00

1.  Troubled Nations  2. Troubled Planet

Luke 21:11 "And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven."  There will be violent earthquakes, and in various places famines and [deadly and devastating] pestilences (plagues, epidemics); and there will be terrible sights and great signs from heaven.  

Signs shall there be from heaven”: Luke 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;.   This is speaking of right about the time of the second coming of Christ. 10:00

1.  Troubled Nations  2. Troubled Planet  3. Troubled Christians

Luke 21:12 "But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute [you], delivering [you] up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake." Before all these things take place, however, you will be arrested and persecuted; you will be handed over to be tried in synagogues and be put in prison; you will be brought before kings and rulers for my sake.   We see this today.  90 thousand followers of Jesus Christ are martyred each year around the world.  Many hundreds of thousand are arrested each year.  So Before all these things means it is happening between the Crucifixion and the tribulation and it has really increased in the last century.  There is more persecution today than at any time in world history!

We see here that Jesus jumps from the end of the Gentile age (in verse 11), to the years immediately after His crucifixion (in verse 12). These followers of Jesus will suffer great persecution. The sad thing is that this persecution comes from the synagogues and from the religious leaders of their day. It is not much different from our days.  persecute you … for My name’s sake: Jesus predicted the arrests and suffering that the disciples would face as a result of identifying with Him. Some of these events are detailed in Acts 3–5; 7; 21–28. The reference to synagogues, kings, and rulers indicates that all nations would share responsibility for the massacre of the disciples.  If you get to the point that you are serious about your relationship with God, you will find that your greatest opposition comes from people in the church.

Luke 21:13 "And it shall turn to you for a testimony."  This will be a time and an opportunity for you to testify [about Me]. “Turn to you for a testimony”: James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.), Persecution is often an opportunity to magnify one’s testimony.   This very fact, that they are persecuted for what they believe, lets you know that they believe the right thing. Their persecution testifies for them. Jesus was persecuted. His true followers will be persecuted also.   An occasion for testimony: Suffering can be an opportunity to advance the kingdom of God. This is why those who endure suffering and persecution are called blessed (Matt. 5:10–12).

 Luke 21:14 "Settle [it] therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:"

Make up your minds ahead of time not to worry about how you will defend yourselves.  This verse is meant as a comfort for those under life-threatening persecution, not an excuse for laziness in ministry. The exact same expression is used.  Luke 12:11-12 And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: 12For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.   He was promising the Holy Spirit’s aid for times of persecution when there can be no time for preparation.

 Luke 21:15 "For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.  for I will give you [skillful] words and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute.   God tells Moses about his mouth: Exodus 4:11 "And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?"  These two Scriptures above and this one in Exodus make it very clear. God who made our mouth can surely put the words in there that we need to say in every situation. Let the Lord do the talking through you is what He is saying. You can never fail when you do this.  I will give you a mouth and wisdom: Jesus promises the disciples that the Holy Spirit will assist them in giving testimony. The initial fulfillment of this promise is found in Acts 4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel…; 7:54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.; 26:24–32.

 Luke 21:16 "And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and [some] of you shall they cause to be put to death."  But you will be betrayed and handed over even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death.  The above-mentioned people know you so well that they can never believe that God has done anything special in your life. When you begin in the ministry, the very people you thought would be behind you 100% are seldom behind you at all.  You shall be betrayed: The persecution of the disciples would be painful and severe. Identifying with Jesus often means risking the rejection and denunciation of family, and in some cases martyrdom.

 Luke 21:17 "And ye shall be hated of all [men] for my name's sake." …and you will be continually hated by everyone because of [your association with] My name.   This is true today, as well as when the apostles were ministering. The world hates the believers. Perhaps, it is because we make them feel guilty.

 Luke 21:18 "But there shall not a hair of your head perish."   But not a single hair from your heads will be lost.  “Not a hair” . This was not a promise for the preservation of their physical lives, but a guarantee that they would suffer no eternal loss. God Himself sovereignly preserves His own.

I believe we must look back at (verse 15), to find what this is saying. If you say the words the Lord puts in your mouth, then there shall no harm come to you. We are not able to defend ourselves, but God can and will defend us.

 Luke 21:19 "In your patience possess ye your souls."   By your [patient] endurance [empowered by the Holy Spirit] you will gain your souls.   The true sense of this verse seems to be, “By your endurance you will gain your lives,” referring to the final aspect of salvation, namely glorification when we get to heaven and are finally with Jesus!  Revelation 2:7 To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.  We overcome because He has already overcome.

1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

We are not to get hysterical or lose our patience when difficulty arises. We must depend totally on the Lord. Our conduct under pressure reveals just how devoted and dependent we are upon the Lord.  possess your souls: Allegiance to Jesus, trusting in Jesus Christ alone leads to eternal life.  Luke 9:24  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 27:50

Conclusion:

1.  Troubled Nations  2. Troubled Planet   3. Troubled Christians

Troubled Times will lead to a terrible time and then a totally terrific time as Jesus rules and reigns and His followers with Him.  John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 28:04

11/3/2019

Mark Spence
We Are Secure

Romans 8:31

Paul’s letter to the Romans is his longest letter.  In the first seven chapters of Romans Paul writes about how sin is devastating and how Christ has done all the work of salvation.  Then we come to Romans 8:1.  There is therefore no condemnation in Christ Jesus.”  All that believe in Jesus Christ will have eternal life. 

1.  We are Redeemed From the Past

Jesus did die and was raised again.  Who shall anything to God’s elect?  Salvation is a gift. John 3:16.  Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness.  But alas mankind chose self instead of God.  In the garden man fell UP not DOWN!  Man was trying to be like God.  The Old Testament  Messiah to come is none other than Jesus Christ. 

Romans 8:9  We are fully alive in Christ.  Romans 8:15 We are joint heirs with Christ.  Follow the evidence of the case for Christ.  The Bible alone is all truth.

Romans 8:26  Jesus Christ intercedes for us.  Can we sin all we want to?  We get a brand new “wanter” when we are saved!  We already sin all we want to—but we shouldn’t want to!  We should no longer enjoy sin.  Is willful sin okay? No that’s why we have 1 John 1:9.  If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2.  Security For the Present

Romans 8:35-39 We are conquerors in Christ!  Nothing can separate us from Christ.  Not even we ourselves can separate us.  John 10:28-29  Nobody can take us out of Christ’s hands, not even us! 

The early church suffered at the hands of Nero.  They needed this assurance in the evil world that they lived in.  We need that today don’t we?  God is for His people.  Security is given to all that believe, trust in Jesus Christ!  Galatians 3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.  Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.  We have a secure standing before God because the work of salvation is finished! It is true and it is very real.

The word of God can draw us. We all have a God shaped void in our hearts.  Nothing can fill the void in our hearts but Jesus.  Nothing can secure us but Jesus.  Mariah Carey wants to be happy so she decided to just think nothing but happy thoughts.  But our happiness is like a thermometer.  It reacts to the environment around us.  It reacts to the atmosphere around us.  That’s the way human happiness is.  It depends upon the atmosphere around us.  If your child leaves you or dies that’s hard to think happy thoughts isn’t it.  Rather we should seek the joy of the Lord that will never leave us!

Supernatural power can’t pull you away from Jesus. Not even our greatest enemy….death can take us from Jesus Christ!

3.  Assurance For the Future

1 John 5:12-13 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.  13These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

This passage should give us confidence in the Lord.  We have a KNOW-SO salvation.  How many people today believe we can lose our salvation?  Read Romans chapter six and Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  The religious will not enter heaven.  Only those who do the will of God will get to heaven. His will is that we believe, trust in Jesus Christ to go to heaven. 

If you want the security of eternal life you have to come God’s way through Jesus Christ only!

Christians will suffer trials and tribulations in this life.  Paul was beaten, stoned, Hungry, Thirsty, left for dead yet he counted it all glory that he might be worthy to suffer for Christ’s sake.

Jesus loved us enough to die for us.  Paul knew Christ was with Him.  So we too can know that Christ is with us and have that same confidence that Paul had.  We are always victorious in Christ.  We are more than conquerors in Christ! 

Conclusion:

The majesty and glory of God and certainty of His plan of salvation is Paul’s conclusion.  NOTHING can separate us from the love of God!



10/27/2019
1 Peter 4:12-18  Trial

Intro: If you want to be a great athlete you have go through hard difficult, grueling times of training and practice.  If you want to be a champion you have to train like a loser.  That means if you want to win you have to be hungry for victory that you will endure anything to taste it.  In the Christian life we will experience trial.  Jesus said that if they persecuted me, they will persecute you.  A Trial then is to be expected, rejoiced in, evaluated and entrusted to God.   Thanks to pastor Ken Cayce for this outline. 1:00

1.     Expect it (verse 12);

 (1:6, 7). Christians should expect and prepare for suffering.1 Peter 4:12 "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:"

“The fiery trial”: Peter probably wrote this letter shortly before or after the burning or Rome and at the beginning of the horrors of a 200-year period of Christian persecution. Peter explains that 4 attitudes are necessary in order to be triumphant in persecution: The Greek word translated fiery trial here was also used to speak of the intense fire that burned away impurities in metals.  We know there are trials that face us all. It is not how many trials we have or even how bad the trials are that counts, it is how we handle the trials.

….to try you: For Christians the purpose of suffering is to prove their true character, to clear away the dross of sin and to allow the pure nature of Christ to show itself

“Some strange thing happened” means just an accident. Apparently Peter’s readers were astonished that they had to suffer as Christians, especially to the extent that they were suffering. A Christian must not think that his persecution is something that happened accidentally. God allowed it and designed it for the believer’s testing, purging, and cleansing.

If you look through the Bible at all the prophets and men and women of God, you will find they all faced trials. It is not unusual for trying times to come. It rains on the just and on the unjust. It is important how we handle that problem.  7:00

 1.     Expect it (verse 12);  2.     Rejoice in it (verses 13-14);

1 Peter 4:13 "But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy."

The Christian who is persecuted for his faith is a partner in the same kind of suffering Jesus endured, suffering for doing what is right.  Phil. 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.

In the OT God blessed His people when they were faithful to Him and they had trial when they weren’t. 

In the NT God gives trial to His people when they are faithful to Him and then come blessings.

In the OT God’s favor brings blessings.   In the NT trial brings God’s eternal blessings. 

In the OT the promise brought blessing and salvation.   In the NT the curse of the cross brought blessing and salvation.

In the OT they were people of the promise.  God blessed His people to attract the world to Himself.  In the NT we are people of the cross.  God through the cross attracts people to Himself.

In the OT Israel is called to keep the law and trust in God.    In the NT everyone is called to take up our cross and follow Christ.

OT---law.     Keep the law and live.      NT—grace.   Die to self and live in Christ, through Christ, and because of Christ. 

 “When his glory shall be revealed”: Suffering will be part of the Christian experience until Christ returns (Rom. 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.). Believers who are persecuted for their faith are partakers of the same kind of suffering the Savior endured for obeying and serving God with faithfulness, loyalty and love. When Christ returns, we shall “appear with him in glory” (Col 3:4). While Jesus is presently glorified in heaven, His glory is not yet fully revealed on earth.

All will rejoice, but especially those who have been persecuted and martyred will more fully understand “that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18).

“Glad also with exceeding joy”: That is, exult and rejoice with a rapturous joy (James 1:2). A Christian who is persecuted for righteousness in this life will have overflowing joy in the future because of his reward. Such an awareness of future joy enables him also to “rejoice” at the present time (Luke 6:22).

These are problems that come from serving the Lord, spoken of here. Paul thought it an honor to suffer for Christ. We should feel the same way. God cannot trust all of us with suffering for Him. Some would fold up under great trials. Others get stronger in that trial.

When the suffering is in the name of the Lord, it should thrill us that God can trust us with that big a problem.

 1 Peter 4:14 "If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy [are ye]; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified."

“Reproached for the name of Christ”: Insulted and treated unfairly for being a representative of all that Christ is, and for the public proclamation of the name of Christ (Acts 15:26 Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

reproached: Christians may be unjustly blamed because of their association with Christ. Peter calls this situation blessed because it brings great reward in the next life (Matt. 5:10–12 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.  12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.).

