The Privilege of Being in the Family of God

 The Privilege of Adoption into the God's Family

 Book of Galatians Chapter 4 Verses 1 through 20

 Our lesson does a great job of presenting the truth of Faith and the Grace of God and being adopted into the family of God.

 All our lessons have been good this quarter.

 I may go a little bit differently today as I usually do.

 We know some churches of Galatia were teaching that a person could be saved by the Law, the Law being the Laws of Moses.

 You know that title itself should tell us that the law was lacking.

 The Bible is best stated as the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

 These churches had allowed some Judaizers to come in with a false teaching and they had turned from the teaching of "faith" by the Apostle Paul.

 They now felt they could be saved by being good, doing their best, and being religious.

 Being religious means people who have given themselves to religion and are so influenced by it that they are different from the world.

 Christianity means we are a follower of the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ by faith!

 Christianity is a personal experience with our Savior!

 We should all do our best to be good according to the Word of God.

We all should be faithful in worshipping God and in a good church.

 We must not think this is the means of our salvation!

 The Bible is very clear and forceful, that doing these things does not save a person!

 When we get alone with God, “are we” speaking to Him as a maturing Christian or as a baby Christian?

 He knows what we are and none of us can be perfect until we meet Jesus when He returns, and He will return!

 If we ever want to get to Heaven, we had better know that we must be perfect, and perfection only comes with a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ!

 Mat 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

 In the Lord's Sermon on the Mount, He explained the big difference in just obeying the Law and the truth of God.

 There is a big difference between obedience and holiness!

 The big difference in being a Christian is, “we do not need a written list of laws because we have the Holy Spirit living within us” and He will put His laws in our minds and write them down in our hearts.

 Heb 10:15  Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, 

Heb 10:16  This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 

Heb 10:17  And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. 

Heb 10:18  Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. 

 In the Lord Jesus Christ, we have the perfect conception of love, and this is what He wants from us.

 *****Gal 4:1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;

Gal 4:2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.

 Under Roman law, a child was an infant until they were seven years old and were a child until they reached the age of twenty-five.

 During this time a bondservant would be the one to teach that child or be responsible for taking that child to the tutors or a schoolmaster.

 During this time, these children “had no say so in the affairs of their father” even though they were heirs to whatever their father owned.

 In this, they were no different from a bondservant who would never be an heir.

 Only after maturity does this person become a true heir and then lord of that property of his father.

 Even if that father no longer lived that guardian or governor would direct that heir until he reached the proper age, and the heir had no power to make those decisions concerning his inheritance.

 The father could and would determine that period of time before that heir had the authority over his own inheritance!

 We can see that even though this son was an heir and a future lord, he was no more than a slave until that time set by his father.

 Caesar had ruled that under the Gallic tribes of Galatia, the father had sole power of life and death over his wife and children.

 *****Gal 4:3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:

 There was a time when the entire world was under bondage to one nation, or another as described in the Book of Daniel.

 Daniel 2 Verses 37 through 44.

 To the Jews, this bondage meant the sacrifices, the rituals, and the sacrifices of the Old Testament that directed all the facets of Jewish life.

 It meant philosophy and the traditions of men, and their teachings.

 It meant the ordinances, rules, and regulations of men, including the oral law.

 It meant all the laws of the Old Testament.

 It was impossible to keep all those old laws.

 Act 15:10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

 Gal 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

 All things of religion will choke the life out of Christianity if we allow it!

 The elements, of the world mean the things of this world that we use to get right with God and try to secure the favor of God.

 This also includes anything we can use to justify ourselves to God, anything we can do through our own efforts, and we will never get close to God doing these things.

 But there came a time when God decided it was time to change the things that brought us under bondage to this world.

 *****Gal 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

Gal 4:5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

 The fullness of time here represents the time that our Heavenly Father decided to begin the Church Age and end the Age of the Law as the schoolmaster.

 The Age of Grace began.

 Eph 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

 We can say the fullness of time is the time appointed by God and was foretold by the true Prophets of God.

 We should know by now that Jehovah God is in control of all the things in this world.

 This world lives every day under the providence of God!

 God's preserving and governing of all, by means of second causes.

 Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

 The Lord Jesus Christ is the glue that holds His creation together!

 When the first part of our Savior's work was completed, He went back to His throne in Heaven until the Church Age reaches its fulfillment and then He will return.

 Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

Heb 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

Heb 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Heb 1:4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

 There should be no doubt that we are in these last days.

 The Lord Jesus Christ came to this earth to deliver this world from sin!

 This was His sole purpose, and He completed that work.

 Today Jesus Christ walks “in our bodies” until He returns to Redeem us.

 Jesus was not some angel!

 The first coming of Christ was not by chance!

 Jesus Christ came in the timing set aside by God the Father!

 He did not come one day early, and He did not leave one day late. He is always on time!

 Jesus Christ was born of a particular person, at a particular time, in a particular way, and under a particular system, the Law.

 Jesus was subject to the same system in which He came to save all the world from it.

The world had been specially prepared for His first coming!

 The Law had done its work.

The world was full of spiritually starved people ready for a change.

The world was at peace under Roman rule.

The world was under the Greek language making communication possible no matter where you went.

The Romans had built roads everywhere making travel easier.

 God's messenger, John the Baptist, was in place.

 Mar 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;

Mar 1:2 As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

Mar 1:3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

 Heb 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

 Why did Jesus come? He came to redeem God's people!

 God's people are all those who have "faith" in the work of Jesus Christ!

 Every believer becomes the adopted sons and daughters of God!

 *****Gal 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Gal 4:7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

 When we trust in the work of Christ for our salvation we receive the Holy Spirit of Jesus, the Holy Spirit.

 Paul asked these Galatians: Gal 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

 These people knew they had never felt the presence of the Holy Spirit until they heard the preaching of the Apostle Paul.

 Because we have the Spirit of Jesus living within us, God looks upon us as His sons and daughters.

 What is the first thing we should do?

 2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

2Co 6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

 We cannot allow the remnants of our past to influence our new life!

 That unclean thing is what is called an idol.

 As we come out from the world we begin to meet our true family, the family of God.

 As we have learned earlier, the Holy Spirit is somewhat like a downpayment on our eternal life, until Christ returns to take us home.

 We become heirs and sons because of our faith in Jesus Christ and the Grace of our heavenly Father!

 1Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

1Pe 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

1Pe 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

 Then the last time will be the day of the Rapture of the Church, the end of the Church Age.

 Chapters 2 and 3 and the first verse in Chapter 4 of the Book of Revelation.

 The word adoption means to place us as God's sons and daughters, and He will never release us back into this wicked world.

 1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

 For many days now, we will be telling ourselves we just want to go home.

 Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

Rom 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

 We are no longer servants to this sinful world.

 *****Gal 4:8 Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.

 I believe every one of us agrees with this verse.

 There is no God but Jehovah who can change one thing on this earth!

 When we look back on our old lives before our faith in Jesus, most of us do not like who or what we were.

 We may have had knowledge of God, but we did not know Him in a personal way, and this is what God wants from us, a personal relationship.

 We did not know life until we met Jesus!

 We served the false gods of this world until we met Jesus!

 Many of us worshipped that almighty dollar because the things of this world are only idols.

 Eph 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

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

 We were in bondage to the things of this world.

 Now we know better so, why in the world would we ever want to go back into that lost world?

 *****Gal 4:9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

Gal 4:10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.

Gal 4:11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

 It is a privilege to know the truth of God, a privilege we had better not abuse.

 We should also understand that God knew us before we were even born on this earth.

 In some places in the Bible, it shows that God talks to us while we are in the womb of our mothers.

 God will not do for one that He will not do for another! Only He knows what is best for us.

 It is a humbling fact, that God cared enough to send someone to us to tell us about Jesus and the Gospel.

 There is nothing in this world that can give life.

 Heb 7:18 For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.

Heb 7:19 For the law made nothing perfect, “but the bringing in of a better hope did”; by the which we draw nigh unto God.

 The Apostle Paul is not condemning the observance of these things but teaching them that God will never justify them for observing these days.

 Bondage to these things forfeits the liberty of the Gospel!

 We are not bound to observe any ritual of any church.

 The only things Jesus said for us are Baptism and the Lord's Supper, but even these things cannot justify us.

 We do these things because our Lord did these things, and He said to follow Him.

 So, we follow Him in Baptism, and we partake of the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of Him.

 Paul knew that these churches in Galatia were about to turn back to the Law and Paul was doing His best to tell them how foolish this was.

 Every religion in this world is a religion of works!

