Forgiveness In the Church

The Ministry of Forgiveness

 Book of 2 Corinthians Chapter 2

 

 Only God can forgive sin!

We are to forgive those who sin against us, but only God can forgive that sin against Him!

 Isa 43:25  I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

 Mat 9:6  But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins,

 God could not forgive sin without a proper payment for that sin.

 How do we explain God's forgiveness? Forgiveness is a legal act of God where He removes the charges against us because the atonement for those sins has been made.

 We each have a book of our life written in Heaven, and God will open that book in our name and blot out the sin in that book because the Lord Jesus Christ has made the atonement for the sin we committed against our Heavenly Father.

 The Lord Jesus paid our sin debt! Our debts were nailed to His cross!

 Col 2:13  And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 

Col 2:14  Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

 Forgiveness means we have been set free from the burdens of our sin because of the "Grace" of God the Father.

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

Eph 1:8  Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; 

Eph 1:9  Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 

 Forgiveness means we have a daily forgiveness of sin as we serve the Lord.

 1Jn 1:6  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 

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

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

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. 

1Jn 1:10  If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 

The Book of John says: Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

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

 We will never have fellowship with God until we deal with our sin debt! We can only deal with our sin debt through the Lord Jesus Christ, The Word.

 We should understand that God's forgiveness is linked to God's "Grace"; there is nothing we as humans can do; the Lord Jesus has done all that was needed for us to be forgiven.

 Our chains of bondage are broken.

Our debt is cancelled.

We have received a pardon.

Our punishment has been cancelled.

We will not see the wrath of God come upon us.

 Because of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Father has canceled the debt of sin that we could have never paid except by dying and spending eternity in Hell!

Rom_3:25  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

 This is what forgiveness means to God!

 What does forgiveness mean to each believer?

 *****2Co 2:1  But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness. 

2Co 2:2  For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me? 

2Co 2:3  And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all. 

 We should not doubt that the Apostle Paul loved the people in every church he had planted. Christianity brings Godly love!

 We all know the problems in the church at Corinth if we have read 1 Corinthians.

 Paul longed to go to minister again to this church but not with controversies and sin surrounding them.

 Paul had written to this church urging them to put the Lord Jesus Christ first and end their controversies.

 No church will stand very long that does not put the Lord Jesus Christ first; He is the foundation of the Church, of every true church.

In fact, no group that gathers can be a church unless they have accepted the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 No Pastor or Preacher can reach God's people if the message he preaches causes controversy in that church.

 That church would first have to recognize sin, address the problem of sinners, and return to the truth of God; then they would be ready to receive the meat of the Gospel and grow in Christ.

 1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 

1Co 3:3  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

 A true Pastor will bring joy to his flock because the Gospel is a message of peace to the soul.

 Joh 16:33  These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

 *****2Co 2:4  For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you. 

 The letter Paul wrote, which is called the Book of 1 Corinthians, was a painful letter for him to write.

 Paul did not write to them to cause pain; Paul wrote to them in love, his heart broken for the sin in that church.

 Every church needs to understand that God is full of "Grace," but God has rules that must be followed.

 Heb 12:11  Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. 

Heb 12:12  Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; 

Heb 12:13  And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. 

 1Pe 1:16  Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 

 Tit 3:10  A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; 

Tit 3:11  Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself. 

When we reject the truth of the Gospel, we have condemned ourselves, and we can only blame ourselves.

 Then once the sin problem is solved, the next step is forgiveness and restoration of those who had committed such sin.

 Our forgiveness must be led by the example of forgiveness given to us by God Himself.

 We have not forgiven anyone unless that forgiveness comes from the heart!

 *****2Co 2:5  But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. 

 We have not forgiven unless that forgiveness comes from the heart!

 Certain offenders had caused grief for the whole church in Corinth.

 It could be that man who had taken his father’s wife, or it could be some Jewish ringleader who was trying to destroy the Church and destroy the Apostle Paul's ministry, or both of them.

 It could be this Jew because Paul does not mention immorality in these verses.

 Act_14:2  But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren.

 Act_17:5  But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.

 There were some of these wicked men at Corinth who were attacking the Apostle Paul and stirring up controversy, causing disturbance, and hurting the whole church, and they needed to be run off.

 There are times when there must be church discipline.

 1Ti_3:15  But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

 This church had done so to those who were full of immorality.

To run those wicked Jews off, they had to cling to the Word of God they had gotten from Paul, Timothy, and Apollos.

The Church must stand its ground against any and all those who reject the truth of the Scriptures.

 *****2Co 2:6  Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.

We do not know what punishment was given to this man, but we do know that Paul had said to excommunicate that man.

To hand that man over to Satan!

This was done, not to just keep this man out of the church, but to awaken him to repentance and to secure his salvation.

1Co 5:4  In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

1Co 5:5  To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

All actions in the Church should be done with the desire to bring salvation to all!

We should note that those who voted to punish this man were only a majority and not unanimous because we see that word many and not the word all.

If I am not mistaken in my church, we require a vote of at least eighty percent before such action as this could be taken.

We never want to divide the church and make matters worse.

There will always be differences of opinion when it comes to church discipline, but there will be times when it must take place.

We see today that major denominations have split, and many of those decisions were made when the vote was a simple majority rather than a high percentage such as eighty percent or at least seventy percent. Fifty-one percent would mean the church is divided, and that church should just make sure to obey the Word of God. Those who reject the Word of God should not be counted.

Church discipline should come without destruction.

Our discipline should come with thought of forgiveness after repentance takes place because this is the way of God.

Any soul that has been disciplined should be welcomed back with open arms once the fruit of repentance is seen in them.

We must repent of our sin and turn toward the ways of God before He will forgive us!

This is the example we are to always follow!

Notice also that the name of this man is not mentioned by the Apostle Paul.

Discipline in the Church should remain in the Church.

We cannot allow the world to dictate the work of the Church.

*****2Co 2:7  So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. 

2Co 2:8  Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.

What appears here is that the "many" of this church in Corinth wanted discipline to a lesser degree than the rest of the church members.

Again, all things must be done in accordance with the Word of God!

Eph 4:32  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. 

Col 3:12  Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 

Col 3:13  Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 

Col 3:14  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 

If at all possible, we are to use great effort not to make this person an enemy of the Church.

2Th 3:14  And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. 

2Th 3:15  Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. 

We should understand that if we do not follow the Word of God in Church discipline, Satan is waiting at the door to receive that person who needs Church discipline. 

This is the time to show great love to that person and try to lead them to repentance and show that person we are being obedient to the Word of God, the same Word of God that he should be obedient to.

1) The entire church must forgive this person.

Mar 11:25  And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 

Mar 11:26  But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. 

2) The entire church must be an encouragement to this person.

1Th 5:11  Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. 

1Th 5:12  And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; 

1Th 5:13  And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves. 

1Th 5:14  Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. 

3) This person must repent and turn back to the truth of God.

Rom 14:1  Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. 

4) There must be assurance demonstrated by the love of the church.

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

Eph 4:31  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 

Eph 4:32  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

We must do everything that we can to keep the Holy Spirit working in our churches!

Dead churches are places of misery!

We must accept all the Word of God and not take away from it nor add to it!

*****2Co 2:9  For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things. 

There is another purpose of Church discipline.

It shows the Lord that we are obedient to the mission of the Church.

As long as we allow the world to work inside the Church, then the Church cannot focus upon the mission that the Lord has given to us.