..resteth upon you: When Christians suffer unjustly on behalf of Christ, they will discover that the close relationship they have with God during that period will refresh their spirit.

“Happy are ye”: Not a general happiness so much as a specific benefit, in the suffering triumphantly for Christ shows God’s approval.

This is speaking of being persecuted for the fact that you are a Christian, or because you are working for Christ. We find that when we love God enough to be persecuted for Him, He will greatly reward us.

“Spirit of glory”: That is, the Spirit who has glory, or who is glorious. In the Old Testament, the glory of God was represented by the Shekinah light, that luminous glow which signified the presence of God (Exodus 33:14 – 34:9).

“Resteth upon you”: When a believer suffers, God’s presence specially rests and lifts him to strength and endurance beyond the physical dimension. 2 Cor. 12:7-10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

The suffering of Job, in the Old Testament, was great. He did not turn against God. He became even more faithful during the problem. We know there was a time when God said, it is enough. God mightily blessed Job; in so much that his later state was better than it had been before all the troubles came. Read the book of Job to get the full impact of this.  14:00

1.     Expect it (verse 12);  2.     Rejoice in it (verses 13-14);  3.     Evaluate its cause (verses 15-18);

 1 Peter 4:15 "But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or [as] a thief, or [as] an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters."

“As a busybody”: Think about this…meddling in other people’s business is equated with murdering and stealing!    Someone who intrudes into matters that belong to someone else. Peter is dealing with matters that would lead to persecution, such as getting involved in revolutionary, disruptive activity or interfering in the function and flow of government. It might also refer to being a troublesome meddler in the workplace.

Generally, a Christian living in a non-Christian culture is to do his work faithfully, exalt Jesus Christ, and live a virtuous life, rather than try to overturn or disrupt his culture. 1 Thess. 4:11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; 2 Thess. 3:11 For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.

 1 Peter 4:16 "Yet if [any man suffer] as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf."

“Christian”: In the early days of the church, “Christian” was a derisive term given to those followers of Christ (Acts. 11:26; 26:28). Eventually, followers of Christ came to love and adopt this name.

There is no shame in serving God. Even if a person is imprisoned for the cause of Jesus Christ, he should not be ashamed, but count it his duty to uphold Christ. We should count it an honor to be allowed to suffer for Christ.

 1 Peter 4:17 For the time [is come] that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if [it] first [begin] at us, what shall the end [be] of them that obey not the gospel of God?

“Judgment … house of God”: the time has come for judgment: Judgment does not always imply condemnation in Scripture. When used in relation to Christians, it consistently refers to the evaluation of a believer’s works for the purpose of reward in 1 Cor. 3:10–15). The "house of God" here is not on a building but on believers. is speaking of the believers in Christ, or the church. We know that God expects our lives to be clean. Jesus is coming back for a church that is without spot or wrinkle. God will shake the church, so that those who are playing church will be shaken out. Only the true believers in Christ will remain.

Again this is not condemnation, but the purging, chastening, and purifying of the church by the loving hand of God. It is far better and more important to kingdom work to endure suffering as the Lord purges and strengthens the church, that to endure the eternal sufferings of the unbeliever in the lake of fire. And, if God so strongly and painfully judges His church which He loves, what will be His fury on the ungodly?

...Them that obey not: Throughout this letter, Peter speaks of those who are not part of God’s eternal family as being disobedient. 1 Peter 2:7, 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.  We Christians must remember, that to whom much is given, much is required. Christians must separate themselves from the world and its lust. We are to live wholesome lives as an example for the world to follow. God must begin at the church, because we are in full knowledge. God judges his own in the hope they will turn from their evil ways back to Him.

The church is the bearer of the Light to the darkened world. If the Light of the world becomes dark, the darkness would become great. We know that the Christians are sons of God. The answer to what the end is for those who do not accept Jesus as Savior is simple but harsh. They are headed for an eternity in hell. 21:00

1.     Expect it (verse 12);  2.     Rejoice in it (verses 13-14);  3.     Evaluate its cause (verses 15-18);   

4.     Entrust it to God (verse 19).

 1 Peter 4:18 "And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?"

(Quoted from the LXX of Prov. 11:31), and reinforces the point that if the justified sinner is saved only with great difficulty, while enduring suffering, pain, and loss, what will be the end of the ungodly? (2 Thess. 1:8-9 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.

The word "scarcely" indicates to me that the Christian has more to do than walk the isle of a church and go and be baptized in water to be saved.  No one deserves to be saved, and no one is able to be saved by his or her good works (see Eph. 2:8, 9). Since everyone deserves condemnation, the fact that anyone is saved is solely the result of God’s grace. Salvation is a daily walk through life with Jesus. The temptations of life must be overcome each day of our life. To be the righteous, you must have, at some time in your life, accepted Jesus as your Savior.

This would cause you to be clothed in the righteousness of Christ. The righteous scarcely being saved, indicates to me, it is possible to walk away from God and not be truly saved. Here is what Jesus said in the parable of the soils:

Matthew 13:20-22 “But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;” “Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.” “He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.”  

….appear: If God does not hold back judgment from His own people, imagine the end of the enemies of God who have no one to justify them before Him (Psalm 1:6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.; Rev. 20:14-15 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.

 1 Peter 4:19 "Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls [to him] in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator."

“Commit the keeping of their souls” or “Entrusting” which is a banking term meaning “to deposit for safe keeping.”

Christians are to entrust their very lives to God, especially in the midst of suffering, always recognizing that He is the faithful Creator who is in control of all things. God never gives us more than we can handle 1 Cor. 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.   Everything He does always has a good purpose (see Rom. 8:28 all things work together for good to them that love God…

Many believe inflicting suffering upon themselves is pleasing to God. This is not what this Scripture is saying. This says if you suffer from outside causes for the will of God, you are pleasing the God who created you.  Mark 13:13 "And ye shall be hated of all [men] for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." There is a battle to be fought. We must fight for Jesus even until death if we are to be a good soldier fit for the kingdom.

“Faithful Creator”: Peter uses the word “Creator,” to remind the readers of this letter that when they committed their lives to God, they were simply giving back to God what He had created. As Creator, God knows best the needs of His beloved creatures 1 Peter 2:23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously; 2 Tim. 1:2……Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.). 27:50

Trial

1.     Expect it 2.     Rejoice in it   3.     Evaluate its cause    4.     Entrust it to God.  28:04

James 5:1-8 The Rapture In The Book Of James

Intro:  Not many of us think of the book of James and the return of the Lord, the rapture.  But it’s right in there in this passage. Actually twice.  James talks about the day of the Lord’s return.  1:00

1.  The Rich Shall Have Misery

James 5:1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.

And now, you rich people, listen to me! Weep and wail over the miseries that are coming upon you! Come [quickly] now, you rich [who lack true faith and hoard and misuse your resources], weep and howl over the miseries [the woes, the judgments] that are coming upon you.

Riches do not make us happy.  Riches can corrupt us.  Luke 12:20-21 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?  21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

There is a day of judgment coming upon all those who have not trusted in Jesus Christ.  Being rich bring judgment upon you but being lost without Christ will bring judgment upon you.  When Jesus comes judgment will fall upon the rich, poor and in between for their rejection of Jesus Christ.  But it will be especially bad for the rich for what good will their money do them then?  Trusting always in yourself is trusting in a person who makes mistakes, sometimes has bad judgement, lacks wisdom in a lot of areas and is prone to make mistakes.  That doesn’t sound like a pilot program for success does it? 

James 5:2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.

Your riches have rotted away, and your clothes have been eaten by moths. 2 Your wealth has rotted and is ruined and your [fine] clothes have become moth-eaten.

The United States is the richest nation ever in the history of the world.  The poorest people in America today are among the richest in the world.  Think about that.  Now God has blessed us abundantly and there is nothing wrong with being rich.   The problem is that our riches can make us poor toward God, self-reliant, proud, boastful, arrogant, and godless.   2 Timothy 3:1-2 Know this that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

James 5:3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

Your gold and silver are covered with rust, and this rust will be a witness against you and will eat up your flesh like fire. You have piled up riches in these last days. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. You have stored up your treasure in the last days [when it will do you no good].

Money, riches, fame and fortune will do you no good when Jesus comes.  These are the last of the last days.  Trump has left Syria up to Turkey.  Israel is turning to Russia for help.  Iran and Russia and Turkey have formed a pact.  It’s all in Ezekiel 38!  Bible prophecy is coming down right before our eyes.  So the return of Jesus and His gathering us in to heaven can’t be very far away!

James 5:4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. You have not paid any wages to those who work in your fields. Listen to their complaints! The cries of those who gather in your crops have reached the ears of God, the Lord Almighty.  4 Look! The wages that you have [fraudulently] withheld from the laborers who have mowed your fields are crying out [against you for vengeance]; and the cries of the harvesters have come to the ears of [a]the Lord of Sabaoth.  Most people get rich on the backs of others or the abuse of others.  Now, not always but most of the time there is a shady deal here and there, someone who gets trampled and you climb up the ladder of success.  God knows all about it.  Proverbs 22:1 A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.   Better to have a good name which means you have integrity and can look at yourself in the mirror at night.

James 5:5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.

Your life here on earth has been full of luxury and pleasure. You have made yourselves fat for the day of slaughter.  5 On the earth you have lived luxuriously and abandoned yourselves to soft living and led a life of wanton pleasure [self-indulgence, self-gratification]; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.  I think of the rich and the famous  who make millions of dollars a year.  They have the best of everything.  Yet they have made themselves fat on the backs of others.  They are fattened up for the slaughter like a steer.  And it is coming.  The day of the Lord is like a thief in the night.  Remember the rich man and Lazarus?  Luke 16:19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day….

James 5:6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you. 6 You have condemned and murdered innocent people, and they do not resist you.[a] 6 You have condemned and have put to death the righteous man; he offers you no resistance.  God’s people do not fight for their lives they fight for their faith.  We are willing to die for Christ at the hands of the wicked if need be.  We seek no harm to anyone but the salvation of everyone!  14:00

1.  The Rich Shall Have Misery  2  The Righteous Must Be Patient

James 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.   Be patient, then, my friends, until the Lord comes. See how patient farmers are as they wait for their land to produce precious crops. They wait patiently for the autumn and spring rains.   The farmer waits [expectantly] for the precious harvest from the land, being patient about it, until it receives the early and late rains.  So wait patiently, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. Here it is people.  James and the coming of the Lord Jesus.   Jesus is coming first FOR His church and then seven years later coming WITH His church to establish His kingdom on earth. 

This is a great message for all of us.  Be patient.  Farmers wait patiently for the crops to grow.  You can’t hurry it up.  Everything has to come together for your farm.   God is working out all things for our good and His glory.  Be patient. 

I know I have been preaching about the rapture for fifty years and He has not come yet.  Have I lost heart?  No!  have I lost hope? Absolutely not.  Why?  I know this…..The lord is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”  I know that we must be patient for those things we are convinced of.  I am convinced now more than ever that Jesus is coming for His church.  Maybe today, maybe tomorrow, maybe in five years, maybe in fifty years.  I doubt that….but I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day!  That day of all days!  When Jesus comes for His church! 

James 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.  You also must be patient. Keep your hopes high, for the day of the Lord's coming is near.  You too, be patient; strengthen your hearts [keep them energized and firmly committed to God], because the coming of the Lord is near.

There is James again talking about the return of the Lord, the rapture of the church……. and soon!  2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him.  Paul wrote about the possibility of the Lord’s soon return in his day.  We are to be looking for Jesus in every generation, in every decade, every year, every month and every day!   2 Timothy 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. 