 People trying to please their god making these religions, religions of works.

 The only thing that pleases God is "faith" in the work of His Son for our salvation!

 Once we decide that we need to do something to make God love us, we are headed for trouble.

 Heb 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

Heb 10:39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

 We are walking a dangerous path when we turn our backs on God!

 When we speak to some in the church who seem to be losing their faith, we must remember they are still our brothers and sisters in Christ and the children of God.

 *****Gal 4:12 Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.

 Paul has not been too harsh to these churches because they are still family notice the word brethren.

 This is an example for us all. Our own Pastor preaches hard, and some may not always agree with the message, but we had better remember that he is a minister of God called to preach the messages God has given him by the Holy Spirit.

 He is also a brother in Christ who is in the same family as all God's children.

 If He does not preach God's message, then he will answer to God.

 If we do not listen to that message and apply it to our lives, Jesus may remind us of that when we meet Him in the clouds.

 Every message is real when it matches what God has said in the Scriptures.

 We do not have to abide by any message that goes against the Word of God!

 Paul was being criticized for his messages of truth when it was the Judaizers who had the false message.

 Even now Paul did not treat them as his enemies.

 Paul assured them that they had not injured him, they had only injured themselves.

 God gives us this time after our salvation to earn rewards given to us when we get to Heaven.

 These rewards are far more than the promised Mansion and eternal life.

 We can even be blessed as we witness for the Lord Jesus Christ here on earth.

 God has all these things in mind when He sends a message to our Pastor for him to preach to us.

 *****Gal 4:13 Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.

Gal 4:14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

Gal 4:15 Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.

Gal 4:16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?

 Even on a bad day when our pastor is feeling bad, he will always give us the truth of God!

 Our Pastor is never ever our enemy!

 Paul had a physical affliction that bothered him from time to time and he asked the Lord to remove it, and the Lord said to him, "My Grace Is sufficient" for it to overcome your weakness.

 When a true man of God is preaching full of the Holy Spirit, God's power to him will overcome all his deficiencies.

 It is the message that is important, not the physical condition of that man of God!

 When Paul first came to these people he was welcomed with open arms.

 It was the legalism of the Judaizers that made things change.

 This is what a false message does. It will cause friction in that body of believers.

 Many a church has split for these same things.

 1Ti 5:17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.

 Tit 3:8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

Tit 3:9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

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.

 Verse 15 also hints to us that the physical problem that Paul had was with his eyes.

 The people who reject the truth of Jesus Christ are outside the church.

 We are not to hate them, but we must know this fact and witness to them if we are able.

 Notice it said if you have witnessed to them at least twice then you are not obligated to go that person a third time but someone else can go.

 It was the Judaizers who were religionists who were Paul's true enemy and the enemies of the Church!

 *****Gal 4:17 They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.

Gal 4:18 But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.

 Notice Paul did not mention names. Everyone present knew who Paul was referring to.

 Gal 1:7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

 All those who pervert the Gospel of Jesus Christ are false teachers!

 We must always be on guard and reject false preachers and teachers.

 These Judaizers were very zealous in their work, trying their best to reconvert as many of the Jews as they could and convert any Gentile to Judaism who listened to them.

 They did not care if they got saved or not.

 Their goal was to stop Christianity in its tracks.

 Most of the world is trying to do the same today but this is impossible!

 The very first thing they will try to do is to discredit that Pastor (preacher) who teaches the truth.

 False teachers try to focus people on the law, work, effort, rituals, sacrifice, and rules.

 False teachers reject the Grace of God.

 Today false teachers claim some imaginary powers that they do not have and work for the money they can get from those who trust them.

 Today God does all healing without the help of some mediator.

 The power of healing belongs to God Himself and He does this work through prayers!

 The true preacher seeks to focus people on this Almighty God who gave us a plan for salvation.

 It is His plan and there is no other plan than His that will work!

 God's plan works only through the Lord Jesus Christ. These are His conditions, and we must not question His plan!

 The Lord Jesus said: Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

 Jesus also said: Mat 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

 Rom 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

 Those who deny the truth of Jesus Christ are all antichrists!

 2Jn 1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

2Jn 1:8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.

2Jn 1:9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

 *****Gal 4:19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,

Gal 4:20 I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.

 We as a church should welcome those Evangelist and Missionaries who preach the truth and in our church our Pastor makes this selection, and this is the way it should be in every Gospel church.

