Are You a Prodigal

 Jesus Uses Parables to Preach the Gospel

 Book of Luke Chapter 15

 

We have answered this question before, but what is a parable?

 The Webster dictionary describes a parable this way: "A fable or allegorical relation or representation of something real in life or nature, from which a moral is drawn for instruction".

 In truth, a parable is not a fable nor an allegory.

 One commentary says: A parable makes it evident that an essential feature of the parable lies in the bringing together of two different things so that the one helps to explain and to emphasize the other.

 To make it simple, a parable was often used in a more restricted sense to denote a short narrative, under which some important truth is veiled.

 In these parables, it proves the great love God has in seeking lost sinners and His forgiveness for them if they will only repent and return to Him.

 Luke Chapter 15 begins with the Parable of sinners coming to Jesus, and next the Parable of the Lost Coin.

 We could say that Luke Chapter 15 is one of the most important chapters in the Bible.

 Our lesson spends its time on the Lost Son, whom we call the Prodigal Son.

 Praise the Lord, for He knows how to find lost things!

 I was once one of those lost things that He found.

 The Pharisees and the scribes of today see searching for the lost as a waste of time.

 What does God say? Luk 15:7  I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

 Luk 15:10  Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. 

 If we make a few substitutions, we can better understand this parable.

 1) The lost son teaches us about sinful living and true repentance.

2) His father represents our Heavenly Father.

3) The other son in this parable teaches us about the self-righteous and those who reject the truth. 

 Remember this is the Lord Jesus speaking.

 ****Luk 15:11  And he said, A certain man had two sons: 

Luk 15:12  And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. 

 We could say the problem in this family is a problem of relationships.

 The problem of the relationship of the father to his two sons.

The problem of the relationship between the two sons and their father.

 One son will represent the sinner.

The other son will represent the Pharisee who was always against Jesus.

 The father represents the love of God for both of these sons.

 The Lord Jesus Christ died for every sinner and every Pharisee and all others on Mount Calvary.

 Those in the past, those who live now, and those who would live in the future. This also includes every Israelite.

 The truth is that man's love is narrow, shortsighted, and selfish.

We do not see much love in the world today.

 God's love is boundless, profound, reconciling, and unreserved.

 Both of these sons, in their own way, sin against the love of God.

 When we reject our Creator, we are sinning against His love!

 There are so many differences between these two sons, so it is hard to believe they are brothers.

 The one thing they have in common is that they have the same father.

 The youngest son is rebellious, as we see in many of our youths today, driven by the desire to leave home and treat his parents as if they do not exist.

 This son wants to make grown-up decisions and be his own, but no person alive then or today becomes so mature that they can declare their independence from God.

 This reminds me of all those politicians and preachers who claim to know the truth of God, but they do not uphold the truth of God's Word when dealing with the lost.

 How can any so-called Christian defend any kind of immorality when God says it is an abomination?

How can any so-called Christian defend any sin when God says for us to repent of our sinful ways?

 No one can claim they are saved and in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and then defend the sin, the wickedness, and the immorality in our nation or in our world; no matter what they say, they are liars.

 Even in Israel at the time of Jesus, it was the custom for the property to be divided among the sons after the death of the father, with the firstborn getting a double portion.

 Today, if there is a last will, the possessions of that father would be divided according to that will.

 This foolish young man convinced his father to divide his estate, which he did, and gave to both sons their inheritance while he was still alive.

 He was declaring that to him, his father was dead!

 The young man immediately exchanged his property for money.

 On that day, land and animals were a sign of wealth and not money.

 He had no intention of honoring his parents in their old age, which in that day was the responsibility of the sons.

 He severed his relationship with his father and wanted nothing else to do with his family.

 There have been many such sons and daughters who have done this today, and a great many of them have come back home because independence and the world are not what they thought they were.

 This is the picture of the sinner who wants to do with his life what he wants to and to heck with everybody else.

 *****Luk 15:13  And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. 

Luk 15:14  And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

 In most family homes, the children are first trained to help keep the home clean, and they will have more responsibility as they get older.

 This young man wanted his independence from any such responsibility. He wanted to do his own thing and live as he wished.

 This father gave his son what he asked for.

 There is no clearer way to deny God than to give in to your own will and ignore the will of God!

 What do we see? He wasted all that his father gave him on riotous living.

 He tried to live in luxury.

He was wanton, he became immoral, and lived without moral restraints.

He was licentious, giving in to festive indulgences, which meant he lived the party life, ignoring the laws of his upbringing.

He ate only the best foods this world had to offer, no matter the cost.

 He chose a country that was far different from his father's home.

 He chose a country that was full of wickedness and immorality, where he could live a worldly, fleshy life.

 We could say he was living for pleasure.

 We know that King Solomon tried this lifestyle and found it a vain way to live.

 Solomon had much more money than this prodigal son.

 What does the word prodigal mean? One that expends money extravagantly or without necessity; one that is profuse or lavish; a waster; a spendthrift.

 In a short time, this son had spent every dime he had, as he had wasted his inheritance and was now broke in a foreign country.

 He had nothing left on this earth to help him.

 The world we live in is only nice to those who can afford it, but this world will take away everything that you have and laugh at you.

 When you wrap your life up in pleasure, you will find that the pleasures of this world get old fast.

 There is only pleasure in sin for a season.

 Isa 21:4  My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me. 

 This young man had found out that the world we live in is a corrupt world.

 I used to think we live in a nation that could not be corrupted, but I know no better.

 A certain political group has corrupted our nation, and they fight with the strength of the Devil to keep it that way.

 Proverbs 11:19 says so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death. 

 Not only was he dead broke with no help, but a famine came to the country he was now living in, and he, being an illegal immigrant, would suffer even more.

 He became a slave and could only get the worst jobs.

 *****Luk 15:15  And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

Luk 15:16  And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

 We should know that a Jew was forbidden by law to attach themselves to a Gentile.

 Even if we disregard this, the humiliation of cleaning hog pens was a terrible pain for this young man.

 The attitude of the Jews toward swine was also governed by the Law.

 Lev 11:7  And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you. 

Lev 11:8  Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you. 

 In typology, those hog pens give us the picture of sin when a man is enslaved to it.

 Sin will enslave us!

 Pro 5:21  For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings. 

Pro 5:22  His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins. 

Pro 5:23  He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

 His bodily hunger became so great that he would have eaten the food that was given to the swine.

 The Greek text of the Bible says those husks were the pods of the carob tree, which was used for the feed of animals.

 Some say it had a sweetish taste, but it would tear your bowels up, and only the very poor would attempt to eat it.

 This young man came to his senses.

 *****Luk 15:17  And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 

Luk 15:18  I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 

Luk 15:19  And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 

 He had sunk as low as he could go. Trying to do things his way just was not working out.