Listen… You are either looking to satisfy your lusts or looking for Jesus.  That’s it.   You are either looking out for yourself or you are looking for Jesus!  27:00

Conclusion:   1.  The Rich Shall Have Misery  2  The Righteous Must Be Patient

The rapture In The Book Of James

Nothing wrong with being rich in money and rich in Christ.  But you must be rich in Christ or you will have nothing but misery with your money.  You and your money will perish!  Don’t seek to be rich with goods but seek to be rich in Christ and that is true riches.  Matthew 16:26 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?  What will he give?  I tell you there is nothing that we can do to get back, or nothing we can do to buy back our lost souls…… but one thing and one way……trusting in the one who purchased us on the cross by shedding His precious blood.  Jesus Christ who is and who is coming! 28:04

10/6/2019

Hosea 4:1-6  How To Destroy A Great Thing

Intro:  Hosea’s Heartbreak and God’s Grief.  The tragic marriage of Hosea and Gomer painted a vivid portrait for the Israelites of how God viewed His relationship with them. Hosea and Gomer compared to God and Israel. God commands Hosea to marry a wayward woman.  His whole life was a living portrayal of how God felt about Israel. 

*Hosea marries Gomer (1:3). God is betrothed to Israel (2:19).

*Hosea is a faithful husband (3:3). God is a faithful “Husband” (1:7).

*Hosea’s love is unrequited (3:1). God’s love is unrequited (3:1).

*The relationship disintegrates (3:1). The relationship disintegrates (2:2).

*Gomer pursues other men (3:1). Israel pursues other gods (4:1).

*Gomer is indifferent to the feelings of Hosea (3:1). Israel is indifferent to God’s feelings (11:1).

*Hosea has a daughter whose name Lo-Ruhamah means “Not Loved” (1:6). God will not have pity on His wayward children in Israel (5:6).

*Hosea has a son whose name Lo-Ammi means “Not My People” (1:9). God declares that the Israelites are not His people (1:9).

*Hosea redeems and restores the adulterous Gomer (3:2). God redeems and restores the unfaithful nation, Israel (14:4–8).  A man who has found a wife hath found a good thing.  But In Hoseas case maybe he couldn’t quite say that because His wife was unfaithful and caused him much grief.  Marriage is a great thing and many destroy it.  Israel had a great thing with God and we will see what happened.3:00

1.  God Has a Problem With Israel

Hosea 4:1Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

The Lord has an accusation to bring against the people who live in this land. Listen, Israel, to what he says:  There is no faithfulness or love in the land, and the people do not acknowledge me as God. 

Controversy or Charge: The Hebrew word refers to a formal complaint charging Israel with breaking the covenant. Mercy means “loyalty” or “devotion.” knowledge: This word does not refer to intellectual awareness, but to recognition of God’s authority as Israel’s covenant Lord

Hosea 4:2By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. They make promises and break them; they lie, murder, steal, and commit adultery. Crimes increase, and there is one murder after another.  This accusation mentions five of the Ten Commandments. Swearing refers to the misuse of the Lord’s name in oaths and curses. (Ex. 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.)  Israel had a great thing.  Chosen by the God of the universe, the creator of all things.  Yet they forgot about Him.  They would not obey Him nor regard Him. How could they mess up such a great thing. 9:00

1.  God Has a Problem With Israel  2.  The Land And Animals Will Languish That Forget God

Hosea 4:3Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away. And so the land will dry up, and everything that lives on it will die. All the animals and birds, and even the fish, will die.  Therefore, the land [continually] mourns, And, everyone who lives in it languishes [in tragic suffering].  Together with the animals of the open country and the birds of the heavens;

Even the fish of the sea disappear.

The people who forget God see crops fail, animals die, birds and fish will be affected.  I think we see in our country floods, hurricanes, droughts, tornado’s, fires as a result of just forgetting God.  I think we have a crisis of animals being treated cruely and numbers far more than we can handle and animals dying or not producing as a result of our forgetting God.  I know world wide there are disasters everyday.  I know that worldwide animals are getting diseases, and cats and dog populations are out of control.  Agricultural societies need animals.  We need animals to survive. 

Animals and humans are NOT on the same level.  1 Corinthians 15:39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.  But it is a great thing to have animals for our service and enjoyment.  But the Israelites were destroying that because they forgot God. They really messed up a great thing. 15:00

1.  God Has a Problem With Israel  2.  The Land And Animals Will Languish That Forget God

3.  The People Blame Each Other

Hosea 4:4Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest. The Lord says, “Let no one accuse the people or reprimand them—my complaint is against you priests.  [a] Yet let no one find fault, nor let any rebuke [others]; For your people are like those who contend with the priest.

It is a natural tendency to assign blame.  The priests were blaming the people when in fact it was their fault for forgetting God.  It’s not always the preacher’s fault but everyone shares blame for forgetting God.  I think forgetting God starts in the pulpit but sometimes it gets its energy from the pew. Galatians 2:11 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.  Peter was to blame when he messed up by not eating with Gentiles and Paul had to confront Him about His hypocrisy.  2 Corinthians 6:3 Giving no offence in anything, that the ministry be not blamed:  When we forget God as a people or as individual’s we can’t really blame anyone but ourselves.  When we mess up as a Christian it gives blame to all of us as we all get a blamed for it.

Israel destroyed a great thing.  When we destroy a great thing with God we alone are to blame. 20:00

1.  God Has a Problem With Israel  2.  The Land And Animals Will Languish That Forget God

3.  The People Blame Each Other   4.  People Are Doomed That Have No knowledge Of God.

Hosea 4:5Therefore shalt thou fall (stumble) in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the

 night, and I will destroy thy mother. Night and day you blunder on, and the prophets do no better than

you. I am going to destroy Israel, your mother.   So you will stumble in the daytime, And the [false]

prophet will also stumble with you in the night;  And I will destroy your mother (Israel). Isaiah 40:30Even

 the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: Isaiah 63:13That led them

through the deep, as an horse in the wilderness, that they should not stumble?

I know of no nation or individual who ever really succeeding in a God rejecting life.  They may obtain

 great riches but never be satisfied.  They may be appear to have it all but inside they are empty and

void of joy.   People will stumble in life when they forget God.  They will stumble over Homosexuality,

over evolution, Catastrophic climate change, Islam, false teaching, same sex marriage, and accept every

word of men that contradicts the word of God. 

Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.  My people are doomed because they do not acknowledge me. You priests have refused to acknowledge me and have rejected my teaching, and so I reject you and will not acknowledge your sons as my priests.  My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge [of My law, where I reveal My will].Because you [the priestly nation] have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from being My priest.Since you have forgotten the law of your God,I will also forget your children. 

The failure of Israel’s religious leaders, including most of the prophets, would bring about their downfall. lack of knowledge: The priests had failed to teach God’s law to the people (Malachi 2:7For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.  ). As a result, the priests would be the special object of God’s judgment. He would terminate the priestly line.

They have rejected God and He will reject them.  1 Samuel 8:7 And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken

unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.  Jeremiah 8:9 The wise men are ashamed, they

are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the Lord; and what wisdom is in them?

People that forget God, God will forget them.  .  Those what wind up in the lake of fire will be forgotten.  That is the saddest words of all….forgotten.  Doomed to be forgotten for all eternity.  How horrible is that?  But with God now is the opportunity to be saved.  To change it all.  To be cared for and watched over by Christ.  He promised to never leave us nor forsake us.  Complete opposite future for the wicked.  They destroyed a great thing they could have had going. 27:00

1.  God Has a Problem With Israel  2.  The Land And Animals Will Languish That Forget God

3.  The People Blame Each Other   4.  People Are Doomed That Have No knowledge Of God.

How to destroy a Great thing. 

Israel had a great thing going, but they let it go.  They had a great future but they forgot God.  The world has all the allure, all the pleasure, all the fun, all the joy it seems so we forget about God who is always there and always will be and He promises a joyful eternity just not now.  There are joys in His presence forevermore.  Don’t neglect a great thing just because it takes a little time.  Trust in Jesus now and you’ll be forever glad you did!

28:04



6. What part of “I give them eternal life and they shall NEVER perish” is temporary

John 6:39-40  And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. 

John 10:27-29 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

Romans 8:28-30 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.  30Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Romans 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  36As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39Nor 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.  Nothing can stop God from loving His children.  God will always love us and be for us and bring us to Himself one day. 

We are kept by the Power of God…not our own works.   1 Peter 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and the 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.  To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

7.  What about Habitual sin? 

We do sin daily.

Paul said “I die daily.”  John said “If any man sin we have an advocate with the Father.

We sin by evil thoughts.

We sin by committing secret sins.

We sin by omitting to witness to others.

We sin by being selfish.

We sin by failing to visit widows and orphans. 

We sin by not using our money wisely and when we waste money.

We sin by gluttony.  Over eating, Over indulging in wasteful, useless things.

We sin by unbiblically offending people, talking too much, having stress and worry, being lazy, not going to church and reading our Bibles and praying everyday.

We sin by not being a good example in dress and conduct.  Even your house should be kept orderly in order to not cause one’s neighbors to stumble. 

We sin we are not the hardest working employees. 

We sin when we don’t do our best at any task.

We sin when we don’t get angry at sin.

We sin when we don’t get angry enough to defend others who can’t defend themselves. 

We sin when we watch the wrong things. 

We sin when we gossip.

We sin when we don’t listen to others. 

We sin when we ignore others.

We sin when we are uncompassionate.

We sin when we are hateful.

We sin when we enjoy things are are not good for us Biblically.

We sin when we seek our own glory and not that of Jesus.

“  John said “if a man says he does not sin he is a liar and the truth is not in Him.”  1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness.”

We get dirty feet every day.  In other words we sin daily.  That’s what the washing of feet was all about. The disciples didn’t wash each other’s feet.  Only Jesus can wash our feet.  Only Jesus can cleanse us from daily sins.  Peter said my heads and my hands also.  Jesus said he was clean.  But we sin daily and only Jesus can cleanse us. 

8. When do we cross the line and lose our salvation?

Nobody knows.  And nobody has ever done it.  I’ve never met one person who has known when they crossed the line.  Either people say they are saved or they say they are lost.  I’ve never met one person who said they lost their salvation that can tell you exactly when. 

9. Does the Bible Ever say “a person was saved again?”

Nope. Not in the Bible.  People have come back from a backslidden position.  Jesus said Peter was clean when He washed His feet just his feet were dirty.  In other word’s he was saved.  Did Peter lose his salvation when he denied Christ?  Not according to Jesus.  Peter wept bitterly over his sin when he did this.  Jesus restored Peter.  But did Peter even ask for forgiveness?  No we have no record that he did or not.   We just know that he wept bitterly.  David said “lord return unto me the Joy of thy salvation.”  He lost his joy not his salvation.   King Saul died many say in a backslidden position on the battlefield.  But did he really ever trust in God? 

10.  But what if A Person……….

Straw man arguments are always used.  What if a Christian goes out and get’s drunk every Saturday night? You’re telling me that person is still saved?  Yes, If He trusted in Jesus Christ at one time in His life he is a Christian.  But this is not what you would expect a Christian to do he is still a Christian if he accepted Christ as his Savior. 

What if a drunk goes out and attends church every Saturday night?  Are you telling me that person is a not a drunk anymore?  Well he will be a drunk until he quits getting drunk whether he goes to church or not.  Even though this is not what you would expect a drunk to do, go to church…..he is still a drunk until he quits getting drunk. 

So, you can’t say a person is not a Christian by their behavior, you can’t say a drunk is not a drunk because he goes to church.  You can be a fruit inspector and say they don’t have very good Christian fruit. And they may have never been saved as they claim.  But you don’t lose anything the God gives us.  Instead you really are what you do, you really are what you are.  Your fruit will come out eventually. 

And let’s be honest straw man arguments are always used.  But do they really exist?  Does any true Christian really go out and get drunk every Saturday night?  I doubt it.  They might fall once or twice but to continually do this I would question their salvation from the start. 

We are saved by grace, kept by grace.  It is impossible to be saved by God’s grace and kept by your works.  It does not make sense and it does not add up in God’s calculator. 