We cannot allow controversy and division to rule the Church as it is doing today in many denominations.

If we are to obey the Lord Jesus Christ, then there must be Church discipline!

If the Church is not concerned with obeying Jesus Christ, then it is not a Church to begin with.

Mat_18:20  For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

A church is a place where people gather in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ!

All other places are places of Devil worship!

We must prove to the Lord Jesus Christ that we are faithful to Him and faithful to the Holy Trinity.

Nothing in this world is more important than our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ!

We are to be just as forgiving as He is forgiving!

Php 1:27  Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; 

Php 1:28  And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. 

*****2Co 2:10  To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; 

2Co 2:11  Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. 

The Apostle Paul had given instructions on how to manage this incident that happened at the Church of Corinth, and we know there was more than one incident.

This church was tearing itself apart.

What Paul is saying is that he would stand by the discipline this church had come to because the majority of the church had chosen what they would do, even if they had not followed his exact words.

The important thing was this church had come together and acted in accordance with the Word of God.

By being united around the Word of God, Satan could not claim any victory at this church.

This man had repented and had been restored to the Church.

Satan will use any discord in the Church to get his foot in the door.

In fact, at least one of Satan's followers attends every church service just waiting for a chance to create havoc.

Satan uses many devices in his attempt to turn God's children and cause harm to the church.

Everything concerning the Church must be in accordance with the Word of God.

There is a spiritual battle going on around us at all times.

Eph 6:10  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 

Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 

Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 

We must not give Satan easy access to cause chaos in the Church.

We must beware that He is already causing havoc in many places of worship today.

If we are not willing to forgive a repentant sinner, then what does that say about the Church that is full of repentant sinners that the Lord Jesus Christ has forgiven?

Mat 6:12  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 

 Mat 6:14  For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 

Mat 6:15  But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. 

Satan will do his very best to stop the work of the Church, and we do not need to provide him with opportunities to do so.

Satan hates the Gospel, and Satan hates the Lord Jesus Christ!

Only the Holy Ghost-filled Church can hinder the work of Satan, and we make it far too easy for him.

Only saved souls and changed lives show that Satan the Devil is a defeated foe.

The Lord Jesus Christ defeated Satan on the cross and we can't allow him to have the smallest victory.

The loving, forgiving Church that is obedient to the Word of God cannot be overcome by the devices of Satan!

Amen

The Comforter

 The Ministry of Comforting

 Book of 2 Corinthians Chapter 1

 

 To have a proper understanding of the Book of 2 Corinthians, we first need to study the Book of 1 Corinthians.

 We know that suffering has always been a problem for us humans.

 It is in every Church service that we recognize a prayer list of people in need of comfort because of their suffering.

There are always others not on the prayer list who suffer but keep it private and unspoken needs.

 People injured, people in the hospital, people spending their last days in hospice care, people recovering from surgery or cancer, or heart disease, and those who have been to the cemetery because a loved one has passed.

 In reality, it can be said that the Book of 2 Corinthians was written for those who suffer.

 Suffering can be said to feel or bear things that are painful, disagreeable, or distressing, and these things are constant in our lives.

 We endure these things, but we are never very happy about them.

 Pain and grief of mind are not pleasant things for anyone!

I read of a new religion last week who call themselves the extinctionists because they have determined that the only answer for suffering and the protection of this world is the extinction of all humans.

We know the only answer is a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ!

 Once we begin to know about the truth of Jesus Christ, we begin to see we are sinners and we begin to suffer with our conscience, and we find that we have offended God and are condemned to suffer the wrath of God.

 There is only one comfort, and there is only one Comforter!

Give your life to Christ Jesus, and you will meet Him.

 *****2Co 1:3  Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 

2Co 1:4  Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 

 When we choose to be a servant of God, we will have to deal with all sorts of difficulties and trials.

 As we study the Bible, we find that the Apostle Paul is a great example of Christian suffering while he spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 God will indeed use these trials and tribulations to make us better Christians and better servants.

 That word "mercies" means compassion, pity, and mercy.

 It means that as we witness for the Lord, we see a people in need and have compassion and mercy upon them.

These are characteristics of the Lord Jesus.

 We see that God is the Father of mercies.

 As the Devil is the father of murder and lies, God is the Father of mercies.

 God sees His Children as a Father and not so much as a God, even though He is God.

 As long as we are living, our Heavenly Father will shower us with His mercy!

 Col 3:12  Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 

Col 3:13  Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 

 As a Father, He floods us with His mercies, and as God, He comforts us in all our tribulations, because He is the God of all comfort.

 We should understand that suffering is part of our human lives! We do live in a cursed world!

 God does not take away our afflictions to comfort us; God carries us through our afflictions.

 Isa 63:8  For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour. 

Isa 63:9  In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. 

 God will snuggle up closer to us in our afflictions, put His arms around us, and speak gracious, comforting words to us.

 This is a great example of what He wants us to do to others, as we tell the world about our Savior.

 *****2Co 1:5  For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 

 One of the lessons we are to learn as Christians is that God allows sufferings in our lives so we can experience His mercies and His comfort.

 Notice that God allows, but He is not the cause of those sufferings.

As we know, we live in a sin-sick world!

 We need this experience to be able to comfort others.

 Sometimes this suffering can make us feel like we will perish, but the comfort of the Lord Jesus Christ surpasses all suffering, because He is the God of all comfort.

 2Co 4:10  Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 

2Co 4:11  For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 

 Rom 15:4  For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. 

 To understand our own suffering, we must understand the suffering of our Lord and Savior.

 The sufferings of Christ were not exhausted by Him, but overflow to us who have to suffer as He suffered.

 We must bear the weight of His dying so we can share His life. 

He is not suffering in us, but we can have fellowship in His sufferings.

 Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 

 *****2Co 1:6  And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

2Co 1:7  And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation. 

 The Apostle Paul is saying that his own suffering was not only designed for his own spiritual training but was a source of direct blessing to all who were saved under his preaching.

 Paul's suffering enabled him not only by example but also by the lessons of experience to be a strength to others who were suffering, while serving Jesus Christ.

 Php 1:14  And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

 It is important that the experience of our own suffering can be a comfort to another person going through tough times.

 We can sometimes become so absorbed in our own grief that we start believing that no one suffers as we do, but we are not alone in our grief, and we can draw comfort from others.

 1Pe 5:9  Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

 Very few Christians will ever suffer like the Apostle Paul did to get the gospel to us, but just because we are associated with the Lord Jesus Christ, we will suffer in this world.

 When we know we are not alone in our grief, that one thing will make us stronger.

 2Ti 3:12  Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 

 We should never want special attention in our suffering, knowing that we all suffer.

 We must never become like those who are saved today and lost tomorrow.

We cannot trust God today and not trust Him tomorrow and still believe that He is All-Powerful

 We must continue with our Savior through the good times and the bad times.

We must continue with our Savior through suffering as well as good health.

We must continue with our Savior through rejection as well as acceptance.

We must continue with our Savior through persecution as well as honor.

 We learn endurance through suffering!

We learn to share the God of all comfort through our own suffering!

 Php 2:1  If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 

Php 2:2  Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 

 Every time we suffer from a different kind of suffering, we will experience a new kind of comfort.

 *****2Co 1:8  For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: 

 Once we learn that as Christians, we are stronger as a group than as individuals, then we can realize that we can be a comfort to those who are carrying the Gospel to the world.