 When he could only see how his freedom had turned out, he began to think about home and the only one who had loved him, his father.

 Heaven will be so wonderful that God considers any person who rejects the Lord Jesus to be mad or insane for wanting to live in this unreal, wicked world.

 Our world is not only vain, but it is also fake.

 Our nation has been known as the land of opportunity, but it is fake.

 Only Heaven is the true land of opportunity.

 Ecc 9:5  For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. 

Ecc 9:6  Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.

 Inner conviction began to lead this young man to repentance.

 Repentance is the beginning of reality and the basis for building a sound life.

The beginning of repentance is thought, thinking about the need to repent and turn back to God.

 The Holy Spirit will first convince us that we are sinners.

Then He will put in our hearts that there is a God who loves us.

It is the heart that will convince us of our lost condition.

It is the heart that will bring us to confession.

This is how the Holy Spirit works to bring us under conviction.

God is Light, and God is Love.

As Light, He works in the Heart to convince us of our lost condition.

As Love, we can see in Him in His Goodness.

1Pe_5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

This son knew one thing for certain. If he remained in his condition, he knew he would perish!

His sin is staring at him in the face.

When we sin against God, we have sinned against His Love for us.

He began to think about his father and how his father had many servants, but not one of them were slaves.

They were hired help, taken care of, and fed from his father’s table.

He realized that he was no longer worthy to be considered a son and sought to just become one of his father's servants.

He knew he needed to get moving before he perished.

He knew he would have to turn from his sinful life.

He knew he would have to turn toward and move toward God.

This is repentance!

When we repent, we must turn from this world and turn toward God's New Heaven.

This begins after confession of our sin!

It was time to do this before another day passed.

*****Luk 15:20  And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 

Luk 15:21  And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 

Many a soul on this earth realizes their sinful life and realizes that they are not worthy to receive forgiveness, but they feel they cannot be forgiven, so they remain in their misery or seek an early death, having no hope.

When we do this, we dishonor not only ourselves, but we dishonor our Heavenly Father, who is waiting for us with open arms, with healing in His wings.

Mal_4:2  But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

The greatest decision this young man would ever make was the decision to return to his father.

We need to reconcile ourselves with God!

Heb_2:17  Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

God is always ready to receive us!

God is omniscient, so this son was forgiven before he even confessed!

Repentance is the sign that we are sincere when we confess.

There is a movement in many places of worship to remove this step to salvation.

People want to be saved and then work on repentance, but repentance will not come without the help of the Holy Spirit.

God sees we are sincere when we turn from our wicked ways!

This is why the father ran to meet his son!

The God of the New Testament, the Father of all mankind, is most clearly revealed in His compassion.

When we take one step toward God, He will take two steps toward us!

Psa 34:18  The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. 

When this son returns to his father, he finds out that his father has never stopped loving him.

His heart had gone with his son even when he was far off.

This is the example the Lord Jesus was making.

1Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

It was time for a feast.

*****Luk 15:22  But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 

Luk 15:23  And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 

Luk 15:24  For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. 

This young son was now accepted and restored, but it would not have happened if he had not returned.

Before this son says just make me one of your servants, the heart of the father has taken over.

It is the position of our Heavenly Father that determines that we are still His sons and daughters.

Repentance is the key to returning to the arms of God.

When we walk through Heaven's Gates, we will walk in as a son or daughter who has returned home!

Luk_15:10  Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

Our dirty, rotten, sinful clothing will be removed, and a robe of salvation will be given to us.

Notice an important point: the servants of this father knew exactly where this robe had been hanging in anticipation of the return of this son.

Not only do we have a mansion in Heaven prepared by the Lord, but there is also a Robe of Righteousness awaiting us.

Isa_61:10  I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

The best robe we will ever wear is the robe we receive when we get to Heaven.

2Co 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 

We will receive a ring as a sign of special honor and dignity: Gen 41:42  And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; 

Those new shoes show that we now walk with our Heavenly Father.

Eph 6:15  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 

We should notice that this son receives much more than he received when he left.

That fatted calf is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, who was slain for our sins.

Eph 2:7  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 

There is much more that we can get from this parable of the Prodigal Son if we just take it to heart and remember our own salvation.

Amen

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb

 The Great Banquet and Discipleship

 Book of Luke Chapter 14

 

  The chief Pharisee of the Jews invited the Lord Jesus to a meal at his home on a Sabbath Day.

 The word Sabbath signifies a Day of Rest, a Sabbath of the soul.

 The Sabbath is the sign of the covenant between the LORD and His earthly people, the Israelites.

 Exo 31:13  Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.

Exo_31:14  Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

 In reality, the Sabbath represents the soul resting in Jesus Christ: Heb 4:9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God, the Church. 

 Heb 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 

Heb 4:11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. 

 The Pharisees had no clue about the truth of the Sabbath, but they intended to somehow get the Lord Jesus to stumble on the day of this feast.

 What is the truth of the Sabbath? Jesus said: Mar 2:27  And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: 

Mar 2:28  Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. 

 The priests of the Temple had much work to do on the Sabbath days, yet they were not considered to be breaking the Law of the Sabbath.

 Mat 12:5  Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? 

 Every Jew would take care of their animals on the Sabbath, just as they would on any other day, and it was not considered work.

 The point being that the Lord Jesus Christ is far greater than any priest, and the Lord Jesus also had work to do.

 *****Luk 14:15  And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.

 To eat bread in the Kingdom of God means to be among those who are present in the joys of the Messianic Kingdom.

 Here we see a self-righteous man is smugly sure that he will be among the righteous who will be in Heaven.

 The main importance of this passage is to get a clear picture of the invitation of the Lord to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, which cannot happen until we have accepted that the Lord Jesus is the Messiah sent from God.

 1Jn 2:22  Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 

1Jn 2:23  Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. 

 We know that we cannot get to Heaven without the Lord Jesus Christ.

 To these self-righteous Pharisees, they could think only of the Messianic Feast.

 This was a supposed feast given to God's people, the Jews only, when He sets up His Millennial Kingdom.

 The Lord Jesus will use another parable to explain to this Pharisee the error in his thought process.

 It was customary for guests who were invited to these feasts of the Pharisees to attend.

 Israel had actually been invited to the Messianic Feast by God's messengers, the Prophets, but they had all made excuses about attending in an insulting manner.

 If any people thought that God owed them a place in the Messianic Kingdom, it was these Pharisees.

 They felt they would have the highest seats in God's Kingdom.

 The Lord Jesus begins to teach a parable that they found easy to understand.

 *****Luk 14:16  Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: 

Luk 14:17  And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. 

 This parable sends out a strong message to all the people of this earth for whom the Lord Jesus Christ died.

 No one can be saved or attend this feast unless they have received an invitation and have responded to it!'

This feast is the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. 

Those who make excuses will remain lost!

 All things are ready for today is the Day of Salvation.