11. Why Does God give and take away rewards if We keep ourselves Saved?

Why does God even bother to reward us if we all have the power to keep ourselves saved?  Isn’t heaven itself enough reward.  If salvation is only given to those who keep themselves saved then why are there different levels of reward?  The very nature of reward means that some are more faithful that others.  It even says that some will lose all their rewards.  So that means an unfaithful Christian can go to heaven.  As a matter of fact, some can get in with their coattails on fire so to speak.  So, straighten me out on this.  If an unfaithful Christian gets to heaven in a way that he barely escapes the fires of hell, then how bad do you have to be to lose your salvation?  Nobody knows!  It is confusing.  It doesn’t make sense.    It makes more sense to believe that everyone who trusts in Jesus Christ will be in heaven and will be rewarded for your faithfulness and rewards taken away for unfaithfulness to Christ.

Think about this. “I would rather be in hell than face Jesus as having shamed Him as a believer. ”

12.  1 John 3:19

Here’s where unsaved church going people, preachers, and church workers are….. that quit and fall into habitual sin.  They never were saved in the first place.  Pretty clear here.  There are faithful Christians, unfaithful Christians and pretending Christians.   The first two will be in heaven. The last one will not.  They never trusted in Christ.  Remember what Jesus said.  Lord did we not prophesy, do great miracles? Jesus said depart from me I NEVER knew you.”

9/22/2019

Twelve Reasons We have Eternal Security.  

Parts Three Thru Five

3.  Is Hebrews 6:4-6 saying that we cannot be saved again if we could lose our salvation.

In the previous chapter of Hebrews and the first part of Chapter six the author is scolding the believers for not be able to discern deeper things of the faith because they had not matured enough.  They were not growing.  It’s like they weren’t taking their faith seriously enough.  So the author seeks to stir them up with a warning about going backwards in their faith even falling away into apostasy.  So then Hebrews 6:4-9 is about three things…

1.  It is very serious to walk away from Christ into apostasy.  So serious that no one can convince you to come back.  Verses 4-6

2. It is very serious to turn your back on Christ.  You can have rewards burned up at the judgment seat of Christ and all your work for Christ here on earth will be destroyed if you do that.  Verses 7-8 

3.  You don’t have to worry about these things if you are truly following Jesus.  Verse 9

4For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,  6If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. Is this passage saying you cannot be saved again….. if you could lose your salvation?  If it is impossible to be renewed…… it is impossible to lose!  But I don’t necessarily think that is what it’s taking about.  Here is why….

Since the author is talking about the immaturity of believers in chapter five and first part of six.  The focus is on teaching them and helping them grow…… and the resulting frustration that they haven’t grown in Christ.  The phrase “to renew them again to repentance” I believe is saying that the author or the church or friends and family can do nothing to change the mind of an apostate Christian. It doesn’t say That God can’t renew them again…I believe it refers to the church cannot say or do anything and that drastic measures have to be taken by God. That’s why we have the warning in verses 7-8 that tell us what God does to the apostate Christian.  The church can do nothing but turn them over to God’s judgment of them in verses 7-8.

 This passage then I believe is talking about people who walk away from the faith.  An apostate Christian.  So the danger of immaturity is that you are more likely to fall away into apostasy.  And if they are truly saved as this passage indicates there is nothing we say or do to get such a person back into walking in the truth. 

Since verse seven says they are nigh or near unto cursing, in danger of losing all the good they have done for Christ..……It is up to God to restore such a person.  So, the only thing we can do is turn this person over to God.  Paul turned people over to Satan so that they would learn not to follow the wrong path. 

Hebrews 6:7For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: 8But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. The person who walks away from their faith will lose their rewards at the Judgment seat of Christ and even here on the earth they will have remedial judgment from God.  While the church can do nothing to change them in verses 4-6 God takes over and begins to judge their works while on earth and if they do not repent then at the judgment seat of Christ.

1.  He rejects their works.  Rejected means “disqualified,” and the word is used of believers being disqualified from receiving rewards (see 1 Cor. 9:27; 2 Cor. 13:5, 7). Note that the ground that produced thorns is not cursed; instead it is near to being cursed (see 1 Cor. 11:29–31).

2. They are near to being cursed their works.  If it was possible they would be lost forever.   But salvation is eternal even for saved apostates.  They don’t deserve salvation but remember neither do we.  There is none righteous no, not even one.   But apostates can lose their lives as God takes them home early for the sin of apostasy.  He said in 1 Corinthians “that some sleep due to disobedience.”  Now we must remember that not all apostates are truly saved.  Remember what Jesus said to those who said Lord look at all the things we did for you. “Depart from me ye workers of iniquity for I never knew you.”  But in this case, I believe a rare case is a warning to immature Christians, that you can fall into apostasy very easily.  Some apostates are truly saved, just led away by false teaching. 

3.  He burns their works.  Its ultimate end is burning, perhaps indicating the earthly, temporal judgment of God. In the Old Testament, God’s judgment on His people is compared to the burning of a field (see Isa. 9:18, 19; 10:17), indicating physical death not eternal death. Perhaps this parable is an allusion to the fire which Jesus will use to reveal the quality of a believer’s works (see 1 Cor. 3:11–15). There was an ancient practice of burning a piece of ground to destroy weeds and make a field useful again. If such an allusion is intended here, then this passage could be teaching that while all human attempts to restore apostates are futile (v. 6), there is still hope that God will restore such a person.

Hebrews 6:9But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. By using the word beloved, the author assures the Hebrews that he is confident that they are showing good progress in service for Christ.  And that they need not worry about losing rewards or being an apostate Christian.  Their good works were signs to the author that they had genuinely received Christ. 

This passage serves as a warning of the danger of false teachers and being led astray.  We need to be Bereans at all time. Acts 17:11 Search the scriptures daily to see whether these things be true.  We must work our our own salvation with fear and trembling…..We must walk closely with Christ and His word and His truth and His faithful church…lest we fall into apostasy. 

This passage is also a great verse for eternal security!  If an apostate can’t lose their salvation then who can?  The answer no one!   I would rather be in hell though than to have to face Jesus knowing that I received His great salvation and did nothing but harm to Him the rest of my life.  How ashamed you will be, how shocked you will be, how sad you will be knowing what you have done to His sweet and glorious name.  And that He still loves you and will let you into heaven…how would you feel?

4.  Why do you cast your crowns at Jesus feet if you kept yourself saved?

After all Lord…I kept myself saved.  I did the hardest part!  It is impossible for you to keep yourself saved.  Because you are still in the flesh.  But if you could you would have some glory.  You could not give all the glory to Christ!  After all you did the impossible!   The Lord would say to you well done good and faithful co-redeemer.  Because you have helped keep yourself saved!  I started the work of salvation but you finished it.  Now of course we must finish our course, our race of faith in this life.  But the author of Hebrews is NOT talking about finishing or completing our salvation here…but finishing our lives faithful to the end. 

5.  Why Is salvation called “eternal” life if  we can lose it… if it is not eternal there would be “if” and “buts”?

We possess eternal life from the moment we accept Jesus as our Savior.   John 10:28. I give unto them eternal life.  John 17:3 This is life eternal that I may know thee…. John 3:16 Shall not perish… John 14:19



9/8/2019

Twelve Reasons We Have Eternal Security  John 10:28

“And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish….”

1.  God does not loan us salvation…He GIVES us salvation

We are saved by grace and kept by grace.  We cannot be saved by grace and kept by works.  That doesn’t make any sense.  We cannot be given something by God and then lose it.  That’s impossible.  We cannot receive a gift from God and He ask for it back.  That’s a loan…..not a gift.  God keeps His promises.  He gives us salvation as His gift to those who will trust in the finished work of His Son on the cross!  We are not loaned salvation.  We don’t borrow some salvation and then build upon it.  We don’t build our own salvation.  We “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling” which means to pay strict attention to your own walk with Christ and not someone else’s.  Jesus Himself said “without me ye can do NOTHING!”  

In fact…..we inherit salvation.  1 Peter 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and the 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.  To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

An adopted child cannot ever be disinherited.  It’s the law all over the world.  A natural child can be disinherited. 

2.  God does not save us then leave us in the flesh and expect us to keep ourselves saved. 

Jesus will NEVER leave us nor forsake us.  He didn’t leave us in our sinful flesh and then expect us to keep ourselves saved.  That’s like God saving Daniel from the from the lion’s by taking away their claws.   That’s like God saving Jonah from the whale by giving him a big harpoon.  That’s like God saving Noah by teaching him to swim.    

God took Daniel out of the Lions den and into safety.  God saved Jonah by the whale and the whale spit him out safely on the dry land.  God saved Noah by the Ark and kept Him safely in the Ark until he departed.   God kept them safe until they arrived at their destination.  He will keep us safe until we arrive in heaven. 

Our flesh is at enmity with God.  It is the enemy of God.  “The heart is desperately wicked who can know it.”  But we must dwell in the flesh until we are changed.  In order to give glory to God and testify by our lives the victory we have in Jesus over the flesh, hell and the grave!  The flesh is our old man.  We have become “born again.”  We are changed.  We now are no longer under the condemnation of the flesh.  We are new creatures.  

We are freed from the condemnation of sin.  Our flesh still has influence.  Paul said that  “that He would do….that he doesn’t do. And that that he would not do.… that he does. It is not I but the flesh that dwelleth in me.”

Paul yearned to be free from the flesh.  God would not leave us to fend for ourselves.  Jesus said “he will NEVER leave us nor forsake us.”  We need Him to give us assurance and the knowledge that we are saved by grace and not of ourselves” for we could never do it.  We cannot save ourselves any more than we can keep ourselves saved! 

But we have already won the victory as soon as we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ! 



9/1/2019
2 Peter 2   Who Can You Trust?

Intro: There are many false teachers and deception going on in our world today.  Can you believe anything the media says?  Can you believe anything congress says? Can you believe anything that world leaders say and do?  Can you believe your own government?  Who can you trust?  1:00

1.  Rejecting The Truth by Telling Lies

2 Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

We are not to be swayed by the large numbers of people who are persuaded by unbiblical ideas. Judgment is guaranteed for all who oppose the truths of God We Should exercise discernment granted by the Holy Spirit to detect the deceptive teachings and alluring promises of the ungodly.

Just as God’s prophets of the past were opposed by false prophets, believers are opposed by false teachers. The difference in terminology suggests that the false teachers among Peter’s readers made no claim to being prophets, but were distorting the Scriptures with heretical interpretations. Peter’s certainty that there will be such false teachers probably rests on Jesus’ predictions (see Matt. 24:4, 5). False teachers could be recognized by their secretive approaches, their doctrinal errors (such as a denial of Christ), and by their abrupt departure from the Christian community (see 1 John 2:19).

2 Peter 2:2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

Perniciouis or destructive ways: Peter is addressing here the ethical implications of false teaching. The Greek word translated Pernicious means destructive which means “shameful” or “deliberately immoral.” The false teachers gloried in the privileges of Christianity but treated its moral demands with indifference. blasphemed: The truth of Christian redemption is held in contempt by many because of the immoral behavior of professing Christians.

Today people reject the truth by telling lies.  So Who can you trust?  You can trust the word of God.  You can trust Jesus Christ.   You can trust those who tell you the truth.  Trust but verify.  10:00

1.  Rejecting The Truth by Telling Lies   2. The Lord Knows How

The Lord Knows how to save the Godly….2 Peter 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation.

The Lord knoweth how: God is in full control of all events. He delivers the godly out of, but not away from, their trials.

The Lord knows How to punish the wicked. 2 Peter 2:9…. and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

2 Peter 2: 10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

He also sees that the unjust do not escape their day of punishment. Two particular groups are singled out for judgment: those who live in unclean lust…the lust of uncleanness and those who hold authority in contempt. …speak evil of dignities. 

..presumptuous, self-willed: These words describe the character and methods of false teachers. Their actions are characterized by boldness; they recklessly defy both God and man. Behind their presumption is a commitment to their own desires. The dignitaries that the false teachers slander are probably angels, although the word can refer to people in authority. The reference here is almost certainly to Jude 9, where the archangel Michael, disputing with Satan over the body of Moses, does not revile the devil but simply says, “The Lord rebuke you.”

The Lord knows how to bring His children home safely.  The Lord knows how to judge and punish the wicked.  Don’t panic and think everything is out of control.  How many times to you  hear this each week…”  Everything is just falling into place.  It’s an exciting time to be alive!  We are seeing the fulfillment of Bible prophecy right before our very eyes.