 There should be no doubt that the Devil works far more to damage a good pastor or the evangelist, or the missionary, than he does to the individual Christian, even though he will attack us all and it is never pleasant.

The Devil can only be in one place at a time, so he will dispatch his demons to do most of his dirty work while he concentrates on certain individuals who may not even be Christians.

 We must become prayer warriors for those who carry the Gospel to the world and also for each other.

 Our prayers are our greatest weapon in this world.

Closet prayer may be the greatest weapon we have against the Devil, his demons, and his followers.

 God wants to know how we suffer and what we suffer from, and He will help us.

 The fact that Doctor Luke traveled with Paul so often should also tell us that Paul needed medical attention often.

 We can learn a lot of it from the Book of Acts, but we should know that the Devil would do anything he could to stop the Apostle Paul and the other Apostles and every missionary called of Jesus.

That man in the pulpit of God, that preaches the truth of the Word of God is one of the Devils greatest enemies!

The devil is still trying to do this today, and it looks like he is winning.

This was what Paul was trying to tell us. 

It may look like the devil is winning, but God is just eliminating all those who do not want to join Him in Heaven.

We are still on the winning side!

 *****2Co 1:9  But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: 

 We wonder sometimes, "What will be the end of it all"?

If we do not put our faith into the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ, these thoughts will hinder us as we try to serve God.

Death is coming to this world just as death comes to each of us but only in the Lord's set time.

Paul was in some situations where it just seemed that it was beyond all human possibility of deliverance.

There are Christians in this same situation today, who live in lands ruled by wicked and evil men who hate the Lord Jesus Christ, and they have to hide just to be able to worship.

God has a special blessing reserved for them if they just hang on to their faith.

God has a special blessing for all who cling to their faith till the end.

We cannot trust our deliverance to ourselves any more than the Apostle Paul could!

All our faith must be in our Savior and in His Word.

Jer 17:5  Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. 

Jer 17:6  For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. 

Jer 17:7  Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. 

If God allows this world to take our life, He has a reason for it, and it is always a good reason where something good will come out of it.

We may not see it, but He sees it.

The important thing is that our death leads to our victory!

Our true Christian friends will want to know what happened when the Lord does save us from this destruction and we make it through that suffering, and that sentence of death.

There is nothing too hard for God, but when we give our lives to the Lord, we are doing just that; we are giving our lives to Him for His use.

What did Jesus say? 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.

The cross was an instrument of death.

We must never forget that we are in the hands of God and no one can take us out of His hands.

Paul was threatened by large crowds.

Paul was threatened by the unions of that day.

Paul was threatened by the governments of that day.

Paul was threatened by ungodly Jews.

Paul's friends had to risk their lives for Paul.

Paul's friends were locked up in jail.

Paul's enemies were like beasts who would hunt you down to destroy you.

These are the same enemies the Church faces every day.

1Co_15:32  If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.

Paul sometimes felt crushed by his burden for the Church.

Paul was locked away in prison on seven different occasions.

Paul was in more than one shipwreck.

My question is, what do we have to complain about if the Lord calls us into His service?

Our Savior is also our Deliverer and our Comforter!

When we cannot go with these men and women who are called into God's service, then our calling is to pray for them and support them.

*****2Co 1:10  Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us; 

2Co 1:11  Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.

Paul was not complaining; Paul was saying, "Look at all the opportunities the Lord has given me to serve, and He delivered me every time".

This is the exact way we should look at it!

Who are we to witness to?

Sinners are wicked, evil people, and we know this because we were once part of them.

Most everyone in the world today hates the Lord Jesus Christ. That should tell us something!

Just the mention of His name will turn some crowds into our enemies.

These are similar things that happened to Paul.

One of our own greatest lessons is that we cannot save ourselves from our sin, and we cannot save ourselves from this world.

We will suffer at times just so the Lord knows He can trust us to remain faithful.

God is not going to call us into His service and then let us suffer death on our first mission unless it is truly important and many souls are saved because of it.

God never said it would be easy to be a Christian, but He did say the benefits would be Heavenly.

Of all the reasons we may have suffering, maybe the greatest reason is the fact that we will spend more time in prayer and thanksgiving with our Heavenly Father.

Every prayer for us from another believer may cause God to move on our behalf.

It is called intercessory prayer.

Intercessory prayer works, and history from men such as Paul has proven it works.

Intercessory prayer in the Church has proven results because we have heard many testimonies from those who were delivered from cancer and heart problems, and treatments, and other sicknesses.

I was delivered from cancer myself on two occasions because of the prayers of righteous men and women of God and the LORD, who said: “I’m not through with you yet”.

We are all called to be intercessors if God has not called us to do something else, and even if He has, He still expects us to pray for one another.

The Lord Jesus prayed for us! 

Jhn_17:9  I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

Jhn_17:15  I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

Jhn_17:20  Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

How can we not pray for one another if the Lord Jesus Christ prayed for us?

Amen    

The Triune God Has Requirements

 The Requirements of God

 Book of Micah Chapters 6 and 7

 

A requirement is a demand that must be met to receive some reward.

 The truth is people in every nation, and every generation have turned away from the Lord.

 Some of those returned to the Lord, and the rest are in Hell wishing they had returned to the Lord.

 We are not whole until we are in a personal relationship with our Creator.

 We cannot follow our own path and think it will lead us to Heaven, for it will not.

 To live without God is to live a meaningless life!

 Israel had God's Word, God laws, and God's commandments.

 God's laws are always for guidance and protection.

 The greatest thing we can give back to God for all His benefits is our Love and our commitment to His Son.

 God does not ever offer something that He cannot provide!

 What did Israel do? They ignored the Word of God and made poor choices.

What does the Church do today? The Church ignores the Word of God and makes bad choices.

 *****Mic 6:1  Hear ye now what the LORD saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. 

Mic 6:2  Hear ye, O mountains, the LORD'S controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the LORD hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel. 

 God is telling Micah he is to be an intermediary between Israel and God.

 God told Micah to preach the Word of God so even the mountains could hear his voice.

 God has a reason for every command He gives us, and we need to realize it.

 We must listen to what God has to say.

 What's wrong with the Church today? The Church quit listening to what God has to say and listens to what some man says or in some cases some woman, of this secular world.

 The words of man can never be as important as the Word of God!

 We can plead our case, but our words will never be as important as the Word of God.

There is a big difference between speaking and preaching.

 2Ti_4:2  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

 The command of God to preachers is to preach the Word, and it is used 47 times in the New Testament.

 For those who want to speak, God says to speak the wisdom of God and not the so-called wisdom of this world.

 1Co_2:6  Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:

1Co_2:7  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

 No wisdom of the world can help us get to Heaven; it is only the Word of God where we find such wisdom.

 We may not always listen to what God has to say, but that thing we call nature is always listening to hear God's next command.

 Isa 1:2  Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. 

Isa 1:3  The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. 

Isa 1:4  Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. 

 Humans and the Devil and his demons are the only things upon this earth that rebel against God!

Those demons still tremble when you mention the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 What had God done to cause this rebellion?

 *****Mic 6:3  O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me. 

Mic 6:4  For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. 

Mic 6:5  O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the LORD. 

 Why do we accuse God of so many things when God is righteous in everything, He does?

 God does not make accusations against Israel at this time; He just defends Himself against what the people accuse Him of.