 2Co_6:2  (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

 The invitation is sent to all who have heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ, seen the Gospel, or read the Gospel.

 What has Israel done with the Lord's invitation, along with many others?

 *****Luk 14:18  And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. 

Luk 14:19  And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. 

Luk 14:20  And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. 

 We must keep in mind that God wants to share His riches with all people, but God also has determined the process of accepting His invitation.

 All these people mentioned had received God's invitation, and now it was time to decide on attending.

 God sent His servant to remind them that they had received an invitation.

 We should notice that God's invitations had first been sent to the super religious men of Israel, the Pharisees.

 Joh 7:47  Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived? 

Joh 7:48  Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? 

 The modern Pharisees are all those who believe they will get into God's Heaven because of their good works.

 What had the Lord Jesus said? Mat_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.

 There is no work we can do to get into God's Heaven; we reach Heaven only if we have "faith" in the work of Lord Jesus Christ to bring forgiveness to us.

 They all agreed to make excuses for rejecting God's invitation to the Feast of God.

 The first excuse came from a businessman.

 His excuse was that he had bought a piece of land and he needed to look after it.

 If God is the center of our life, then any business, any profession, or any affair would not be allowed to consume our life, and God would be first in our lives.

 ,Next, we see a man who was wrapped up in a new purchase.

 An oxen team would be like buying a new tractor to plow with today, and he wanted to go play on it.

 It could be a new house, a new car, a new motorcycle, or even a new television, all material things, but material things should never keep us away from God.

 Third, we see a man who was wrapped up in his family.

 He had made a new marriage, and even if this marriage was ordained of God, we are never to put our wives before God. This is what Adam did, and sin entered the world, and we are still suffering with sin today.

 Salvation is just too important for us to give it up for material things, or family and friends, or any other reason.

 When we show contempt for the Word of God, we should not wonder that God gets angry.

 We know that some in Israel have accepted God's invitation, but there is still much room for many more.

 *****Luk 14:21  So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. 

Luk 14:22  And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. 

Luk 14:23  And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

 Now the Lord sends His invitation to the Gentiles.

 We should understand that nothing will make God stop His plan of salvation.

 No power on this earth can cause God to cease His invitation to receive the free gift of salvation.

 To compel does not mean to coerce people to come to God; it means to assure them that it was God who sent them an invitation.

 We must all clearly understand that just getting an invitation to the Marriage Feast of the Lamb does not mean we will be accepted.

 There will still be a Marriage Feast in Heaven, whether we have been invited or not!

 The Lord Jesus is going to fill His banquet hall, but time is running out to accept His invitation.

 The Lord Jesus invites those who need some help to get to the banquet.

All sinners need the Lord’s help to get to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb!

The self-righteous need no help; they will be rejected.

 If you are a sinner, you will need the Lord's help to be accepted to the Feast.

 If you are too poor, the Lord will provide the right clothing.

 2Co 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 

 Mat 5:3  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 If you are lame or crippled, the Lord will provide the means to get to His Feast.

 If you are blind, the Lord will guide or direct you to His Feast.

 As long as the Lord has room at His table, He will continue to accept us at His Feast through His “Mercy” and “Grace”. 

But those who were first invited and had nothing but excuses for not coming, they will not be accepted to the Marriage Feast of the Lamb of God.

 God said His House shall be filled! Therefore came "Grace".

Grace makes a way because the Law has failed!

 *****Luk 14:24  For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

These are the very words of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Those who would be rejected were the ones the Lord Jesus was eating with at that time.

These are the ones the Lord Jesus used this parable on.

Though a few of the Israelites have accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior, the majority of them have rejected Him.

The Apostle Paul wrote: Act 13:46  Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. 

Act 13:47  For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. 

The Lord Jesus is not through with them, but they will go through the seven years of Tribulation.

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

Rom 11:15  For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? 

Rom 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

God had shown His "Grace" to the Israelites many times throughout the Old Testament, but they could not comprehend the power of God’s Grace at that time. Israel will join the Church that is planted by the Lord Jesus Christ.

For the Jews, there were two stages: the present age and the age to come, which was the Messiah's reign on this earth.

The prophets had written much about these things.

Because they reject the New Testament, they have missed New Heaven and New Jerusalem.

The redeemed believers of all ages will live in New Jerusalem.

Joh 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 

The New Jerusalem is also the New Heaven, the Kingdom of God.

This is the place of all God's banquets.

Mat 8:11  And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 

This is not the place of unbelievers.

Mat 8:12  But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 

Heaven is a real place!

Heb 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 

Heb 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 

Heb 12:24  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. 

There is still time to get an invitation to the Marriage  Supper of the Lamb, but time is running out.

God has made a way for the Israelites after and during the Tribulation period, but He has not made a way for Gentiles.

Amen

The Way of the Truth of God

 Repentance, False Religion, and the True Way

 Book of Luke Chapter 13

 

The Lord Jesus Christ was preaching about the signs of the times, or we could say the sins of the times.

 These are the same sins we have today, only they are getting worse.

 If we analyze the present time according to the Word of God that we have, we should be able to see that time is running out to make a decisive choice about the truth of Jesus Christ.

 Jesus said to the crowd: Luk 12:54  And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is. 

Luk 12:55  And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass. 

Luk 12:56  Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time? 

 The Lord Jesus called them hypocrites because they could look at the patterns of the weather to see what was coming next, but they kept their eyes closed when it came to their spiritual condition.

 Most of the time we think much too much of ourselves!

 They knew the laws of nature and how to apply them, but they were ignoring the Law of God, and they lived according to their own thoughts and the ways of the world.

 God had explained that judgment was coming, but the Word of God was ignored.

 They did not think about the time in which they lived because they did not want to repent and place their lives in the hands of God.

 Their greatest mistake they made was not considering that our lives are already in the hands of God!

 If we know only one thing, it is that we are responsible for knowing right from wrong!

 Normally, this is the first lesson we try to teach our children.

 If we have a personal relationship with God, then we can be where God wants us to be, and God can save us.

 The Lord Jesus always seeks the salvation of each of us so He can show us mercy.

 Mercy means we will not get what we deserve, which is eternal death.

 Num 14:18  The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression,

 Psa 103:8  The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. 

 The next question would then be, "Why do good people suffer"?

 One answer would be that we do not suffer more because we are far worse than others, so we can remove this from our thought process.

 *****Luk 13:1  There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 

Luk 13:2  And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? 

Luk 13:3  I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. 

Luk 13:4  Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? 

Luk 13:5  I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. 

 Rome considered the Galileans the most turbulent and seditious people under their control.

 They were always ready to cause problems for Roman authority.

 The Apostles that Jesus had selected were all Galileans, either by birth or by where they lived.

 Act 1:11  Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. 

 Most of the Jews could tell if you were a Galilean by the way that you talked. Just ask Peter.