 There is only one Gospel!

 The true preacher seeks only to help believers.

 The true preacher considers all believers as his dear children.

 The true preacher will guard the church from error.

 The true preacher’s heart is tender and warm, protecting and providing for the church.

 Most people think of a growing church as one that adds many new members, but the truth is a growing church is a church growing in its relationship with Jesus Christ and His Heavenly Father who becomes our ABBA Father

 Nothing else in this world is more important than our relationship with our Savior.

 These are the same ones who are God's children!

 Amen.

The First Church Council

 Paul's Participation in the Jerusalem Council

 Book Galatians Chapter 2 Verses 1 through 10

 From Chapter 1 we learned that the Apostle Paul's preaching of Salvation by the "Grace of God" had met much criticism, but this criticism was mainly from the Jewish religion.

 This criticism had reached a point where it was determined that the Church leaders would come together to make a final decision on this matter.

It had been the Jews known as Judaizers, who had called for this council hoping the leaders of the Church in Jerusalem would side with them.

 Though there were many Church councils over the years, the first Jerusalem Council was the most important.

 What we find is that our old friends the Pharisees are stirring up trouble again.

 In reality, there was a large number of Pharisees who accepted Jesus as the true Messiah after His death and resurrection.

 In fact, this would be a natural result for an honest-thinking Pharisee.

 Most of the Pharisees were looking for the Messiah to come.

 The Pharisees knew the Scriptures better than the average Jew.

 When the Apostles proved that Jesus was the Messiah from the Scriptures, the Pharisee was bound to see the evidence.

 If a Pharisee had an honest and open heart he would be convicted by the Holy Spirit as much as any other Lost Soul.

 However, the Pharisees would tend to see Jesus as the fulfillment of Judaism, not a replacement of it.

The Pharisees would see Jesus as an addition to the Law of Moses, not replacing it.

The Pharisees would see Jesus as adding belief to their rituals, not replacing them.

The Pharisee would see Jesus adding Baptism to the ordinances, not replacing the ordinance.

 Because the Pharisees had extensive training and had made a lifetime commitment to the keeping of the Law, oral and traditional, they would be very slow to give up the Law.

 They would be very slow to rely on the Righteousness of Jesus the Messiah and not the righteousness of the Law.

 But we do see where some of them made a complete break with Judaism.

 It is these things that caused the First Council of the Church.

 Act 15:5  But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. 

Act 15:6  And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.

 We will immediately be able to see that the question at the Council in Jerusalem had grown much greater than circumcision from the Church at Antioch.

 The question at Jerusalem became "does a man have to keep the whole law to be saved" and accepted into the Church?

 We would be wrong to believe these questions have disappeared today!

 1) Can a person earn favor with God? Or do they receive the favor of God?

2) Are they acceptable to God because they keep the Law? Or are they saved by confessing that they have broken the law and are dependent entirely upon the Lord Jesus Christ?

3) Do we work to make ourselves righteous or do we cast ourselves upon the righteousness of Jesus?

4) Do we pray to the Lord saying Lord I come on my own righteousness, or I come on your righteousness?

5) Do we pray Lord I come with my own package of works, or I come seeking your mercy and grace?

6) Do we pray to the Lord I came to be praised for my own works, or do we praise the Lord because He did all the work?

7) Are we to receive glory because we have done good, or is the glory to be lifted to Jesus for who He is and what He has done?

8) Is the Lord Jesus God, who came down from Heaven to save us or not?

 Martin Luther broke with Catholic Doctrine on some of these same issues!

 Rom 1:17  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 

 Do we believe what the Bible says or not?

 Luther came to realize that works have no part in our salvation.

 It is a fact that there are no works to do to receive the Grace of God but there are some works that should happen after salvation.

 Jas 2:20  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 

 We need to study every question that is asked about salvation in order to properly lead someone to the Lord!

 *****Gal 2:1  Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also. 

 At the end of last week's lesson, Paul had returned to his hometown of Tarsus and then to Antioch Syria where the first Church outside of Jerusalem had been established.

 Now in the first verse of Chapter Two, Paul is returning to Jerusalem for the first council of the Church and fourteen years have passed.

 This first council at Jerusalem could easily have stopped the Church before it ever got started.