 Notice God still says they are His people.

 It is an absolute honor to be a child of God!

 Does God make our lives miserable?

Does God place terrible demands on us?

Does God make excessive requests of us?

 God deserves an answer to these things!

 Why do we always complain about what God is doing in the world when we do not do what He asks us to do?

 To say yes to any of these things is to have the same attitude as the secular world.

 What had God done to Israel that caused such rebellion?

 1) He delivered them from the bondage of slavery from the Egyptians. They had been servants, and slaves, and God had given them freedom.

2) God had given them great leaders.

 Moses

 Moses was a faithful servant in the House of the Lord.

 Heb 3:2  Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. 

 Moses delivered to Israel the laws of God.

 It was Moses who led Israel out of Egypt, and Moses was led by the Great "I Am" of the Bible.

 Moses was more than a Prophet of God.

 Num 12:5  And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth. 

Num 12:6  And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. 

Num 12:7  My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. 

Num 12:8  With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? 

 Deu 34:10  And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 

Deu 34:11  In all the signs and the wonders, which the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land, 

Deu 34:12  And in all that mighty hand, and in all the great terror which Moses shewed in the sight of all Israel. 

 Aaron

 Aaron was Moses' elder brother and the first High Priest of Israel.

 Both Moses and Aaron together were a type of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Heb 3:1  Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; 

 Miriam

 Miriam was the oldest of the children of Jochebed.

 Miriam was a prophetess, but only in Music and Song.

 Exo 15:20  And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. 

Exo 15:21  And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

 Balaam

 Balaam was a prophet, but he was a secular prophet, he was not a prophet of God.

 God would not allow Balaam to place a curse on Israel but only a blessing.

 Balaam did tell King Balak that the weakness of Israel was those men of Israel, who could be tempted by strange women.

 This is a weakness in almost all men, so it did not take some great prophet to tell this thing.

 God took the life of Balaam when King Balak went to war with Israel.

 God is love, but God is also faithful, and Israel could not deny this truth.

 So, what does the Lord require of us all?

 *****Mic 6:6  Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? 

Mic 6:7  Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 

Mic 6:8  He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? 

These are part of the requirements of God.

 God may be in Heaven, but God is everywhere. God is never very far away from us.

 God is not impressed with gifts, or the sacrifices of animals, or of offerings.

 If we want to get closer to God, we must meet God at His house with prayer.

 Isa 57:15  For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. 

 We must be humble when we walk with God.

 We must do justly, which means to cause no one to be hurt in any way.

 Mic 2:1  Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand. 

Mic 2:2  And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage. 

  Isa 2:11  The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. 

Isa 2:12  For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:

 Some say it is hard to be a Christian, but with the knowledge of God, I find it is harder not to be a Christian.

 How does God describe the world in the day of Micah and the world we live in today?

 Mic 6:10  Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable? 

Mic 6:11  Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights? 

Mic 6:12  For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.

 *****Mic 6:13  Therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee, in making thee desolate because of thy sins. 

Mic 6:14  Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee; and thou shalt take hold, but shalt not deliver; and that which thou deliverest will I give up to the sword. 

Mic 6:15  Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil; and sweet wine, but shalt not drink wine. 

Mic 6:16  For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an hissing: therefore, ye shall bear the reproach of my people.

 The word "therefore" means because of these things He would bring His discipline to them.

 God will not tolerate this sort of behavior for very long from those who are His children or say they are His children.

 There is a sickness called sin-sickness, and God describes it here.

 To smite sometimes means to kill, but it can also mean to conquer in a rout.

 To smite with the tongue is to cause injury and reproach, so they could reflect on why God brought these things to them.

 God does not want us to guess why we will see His wrath! God lets the sinner know to repent, turn back to the laws of God or face His wrath.

 It is hard to enjoy anything when we are sick!

 One thing was certain: they would not be able to continue their sinful activities.

 God would take away their wealth along with all their treasures and make them desolate.

God can also take away our health if He so chooses.

If God in anyway causes our sickness, then He may heal us from that sickness.

If we run from God to the world and that sickness come from the world, then He may or may not take away that sickness.

 I believe desolate here means God would desert them for a time and deprive them of comfort.

 I do not know about you, but when you are going through something terrible in your life, the comfort of God sure does feel good.

 God said He would bring hunger to the land.

 They would no longer be satisfied with their meals, meaning they would not have enough to eat.

They would have a constant feeling of hunger.

Their enemies would come in and take away anything they tried to hide.

They would not feel safe in their own homes or in their nation.

Why do so many have weapons in America, because we do not feel safe in our own homes and the politicians will not do anything about it but continue to allow terrorists and corruption into our nation and allow judges to put dangerous people back on the street.

 God had already told Israel what would happen if they rejected Him at any time.

 Deuteronomy Chapter 28, verses 15 through verse 45. God is serious about rejection from His people.

 Deu 28:48  Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee. 

 God did surrender His people to cruel oppression!

 Much of Israel does not feel safe in their homes today.

They are always aware that a siren could go off at any minute and they could spend endless hours in bomb shelters.

No other nation would tolerate this thing yet Israel is expected to stay calm and not try to get revenge.

 God said these  things would be taken away by force, a force they could not stop.

 Their grain, their olive oil, and their grape juice would be consumed by their enemies.

 Deu 28:49  The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand; 

Deu 28:50  A nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor shew favour to the young: 

Deu 28:51  And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy land, until thou be destroyed: which also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy kine, or flocks of thy sheep, until he have destroyed thee. 

 They rejected the laws of God so they could keep the laws of man.

 In reality, we see many of these things in the USA today.

 Our food is so high that we can barely afford it, and much of it is tainted We hear of food recalls almost every day.

I hate to think this way, but since we have turned to organic food, we find that some people will use anything for fertilizer, even human waste.

Our gas is getting so high that most of us stay home more.

People are moving from one place to another because they don't feel safe or secure where they once lived.

People are leaving the Church and rejecting God, the only hope we have and many local churches have closed their doors.

The Church is rejecting the laws of God to obey the laws of man, and the church is failing in its mission to reach the lost.

 Mic 7:2  The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net. 

 Mic 7:6  For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house. 

 And we wonder why so many bad things are happening in our own nation!

 *****Mic 7:7  Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. 

Mic 7:8  Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me. 

Mic 7:9  I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness. 

 Our only hope is in the Lord, and it is the same for Israel!

 Though Israel has gone and is still going through many of these things, there is a better day a coming.

 This time it is Micah who says "therefore".

 For the Church, as we see all these things going on in our own nation and what is going on in Israel, we must realize that surely our only hope lies in the Lord.

 We know it has been about 2000 years since the Lord Jesus went back to Heaven, but He promises to return, and He will.

That trumpet of the Lord could sound at any minute, and we would be out of this world in the blink of an eye.

 Most of us believe that the Lord Jesus will return to take His Church out of this world before God’s wrath takes place.

 Israel has the great promise that the Lord Jesus(the Messiah) will soon sit as King of Israel, and King of this world.

 Every day that passes gets us closer to these things.

 Rev 22:20  He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. 

 We are always to pray for others, but disobedient souls must also pray for themselves and not be dependent on others to pray for them.

 Micah pleaded with God on behalf of Israel and Judah.

 Israel's oppressors at that time were Assyria, and soon Babylon would be the oppressors of Judah.