 Mat 26:73  And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. 

 It would be sort of like the speech of us Southerners and those who live in the North of our own nation.

 Many would actually call Jesus Christ the Galilean God.

 This was used many times to keep from using the title Christian during the time of the early Church.

 The truth was, Pilate hated the Galileans so much that his army surrounded a group of Galileans at the Temple, where they had gone to worship, and murdered them and poured their blood on the sacrifices that were being made to God.

 By doing this, Pilate also showed his contempt for the sacrificial services of the Jews.

 The question to the Lord Jesus Christ was that these Galileans must have been sinners far greater than other men.

 They suggested that it was not so much the cruelty of Pilate as it was the judgment of God.

 The Lord Jesus said: "It is not up to any of us to decide whose sins are worse than others".

 Jesus's answer to these Jews was "except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish".

 We know that there were not many of the Jews who did repent, and they were all slaughtered by the Romans in 70 A D.

 The Romans did to the Jews what Pilate had done to these Galileans.

 The answer is that we do not suffer more in this world just because we are greater sinners than most others.

 We are all sinners in need of repentance!

Every sin has the same "judgment" from God, eternal death without God.

 In fact, totally innocent people suffer, and we do not know any reason beyond the providence of God.

 We do know this verse we see so much: Rom 8:28  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. 

 Then the Lord Jesus adds another incident.

 There was a great tragedy in Jerusalem when eighteen men were killed because a guard tower at the pool of Siloam fell and killed them all.

 Some commentaries say it was eighteen construction workers who were killed.

 Some say that Pilate used the Temple money to construct an aqueduct into Jerusalem, and some of the Jews said this was the reason these men were killed, again by God Himself, but it was merely an accident that happened to men trying to make a living for their families.

 Were these eighteen greater sinners than others in Jerusalem?

 Did they deserve to die more than others who live?

 We might ask ourselves, why are we allowed to live and others are not?

 The Lord Jesus said it was not because they had greater sin than others.

 There again Jesus said: "except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish".

 It is not up to us to raise the question of the guilt of others.

 Do I believe there may be different levels of suffering in Hell? Yes, I do.

 Most suffering of the sinner upon this earth is caused by themselves.

 Go to the hospitals and see if you can tell who is good and who is bad.

 Much of our suffering as we get older is because of the way we lived our lives when we were younger.

 No one suffers upon this earth because we think they are greater sinners than others.

 These things are all in the hands of God!

 The greatest thing we can do is to repent and be saved, so we know we will not suffer in Hell.

 Heaven is going to be so wonderful. Why would anybody not want to spend eternity there?

 We cannot afford to die without Jesus Christ!

 Again, the Lord Jesus teaches us with a parable.

 *****Luk 13:6  He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. 

Luk 13:7  Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? 

Luk 13:8  And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 

Luk 13:9  And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. 

 Israel is God's people.

 The Church is God's people.

 God expects us all who love Him to bear fruit.

 The fruit God expects from all His people is the Fruit of the Spirit!

 Isa 44:3  For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: 

Isa 44:4  And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses. 

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

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

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

 Israel thought they were safe because they were the seed of Abraham under the promises of God.

 Israel did not even realize the precarious state in which they were in.

 (By the way, the Church is sinking so fast that the Church does not realize the precarious state it is in).

 It was totally inappropriate to speculate about the Galileans, and it was foolish to forget the people of Jerusalem.

 We could understand this parable as showing these Jews their own history that hangs over their heads.

 But without a doubt, it should also wake up the Church, which lives by the Grace of God.

 There will come a time when God elects to cut down fruitless trees.

 We must understand the need for repentance: Mat 21:28  But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. 

Mat 21:29  He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. 

Mat 21:30  And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. 

Mat 21:31  Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. 

 Repentance is a change of mind that brings a complete change in the heart. It is a heartfelt sorrow for sin and a confession of that sin, turning to God and righteousness.

 One day God's patience will run out with this world: 2Pe 3:15  And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 

2Pe 3:16  As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. 

2Pe 3:17  Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

 Israel is the fig tree of the Lord. Israel must stand before God in its righteousness.

 Adam and Eve, after falling into sin, tried to cover themselves with the leaves of a fig tree.

 Gen 3:7  And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. 

 This man-made apron could not cover their nakedness, so God made them garments of skin.

 They then stood before God covered by a sacrificial lamb, which we know now as Jesus Christ.

 This is the only way every single sinner can stand before our Holy God.

 We know of another Scripture that says the Lord Jesus sought fruit again from the fig tree and could not find it, and the fig tree withered away and died after the Lord Jesus cursed it.

 It is the Lord Jesus Christ who spent three years trying to convince the Jews to repent, but they would not.

 Jhn_1:11  He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

 The Church also needs to repent and get busy for the Lord!

 It is God Himself who is looking for fruit!

 All those places of worship producing no fruit are just wasting space!

 Mat 3:10  And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 

Mat 3:11  I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 

Mat 3:12  Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

 *****Luk 13:10  And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.

Luk 13:11  And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. 

Luk 13:12  And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. 

Luk 13:13  And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.  

 This is possibly the last time that the Lord Jesus got to teach in a synagogue of the Jews.

 This healing took place on a Sabbath, and we see that healing was not allowed on the Sabbath because it was considered to be work and not a movement of God.

 The Lord Jesus was doing exactly what He came to do.

 Luk_19:10  For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

 Heb 7:25  Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

 We can see that the Jewish synagogues were places where women could also worship along with religionists.

 That phrase "spirit of infirmity" probably means that this illness she had was because of a demon.

 So, we see that the devil and his demons try to be present in every worship service, and he still does this today.

 This woman had reached a point where she could no longer lift herself, but if she had not been committed to worship, she would have missed this opportunity when the Lord Jesus showed up at the worship service.

 Worship at church reaches another level when the Lord Jesus shows up to worship with us!

 We already know that God sings with us when we sing in our worship service.

 Zep 3:17  The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. 

 When we rejoice in the Lord, we can have the Holy Spirit with us, the Almighty God singing, and the presence of the Lord Jesus to heal us.

 This illness this woman suffered with was for eighteen years, and she may not have been able to make it to another worship service if not for Christ also being there on that day.

 This type of illness is, in typology, a spiritual weakness in those who are weighed down by the Laws of Moses.

 This is what the Law does: it requires those who follow it to meet certain conditions before they can claim righteousness and escape the judgment of God.

Today, we call this legalism!

 The Law cannot make anyone righteous!

 Gal 3:11  But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. 

Gal 3:12  And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. 

 This woman had a true Spiritual need!

 The Lord Jesus laid His wonderful healing hands upon her.

 This woman had not asked for anything; the Lord Jesus just knows our needs.

 She was no longer bowed over but was straightened.

 Such wonderful things are overlooked by traditionalists.