 The Apostle Paul was faithful to give a full account of the Gospel he had preached among the Gentiles, who were still known as Heathen to the Jews, indicating a lower class of people.

 Paul preached that Christianity must be free from all mixture of Judaism.

 This would have seemed ungrateful to some because even the Lord Jesus was a Jew.

 Joh 4:21  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 

Joh 4:22  Ye worship ye know not what: "we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews". 

 Notice Jesus claims to be a Jew just like the disciples who were with Him.

 We should understand that Christianity is the New Testament, the New Covenant, God has made with all the people of Earth.

 We should also notice that Paul was very careful and going to extra pains, to list his contacts with the Church in Jerusalem.

 It had to be understood that the Doctrine of Salvation that Paul preached had come from Jesus Christ and not from the leaders of the Church of Jerusalem.

 It was for the benefit of the Jews that these precautions were made and not so much for the benefit of the Gentiles.

 Paul was not going to change the way he preached so easily.

 Likewise, the Jews were not going to accept the Gentiles so easily.

 We must also understand the other Apostles had to recognize that the calling of the Apostle Paul had met the basic qualifications for being an Apostle being called by Christ Himself.

 Paul's calling and his service had now proven itself for fourteen years.

 Paul did not enter Jerusalem to answer his critics. 

Nothing that happened in Jerusalem would change the calling of Paul, because Paul was God-called and not man-called.

 1Co 15:3  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 

1Co 15:4  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 

1Co 15:5  And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 

1Co 15:6  After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 

1Co 15:7  After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 

1Co 15:8  And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

 *****Gal 2:2  And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain. 

 Paul's intent was for him to defend his work in the Gospel.

 If the other Apostles disagreed with Paul, it would not have changed Paul's calling. 

God intended for the Church to survive at all costs.

 What had Jesus told to Peter?

 Mat_16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

 I think it is almost every message that our Pastor says he will not back down, and we had better be prepared to stand with him.

 No preacher is to run in vain!

 Every evangelist, Pastor, preacher, and missionary, must preach the "Gospel" and only the "Gospel" and he must build upon that ministry as the truth and it is.

 We are not to allow ritual, rule, ceremony, or law to be added to the Gospel!

 People are saved and people grow only by the Gospel, the "Good News" of God's love for the world, His creation!

 Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

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

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

 *****Gal 2:3  But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised: 

Gal 2:4  And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: 

Gal 2:5  To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. 

 We must never be intimidated into giving up the truth of the Gospel as our own government has been trying to do lately!

 There are as many so-called preachers who have only enough truth to be called a man of God when they are lost as Job's Turkey and causing damage to the Church and they don't care, they just buy themselves another Jet plane or they write another book but we can be sure they will answer to God.

 There is only one Gospel and there will never be a modern version because God never changes!

 The Lord Jesus Christ will never come back to this Earth, (His Creation) to face another cross!

 The Apostle Paul's version of the Gospel is still the Gospel that saves!

 There is only one "Gospel" and there will never be another "Gospel" that is the "Good News" for mankind!

 The 'Gospel" of the "Grace" of God and "Grace Alone" that Paul preached did arouse many of the Jews.

 Every practicing Jew was circumcised when they were eight days old and they leaned heavily on the Law of Moses all the days of their lives.

 When they accepted the truth of Jesus Christ, they still refused to reject Judaism.

 In their minds the Lord Jesus only changed a few things and Judaism was still the key to life with Jehovah.

 They proclaimed that every Christian would first have to become a practicing Jew.

 Only after becoming a Jew could, they then accept the teachings of Christ and be baptized.

 Paul rejected this and Paul was right even though Paul was a practicing Jew.

 The Church would have failed before it got started if this had been true.

 The Jews were shocked that Paul taught such a thing.

 These Jews were called Judaizers.

 It was determined by these Judaizers that Paul could not have gotten his message from Jehovah, and they were wrong.

 If anything is added to the Gospel, then it is no longer the Gospel.

 If anything is taken away from the Gospel, then it is no longer the Gospel.

 Jehovah was very serious about this!

 Rev 22:18  For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 

Rev 22:19  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

 Paul took with him Barnabas and Titus who were fellow workers with him in the Gospel.

 Barnabas was a Jew who had been converted in Jerusalem.

 Titus was a Heathen Gentile, and he was not about to become a Jew.