 Today the oppressors of the Church are the worldly powers who reject the truth of God.

 The world had better not gloat over the fact that the Church is not growing, but we of the Church know that not all members were saved to begin with.

 God will guide His Church as He always has.

God will protect His Church as He always has.

God will preserve His Church as He always has.

 It is the same for Israel as they will soon see the Light of the Lord Jesus Christ!

 Psa 27:1  The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 

Psa 27:2  When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. 

 God's people will be vindicated in front of God’s enemies.

 The lost still say today, "Where is your God?" but they will one day bow before Him!

 Isa_45:23  I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

Isa 45:24  Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. 

Isa 45:25  In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.

 The Bride of Christ is the seed of Israel through Jesus Christ.

 Rom_14:11  For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

 Php_2:10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

 There is only one God.

There is only one Messiah.

There is only one Jesus the Christ of God.

 *****Mic 7:18  Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. 

Mic 7:19  He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. 

Mic 7:20  Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old. 

 Who is a God like Yahweh?

 No one can hold God's people when He wants them set free!

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

Exo 15:12  Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them. 

Exo 15:13  Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation. 

 God is never going to be angry with His true children forever!

 There are a lot of nations in the world who are sold out to false gods, but we do not see where any of those false gods can save or provide for them as individuals.

Black nasty dirty oil is the god of the Muslim just as gold and other valuable metals are the gods of most Gentiles.

To the terrorist their god is the bullet and homemade bombs.

 Only the Lord Jesus Christ can pardon iniquity. To bear iniquity is to endure the punishment for it and be happy to be forgiven for it.

 What is pardon? When God pardons, He has removed the guilt of that iniquity.

To be pardoned of God means "as if I had never sinned".

 Who is the One true God? Isa 43:25  I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. 

 God will one day stamp out all sin!

 God has already forgiven all sin. The Lord Jesus Christ was the payment for all our sin. We must recognize that this is the truth and go to Jesus Christ who died in our place and ask for forgiveness.

 It is mercy that drives God to forgive us, but God's punishment of those who reject Him will be without mercy.

 Jas 2:13  For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment. 

 What is the truth of Jacob? God's promise, and God does not break His promises.

Gen 28:10  And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. 

Gen 28:11  And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. 

Gen 28:12  And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. 

Gen 28:13  And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; 

Gen 28:14  And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 

Gen 28:15  And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. 

Gen 28:16  And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.

God gave the land of Palestine to Israel. God will make sure that this takes place. It is only a matter of time. All the Arab nations need to make peace with Israel!

It was Rome who change the name of that area to Palestine because they hated Israel.

What is the truth of Abraham? God's promise.

Gen 12:1  Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 

Gen 12:2  And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 

Gen 12:3  And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Again, it would be best that all the Arab nations become friends with Israel!

All families are blessed because the Lord Jesus Christ is that "blessing" that came from Abraham.

Rom_4:16  Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

Gal 3:9  So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

All true blessings come from above: 

Jas_1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Eph_1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

God continues: Isa 41:8  But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. 

The seed of Abraham is the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Bride of Christ(The Church)goes everywhere that our Lord Jesus goes.

He will never leave us or forsake us!

Today the Church is espoused to the Lord Jesus, soon the Lord Jesus will present His wife(the Church) to His Heavenly Father.

Amen

The Restoration of the Kingdom of Israel

 The Restoration of the Kingdom of Israel

 Book of Micah Chapters 3-5

 How important is good leadership? Leadership is a matter of life and death to any nation and to any church.

 What's wrong with America today?

 1) America has walked away from God.

2) The leadership in America has done nothing to keep America secure, militarily or financially, nor to provide proper care for its people.

3) The politicians have forgotten that they are to serve the people and not themselves.

They act like a bunch of cackling hens, forgetting what they are in Washington to do, and it is not to play politician; it is to serve our nation that is going to the dogs.

 The leadership in America has failed its people, and they do not care to change their ways, and foolish Americans keep them in office to do nothing. If they had a real job, most of them would be fired and replaced, yet we the people do not have that option, but we should.

 To be honest, I do not believe there is an honest leader in any nation today who serves to benefit their people.

 This was the case in Israel.

 The government of Israel was divided into civil, judicial, and religious branches, and the leaders of all three branches had become corrupt.

 Sounds familiar, does it not?

 Every leader in every leadership position is to act fairly with integrity and fair dealing, while upholding the laws of the land they serve.

 They are to administer justice.

 If we as voters send someone into leadership positions in our government offices or our courts, many of them become corrupt before they do any good at all.

 It is a well-known fact that much of the Church has become corrupt, and it is the same in the false religions.

We absolutely cannot attempt to rewrite the Word of God every time we see something we do not like.

 Just as Israel will be judged by God, so will the Church and the leaders of every nation upon this world.

 Justice will extend to every part of the societies of this world and every aspect of human behavior.

 In the Church, justice goes far beyond the legal systems of this world.

 The Ten Commandments are all about justice.

 God's Law requires much more than avoiding wrongdoing toward others.

 God's Law requires much more than not harming or hurting others.

 God's Law requires much more than refraining from doing wrong.

 True justice always seeks to do what is right and what is good.

 True justice is the purpose of the Word of God, so we can be more like Christ Jesus.

 Jas 1:26  If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. 

Jas 1:27  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. 

 *****Mic 4:1  But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.

Mic 4:2  And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

 Many people throughout this world live in quiet desperation when they do not have to.

 In Israel, the Temple was destroyed.

 Today, we see the Church also falling apart.

 The truth is that it is impossible that the Houses of God lie in waste forever!

 The Bride of Christ is certain, and the Lord Jesus Christ will return to get His bride, and He will come just as soon as God the Father decides it is time.

 Mar 13:32  But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

This is a true statement because this was the procedure for all Jewish marriages. The bridegroom would build on to the Father’s House, and only the Father would know that everything was ready to accept the new Bride.

 We know this entire world could collapse at any moment when one of the foolish leaders sets off an atomic bomb,  and then all those weapons would be fired, and there are certainly some foolish leaders who could one day do this.

 The fact is that the Temple of God will be rebuilt.

 The Church will hang on till the end.

 The Lord Jesus will return, first to get His Bride, the Church, then to remove sin from this world.

 These are the facts.

 Abraham, who is the father of faith, clearly understood this truth.

 Heb 11:8  By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 

Heb 11:9  By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 

Heb 11:10  For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. 

 What is left of the world after the return of Jesus Christ will walk to please the Lord!

 The Gospel will be located in Jerusalem, and the world that remains will want to know all about it!

 Jesus Christ caused the Gospel to begin in Jerusalem.

 Jerusalem is the place where His ministry began, where He died, where He arose from that death, where He ascended back to Heaven, where He gave the Apostles their commission, and where the Church received the Holy Spirit.

 It is only in Jerusalem that we can walk in the actual paths of the Lord.

 All those who remain after the Lord has judged this world will remember what they had so easily forgotten.

 Rom 1:19  Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 

Rom 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 

 The Gospel is the fulfillment of God's Law.

 Why would any other city be chosen for Jesus to return to?

 Why would we as Christians give up so easily? Where is our faith?

 *****Mic 4:3  And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

Mic 4:4  But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it. 

Mic 4:5  For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever. 

 Our world has not been at peace since the sin of Adam and Eve, but the world will finally be at peace when the Lord Jesus returns, after He causes peace to happen.