 *****Luk 13:14  And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. 

Luk 13:15  The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? 

Luk 13:16  And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? 

Luk 13:17  And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him. 

 The Lord stepped into a synagogue and just ruined the service for all those religionists, and they would not allow Him into another synagogue during the time He had left.

 Much of the Church would not allow the Lord Jesus to preach in any service today.

 Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 

Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 

Rev 3:19  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 

Rev 3:20  Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 

This man worshipped God, but he did not worship the same God as this woman who was healed.

 The ruler of this synagogue was an arrogant man who was self-righteous because he followed the traditions of men rather than the Word of God.

 This woman sought God to meet her needs.

 This synagogue leader sought God through form and rituals, ceremony and rules.

 This is not what the worship of God is to be about.

 This man lost his temper with the Lord Jesus Christ, and this is not a good thing in any worship service.

 The Lord Jesus said he was a hypocrite and he was.

 He had already taken care of his animals before he came to worship, all these things done on the same Sabbath.

 He was a leader who put his own animals and his own rules above the people and above the Word of God.

 There are church leaders who do this same thing today!

 The Jewish people had allowed their religious leaders to corrupt the Word of God.

 The people inside this synagogue began to see the truth and rejoiced to hear the truth from the Lord Jesus.

 The Lord Jesus continued to travel and teach through the cities and villages that were between Him and Jerusalem.

 *****Luk 13:22  And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. 

Luk 13:23  Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them,

 Just who are the saved?

 Will many of the world be saved?

 Jesus will answer these questions Himself.

 The Lord Jesus Christ knew exactly what was going to happen to Him in Jerusalem!

 This did not alter His message.

 The Lord Jesus would be killed by the hands of the Jewish people.

 Mat_27:25  Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

 The Lord Jesus just kept doing what His Father sent Him to do as He traveled to His death.

 Then someone asked Him: Lord, are there few that be saved?

 Notice the Lord Jesus is not so much concerned by the question as He is by that person who asked the question.

 This is still one of the biggest questions asked by those who are religious.

 Many religions, including some Christians, still try to find some way to deny those whom they do not like the opportunity to get to God's Heaven.

 It is only the Lord Jesus Christ who can set the boundaries of getting to Heaven.

 It is only the Lord Jesus Christ who can separate the sheep from the goats.

 Only God can open the door to Heaven, and it is by His Grace through His Son Jesus!

 This doorway is narrow, and the Lord is the door!

 Jhn_10:7  Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

Jhn_10:9  I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

 There is a great price to be paid to get the Lord Jesus to open the door to Heaven.

 No halfhearted people can get through the door!

 The Apostle Paul wrote: 1Co 9:24  Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 

1Co 9:25  And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 

1Co 9:26  I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 

1Co 9:27  But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

 It is by repentance and by renouncing our self-righteousness, our arrogance, and our own self-will.

 It is difficult to enter this door when it is open and impossible once it is closed!

 We must be doers of the Word of God!

 Jas 1:23  For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 

Jas 1:24  For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 

Jas 1:25  But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

 The Lord Jesus continues:

 *****Luk 13:24  Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 

 The way to salvation is specific, very specific!

 1) There are not many ways to salvation; there is only one way to salvation.

 Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 

 2) The way to salvation is straight, very straight!

 It is not crooked in direction, it is not crooked in purpose, it is not crooked in morals.

 There is nothing in salvation that will make us great, so we must become small.

 We must be in the right relationship with God!

 Joh 14:7  If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

 We must diligently seek God!

 Most of those in our world are not willing to pay the price.

 The Lord knows it so, therefore the gate is narrow.

 *****Luk 13:25  When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: 

 We must understand that God is long-suffering and truly patient, but there will come a moment when God puts an end to entering the Door of Jesus Christ!

 In the Bible, we have a great example in Noah.

 Gen 7:15  And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. 

Gen 7:16  And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: "and the LORD shut him in". 

 The salvation of God is now, today, that door may be closed tomorrow.

 If your name is not written in the Lamb's Book of Life, then the Lord Jesus will say that He does not know you, and if He does not know you, then the God of Heaven does not know you.

 Luk_10:20  Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

 It will be too late to call for the "Mercy of God," and He will cut off the flow of "Grace" from His throne.

 *****Luk 13:26  Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 

 Then those who have had one foot in the Church and the other foot in the world will be rejected.

 They were friends of true Christians.

They listened to the preacher, and they may have even attended Sunday School.

They had witnessed great movements of the Holy Spirit and had seen souls who were truly saved.

 They were citizens of so-called Christian nations.

They even allowed their streets to be used for evangelism.

 However, they professed a relationship with Jesus Christ that they did not have.

 Tit 1:15  Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. 

Tit 1:16  They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. 

 We should understand that the Lord Jesus was outside the doors of the Church at one time, knocking, almost begging for them to let Him back in.

 Now we see just the opposite. We see those who were playing Church on the outside of the door of salvation begging the Lord Jesus Christ to let them in.

 What will the Lord Jesus say to them?

 *****Luk 13:27  But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. 

Luk 13:28  There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.

 We see that the saved shall be separated from the lost, and it appears that those who are lost will get to see those who are saved enter into the Kingdom of God.

 Mat 18:3  And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 

Mat 18:4  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 

 On the day of the Rapture, many will look around and wonder why they were left behind.

 They will be upset with themselves and with God's saints who are no longer on this planet.

 They will see godly parents, friends, children, and neighbors enter the Kingdom of God and see themselves shut out.

 They had not denied themselves: Luk 9:23  And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

 *****Luk 13:29  And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. 

Luk 13:30  And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last. 

Those who were saved are mainly Gentiles, and the Lord will do a new work on the Jews after and during the seven years of Tribulation.

There is a revival of sorts today in many nations, though not in the USA.

We need to be praying for a revival while there may still be time to have one.

I have never seen so much sin and corruption in our nation as I see today, and no one seems to care.

Our politicians have allowed these things to go on for far too long.

Those who are lost have their conscience seared with a hot iron and do not see the sin and corruption in our land today.

Those who are corrupt accuse everyone else of being corrupt to hide their own corruption.

They have it in their minds that we are all fools when they are not fooling anybody.

The great "Marriage Supper" of the Lamb of God is closer than we think, and we must know that we know we are saved.

There will be no classes of people in Heaven. Race will not be considered, nor riches, nor classes of people.

Only Christians will be there, those who love the Lord Jesus Christ with all their heart.

Act 10:34  Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 

Act 10:35  But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. 

Amen

Teaching From the Master

 Jesus Teaches on Important Issues

 Book of Luke Chapter 12

 

Our lesson today spends some time on "fear".

 In the Scriptures, there is but one creature of God that is said to be void of fear.

 Job 41:33  Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.

Job 41:34  He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride. 

 This is the Leviathan, king of the sinners, and He only fears the God of Heaven and Earth.