 Titus had never been inside the Jewish Temple, and he had no desire to enter into it.

 Titus had not been circumcised!

 Titus had not committed himself to the Law of Moses nor the rituals of Judaism.

 Titus was a perfect example of salvation by "Grace Alone".

 Titus had answered the calling of Christ to become a Preacher.

 Judaizers are just "Legalists".

 Legalists are those people who add to the salvation plan of God.

 Christianity is not now and never will be a blend of Judaism and the teachings of Christ.

 Christianity is not now and never will be a blend of the Muslim and the Koran, and the teachings of Jesus Christ.

 Christianity is not now and never will be a blend of Hinduism and the teachings of Jesus Christ.

 In fact, Christianity can only be the "Good News" of Jesus Christ and nothing but salvation by the free gift, of the "GRACE" of God.

 Though many Jews even today are impressed with Jesus Christ, they will not give up their religion for Him and therefore they cannot be saved.

 This was the first great battle for the existence of the Church!

 This is the message of Christianity!

 Legalism still exists today along with many of the teachings of a false Gospel, which is not the Gospel.

 *****Gal 2:6  But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me: 

Gal 2:7  But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; 

Gal 2:8  (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) 

 The Christian Preacher and teacher must defend the "Gospel" before any and all persons or they are not who they say they are.

 We as Christians must ask ourselves:

 1) Are we seeking the approval of church leaders over the approval of God?

2) Are we seeking the call of the Church or the call of God?

3) Are we seeking favor of the church or answering the call of God?

4) Are we seeking to build a reputation or seeking to serve God who called us?

 How many of us add our own ideas, our own rituals, our own rules instead of the Pure Gospel?

 God treats all of us alike!

 God has no favorites, He loves you as much as He loved the Apostle Paul!

 Everyone in Heaven are there because they are saved by the same Gospel that Paul preached!

 Every true Preacher, Pastor, Evangelists, or Missionary are called by the same Lord!

 *****Gal 2:9  And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. 

Gal 2:10  Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do. 

If we take notice, we will see that the leaders of the Church in Jerusalem did not agree with those Judaizers nor could they, as the Judaizers had hoped they would.

On the contrary they stood with the Apostle Paul!

They saw firsthand that Paul had indeed been called of Christ Jesus to preach the Gospel.

They saw that Paul had been called to preach the truth just like every other man called of God.

They saw that Paul had been called to preach to the Gentiles.

This means that everyone called of God, are called with a specific purpose in mind.

Every person called of God is called to preach to the poor just they are called to preach to the rich still having the same message.

Paul promised to try to help the Church in Jerusalem because every Christian who felt the same as Paul would be excommunicated.

James the step-brother of the Lord Jesus was the lead Pastor at the Church at Jerusalem.

James and Jude both the step-brothers of our Lord did also write a book of the New Testament being lead by the Spirit of Jesus their step-brother.

Are we going to have faith in God or are we going to trust what man can do for us?

Amen

There Is Only One True God

 The Power and Wisdom of God

 Book of Psalms Chapter 97

 Today, even in the Bible Belt, you can hardly meet someone on the streets who knows about the Lord Jesus Christ.

 People do not know who God is!

 They think He is just another god along with many other gods. They are so wrong!

 There is not one person except maybe infants and young children who God has not revealed Himself.

Before a person dies, God will have revealed Himself to them so that no one at the White Throne of judgment can use that as an excuse

 We know that God even speaks to babies while they are in the womb.

 Jer 1:4  Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 

Jer 1:5  Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. 

Jer 1:6  Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. 

Jer 1:7  But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. 

 Even John the Baptist knew the Lord Jesus Christ while He was in the womb of his mother.

 Luk 1:41  And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: 

Luk 1:42  And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. 

Luk 1:43  And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 

Luk 1:44  For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

 This proves that some babies have more wisdom than fully grown men and women, even while they are still in the womb of their mother.

This is why I will never accept that there is a right to abortion.

 The One major truth in our world is, that there is a God and He is our Creator and our Heavenly Father!

 There are not many gods there is only One True God!

 Those who reject God also reject the Word of God.

 The Word of God is just that, the Holy Ghost-inspired Word of God!

 Most people make up their minds about what a God should be like.

 They choose to believe some secular theory or something fabricated in their mind as to the origin of our universe and the origin of life.