Who can you trust?  You can trust the Lord for He knows….He knows how.  He knows what He is doing.  Don’t panic.  Don’t be in fear  19:00

1.  Rejecting The Truth by Telling Lies   2. The Lord Knows How    3.  You Are What You Are

2 Peter 2:20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. The knew about Christ and His teaching they did not Know Him though. 

they have escaped: The subject of this phrase is the heretical teachers who are called “slaves of corruption” in v. 19. This verse seems to indicate that the teachers had formerly turned from the pollution of the world through knowledge about Christ.

Now, however, they have fallen again into immorality, even becoming teachers of sinful lifestyles. As a result, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. This phrase is almost certainly taken from Jesus’ words in Matt. 12:45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.   Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.  Verse 20 probably reflects Peter’s memory of that occasion.

2 Peter 2:21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.   better … not to have known: Knowledge without obedience is dangerous. Jesus said of Judas that it would have been better for him not to have been born than to have turned from the truth he had known (Matt. 26:24 The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.). The phrases way of righteousness and holy commandment emphasize the ethical content of the knowledge the false teachers had (v. 20). They knew what was right and holy, but they deliberately chose to do what was wrong and corrupt.

2 Peter 2:22But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.   according to the true proverb: Jews considered dogs and pigs among the lowest of animals, so Peter chooses these animals to describe people who have known the truth but have turned away from it. The first proverb is found in Prov. 26:11; As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly. the second is from the Syrian story of Ahikar, known to Peter and his readers.

It is a dangerous thing to betray Christ as many church leaders are doing today.  Of course they probably were never saved and that make their pretense and then their betrayal of the light of Christ so egregious.    People today must be made anew.  Not just changed.  Put a ribbon on a pig and it is still a pig.  Clean up a drunk and he is still a drunk.  You have to be made brand new.  John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

You are what you are in your heart.  If you heart is wicked and deceitful then that’s what you are.  If your heart has been made new by the Lord Jesus then you have Him in your heart.  The new agers and the Hindu’s believe that the spine is the center of humanit.  The condiliny spirit of the serpent.  It’s satanic.  Who can you trust?  You can trsut that unregenerate people will lie to you.  You can trust that Jesus is what He is.  Our God, our Savior and our friend.   27:00

1.  Rejecting The Truth by Telling Lies   2. The Lord Knows How    3.  You Are What You Are

Who can you trust?

You can trust the bible.

You can trust those who trust in Jesus and the word of God.

You can trust those who uphold the teachings of the word of God.

You can trust those who have proven themselves to you.

Jesus has done all of those things. 

Change your life today.  You cannot change yourself.  Jesus can make you a new creature.  The old will pass away.  28:04

Jeremiah 30:1-11  The Nation That Will Not End

Intro:  Jeremiah Chapters 30-33 contain messages for encouragement for a troubled nation.  They needed hope in the midst of Babylonian captivity.  So, God tells them they will come back, There will be a time of great trouble for them in the future but their nation shall never be destroyed.  1:00

1. Israel Will Come Back To Their Land

Jeremiah 30:1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, The Lord, the God of Israel, The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord. The oracles of Jeremiah were recorded by the scribe Baruch (chapter 36). Book refers to any type of writing medium, from a clay tablet to a parchment scroll. Jeremiah’s oracles were recorded on a scroll.

Jeremiah 30:2 Thus speaketh the LORD God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book. 

The Lord God of Israel said to me, “Write down in a book everything, all the words, that I have told you, spoken to you.   The book is the book of Jeremiah.  God inspired men to write the words of God. 

Jeremiah 30:3For, lo, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the LORD.

because the time is coming when I will restore my people, Israel and Judah. I will bring back my people from captivity.  For behold (hear this), the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah, .  Says the Lord.  Babylonian captivity ended in AD 536  or 516 the temple was re-established.  May 14^th, 1948 when Jews returned from being scattered all over the world. 

Jeremiah 30:3….and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.  I will bring them back to the land that I gave their ancestors, and they will take possession of it again. I, the Lord will return them to the land that I gave to their forefathers and they will take possession of it. 

May 14, 1948.  The Temple was destroyed on August 14^th AD 70.  The Temple of Solomon was destroyed on August 14^th 586 BC.  The Jews had a solemn memorial this past week commemorating these events called Tisha B’Av When Jews mourn the destruction of the temples and other disasters in Jewish history. 

The end of Babylonian captivity is in mind here.

9:00

1. Israel Will Come Back To Their Land  2.  Jacob’s Trouble

Jeremiah 30:4 And these are the words that the LORD spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah.  

God spake and the prophets wrote. Now these are the words the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah:  The Lord says to the people of Israel and Judah.  God centers His work with mankind on His people, the only people to whom He revealed His purposes and plans to. 

Jeremiah 30:5 For thus saith the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear (dread), and not of peace.    Thus says the Lord,  ‘We have heard a terrified voice Of panic and dread, and there is no peace. I heard a cry of terror,  a cry of fear and not of peace.  Judah is discouraged and in fear and dread.  They do not have peace in their hearts. 

Jeremiah 30:6 Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child?

Now stop and think!  Can a man give birth to a child? ‘Ask now, and see Whether a man can give birth [to a child].   Jeremiah’s audience was the whole nation of Israel and Judah, which had experienced the dread and horror of the day of the Lord (Joel 1:1–2:11; Amos 5:18–20).

Jeremiah 30:6….wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? 

Why is everyone so pale? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor?  Can a man give birth to a child?  Men acting like women in pain of fear like a woman giving birth.  Sickly and pale with fear.  Hands on his loins symbolizes the agony of God’s people, who had become like defenseless pregnant women in the midst of delivery before their enemies (4:31; 6:24). Why then do I see every man With his hands his loins, Why have all faces turned pale?

Jeremiah 30:6….as a woman in travail (as a woman in labor giving childbirth) The book of revelation talks about a woman with a child.  The New Testament talks about the end times compared to labor pains. 

Jeremiah 30:7Alas! for that day is great….

A terrible day is coming; ‘Alas! for that day is great.  This is referring to a time in the far furture because of what Jeremiah 30:7 says. 

Jeremiah 30:7…..so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; no other day can compare with it— a time of distress for my people. There is none like it; It is the time of Jacob’s [unequaled] trouble, But he will be saved from it. Before the great day of blessing promised to Israel there will come a time of Jacob’s trouble.  This refers to that great period of Israel’s tribulation.  That affliction in the end times will be associated with the judgments involved in the day of the Lord which will last seven years and bring about the seal judgments, the trumpet judgments and the bowl judgments.  And then Jesus will return and set up His kingdom on the earth from the Messiah’s temple in Jerusalem.  He will reign for one thousand years.

Jeremiah 30:7……but he shall be saved out of it. 

but they will survive.” At the end of that day Israel will be saved out of it.  The Jews who survive the tribulation will accept Christ as their Savior as Paul said “all Israel shall be saved.” The incomparable day of God was an ordained time of horror and distress for Israel and Judah, out of which the Lord would save them.  18:00

1. Israel Will Come Back To Their Land  2.  Jacob’s Trouble   3. Israel Shall Never End

Jeremiah 30:8 For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him: 

The Lord Almighty says, “When that day comes, I will break the yoke that is around their neck and remove their chains, and they will no longer be the slaves of foreigners.  Those that have enslaved them down through the years.  ‘It shall come about on that day,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘that I will break the yoke off your neck and I will tear off your bonds and force apart your shackles; and strangers will no longer make slaves of the people [of Israel].  Jeremiah expressed the hope of release from the bondage of the yoke of Babylon according to the Lord’s timing and not that of men.

Jeremiah 30:9 But they shall serve the LORD their God, …..and David their king,. 

Instead, they will serve me, the Lord their God, and a descendant of David.  But they shall serve the Lord their God and [the descendant of] David their King.  Future when Jesus returns to rule and reign over them.

Jeremiah 30:9…..whom I will raise up unto them.

 …whom I will enthrone as king. Whom I will raise up for them. They will never serve anyone but Christ from after the tribulation.  Jesus will sit on the throne of the Messianic temple in Jerusalem. 

Then Israel would no longer serve foreigners in foreign lands or in their own. Instead, the people of God would serve the Lord their God, and David their king. God would raise up a messianic king from David’s line to rule over the nation. (Isa. 9:7; 11:1; Hos. 3:5).

Jeremiah 30:10Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the LORD;

My people, do not be afraid; people of Israel, do not be terrified.   God’s people are never to show fear at any time.   

Jeremiah 30:10…neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity;. I will rescue you from that faraway land, from the land where you are prisoners.  Fear not, O Jacob My servant,’ says the Lord, ‘Nor be dismayed or downcast, O Israel; For behold, I will save you from a distant land [of exile] And your descendants from the land of their captivity.  End time is meant here. 

Jeremiah 30:10……and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.   You will come back home and live in peace; you will be secure, and no one will make you afraid.

Jacob will return and will be quiet and at ease, And no one will make him afraid. The hope of the nation was rest, tranquillity in the absence of external and internal distress, and quiet, security and ease resulting from trust in the Lord.  Today Israel is in their land and visitors there say it is very safe and secure despite the threats all around them and the antisemitism throughout the world. 

Got Questions.org says this…..Anti-Semitism is a term that has come to mean “prejudice or hostility toward Jews as a religious, cultural, or racial group.” According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the word anti-Semitism was introduced in 1879 by Wilhelm Marr, a German agitator who used it to describe anti-Jewish campaigns that were taking place in central Europe at the time. The term is, in fact, a misnomer, as true anti-Semitism would imply discrimination against anyone of Semitic descent including Arabs, Ethiopians, and other Semites. Semites are a group of Near Eastern and African peoples descended from Shem. Called the father of the Semites, Shem was a son of Noah. He and seven other members of his family entered the ark, escaped the flood, and lived to repopulate the earth. Through Shem passed the line of descent to the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Shem’s great-grandson Eber was the father of those who were eventually called “Hebrews,” including Abram (see Genesis 10 and 11 for more on Shem’s line).

Genesis 10:22 records the five sons of Shem: Elam, Ashur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. Twenty-one other descendants of Shem follow: “The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether and Meshek. Arphaxad was the father of Shelah, and Shelah the father of Eber. Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan. Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan. The region where they lived stretched from Mesha toward Sephar, in the eastern hill country. These are the sons of Shem by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations” (Genesis 10:23–31).

 The Elamites, Assyrians, Lydians, Arameans, and several Arab tribes were known to be descendants of Shem. A number of these people groups spoke related languages in ancient times. These are the Semites.

 The descendants of Shem spread geographically from Lydia to Syria, Assyria, and Persia. Armenia established the northern boundary while the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf created the southern boundary. Currently, members of the Semitic language groups are dispersed throughout North Africa and the Middle East.

Jeremiah 30:11 For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee:

I will come to you and save youI, the Lord, have spoken.” For I am with you,’ says the Lord, ‘to save you;

Jeremiah 30:11….though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, I will destroy all the nations where I have scattered you.   All nations of the world will be destroyed at the end of the Tribulation.   But they will reform under new leadership during the Millennial reign and Satan will deceive them. 

Jeremiah 30:11…..yet will I not make a full end of thee: , but I will not destroy you completely.   Israel will survive all attempts to destroy her.

Jeremiah 30:11…..but I will correct thee in measure,(give you Justice) and will not leave thee altogether unpunished. .  I will not let you go unpunished; but when I punish you, I will be fair.   But I will judge and discipline you fairly.  And will by no means regard you as guiltless and leave you unpunished.  The tribulation is to bring an end to Israel sin and judgment for the worlds rebellion and rejection of Christ.    27:00

1. Israel Will Come Back To Their Land  2.  Jacob’s Trouble   3. Israel Shall Never End

….Israel The nation That will not end. 

Israel is God’s land where God’s people dwell.  They are important because they gave us Jesus. They gave us the Bible and they give us a living testimony that the Bible is the word of God! 