 God is very blunt here when He says that if no man will approach the Leviathan, which is a creation of God, how is it that any man can say they have no fear of God?

 Psa 76:7  Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry? 

 There is Natural Fear, there is Sinful Fear, and there is Holy Fear.

 Every person upon this earth has to deal with natural fear and sinful fear.

 Only the “Born Again” child of God deals with Holy Fear!

 Natural fear entered our world with the fall of Adam when Adam tried to hide himself from the presence of the Lord.

 Gen 3:8  And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

 Once Adam felt the fear of sin and the death of sin, he began to understand that perfect love casts out that fear!

 1Jn_4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

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

 Our greatest blessing comes when the Love of God rids us of the fears of this world.

 Luk 1:70  As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: 

Luk 1:71  That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; 

Luk 1:72  To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; 

Luk 1:73  The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, 

Luk 1:74  That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, 

Luk 1:75  In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

 *****Luk 12:8  Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: 

Luk 12:9  But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

 We should not forget that God is "omniscient".

 God knows every little detail of everything that is happening in our lives.

 God is also "omnipotent".

 God can control any event that is happening to each believer, no matter how large or how small.

 This is why there are normally good things that come out of every bad thing that happens to every believer.

 Every characteristic of God is so wonderful that we have doubts about the reality of them until we come to know God in a personal way.

 It is the love of God that brings us to reality.

 Nothing can separate us from the love of God: Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 

Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 

Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 

Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 

Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

 When we are not loyal to our loving God as He is to us, the Lord Jesus reminds us of the consequences.

 1) We will be judged before angels. The angels who are totally loyal to their Creator will witness our acceptance or our rejection by God.

2) This judgment will come from the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for our sins, so the door of Heaven is opened for us. In all His time upon this earth, the Lord Jesus never sinned. He is the only One who can judge our actions of disloyalty or our steadfastness as a Christian.

 Mat 25:31  When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 

Mat 25:32  And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 

Mat 25:33  And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

 God has given His Son, Jesus, the right to judge us because He died in our place.

 Joh 5:22  For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: 

Joh 5:23  That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

 The basis of our judgment is our attitude toward our Savior!

 Have we confessed our love and our loyalty to Jesus Christ before the world?

 This does not mean every time we stumble, we can be forgiven, but it does mean do we love the Lord enough to be loyal to Him.

 Jesus will confess us before Heaven's Angels and tell all angels that we belong to Him and are true witnesses of Him.

 If we deny Jesus Christ, we shall be denied before our Holy God and the Angels of God.

 Angels do exactly what God says for them to do.

 *****Luk 12:10  And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven. 

 Because the Lord Jesus is so full of "GRACE," He will forgive anyone who has spoken against Him. He knows we are born with a rebellious spirit. If we repent, Jesus will forgive us.

 Look at the Apostle Paul as an example.

 1Ti 1:13  Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 

 BUT if we blaspheme the Holy Spirit will not receive forgiveness!

 We cannot attribute the work of Jesus Christ to Satan.

 When we deny the Lord Jesus over and over again till the day we die, we are showing hatred for the work the Lord Jesus Christ did for our salvation. Remembering that Our Lord Jesus worked with the power of the Holy Spirit.

 Act 7:51  Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. 

 It is the Holy Spirit from which we draw our strength as Christians.

 Our prayer life depends on the Holy Spirit.

Our relationship with God depends on the Holy Spirit.

Our strength to be a usable servant to the Lord depends on the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is the One who called us.

The Holy Spirit is the One who convicts us.

The Holy Spirit is the One who guides us through life.

The Holy Spirit will teach us what to say when we do not know what to say.

 The Lord Jesus is not saying all these things to cause us to fear. He is telling us all these things to give us encouragement.

 We will suffer persecution as Christians, and we need to be encouraged.

 *****Luk 12:11  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: 

Luk 12:12  For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say. 

 When we are called out for our faith in Jesus Christ, we should not be concerned.

 In fact, we should be proud that someone can see Jesus in us.

 The Lord Jesus would not include this in the Scriptures if it was not going to happen.

 This includes all persecution, mild or just ridicule, or just physical abuse, but it also includes becoming a martyr.

 The greatest power on this earth, the Holy Spirit, will decide then how we should answer our accusers.

 He will give us the strength to bear and the words to speak, and even then, He will not allow us to deny the Lord.

 We need to just trust God because we know that He is in charge, and He knows what is best for us at all times.

 The fear of any man is a terrible thing.

 Fear can cost a person their eternal destiny even if they claim the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.

 Jesus was preaching to His disciples, friends, and those who followed Him.

 Fear is the opposite of peace with God.

Fear means we are not as committed as we say we are.

Fear can take us out of the Will of God.

 2Ti 1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 

2Ti 1:8  Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord,

 We must understand that some people just do not want to be reached with the salvation of God!

 This is sad but also very true!

 These are the same ones who will be our persecutors.

 They still need to be told or at least warned of the truth of God.

 Persecution is not such a high cost for being a servant of God.

 Jas 5:20  Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. 

 Our fear of God should be enough to convince us not to fear what mankind can do to us.

 God's terror is forever!

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

1Pe 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. 

 If we know the Lord Jesus as our Savior, then we should realize the effort God is making to bring us to our final goal.

 In the midst of all our trials, He continues His work in us.

 He guards against our falling away and from sliding back into the world.

 He purifies our faith, so that we can continue to respond to Who He is.

 God will not make judicial decisions in our lives; He has given us the tools to make those decisions ourselves when He said to live righteously before Him.

 There is a great danger in seeking God to help us with materialism!

 *****Luk 12:13  And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. 

Luk 12:14  And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? 

 We should understand that this sermon that the Lord Jesus Christ had just preached was a serious lesson about the teaching of the Pharisees, the committing of the unforgivable sin, and the persecution of His followers.

 It was a foolish thought that the Lord Jesus would interfere in a family dispute.

 He expects us to act like Christians in any dispute.

 No telling how many people have prayed for God to help them win the lottery when He will never do this.

 Salvation is not about material things!

 These things may have been stolen from the man.

These things may have rightfully been his to begin with.

This could even be seen as an act of justice by those who followed Christ.

 The Lord Jesus treats this man as if he were not a believer.

 The Lord Jesus preached trusting God for our necessities, not our riches, except for the riches of Heaven.

 This man, like many others, was not paying attention to what the Lord had said.

 Just listening to the Word of God preached does not mean we hear what God says.

 Just hearing what God says does not mean we will apply it to our lives.

 Spiritual maturity is not about a worldly life!

 The Lord Jesus did not die on Calvary's Cross to give us property.

The Lord Jesus died on Calvary's Cross to give us life, and that life eternal!

 *****Luk 12:15  And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. 

 The world hates the Ten Commandments of God when they are things that are good to live by.

 Exo 20:17  Thou shalt not covet

 Covetousness is a crime.