 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: 

Rom 1:21  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 

Rom 1:22  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 

Rom 1:23  And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 

Rom 1:24  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 

Rom 1:25  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

 As you can see God knew all these things would happen.

 Many people deny the Holiness of God while declaring good to be evil and evil to be good.

 God knew these people before they were born just, as He does everyone else.

 Some people believe in God but deny the "judgment" of God.

 Our world is so confused today that some men think God made a mistake and they were supposed to be women, and some women think they were supposed to be men, but they reject that God simply does not make mistakes.

 Across the globe, countless people are trapped in false religions and those who would change are filled with so much fear they live their lives as best they can all their days afraid to speak up.

 This Psalm is an encouragement to all who would truly follow God.

 I send a message today that no matter where you are, if you claim the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and even in secret, pray that sinner’s prayer, He will hear you and He will save you.

 He knows what conditions you are under, and He will not hold that against you.

 My God can save anybody anywhere at any time!

 This Psalm is a big help to you.

 *****Psa 97:1  The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. 

 If we take a logical view of our world, we will see the evidence of our earth and all we can see with our eyes or that new telescope that circles.

 We see that these things exist.

 Because something cannot come from nothing, there must be an original cause that is the reason for the world's existence.

 Because it is evident that these things exist then, there had to be a Creator of these things.

 If you have ever witnessed an accident, you will see that accidents are a cause of destruction and not creation.

 Every effect must have a cause!

 What is the truth? The Lord reigns over all His creations! Jehovah is King, He is the Almighty Ruler of His threefold kingdom.

 Psa 96:11  Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof. 

 The earth is in perfect balance. It has just the right amount of water and the right amount of dirt.

 In fact, we can say that the entire universe is in perfect harmony so there must be a Creator.

 God's harmony is observed throughout this universe!

 The sun is ninety-three million miles from Earth which is exactly where it needs to be for our comfort.

 The temperatures vary from location to location so everyone can find a place where they are comfortable.

 The moon is two hundred and forty thousand miles from Earth to provide tides at the proper level.

 The more we change the moon the more our sea levels will change!

 The earth's tilt provides our four seasons.

 None of these things could have happened by accident!

 Yes, our Lord reigns as King of this earth!

 Psa 8:3  When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 

Psa 8:4  What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 

 The naysayers would have you believe that we live in a universe in chaos, but this is not true.

 Psa 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 

Psa 19:2  Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. 

Psa 19:3  There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. 

Psa 19:4  Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, 

 The alternative is that all these things, plus all the other things we can see are no more possible than a monkey being able to create a work of Shakespeare on a typewriter by haphazard play on the keys.

 Yes, the Lord reigns upon this Earth!

 The Earth refers to the continents, all the large land masses. In contrast, with the multitude of isles are the small islands that dot the seas.

 *****Psa 97:2  Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. 

Psa 97:3  A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about. 

Psa 97:4  His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled. 

Psa 97:5  The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. 

Psa 97:6  The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory.

 Heaven, where God's throne is located,  veiled in clouds and darkness says to us that God reigns above human sight and understanding.

 God must remain in these clouds of darkness because there is a need for God to conceal His radiant glory of His holiness that would destroy us instantly.

 God is the "Judge" of this Earth and He always, ALWAYS does what is right!

 Fire is a symbol of God's judgment!

 It is a fire that will consume all the enemies of God!

 Psa 21:8  Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee. 

Psa 21:9  Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them. 

 God bears witness to His holiness and justice through the forces of nature!

 Lightning, strong storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions with the earth melting like wax, all remind us of God's tremendous power. 

Nature is also a creation of God.

 2Pe 3:10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 

2Pe 3:11  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 

2Pe 3:12  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 

2Pe 3:13  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 

 Everything in God's creation will bear witness to His holiness.

 We are to bear the truth that God reigns over all His creations, regardless of what the world says. 

The world is full of lies and liars.

 The Lord reigns over all the things that are going on around us.

 The Lord reigns over all the unbelief and lawlessness which is in our societies.

 The Lord reigns over all things that we are forced to endure.

 The Lord reigns and there is nothing this world can do about it, except to turn to Him in repentance!

 2Th 1:6  Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; 

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

2Th 1:8  In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 

2Th 1:9  Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 

2Th 1:10  When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. 

 All those who worship false gods will become perplexed because they have been told a lie!

 The Heavens truly do declare the righteousness of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Messiah!