 As in every war, food will be scarce, so all military hardware that was used for war will be converted to farm equipment.

We may see tanks pulling plow equipment and building roads and repairing a broken world.

 The word "war" will be totally forgotten and replaced with "love thy neighbor".

 Many a believer has thought, how wonderful it would be to sit at the feet of Jesus, and this will finally be possible when King Jesus rules from Jerusalem.

 King Jesus will also "Judge" all disputes between nations wherever they are located upon this earth.

 I believe the task of those whom the Lord brought with Him, the wife He will no longer separate Himself from, will be to sit and judge the disputes of individuals.

 1Co_6:3  Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

 Can you just imagine the savings when there is no money spent on war, no money spent to combat drugs, no money spent to combat sin, no money spent on bad health, and no money spent on politicians, for none of these things will exist.

 There will be no United Nations, which has never been what it set out to be.

 Rom 14:17  For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 

Rom 14:18  For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.

People will be changed: Tit 3:2  To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

 People will enjoy life completely safe.

 The Jewish people and the Jewish nation will be honored among all people.

 Deu 28:1  And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: 

Deu 28:2  And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. 

 Jerusalem will then be the actual center of the world.

 We should remember God's promise to Abraham.

 Gen 12:1  Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 

Gen 12:2  And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 

Gen 12:3  And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. 

 God never breaks a promise!

 All the people of the world will walk to Jerusalem in the laws of their god, but they will leave Jerusalem walking in the laws of the Lord God of Israel, and now the Lord God of all His Creation.

 It's like salvation. I walked in my own ways before I met Jesus. Now, I walk in His laws and will do so forever and ever!

 All nations will recognize the Word of God as the Laws of God, which is much higher, much deeper, and more complete than anything previous.

 All those who have had to hide their worship of the Lord because of their faith in Him can now walk openly.

All those who were outcasts because of their faith in Jesus Christ can walk with their heads held high.

All those whose walk was not perfect in the Lord will now walk in perfection.

All those who were afflicted because of their faith in Christ will no longer be afflicted.

 There will be no power that can overcome the power of our Savior and our King, King Jesus!

 Prophecy will be fulfilled: Dan 2:44  And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. 

 King Jesus will sit on His throne in Jerusalem because all the prophecies of the Bible will have been fulfilled!

 The Lord Jesus was born in a humble stable, to humble parents, and He served His life as a humble Shepherd, and He humbled Himself and died on a cruel cross, but this same Jesus is God Almighty and now sits as the eternal King of all His Creation.

 This is how the true Judge of Israel began His life on earth.

 *****Mic 5:2  But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. 

Mic 5:3  Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. 

Mic 5:4  And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.

 The Prophet Micah begins to tell us about the true Judge of Israel in more detail.

 It is easy to see that the future of the Church, the Bride of Christ, and the future of Israel lies in that Babe that was born in Bethlehem Ephratah some two thousand years ago.

 The prophecy of Micah was some seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, our King.

 We read all the time about the prophecies of men who may get one or two things right, but the prophets of God had to get every prophecy of God right, or we could not consider them true prophets of God and the Word of God could not be trusted.

 We know that this prophecy of the birth of our Savior was true, so why should we doubt that the Lord Jesus will sit as King of this world for a thousand years?

 It is the Lord Jesus Christ who is our life because He is our future.

 He was born of a virgin just as the Word of God, by the Prophet Isaiah, wrote.

 Isa 7:14  Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 

 This Immanuel is the true food of His people: Joh 6:51  I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 

 It is this Jesus who will gather His Church to bear the fruit of God: Joh 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 

 The world does not get excited about these things, but we who believe and have faith in the work that the Lord Jesus did for our salvation should be excited and should stay excited about the truth of the Word of God. It is time to look up, for our redemption is closer than it has ever been.

 Jer 23:5  Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. 

Jer 23:6  In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

 It is Israel that has given us our Messiah and our soon-coming King.

 Rev 12:1  And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: 

Rev 12:2  And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

 When the Lord Jesus returns to this earth, He will come in His full power.

 He will stand up for His people.

He will defeat the enemies of His people.

He will then be King but also a Shepherd and provide for the needs of His people.

He is God's ideal King.

 The Church, His Bride, will be with Him.

 1Th 4:13  But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 

1Th 4:14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 

1Th 4:15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 

1Th 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 

1Th 4:17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 

 The remnant of Israel will join with the Church; all will be the children of God.

 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. 

Rom 11:26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 

Rom 11:27  For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 

 *****Mic 5:7  And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men. 

Mic 5:8  And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. 

Mic 5:9  Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off. 

We should all know by now the promises made to Abraham, and here in the Book of Micah, we see Micah give us information about the fulfillment of that prophecy.

God will make true believers out of that remnant of Jacob.

We need to understand clearly the promises God made to Abraham.

Paul wrote: Rom 9:8  That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. 

Rom 9:9  For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son. 

Rom 9:10  And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; 

Rom 9:11  (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) 

Rom 9:12  It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 

Rom 9:13  As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. 

It was Jacob who inherited his father's blessing, but Jacob was never a perfect man, and no patriarch of Israel can be seen as a perfect model of Christian morals.

We should also understand that it was the fear of his brother Esau that sent Jacob to find a Gentile bride. That Gentile bride is the Church.

The promise to Abraham was to be a blessing to all nations and not just to the Jews.

Micah describes a remnant that will be as fresh as the morning dew, sharing the water of life with the nations that remain after the Tribulation period.

Jer_30:7  Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.

It is only at this time that the Jews become true believers.

After this remnant is noted as fresh as the morning dew, they will be to the Gentiles as a lion among the beasts.

At this time, all the animals will have become docile, and none of them will be against mankind nor mankind against the animals.

That remnant of the Jews will be associated with the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

Gen 49:9  Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? 

Rev 5:5  And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. 

Israel will finally become a tool in the hand of God during the Tribulation period of seven years.

God will bring the Tribulation period to an end.

Mic 5:15  And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard. 

Zep 3:8  Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.

These things have already begun to take place.

Amen

The Testimony of the LORD

 The Testimony of God

 Book of Micah Chapters 1 and 2

 

The name Micah is a shortened form of Micaiah, which means "who is like Jehovah"?

 What is a testimony?

 A testimony is a statement made for the purpose of establishing or proving some fact.

 A testimony is the declaration of a witness. How my life has changed since the Lord Jesus Christ came into my heart and stayed.

 Thus, the whole Bible is a testimony of JEHOVAH’S sovereign will, and the Gospel is a special testimony of the riches of His grace in Christ Jesus to the church and people.

 If we are not willing to testify of the truth of our Savior, then we do not have much of a testimony.

 Psa 19:7  The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. 

 1Jn 5:11  And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 

1Jn 5:12  He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 

 Micah begins his ministry by warning of the coming judgment of God when true justice will finally, conclusively, and completely be executed.

 All the wicked and the unjust in this world will have to give an account for their behavior.

 A day is coming when everyone will face the "judgment" of God.

 *****Mic 1:1  The word of the LORD that came to Micah the Morasthite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

 This prophecy will be against the Northern Tribes.

 Micah presents Yahweh as the righteous Judge and the faithful Shepherd of Israel.

 His message is that God hates sin, lawlessness, idolatry, and religious formality.

 Religious formality refers to the strict adherence to outward rituals, rules, or procedures in religious practice, often at the expense of genuine spiritual engagement and heartfelt devotion.