We must love what God loves.  God loves Israel even in their unbelief.  God will rule and reign from there with us!  So we need to support the apple of God’s eye.  We need to support the people and the land of God’s revelation of Himself to us.     28:04

Mark 1:9-15  Jesus Begins His Ministry

Intro: And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.  10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: 11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  12 And immediately the spirit driveth him into the wilderness.  13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him. 14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,  15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Jesus was born and lived a normal life, or at least an inconspicuous life. Then at the right time He appears all of sudden to John the Baptist indicating that He wanted to be Baptized.  Agreeing with John’s baptism of repentance.  But Jesus needed no repentance but came identifying and approving of the message of John the Baptist. In fact Jesus is the fulfillment of the message of repentance and salvation.  

John the Baptist said according to John 1:29 Behold the lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.  Thus His ministry has begun.  2:00

1.  Jesus Baptism

Mark 1:9 And it came to pass in those days…., In those days.  AD 27.  It came to pass. The time had come.  All things that come to us here on earth comes to pass.   Nothing lasts very long in this life.  “Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning”  But in heaven nothing comes to pass but all things come to stay.  We will dwell in joy forever!  We will be with Jesus Forever! 

Mark 1:9…..that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee.  Nazareth was his adopted city.  He was born in Bethlehem as predicted by Micah the old Testament prophet.  Fled to Egypt after Herod killed all the new born male children and then felt it safer to live in Nazareth.  Nazareth was a city not known for prophets or anything good.  It was out in the sticks,  off the beaten path, not on a travel route.  It had a population of about 500 in Jesus day. 

Mark 1:9…..and was baptized of John in Jordan. and was baptized by John in the Jordan.   All four gospels refer to Jesus baptism in the Jordan river.   The Jordan river is 156 mile long river that flows north to south through the sea of Galilee on to the dead sea.  Today Jordan and the Golan heights border the river to the east while Israel and the west bank lie to the east.  Most of the year it is about 100 feet wide and about three to ten feet deep.  God’s people crossed the Jordan river into the promised land. 

  John The Baptist was baptizing in the Jordan river.  Jesus was baptized!  So we ought to be also. Baptism was used often of the Jews for ritual cleansing.  It points to the work of Christ as no other symbol can.  We are lowered into the water symbolizing our death.  We are in the water symbolizing our cleansing.  We are raised out of the water symbolizing our new birth.  Jesus symbolized His ministry and work of redemption, His death, His buriel and His resurrection when He was baptized. 

Mark 1:10 And straightway coming up out of the water, As soon as Jesus came up out of the water.  We baptize by bringing people straight out of the water today. 

Mark 1:10……he saw the heavens opened, he saw heaven opening. Heaven opened or opening is mentioned in Matthew 3:16, Luke 3:21, John 1:51, Acts 7:56, Acts 3:10, Revelation 19:11 and Malachi 3:10 says the windows of heaven will be opened.   Heaven opened at His baptism is symbolic for Jesus opening the way to heaven for all of humanity symbolized in baptism’s death, burial and resurrection.

Mark 1:10…..and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: and the Spirit coming down on him like a dove.  A dove was sent out of the ark by Moses.  It came back with an olive branch symbolizing the peace between God and mankind.  But It was only temporary.   It would take Jesus to make it permanent. 

At Jesus Baptism the Holy Spirit comes as a dove.  The dove is a symbol of purity and harmlessness and of holiness and innocence.  Jesus was pure, Holy and innocent and since it is Jesus it foretells of the permanent peace with God and men through Jesus Christ!  At Pentecost the Holy Spirit comes as a cloven tongue of fire to symbolize the power of the church indwelt by the Holy Spirit!

Mark 1:11 And there came a voice from heaven, And a voice came from heaven…that can only be God.  God spoke from heaven 20 times in the Bible.  Three times God spoke to Jesus from heaven at His Baptism recorded twice and when He told the disciple how He was to die God said He had glorified and would glorify His name.

Mark 1:11….saying, Thou art my beloved Son, You are my own dear Son.  God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. 

Mark 1:11….in whom I am well pleased.  In You I am well-pleased and delighted!  God is well pleased with the sacrifice of Jesus. He met all the qualifications.  He was without sin or blemish and was the perfect lamb of God.  God accepted the lambs, bull and goats without blemish to point to the perfect sacrifice of Christ to come.  God is pleased with Jesus and Jesus always pleases the Father.  John 8:29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

Jesus, The Holy Spirit and the Father are all present at Jesus Baptism. What a day!  The beginning of Jesus ministry of reconciliation of mankind began with a bang!  It was a solemn occasion.  No bands playing, no crowd gathered, no angels singing like at His birth, but just the still small voice of God. 

Jesus announces the beginning of His ministry with His baptism.  We confess our faith and trust in Jesus Christ by our baptism and our agreement that we are dead in trespasses and sin, cleansed by the blood of Christ and raised as new person, born again by His Spirit!  We begin our walk with Christ by the symbol of baptism!  11:00

1.  Jesus Baptism  2. Jesus Temptation

Mark 1:12 And immediately the spirit driveth him into the wilderness. At once the Spirit made him go into the desert.  Luke 4:1-13, Matthew 4:1-11.  It was the Holy Spirit that led Him to this test.  The Holy Spirit will test us and try us.  Why? To get us to fail. No! To strengthen us.  To prepare us.  To fortify us.  To enable us and to bless us.   Athletes work hard to prepare for success.  No pain, no gain they say.  We should pray hard, read every day and be with other Christians in order to be ready for the test’s that we will go through. 

Mark 1:13…… And he was there in the wilderness forty days.   …where he stayed forty days.  Why forty days?  According to Got Questions.org….

It rained forty days and nights before the flood,

Forty years in the wilderness.

Forty years from the crucifixion to the destruction of Jerusalem,

40 days of Moses on the mount receiving the law,

 Moses life divided into three 40 year periods,

40 days the Israelites spied out the land,

Under Samson Israel served the Philistines for forty years,

Goliath taunted Israel for 40 days,

Elijah traveled 40 days and nights when he fled from Jezebel to Mount Horeb,

40 days were given to Ninevah,

The number forty also appears in the prophecies of Ezekiel and Jonah. 

There were forty days between Jesus resurrection and ascension,

Jesus 40 days of temptation. 

Forty appears to be the number of probation or trial.  Remember that God does not call us to search for secret meanings in numbers, hidden messages, or codes.  There is more than enough in the plain words of the Bible to meet all of our needs and make us complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:17.  But forty is a pretty significant number in the Bible.  So also is 12, 10, 7 and 3.  But numbers indicate order and completeness of God.  And it is also shows us that God is in no hurry and not in a rush.  Not in a rush to judge and not in a rush to bless us.  But God is a patient God and a testing God.  And specific numbers indicate actual times and dates that prove the Bible is the word of God. 

Bottom line…if Jesus was tempted, tried and tested we also will be. 

Mark 1:13…..tempted of Satan; being tempted by Satan.  He was tempted to Jump off the temple, turn a stone into bread and to worship the devil from a high mountain.  Jesus passed the test.  He could not fail. He was God.  He cannot sin and is not tempted to sin.  With each temptation Jesus used scripture.  We must put on the whole armor of God to resist the devil.  The Bible is our sword we use to fight him and our legs to escape as we are told to flee from the devil.  James 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.  “Patience” means endurance and steadfastness. 

Mark 1:13….and was with the wild beasts; Wild animals were there also.  So He was alone but in danger also. 

Mark 1:13….. and the angels ministered unto him.,. but angels came and helped him.   Angels could have come and taken Him off the cross.  Angels ministered to Him after His prayer in Gethsemane the night before His crucifixion.  Two angels told the disciples that Jesus would return in like manner after His ascension.  21:00

1.  Jesus Baptism  2. Jesus Temptation   3.  Jesus Begins To Preach

Mark 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Now after John [the Baptist] was arrested and [i]taken into custody.  John is no longer able to preach his message of repentance.  John said “he must increase, I must decrease.” It was time for John’s decrease. 

Mark 1:14….Jesus came into Galilee, , Jesus went to Galilee.  Galilee in the northern part of Israel. Nazareth, Capernaum, Tiberias, Shimron, Jezreel, Nain, Chorazin, Hazor, Magdala, and Cana were the largest cities .  Galilee is west of the sea of Galilee. 

Mark 1:14….preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God.  preaching the good news of [the kingdom of] God.  It is time for Jesus to begin to elaborate and complete the preaching of John with the preaching of the good news of the kingdom of God.  A kingdom has to have a king.  Jesus is the king.  He is looking for followers into His kingdom built on faith and trust in Him.  The kingdom of God begins in our hearts by faith in Him and culminates in our king coming to rule and reign by our presence with Him.

  Mark 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, The right time has come,” The [appointed period of] time is fulfilled.  It is time for a Savior for the whole world. 

Mark 1:15….and the kingdom of God is at hand: and the Kingdom of God is near! God will dwell in the hearts of men through the Holy Spirit.  “The kingdom of God is within you.”

Mark 1:15….repent ye, Turn away from your sins. change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins, live your life in a way that proves you have changed.

Mark 1:15….and believe the gospel. he said, “and believe the Good News!” and saying, “,and believe [with a deep, abiding trust] in the good news [regarding salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ].”

The time is fulfilled.  It is time.  The law did it’s job.  It gave us God’s requirements.  We now know what sin is. We now know what sin does.  It separates us from God.  Now we must be reconciled.  So Jesus beigns the ministry of reconcilliation, that is the good news. 

The kingdom of God is now.  Jesus invites to this kingdom.  All who trust in Christ become citizens of this kingdom.  All are eligible for this kingdom.  Not just Jews but everyone!  First began by faith and then by sight. 

Here is the gospel.  The good news is this….Repent and believe.  Change your mind about sin and believe, trust in Jesus Christ and His shed blood for your sins.  His substituionary death, he took your place on the cross.  27:00

1.  Jesus Baptism  2. Jesus Temptation   3.  Jesus Begins To Preach

Jesus Ministry begins  Have you let Him minister to you?  Have you been baptized into Christ?  Have you beaten sin by placing your faith and trust in Jesus Christ?  Have you realized that the time has come for you to follow Jesus?  28:00

1 Corinthians 2:14-16  Natural Vs Spiritual

14But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.  16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.  There is a sinful nature that we all are born with.  Romans 5:12 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:  The nature of man is to sin since the fall of Adam.  So we need a change…a major change!  (2:00)

1.  The Natural Man is A Bad Man

14But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Whoever does not have the Spirit cannot receive the gifts that come from God's Spirit. Such a person really does not understand them, and they seem to be nonsense, because their value can be judged only on a spiritual basis.  But the natural [unbelieving] man does not accept the things [the teachings and revelations] of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness [absurd and illogical] to him; and he is incapable of understanding them, because they are spiritually discerned and appreciated, [and he is unqualified to judge spiritual matters].

The natural man does what is His nature. 

Ephesians 2:3 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.

Our nature is to be under the wrath of God.  We are born under the wrath of God.  Man lives just to do what he wants to do completely detached from accountability toward God.

Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.  Our sinful nature is weak.  The natural man is weak concerning sin.  Our desire to sin is greater than we can manage.  We cannot restrain ourselves. 

Romans 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.  We cannot do anything to please God.  We may want to but we lack the power, strength and inner fortitude to do it. 

Jude 10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.  We are corrupt like four footed beasts.  We sin because that is what we do naturally.

2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.  We can escape through the promises of God’s salvation. 

Who can say now what many say that man is basically good and will eventually figure things out and stop war, and stop hating one another and stop stealing from one another, stop hurting one another.  It’s like the pig.  You can put a ribbon on him, put him in a nice clean pen with carpet and air conditioning but as soon as he can he will head to the mud.  Because that’s what he is.   The natural man is bad because he has no way to get rid of sin and with sin comes wickedness and then death.  He is a limited man in power and in time.   He is under the judgment of God.  10:00

1.  The Natural Man is A Bad Man   2.  The Spiritual Man Is a Good Man

15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man

Whoever has the Spirit, however, is able to judge the value of everything, but no one is able to judge him.  But the spiritual man [the spiritually mature Christian] judges all things [questions, examines and applies what the Holy Spirit reveals], yet is himself judged by no one [the unbeliever cannot judge and understand the believer’s spiritual nature].