 Covetousness ranks right next to murder, adultery, theft, and slander.

 Every time we see this word in the Old Testament, it is connected with a prohibition or a curse.

 In the New Testament, we usually see covetousness classed together with adultery.

 We should get a feeling for what God thinks about covetousness.

 Eph 5:5  For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 

Eph 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.

 Covetousness is a craving or a desire for more.

 It is greediness, a dissatisfaction with what is enough.

It is a craving as much for material things as fleshy indulgence.

 Then the Lord Jesus gives us an example.

 *****Luk 12:16  And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 

Luk 12:17  And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 

Luk 12:18  And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 

Luk 12:19  And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 

Luk 12:20  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? 

 There is great danger in worldliness.

There is great danger in greediness.

 Jas 4:1  From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 

Jas 4:2  Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 

Jas 4:3  Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 

Jas 4:4  Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. 

 Covetousness has been the start of many wars.

No matter what we think about this war with Iran, Iran was coveting the destruction of God’s people. To Iran, America is the Great Satan, and this is not far from the truth because of the wickedness we see in our own nation. 

When our happiness is more about our possessions rather than God, we are in serious trouble.

 In reality, our possessions cannot bring us true power. Only God can do this.

 Mat 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?

 This rich man was greatly blessed, but he did not thank God for such a blessing.

 Those were his fruits and his goods, and he was not about to share them.

 Notice he also said his soul, when all souls belong to God, to do as He so chooses.

 His pride in his possessions made him think of bigger and better things.

 Our greatest mistakes stem from selfishness, self-indulgence, and extravagant living.

 We are always trying to keep up with the Joneses.

 What is our duty?

 Ecc 12:13  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 

Ecc 12:14  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. 

 As Christians, we may live with peace in our hearts, but we may never live at ease in this world.

 This rich man thought only of himself and never gave a thought to helping those who did not have.

 He forgot that he was living in a wicked world that was slowly dying.

 Instead of helping others, he decided to build new storage for his abundance.

 He worked hard to get the things he wanted and was not about to share them.

 We will see that this man only got to think about his greed, his new barns, and his great excess because he did not live long enough to do these things.

 Deu 8:11  Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: 

Deu 8:12  Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; 

Deu 8:13  And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; 

Deu 8:14  Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God,

 An intense appetite for gain and more gain is just a passion for pleasure that we may never see.

 When we focus so much on this life, we begin not to focus on eternal life.

 We forget about the rewards of Heaven. In fact, we forget to work for those rewards.

 Pro 23:4  Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. 

Pro 23:5  Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. 

 In our world today, the richer we are, the greater the chance that there will be people who will take away those riches.

 For example, California will vote soon on a measure to just reach in and grab five percent away from those who are rich.

 Our government cannot face the fact that they continuously spend more than they take in and robs the people who support it.

 This is government greed!

 All such people are no more than fools.

 They build and build up riches only to give those riches to someone who may not even appreciate the hard work they did.

 Ecc 2:18  Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. 

Ecc 2:19  And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.

 Why would we even want to live a vain life, a life that meant nothing?

 While this man could only think of his riches, he received a message from God that his time was over on this earth.

 God knows exactly when our time is over, and He is the only one who knows this.

 Eze 18:23  Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live? 

Eze 18:24  But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die. 

 *****Luk 12:21  So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. 

Wealth is not a permanent possession!

There is always someone else who will get your wealth after your death.

In fact, the greedy government you support will reach in to try to get a share of your wealth.

When we die, the only portion of our life that lives is our spirit, and spirits cannot have any material possessions.

That spirit will live somewhere forever.

Wealth cannot buy off death.

It is a fool who lives simply and only for the sake of accumulation.

Rom_8:10  And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

God requires our souls to return to Him when our life is over, but it is the way we lived that life that determines what God will do with that soul.

Amen

Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit

 Instructions and Indictments

 Book of Luke Chapter 11 Verses 17-28

 

 The first part of Chapter 11 deals with prayer, and it is a great day when we finally realize the power of prayer.

 The Lord Jesus prayed often, and it was another fulfillment of prophecy.

 Psa 109:4  For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer. 

 We all need the Lord's help to pray properly.

 The Lord Jesus taught that prayer is one of the greatest needs we have in our Christian life.

 I know I do not pray enough, and there is power in prayer.

 Our lesson does not go into prayer, but we need to read what the Lord says here in this chapter.

 What is the truth that we need to deal with? Our Lord Jesus has been rejected, denied, and cursed by most of this world, and this is not going to change.

 There is a lot of evidence that proves that Jesus was exactly who He said He was.

 There has been a lot of archaeology that has proven the Bible is accurate.

 Old underground churches have been found in Israel that state that they were part of the Church that Jesus planted.

 King David has been proven to have existed.

 Jeremiah, Baruch his scribe, Isaiah, King Solomon, the Temple that Solomon built, and when it was rebuilt, King Cyrus and his directive to allow the Jews to go home have all been proven. The Moab stone proved of war with Israel, many things in Egypt, and much more has been proven that shows the Bible is full of the truth.

 The Bible is accurate, and the Lord Jesus did really come to this earth just as the Bible says.

 The information we read in the Book of Luke came from eyewitnesses to the life and death of Jesus Christ.

 The Lord Jesus cast out the devil from a deaf and dumb man, and the wicked rulers of Israel said the power of Jesus came from the prince of devils, Beelzebub.

 This is just another name given to Satan.

 We must understand how the wicked work in our world.

 When evil and wicked men cannot deny a good man's deeds, they will do their best to destroy his reputation.

 In fact, this is what is driving the wickedness in our nation today, and why we cannot get good people to run for office.

There are no perfect people in this world. Almost all of us have something in our past that we are not proud of.

The Lord Jesus, who took on the flesh of a human, is the only one who walked this earth as a perfect man and is the perfect God.

 To say these things about the Lord Jesus Christ, whose power comes by the Holy Spirit, is the unforgivable sin.

 The Scriptures speak of sins against the Holy Spirit called quenching: 1Th 5:19  Quench not the Spirit. 

 There is the sin of grieving the Holy Spirit: Eph 4:30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 

 We only think of blaspheming the Holy Spirit when we think of sins against the Holy Spirit, but these others are also sins against the Holy Spirit; He will forgive, but not blasphemy against Him; He will not forgive.

 We should understand that the Lord Jesus had made Himself known to Israel throughout the Gospels, but look into the Book of Matthew, Chapters five through seven.

 The Lord Jesus had done many miracles also in Matthew Chapters 8 through 10.

 The Lord Jesus had fulfilled many of the Messianic signs, and the Jews had witnessed all these things and knew they were true.

Many of these same things are written about in the Book of Luke.

 Now the religious leaders came who had witnessed all these other things, and they decided that the power of the man Jesus came from Satan.

 Mat 12:22  Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. 