 What does God say? 2Ti_3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: “from such turn away”.

 How are we to worship God? Jhn_4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

 Any other worship is in vain! Mat 15:9  But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 

 Micah was from a small town about twenty-five miles southwest of Jerusalem called Moresheth.

 We should understand that in the coming judgment, God is not going to send an angel or anyone else; He is coming Himself!

 *****Mic 1:2  Hear, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord GOD be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple. 

Mic 1:3  For, behold, the LORD cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth. 

 Micah prophesied for the most part to the Northern Tribes, but immediately the Holy Spirit says, "Hear all ye people, O earth and all that is therein".

 There is no part of the Bible that we should leave out of our studies!

 All his life, Micah stayed true to the Word of God.

 Micah not only preached the "judgment" of God, but he also preached the "Love" of God.

 Judgment is certain for those who rebel against God, and just as certain is God's love for those who keep a personal relationship with Him.

 We should also understand that there is no one we can compare to the Holy Trinity!

God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. Not three gods but the three persons of the Triune God.

 Isa 46:8  Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors. 

Isa 46:9  Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 

Isa 46:10  Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: 

 Samaria and Jerusalem would both face the harsh condemnation of God.

 These were the capitals that represented the two kingdoms and everyone in them.

 We should know that the fate of nations depends upon the people of that nation.

That national leader might not do right according to the Word of God, but we do not have to follow them. They will be judged harshly for how they had led their nation.

 In fact, the fate of nations depends entirely on the fate of God's people.

 The Bible testifies to the judgment that will take place if we transgress the covenants God has made with His people.

 The destruction of the Northern and Southern tribes of Israel is a testimony to the nations of this world of how God hates sin.

 God is the Eyewitness to these truths!

 God does not need anyone to tell Him how evil the world has become!

 We all should take notice that if God is that severe with His own people, who should be the Light of the world, how can they think that God has too much love to punish this world?

The punishment of the Jews did not begin to end until May 14, 1948, and God has not begun judgment on the Church as of yet, except to say it is ongoing, and then after this He will judge this world.

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

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

 Verse three tells us that the "Day of the Lord" has come and the LORD has appeared.

Those high places are everywhere where false worship takes place.

 Up until this time, the Lord was out of view because just His glory would cause this world to burn and people to perish.

 How can anyone think that God will not save His people, those who worship Him in Spirit and Truth, from His wrath?

 The liberal church must have the same Bible I have, though many of them have removed much of the truth of God from it.

 Rom 11:33  O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 

Rom 11:34  For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 

 It is the glory of God that will set this world on fire!

 *****Mic 1:4  And the mountains shall be molten under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, and as the waters that are poured down a steep place. 

 When the Lord Jesus steps onto this earth, the consequences become immediately noticeable. When He touches the mountains, they become like wax before the fire. His majesty is a consuming fire.

 The valleys collect that waxy mire, and in the end the world becomes almost level except for Jerusalem. 

 Heb_12:29  For our God is a consuming fire.

 Psa 68:1  Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him. 

Psa 68:2  As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. 

Psa 68:3  But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice. 

 Now we know that this does not happen till the end times and has not yet taken place.

 The destruction that Micah is referring to is the imminent destruction of the Northern Ten Tribes by the Assyrian Empire led by Shamaneser, and then the invasion of the Southern Empire by the Babylonians led by Nebuchadnezzar about 125 years later.

 The final fulfillment of all these things will take place when the Lord Jesus returns to claim this world as His own.

 Psa 96:13  Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth. 

 Some of these things can be applied to us here today.

 Those mountains of difficulties we face as Christians can melt like wax so that we can pass over them.

As Christians, we will spend our days on top of the mountain or down in the valleys; we will very seldom be completely settled, especially during these end times.

 Isa 49:11  And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.

 *****Mic 1:5  For the transgression of Jacob is all this, and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? is it not Samaria? and what are the high places of Judah? are they not Jerusalem? 

Mic 1:6  Therefore I will make Samaria as an heap of the field, and as plantings of a vineyard: and I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley, and I will discover the foundations thereof. 

Mic 1:7  And all the graven images thereof shall be beaten to pieces, and all the hires thereof shall be burned with the fire, and all the idols thereof will I lay desolate: for she gathered it of the hire of an harlot, and they shall return to the hire of an harlot. 

 What will the Lord Jesus destroy when He comes again to this earth?

 1) He will destroy all the places that wicked men and women considered to be safe.

 Rev_6:16  And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

 2) He will destroy all (ALL) the militaries upon this earth that go against Israel.

 Rev 14:20  And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs. 

 3) God will destroy all places of false worship.

 No nation will be safe from the wrath of God.

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

 Why will God destroy this world we live in today? It's very simple.

 The reason for God's actions is because of the transgression and the sins of His creation.

 All those who have rejected the Lord Jesus Christ will be destroyed along with them because they are not God's people but are the children of Satan.

 Joh 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 

 Mat_7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

 What about Israel? The seat of corruption lies in the capitals of these separated nations.

 Governments have the power to remove evil wickedness from their nations, but in most nations, corruption begins with the government.

 There is no doubt that Satan is in control of most nations’ capitals, if not all of them.

 What are the facts? The Assyrians left only a heap when they destroyed Samaria.

 The foundations of corruption were laid bare.

  The only good side was the fact that the land could now be plowed to produce needed crops, which the world will need after Jesus Christ defeats this world of sin.

 For the sinner, God will sometimes have to break down the walls that we have built ourselves just so He can reach the heart.

 These things are mostly very painful. That Heavenly Hickory will become a Rod of Destruction.

 God does not mind smashing idols to pieces, but the gifts and the treasuries of those places of worship will be plundered.

 The Assyrians plundered the places of false worship and took the gold and silver and other valuables, and used them to make more of their own false gods.

This world just loves its many gods!

 Spiritual harlotry is taking the things that belong to God and giving them to a false god.

 These are the things of the heart: worship, praise, and faithfulness.

 Idolatry is everything that takes our eye away from the Lord Jesus Christ as the center of our lives.

 1Jn 5:19  And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. 

1Jn 5:20  And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. 

1Jn 5:21  Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

 Micah mourns because this punishment extends to Judah also.

 “Stripped and naked” describes the condition of the people that the King of Assyria took back to Nineveh with him.

 Micah would do the same in Judah to show the people what the destruction of the people looked like.

 Listen to Isaiah: Isa 20:2  At the same time spake the LORD by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot. 

Isa 20:3  And the LORD said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia; 

Isa 20:4  So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt. 

 The Hebrew word “tannin” is used where we get our English word dragons, but it can mean other animals or beasts.

 The Hebrew word"tannin". It typically translates to "sea monster" or "dragon" and is associated with formidable creatures in biblical texts.

 The term can often symbolize power and chaos, often representing evil or national oppression.

 In some contexts, it is also linked to the concept of a leviathan, embodying death and disorder.

 The “wailing like the dragons” is a metaphor for profound, animal-like grief — a cry so raw and desperate that it echoes the howls of wild beasts.

 It emphasizes the severity of the coming judgment, Micah's own personal anguish, and the desolate state of the nation of Israel, the Northern Tribes.

 It’s not just a description of sound; it’s a call to recognize the seriousness of sin and the weight of God’s wrath.

 God said the wound of Israel, the Northern Tribes, was incurable because it had now passed to Judah.