The Bible says that there is none good but God.  But we can be made “good” or righteous by Jesus Christ.  The Holy Spirit reveals to us the truth about things.   We are given discernment as Believers. The Holy Spirits main job is to teach us and give us wisdom.  We sure need His wisdom today.  That’s why it’s so important to walk with Jesus each day.  Get in His word. Spend time in prayer. 

The world needs good people. The world needs God’s people.  We need to be good people in the world.  Letting the light of Christ shine in this darkened world of sin and rebellion. 

I read one of the most discouraging articles in my life the other day….By Dave Hodges of the Common Sense Show. 

It is abundantly clear that the globalists are escalating their timetable to establish a New World Order and they are in a hurry to achieve this goal. The globalists found a formula that worked when they stole the 2018 Midterm Elections. The Republicans, and especially Trump, have done nothing to counter. The emboldened globalists are intensifying their 2018 approach and the 2020 Election has already been decided.

The globalists are winning on every front. Our pastors are compromised, the MSM and social media are controlled, business and banking are controlled, our leaders have forsaken the people and Donald Trump has changed his goal from Making America Great Again to Making Himself Safe Again. The freedom fighters of America are on their own with no visible means of support from anyone in a position of power. And despite the fact that the Globalists are controlling every aspect of America with all of their perversions, they are discovering what this nation should have learned from the Vietnam War. You can win every battle, but that does not mean that you will win the war. However, American Patriots must realize that we have entered a generational war and this will be made clear as continue reading this article.

There are some of us who will never quit until we draw our last breath. There are an estimated 5-10% of this nation that will never submit to the satanic tyranny we are witnessing everyday in America. This is a major problem for the global elite. Mark my words, they will be resorting to some very draconian tactics in an attempt to eradicate the resistance. Detention camps and genocide is likely in our future.

The Globalists Are In a State of Panic

Speaking to those of you who are awake, you must realize that the odds favor the fall of America and the total and tyrannical takeover of the nation by Godless and very evil forces. The 2020 Election has already been stolen by Google and social media minions along with the millions of illegal aliens who will cast votes and I did not even mention the corrupt voting machines. America, you have already lost the election and the sooner you realize this, the sooner you can decide if you are going to fight or capitulate.

The hope of a decisive victory over the globalist takeover of America under the leadership of Trump is gone. We need to think of ourselves as the new and modern-day version of the Viet Cong who did not know the meaning of the word, quit. We have entered into a generational battle for the control of our lives. Can the Tribulation be that far off?

The major reason that the globalists must speed up their takeover is due to the fact that the an increasing number of people who are waking up to their tyranny and their ultimate agenda which consists of establishing a neo-feudal society which is autocratic, decidedly satanic, devoid of personal liberties, practices 100% control over all essential resources (e.g. gold, guns, ammunition, food, water, energy, medicine)  and  a 90% reduction of the existing population. Unfortunately, America there are not enough of you who are awake and therefore, our numbers are insufficient to stop what is coming. Google and social media are determined that this will never happen. Thus, extreme censorship is the present globalist weapon of choice. This is why we must begin to recognize ourselves that soon we will occupy no land, no political position, we will pass no laws, our elections are coronation ceremonies for the selected, not the elected. Google has set themselves up to steal every election. Your Christian faith will soon put a big target on your back.

The Trump experiment, that I admit I fully supported, is over. If Trump was truly in control, we would have one million soldiers on our southern border and Pelosi, Feinstein and Clinton would be in prison.

Name one thing that Trump is presently doing to save this country? Don't tell me "it is all in his plan"... The 2020 campaign has kicked off. Trump is out of time. Our borders are collapsing by design and under the supervision of the Democratic Party.  We are being invaded by millions who know nothing of our Constitution, culture, and way of life.  We have domestic terror groups like Antifa, that carry out their evil with absolute impunity. Ike and JFK would have sent in the troops to Charlotte and Portland and arrested the communist, criminal mayors along with the Antifa thugs. We see the Democrats calling for the imprisonment of anyone who speaks out against Congress. Tens of thousands of troops are being amassed on our southern border awaiting orders. Those would be the troops facing NORTH to attack us not protect the borders. Where is the President? America, we are on our own.

Wow!  Not a pretty picture is it?  We were a good, not perfect nation built on Judeo-Christian ethics but that’s almost over.  I’d be scared if I were not a follower of Jesus Christ.  Those who follow Jesus Christ because they have been made good by the Holy Spirit and are able to discern the wiles of the devil.  Protect yourself.  Walk in the Spirit.  How do you do that?  Read the Bible daily.  Set aside a time to pray daily.  Gird yourselves.  Put on the whole armor of God is these last days. 

Why now?  Why all this world domination now?  Unbelievers cannot understand a Christian. They have no idea about us.  They, the unbelievers think like the world.  They are controlled by the world now more than ever.  Because the world wants to unite under the control of a superman. That’s how the world and its people are wired.  Behind all of this is their father the devil who is the father of lies and deception. He knows that his time is short.  He and his unsuspecting followers have got to be about his business like never before    We are like Christ.  They are like their father the devil.  Satan’s agenda is a one world government. That’s why they are pushing so hard for this goal.  They are following their masters biding. 

The Spiritual man is eternal.  Not limited in power because God empowers him.  He lives possessing the promise of eternal life with Christ. 21:00

1.  The Natural Man is A Bad Man   2.  The Spiritual Man Is a Good Man

3 We Follow Jesus The Perfect Man

16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.  As the scripture says, “Who knows the mind of the Lord?  Who is able to give him advice?”  We, however, have the mind of Christ.   For who has known the mind and purposes of the Lord, so as to instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ [to be guided by His thoughts and purposes].

As the devils children follow Him…(most unsuspecting, not really knowing who they are really letting control them) the children of God follow Jesus Christ.  The mind of Christ.  What does that mean? 

We are guided by His thoughts, His will and His purposes.  Why do we let Him guide us?

1.  He is our Lord….Hence we give our total loyalty and obedience.  We give allegiance to none other than Him!

2.  He is our God…..He is worthy of our worship, our service and our love.

3.  He is our master….Wherever He sends we go.  Whatever He says we do.

4.  He is our Savior…..He died in our place to save us from the death penalty for sin and took it upon Himself.  He redeemed us by His precious blood.

5. He is our Victory…...He has already defeated our enemies and He advocates for us every minute.

6.  He is our King.….We give Him our total devotion.  Because He first loved us we love Him.

7.  He is our life!....Without Him we can do nothing! 

There are 365 “fear not”, “be not afraid” or “do not fear” statements in the Bible.  In Jesus Christ we follow the creator and sustainer of the universe who has defeated all of our enemies already.  What shall we fear what man can do to us?  We follow Jesus the perfect man, The God man, the Son of Man, the Savior of Man…..27:00

1.  The Natural Man is A Bad Man   2.  The Spiritual Man Is a Good Man

3 We Follow Jesus The Perfect Man   The Natural Vs. the Spiritual.

The natural man has already lost because he is condemned already.  His only hope is in the fleeting pleasures of this world. If you follow Satan you might seem to be winning but you have already lost the war!  The Spiritual Man already has the victory secured at Calvary by the Lord Jesus Christ.   God will take the battles we may seem to losing here on earth and turn them into triumphs!  So, there is nothing that can defeat the one who follows Jesus Christ!  28:04

Who’s Child Are You? John 8:42-44

Intro:

42Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.  43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.  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. 

The sad fact is that some people don’t know whose child they really are.  Their parents are a mystery do to one reason or another.  But spiritually minded you know whose you are.  Either you belong to God through faith in Jesus Christ or you belong to the devil.  That’s it.  There is not neutrality on that.  (1:00

1.  God’s Children Love Jesus

42Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 

Anyone who truly knows God will know who Jesus is.  They will love Jesus, accept Jesus and follow Jesus.   I get so sick and tired of people who claim to be following God but have no faith in Jesus.  Don’t even know who Jesus really is. 

John 14:21He 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.   There is a person who can go day after day and never think of God, never give thanks to God, never go to church to worship God, never give any credit to God, never read His word, reject Jesus Christ and think they are going to waltz right into heaven.  This person is as liar and the truth is not in them.  They are people who do not love the truth and will be condemned by the very truth they ignore. 

There is a person who opposes everything that God is for.  They oppose the church, they oppose the Bible, they oppose Israel, They oppose marriage between a man and a woman,  they oppose creation, they oppose Jesus as the only way, thy oppose God’s natural order, they oppose life at before birth, They oppose Bible prophecy, They oppose God’s order in society and they oppose liberty yet they think they are going to be in heaven when they die.    These people hate the truth and will be judged by the very truth they oppose. 

Matthew 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.   Jesus didn’t say that we should not love our father or mother, son or daughter.  He said that we should love Jesus more.  Why?  Because without Jesus we would not have a father or a mother a son or a daughter.  He created everything and by Him everything is sustained.  Jesus loved us before anybody else did.  Jesus died for us to provide something for us that no one else could.  We should naturally love the creator more than the created. 

Real men love Jesus.  Real woman, boys and girls love Jesus.  For He who loves Jesus loves the God who sent Him.  10:00

1.  God’s Children Love Jesus  2.  God’s Children Love The Bible

43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word

We who Love God love the Bible.  I get a blessing every time I read just one word from the Bible.  You will too.  People who claim to love God and never read the Bible do not know God.  People who love God and who try to change the Bible do not know God.  If we know God we will love Jesus and love the Bible.   We will read it, teach it, exhort others to do the same.  We will defend it, preach it and if need be die in defense of it.  John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

I have never in my life seen such vile attacks on the Bible.  It causes me to double down in my faith and trust in the Bible.  For if the Bible is so unreliable and so silly why is it still around today?  Why is the Bible still in people’s homes?  Why do we still preach from it and live by it’s truths?  Why do great societies still live by the precepts of the Bible?  Why have all nations formed by the truths of the Bible if it is just a book written by men.  Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Most people reject the Bible without ever having really read it.   I have rejected many things in my life that I later found to be quite wonderful.  Brocali for one thing.  It looks like a miniature tree.  I couldn’t imagine that would taste good…but it does.   We should try the word of God because God promises it will accomplish great things.  Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Jesus Christ is the word of God revealed in the flesh.  John 1:14 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.  As He was without sin, without fault, so is the word of God.  That’s why we love it.  We love Him who first loved us. 

God’s children love the Bible because it will be the only thing from this earth that we can take with us to heaven.  1 Peter 1:25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.  19:00

1.  God’s Children Love Jesus  2.  God’s Children Love The Bible   3.  The Devil’s Children Kill, lust and Lie

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.

Anyone who hates another does not know God but follows the devil. 

There is so much division and hate in our country right now.  There is a lack of respect to anyone whose opinion differs from yours. 

The is the devils agenda.  Acts 13:10And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

The devil is very subtil.  Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?   The devil comes with a whisper not a drum.  The devils seeks to pervert and subvert the will of God.  The devil wants to pervert God’s holiness and righteousness. 

Anyone who lies and deceives another does not know God but follows the wicked one.

Anyone who slanders and destroys another person does not know God but instead follows the wicked one.

Those who lust for self glory and self satisfaction are of the devil. 

The devil will always be your enemy especially those who trusts in Jesus Christ.  1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

But you can’t blame it all on the devil.  James 1:14-15 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.  15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.  The devil provides the pathway to sin but our hearts lead us to sin.  Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?  27:00

1.  God’s Children Love Jesus  2.  God’s Children Love The Bible   3.  The Devil’s Children Kill, lust and Lie

Who’s Child Are You? 

You will be like your physical parents in looks and in certain personality aspects.  So you will be like your spiritual parent.  Either you are born from above or born from beneath.  John 8:23 And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.  28:04

Is Hebrews 6:4-6 saying that we cannot be saved again if we could lose our salvation.