Mat 12:23  And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? 

Mat 12:24  But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. 

 God had already said: Mat 12:18  Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. 

 We should not doubt that every sin committed is a sin against the Lord Jesus Christ.

 The world of that day should have recognized that the Lord Jesus is indeed the Messiah.

 The religious people could not deny the work of Christ or the miracles; they just denied that He was the promised Messiah and pointed to the Devil as the source of His power.

 This is the sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit!

 This sin is final, and it is unforgivable because they had witnessed these great works of the Lord Jesus, themselves.

 Mat 12:32  And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. 

 There will be no opportunity for repentance for this sin!

There will be no opportunity for a pardon!

There will be no opportunity for forgiveness!

 Where does the power of every Christian come from? It comes from the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us.

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

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

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

 It is believed that this sin cannot be committed today because it requires the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ and the work that He does Himself.

 Thank goodness that most all sinners get more than one chance to accept the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 If saved, it meant we finally repented and turned to Christ.

 Those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ before their death cannot be forgiven.

 Those elders and religionist that claimed that the power of Christ came from the Devil, knowing better, are now burning in the hottest part of Hell reserved for Satan Himself.

 The Lord Jesus always knows the thoughts that are in our heads.

 *****Luk 11:14  And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. 

Luk 11:15  But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. 

Luk 11:16  And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. 

Luk 11:17  But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. 

Luk 11:18  If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. 

Luk 11:19  And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. 

 The Lord Jesus claimed to be of another house and another kingdom than that of Satan.

 The Lord Jesus set before these people a logical example, that a divided kingdom or house will surely fall.

 They understood what the Lord was saying because they knew it was the truth.

 We had better be careful here in America because we are more divided than we ever have been, at least this is the message our government is sending along with most news sources.

 These things make us really weak, and it is all because of sin.

 When the Lord Jesus spoke these things, He acknowledged the existence of Satan and his kingdom, both of whom struggle against righteousness and good.

 Satan is not divided, and you will never hear of him doing good or being righteous, but he is deceiving.

 Satan wants his own kingdom, and he does not want any of God's people to be in it.

 Satan wants to be worshipped as God, even though he is just a created being like the rest of us.

 Satan is certainly not going to cast out the wickedness and evil in this world because he then would have no power at all.

 Joh 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 

Joh 3:18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 

 There were, at that time, Jewish exorcists who were of the Jewish nation who tried to cast out devils and demons in the name of Jehovah God, and they were not accused of using powers from Hell.

 The Lord Jesus deserved far more respect than these exorcists.

 One of the biggest mistakes of the Jews was that they exalted priests and religion above God and the Holy Scriptures.

 We still see this today in many denominations!

 We know these people honored God and the Holy Spirit, but they rejected the Son of God, who was also the Son of Man.

 Without the Son of God, there is no payment for sin!

 Without the Holy Trinity, there is no salvation!

 What the Lord says next is interesting.

 *****Luk 11:20  But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. 

 All the acts of the Lord Jesus Christ were through the power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God.

 Every action the Lord Jesus took on earth was in obedience to His Heavenly Father, God the Father.

 Since the Lord Jesus was born in Bethlehem, He has been busy establishing the Kingdom of God.

 The Holy Trinity, the Triune God who is One God, cannot be divided.

 Jesus said He had enough power in one finger to cast out the house of the Devil.

 I believe Him!

 *****Luk 11:21  When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: 

Luk 11:22  But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. 

 When the Lord Jesus Christ died on Mount Calvary, He went into the house of the strong man (Satan)(the Devil) and robbed him of his household goods (all the people he had in his power)( the keys to hell).

 He then bound the strong man (the Devil) when Jesus defeated him in the wilderness.

 Then Jesus went through all the land doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the Devil.

He is still doing this through the Church today!

 Jesus gave old Satan a swift kick in the head on the cross, and Satan is still dizzy from that today.

 Wherever the power of God is located, this is the Kingdom of God.

 The only thing lacking is accepting what the Lord Jesus has done for us!

 1Jn 3:8  He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 

 Eph 4:8  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 

Eph 4:9  (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 

Eph 4:10  He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) 

Eph 4:11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 

Eph 4:12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 

 *****Luk 11:23  He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. 

 The Lord Jesus Christ is the greatest gift this world has ever seen because He is our Creator, but He is also our Great Shepherd.

 Where we choose to stand in relationship with Jesus Christ will determine the impact we make in this life!

 It is the Lord Jesus Christ who determines our destiny!

 There is no neutrality with Jesus Christ: we are either with Him or we are against Him.

 We either fight against evil or fight against righteousness.

 We either fight for the Kingdom of God, or we fight for the kingdom of evil.

 Standing still is fighting against the Kingdom of God by doing nothing for God.

 Standing still is allowing evil to continue in our homes, our nation, and this world.

 A voice of silence is a voice for evil!

 1Co 10:21  Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. 

 *****Luk 11:24  When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. 

Luk 11:25  And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. 

Luk 11:26  Then goeth he, and taketh to him 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. 

 Many in our world claim they do not need the Lord Jesus to clean up their lives.

 Deliverance from wickedness and evil is not the same as being set free and living for the Lord Jesus.

 Maybe someone can get the unclean spirit to leave him.

Maybe someone can let go of a wrong religion or religion itself.

Maybe someone can stop worshiping material things in this world.

 These things will not make someone a new man, though some may say that.

 All that emptiness in that person must be filled with something, and the only thing that will work is the presence of God and the possession of a New Nature.

 Without this, that person will just feel empty with no purpose.

 Unless that emptiness is filled with the Holy Spirit, some new evils far worse than the first will return, and the last state of that person will be far worse than he was at first.

 Many make a confession of Christ, but they remain an empty house, and they fail.

 It is unlikely that this man would ever clean his house again.

 2Pe 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. 

2Pe 2:22  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. 

 *****Luk 11:27  And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. 

Luk 11:28  But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. 

All mothers want to see their children do well, and this woman was saying how blessed the mother who had raised such a son as Jesus.

We do not know if this woman even knew Mary, the mother of Jesus.

We do know that Mary was blessed by God.

This woman does not go beyond the natural feeling of the Lord's good deeds.

The Roman-Catholic church has gone much further by introducing the worship of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and God does not honor this.

Mat_4:10  Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Luk_4:8  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

How did the Lord Jesus respond to this?

The Word of God is not about being impressed by the goodness of the Lord Jesus.

It is certainly not about His mother Mary, who had to be a wonderful, godly person.

If we want true blessings, then we need to hear God's Word and do our best to follow the Word of God all our days.

A personal relationship with Jesus Christ is far better than any relationship one can have here on earth.

No book on this earth has the importance of the Word of God!

There is nothing on this earth that should come between us and the Word of God!

1Jn 2:17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 

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

Rev 22:16  I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. 

Amen