 We see that sin is contagious!

 God set aside His "grace" from Israel, and only His wrath was left.

 God would destroy the Northern Tribes using the hands of the Assyrians.

 The same sins of the Northern Tribes led to the same sins of the Southern Tribes and would lead to the same fate.

 We know that God used the hands of Babylon on the Southern Tribes.

 God would not have put these things in the Bible if not for our own learning.

 The citizens of the world are just as guilty today of idolatry, if not more so.

 Our idols may not be the same, though some are, but to worship anything but the Living God and True God is still a shameful sin.

 We cannot give ourselves to the false gods of this world and still call ourselves Christians or the children of God. We are called Christians because we are trying to be like Jesus Christ.

 Idolatry in any form of false worship will doom us to Hell!

 *****Mic 2:1  Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand. 

 What does God mean here? They were not led to idolatry by others; it was the leaders who conceived these evil things in their own hearts.

Those who are lost spend a lot of time planning some sin and planning to sin.

 All idols are just figments of people's imaginations!

 The heart conceives this wickedness, and with their hands they make themselves a god, so their hands become their gods.

 They no longer lifted their hands to God; they lifted their hands to themselves.

 As my Pastor says, their hands were no longer Holy.

 Today we would say, "Look what I can do".

 Today, this woe is for all those in power, the people with money and influence, who are only interested in self-enrichment, stop at nothing to practise the evil they conceive when they are at rest, and the next day they start doing it.

 We should understand that there is only one cause for the "judgment" of God, and it is sin!

 Judgment is coming!

Judgment is inevitable!

Judgment is inescapable!

 Why? Listen to what God says. Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 

 This does not mean just a few, “but all”, every living soul that has ever put their foot down upon this earth and those yet to be born.

 This world is full of people who hate for other people to have what they do not have.

This is the beginning of what is called socialism.

 *****Mic 2:2  And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.

 Just turn on the news, and you will see open violence and fraud that have been planned and put in place.

 Isa 5:8  Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth! 

 We hear all the time about how generous the richest men are to charities, when the charities they donate to are immoral and sinful.

 We do not hear how they buy up every piece of land in our nation until they own millions of acres, and we should ask ourselves why.

 God knows why and pronounces this woe on them.

 Covetousness is the sin of the world. Just look at the war in the Middle East that is taking place now.

 Iran is planning, plotting, and telling the world that they own a body of water just because it touches their nation. If they get away with it, then every nation that joins the seas will try to do the same thing.

 They keep this nonsense going on while in the background they are plotting for the destruction of all people they hate, making more war machines, and are determined to have a nuclear bomb.

 There are a lot of things going on in this world, some of them good, not many, but covetousness, robbery, and oppression are the greatest crimes and are never brought to justice.

 When the laws of God are violated, the rights of one's neighbors are violated.

 Rom 7:7  What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. 

 When sin occupies our hearts, then sin will come from our hands.

 Whatever our area of weakness, God warns us against thinking evil thoughts and planning or plotting evil.

 Mat 15:18  But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 

Mat 15:19  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 

 Those guilty of this will one day face the wrath of God.

 *****Mic 2:3  Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks; neither shall ye go haughtily: for this time is evil.

 God says we will reap what we sow.

Some people cannot get a good night's sleep because doing evil is always on their minds.

Those mentioned in verse one, those who devise iniquity and work evil upon their beds and then do that evil, have a special judgment coming from the Lord.

As they devise some new evil, God will devise a new penalty.

Who is this family that God is so against? It is Israel.

Amo 3:1  Hear this word that the LORD hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying, 

Amo 3:2  You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.

When God mentions their necks, He is referring to a yoke put on the necks of animals that plow.

Hos 10:11  And Ephraim is as an heifer that is taught, and loveth to tread out the corn; but I passed over upon her fair neck: I will make Ephraim to ride; Judah shall plow, and Jacob shall break his clods. 

Hos 10:12  Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. 

This yoke is their conquest and their exile at the hands of foreign powers.

Jer 27:12  I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.

God says it is this judgment that will remove the sinful pride from Israel, and it will be an evil time, full of calamity.

This yoke will be so heavy it will be a burden that will crush them.

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

Deu 32:36  For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left. 

Deu 32:37  And he shall say, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted, 

And the Lord continues:

*****Mic 2:6  Prophesy ye not, say they to them that prophesy: they shall not prophesy to them, that they shall not take shame. 

Mic 2:7  O thou that art named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the LORD straitened? are these his doings? do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly? 

Mic 2:8  Even of late my people is risen up as an enemy: ye pull off the robe with the garment from them that pass by securely as men averse from war. 

Here is another place in the Bible that is being repeated in this day and time.

The people persecuted God's true prophets and placed their trust in the false prophets of the world.

What is happening? Another church closes its doors every week because people do not want to hear the truth.

The mega churches are still growing because these worldly prophets preach only half-truths and have messages that assure the people of security and prosperity, which God made no such promises here on earth.

The average church just wants to hear pleasant things, but I hate to inform them that, as loving as the Lord Jesus is, He is bringing a calamity when He returns, and it will not be pleasant.

Church is not about having fun; it is for preparing for the return of Jesus Christ! This is the job of the Church.

Isa 30:10  Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: 

Isa 30:11  Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us. 

2Ti 4:3  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 

2Ti 4:4  And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

What does God say to do if we hear such preaching?

Mic 2:10  Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction. 

A truth that we can understand is that all those who preach a deceiving gospel will be right beside the Devil in the hottest part of Hell, and they will have no remedy.

*****Mic 2:12  I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men. 

What God is saying about the judgment of Israel will hold to be true, but we must never think that God will allow the annihilation of all the people of Israel.

God will remove sin and corruption from this world, and those who do such things had better be aware of this and be warned.

God still has a plan of salvation and restoration that will survive and be put in place in the end.

Those who want to see a true miracle need to be aware that this whole earth will one day be like the Garden of Eden was in the first week of creation.

Praise the Lord, punishment is not the last Word from God!

Jer 31:10  Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. 

Jer 31:11  For the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he. 

Jer 31:12  Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all. 

This is much greater than what has been happening since May 14, 1948.

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. 

Rom 11:26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 

Rom 11:27  For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

*****Mic 2:13  The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the LORD on the head of them. 

We know that there is a lot of preaching about the Antichrist and the end times, but we must keep one thing in mind.

It is the Lord Jesus Christ, the only One who can break us out of Satan's prison.

He is the Breaker!

The Lord Jesus will one day soon burst upon the scene of this world to first destroy sin and corruption and then remake this world.

The pains of bondage will be destroyed because He is also the Good Shepherd who will lead His own sheep out and bring them into freedom and care for them for eternity.

The Lord Jesus has already destroyed the bondage of sin and condemnation by dying in our place.

The Lord Jesus has already destroyed the prison of death and the grave at the cross.

The Lord Jesus has already made us acceptable to our Heavenly Father if we trust and follow Him in His ways.

The Lord will return to "deliver" us to His Father as His wife, the Bride of Christ.

It is called Redeemed!

Do we have the same faith as Job? 

Job 19:25  For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 

Job 19:26  And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: 

Job 19:27  Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me. 

These things are not very far from being completed with the Church and then Israel.

Rom 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 

Rom 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

The Lord Jesus Christ will be our Breaker, our King, and our Lord.

Amen