Intro:  In the previous chapter of Hebrews and the first part of Chapter six the author is scolding the believers for not be able to discern deeper things of the faith because they had not matured enough.  They were not growing.  It’s like they weren’t taking their faith seriously enough.  So the author seeks to stir them up with a warning about going backwards in their faith even falling away into apostasy.  So then Hebrews 6:4-9 is about three things…

1.  It is very serious to walk away from Christ into apostasy.  So serious that no one can convince you to come back.  Verses 4-6

2. It is very serious to turn your back on Christ.  You can have rewards burned up at the judgment seat of Christ and all your work for Christ here on earth will be destroyed if you do that.  Verses 7-8 

3.  You don’t have to worry about these things if you are truly following Jesus.  Verse 9

Hebrews 6:4For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,  6If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

Is this passage saying you cannot be saved again…... if you could lose your salvation?  If it is impossible to be renewed…… it is impossible to lose!  But I don’t necessarily think that is what it’s taking about.  Here is why…….

Since the author is talking about the immaturity of believers in chapter five and first part of six.  The focus is on teaching them and helping them grow…… and the resulting frustration that they haven’t grown in Christ.  The phrase “to renew them again to repentance” I believe is saying that the author or the church or friends and family can do nothing to change the mind of an apostate Christian. It doesn’t say That God can’t renew them again…I believe it’s talking about the church cannot say or do anything and that drastic measures have to be taken by God. That’s why we have the warning in verses 7-8 that tell us what God does to the apostate Christian.  The church can do nothing but turn them over to God’s judgment of them in verses 7-8.

This passage verses 4-6 then I believe are talking about people who walk away from the faith. (But you know you cannot walk away from salvation.)  An apostate Christian.  So, the danger of immaturity is that you are more likely to fall away into apostasy.  And if they are truly saved as this passage indicates there is nothing we say or do to get such a person back into walking in the truth. 

Hebrews 6:7For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: 8But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.

Verse seven and eight focus is on how God blesses and when God curses.  The earth is the believer.  The rain I believe could be the word of God that we take in and the herbs are the fruit we bear as Christians. We dress it when we continue to learn and grow in Christ.  We make sure our growth leads to more fruit and becomes a blessing.  We work out our own salvation and apply the truth of the word of God to our lives.   God gives us fruit when we take in His word and grow to maturity and blessing from God.

Verse eight says nothing about rain being taken in.  I guess that means there is no word of God being soaked up.  Without the truth of the word of God there is nothing but thorns and briers which is close to being cursed forever and all works like that are burned here on earth and at the judgement seat of Christ.    This person has ignored the word of God and has produces no maturity or fruit but in fact has been a curse to others due to the fact that they are so far from the blessing of God they have become a curse to others and to God. 

Since verse eight says they are nigh or near unto cursing,(not actually being cursed or lost but nearly if not for the cross) in danger of losing all the good they have done for Christ..….…It is up to God to restore such a person.  So, the only thing we can do is turn this person over to God.  Paul turned people over to Satan so that they would learn not to follow the wrong path.  The person who walks away from their faith will lose their rewards at the Judgment seat of Christ and even here on the earth they will have remedial judgment from God.  While the church can do nothing to change them in verses 4-6 God takes over in verses 7-8 and begins to judge the bad works in verse eight while on earth and if they do not repent…… then more at the judgment seat of Christ.

1.  He rejects their works.  Rejected means “disqualified,” and the word is used of believers being disqualified from receiving rewards (see 1 Cor. 9:27; 2 Cor. 13:5, 7). Note that the ground that produced thorns is not cursed; instead it is near to being cursed (see 1 Cor. 11:29–31).

2. They are near to being cursed their works.  If it was possible they would be lost forever.   But salvation is eternal even for saved apostates.  They don’t deserve salvation but remember neither do we.  There is none righteous no, not even one.   But apostates can lose their lives as God takes them home early for the sin of apostasy.  He said in 1 Corinthians “that some sleep due to disobedience.”  Now we must remember that not all apostates are truly saved.  Remember what Jesus said to those who said Lord look at all the things we did for you. “Depart from me ye workers of iniquity for I never knew you.”  But in this case, I believe a rare case is a warning to immature Christians, that you can fall into apostasy very easily.  Some apostates are truly saved, just led away by false teaching. 

3.  He burns their works.  Its ultimate end is burning, perhaps indicating the earthly, temporal judgment of God. In the Old Testament, God’s judgment on His people is compared to the burning of a field (see Isa. 9:18, 19; 10:17), indicating physical death not eternal death. Perhaps this parable is an allusion to the fire which Jesus will use to reveal the quality of a believer’s works (see 1 Cor. 3:11–15). There was an ancient practice of burning a piece of ground to destroy weeds and make a field useful again. If such an allusion is intended here, then this passage could be teaching that while all human attempts to restore apostates are futile (v. 6), there is still hope that God will restore such a person.

Hebrews 6:9But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. By using the word beloved, the author assures the Hebrews that he is confident that they are showing good progress in service for Christ.  And that they need not worry about losing rewards or being an apostate Christian.  Their good works were signs to the author that they had genuinely received Christ. 

This passage serves as a warning of the danger of false teachers and being led astray.  We need to be Bereans at all time. Acts 17:11 Search the scriptures daily to see whether these things be true.  We must work our our own salvation with fear and trembling…..We must walk closely with Christ and His word and His truth and His faithful church…lest we fall into apostasy. 

This passage is also a great verse for eternal security!  If an apostate can’t lose their salvation then who can?  The answer no one!   I would rather be in hell though than to have to face Jesus knowing that I received His great salvation and did nothing but harm to Him the rest of my life.  How ashamed you will be, how shocked you will be, how sad you will be knowing what you have done to His sweet and glorious name.  And that He still loves you and will let you into heaven…how would you feel?

6/9/2019

Who Decides What Is A Sin? Me Or God?

Intro: 1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.    Everyone wants to set their own standards of what is good.  Judges 17:6 says that Everyone did what was right in their own eyes.  This leads to confusion and even more sin.  There has to be a standard.  There has to be an ultimate law of right and wrong.  Well there is……2:00

1.  God is Holy And Only He Can Define Sin

1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law…..

Sin means to miss the mark.  God sets the mark.  Because He is holy.  The only one who is good. Matthew 19:17  And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

God sets the law or the standard of righteousness, goodness and what is holiness. 

Adam and Eve were the original sinners.  And their sinful nature has been passed down to all of us. Romans 5:12.  God hates sin because it is the very antithesis of His nature. The psalmist describes God’s hatred of sin this way: “For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; no evil dwells with You” (Psalm 5:4). God hates sin because He is holy; holiness is the most exalted of all His attributes His holiness totally saturates His being. His holiness epitomizes His moral perfection and His absolute freedom from blemish of any kind.

Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.” The word translated “lawlessness” comes from the Greek word anomia, which means “an utter disregard for God and His laws.” From this Greek word we also get the word antinomianism, which is the belief that there are no moral laws that God expects Christians to obey. Every sin is a transgression against God because sin violates His moral standard for human beings. Since God created us (Genesis 1:27), He has the right to define boundaries for us. Any violation of those boundaries is a violation of His law, which means that every sin is an act of lawlessness.  8:00

1.  God is Holy And Only He Can Define Sin   2. The Bible Is God’s Word Therefore Can Define sin.

1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.   

The Bible declares that sinner will die.  Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Ezekiel18:20   The soul that sinneth it shall die.

The Bible is our guide for all questions about what a sin is.  The law is the word of God written down and made clear to us.  

We don’t decide what sin is…....only God and His word does!   The Bible is actually very specific about what is or is not sin.   The Ten Commandments are pretty clear.  The apostle’s in the New Testament list many specific sins.  Proverbs 6:16-19  These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,  19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

Galatians 5:19-21  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

On all other questionable items, you must be reasonable.    Bottom line…...the Holy Spirit Through the word of God promised to bring us conviction when we sin and peace when we do not.  16:00

1.  God is Holy And Only He Can Define Sin   2. The Bible Is God’s Word Therefore Can Define sin.

3. Our Hearts Are Wicked And Are Not Qualified To Define Sin

1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.    Whosoever makes this a human thing.  A personal thing.  One thing is clear a sin is not defined on how you feel about it!   There are things like….. is watching TV a sin? or is a woman cutting her hair a sin?  The fact is that there is no scripture that tells a woman not to cut her hair.  Yet many women feel it is a sin to do so.  They have been deceived.  There is no scripture that tells you NOT to enjoy the things you have gained in life.  But of course, you must be discerning on any matter whether it’s cutting your hair or watching TV. 

Never, no don’t ever follow your heart on the question of sin!  The Bible says the heart is desperately wicked, who can know it?  If you are going against clear teaching in scripture your heart will lie to you about it.  It will get you to focus on your feelings instead of scripture.  You will say “But I feel like what I’m doing is not a sin.” 

Be sure when someone says that….. they are convicted about it or they wouldn’t try to justify it by rationalizing it in their own mind.  They wouldn’t argue about it, or criticize others who feel it’s a sin.  The Bible says there is way that seemeth right to a man but the end thereof is death.

When Christians feel conviction about what they are doing or they find out what they are doing is sinful according to the Bible, after following their own deceitful heart, they start criticizing the church.  Saying “some churches and Christians are just so critical and judgmental.”  Even though more than likely no one is personally criticizing or judging them….... it just makes them feel better blaming others.  So, they quit going to church.  And Blame others for their own conviction of sin. 

There are four reasons why able-bodied Christians don’t go to church.......

1.  Spiritual Arrogance.  They say “nobody gets me.”  “I feel condemned by everyone.”  Notice the words “me” and “I.”  Constant whining and complaining about people judging and criticizing them.  If you had the love of Jesus and a heart that is pure before Him you why would you even care about what anybody thinks about you?  It’s not about you anyway……it’s all about Jesus and glorifying His name!  Your heart is not right with God if you quit over critics or imagined critics.  If the church is preaching the truth of the Bible you will be convicted.  And if that is hurtful to you then Jesus described you……  “You generation of vipers.   Always looking at the speck in someone else’s eye but not seeing the beam in your own eye.” You can do one of two things repent or go on with your miserable life of hate!

2.  Feeling guilty and condemned according the scriptures for what you are doing and too proud to repent.  Period.

3.  It is no longer relevant for you to go to church.  You just don’t care anymore.  If you are at this point, I would question whether you are truly saved or not.  The Bible clearly says not to forsake the assembling of yourselves together with fellow believers.  The Bible talks about gifts given to every believer in order to serve in the church.  God must think it’s pretty important to be there if you are gifted by Him. 

4.  If the church is not preaching the truth of the word of God then you should leave it.   If the people in the church tell the truth……. but without love, find a church that preaches the truth of the word of God in love.  Biblical truth is of primary importance but love should be visibly evident in a church led by Jesus Christ.  It’s up to you to be a Berean.  Acts 17:1   Check them out by the scriptures.  That’s your job to make sure you are not deceived.      26:00

Conclusion. 

1.  God is Holy And Only He Can Define Sin   2. The Bible Is God’s Word Therefore Can Define sin.

3. Our Hearts Are Wicked And Are Not Qualified To Define Sin.

Again, it’s not about you…...It’s about Jesus.  Have the courage to look at the Bible as God’s love letter to you, not His list of do’s and don’ts.  He’s for you…… not against you. 

Here’s how it is……if you are on a road and the bridge is out somewhere ahead and a person warns you to stop and turn around....…will you get angry at them?  Will you hate them for ruining your trip?  I know you love the road you are on and you just don’t want to see the danger.  But that doesn’t make the danger go away, and that doesn’t make the road safe just because you believe it is. 

You know in your heart of hearts what they are saying is true.   You know what the Bible says is true.  You just don’t want to accept it because your prideful heart is so far from God on this matter.  You have been deceived.  But you know deep down inside you have to stop and turn around or die. 

Don’t die.  Turn around.  Repent.  Have clean and pure heart before God.  Anyone can have that today.  How? If we confess our sins, that means to agree with God about our sin. Don’t try to justify it.  Don’t blame others.  Turn to the Lord Jesus Christ and He will forgive you and cleanse you from ALL of your sin. 1 John 1:9.   In a moment He will give you peace and put your sin in the depths of the sea never to be remembered or held against you again by your heavenly Father.  Oh, what true and pure joy you will have. 28:04