 *****Psa 97:7  Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods. 

 When we mock and reject the Words of the One True God Jehovah then, we think we have become gods ourselves!

 We are not so dumb to not know that there are certain people who worship the idol of printed money and the idol of gold who are actually pulling the strings in America and most other countries in this world.

 They know which way to go to get more money printed which makes them richer and which way to go to get gold more valuable to make them richer and this little game they play is done over and over again.

 There is no regard for the people who work who actually pay the taxes.

 This little game will break out into war when those who are not so rich but are considered to be rich have to keep paying more and more of the taxes and they will rebel.

 It is the same for climate change. There are fifty-seven companies in this world that cause eighty percent of the pollution in this world and no one will talk to them about pollution and the carbon monoxide that is emitted by their companies.

 It is not even mentioned, or it would make them mad and governments just keep allowing it to take place.

 To these companies, money and gold are their gods!

 They may boast about their riches, but one day soon they will see their gods destroyed and they will be confounded.

 They are not the gods they think of themselves, but are only sinners in need of a Savior yet, they will never call on Him.

 They are like that Egyptian Pharaoh who thought he could defeat God but only perished in the Red Sea.

 Their idols are worthless!

 Isa 42:17  They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.

 The Lord always knows what is going on!

 Isa 52:5  Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the LORD; and my name continually every day is blasphemed. 

Isa 52:6  Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I. 

Isa 52:7  How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

 It is not long before these who have made themselves gods will meet the only true God.

 Isa 52:10  The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. 

 God will judge this world, and this judgment is not that far off!

 *****Psa 97:8  Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O LORD. 

Psa 97:9  For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods. 

 When the Lord returns to this earth the Rapture of the Church will have already taken place and the Church will return with the Lord in glorified bodies following the King of Zion, the Lord Jesus Christ.

 It is at this time that the daughters of Judah will rejoice because the Antichrist will have been defeated and Israel will have turned to the Lord in shame because it has taken them so long to do so.

 There is so much difference between the Divine Power of God and the supposed power of the rich who have followed the Antichrist, that even they will fall in shame recognizing the power of Jehovah the triune God.

 All evildoers will be judged this day, but this is not the White Throne judgment, for the Lord Jesus will rule this earth from Zion for one thousand years.

 Php 2:9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 

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; 

Php 2:11  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 Because the Lord humbled Himself in humiliation and obedience to Jehovah, He has been exalted by His Father and given a name which is above every name and made Him King of kings and Lord of lords, superior majesty above every creature.

 This wicked world or what is left of it, will bow at the feet of Jesus!

 Then the Lord will remake this earth.

 The Lord Jesus will continue keeping all His promises to those who love Him.

 These will be those who have survived the seven years of the Tribulation years, the last three and one-half years known as the Great Tribulation.

 The Church will be with Him, but the Church was not the object of God's wrath but already glorified!

 *****Psa 97:10  Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. 

 How do we know real love?

 If I love Jesus Christ, I will love all His people!

If I love Jesus Christ, I will love everything that He loves!

If I love Jesus Christ, I will hate what He hates which is sin!

 There is no small sin or large sin, there is only sin!

 If we love the Lord, we will hate evil!

 Psa 45:7  Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

 It is evil that separates us from our Loving God.

 It is because of evil that the wicked will be destroyed.

 It is because we do not love the Lord Jesus Christ that we are subject to the assaults of Satan!

 God watches tenderly over the souls of His saints at all times and preserves us by keeping us from destruction.

 The Lord Jesus Christ will certainly deliver us out of the hands of the wicked!

 The Lord Jesus Christ is that Light that outshines the darkness of this wicked world we live in.

 *****Psa 97:11  Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. 

 Light is sown for the righteous!

 Psa 112:4  Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. 

 That Light is the Lord Jesus Christ!

 Jhn_8:12  Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

 Jhn_9:5  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

 People just love darkness far too much!

 Joh 3:19  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

 Because the Lord loves us, He will deliver us from evil!

Because the Lord loves us, He will preserve our souls on this earth till He finally takes us home where we are preserved forever and ever.

Because the Lord loves us, He will deliver us out of the hands of the wicked!

*****Psa 97:11 Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. 

Psa 97:12  Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. 

We know that the Light of Jesus is the Word of God!

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

Joh 1:2  The same was in the beginning with God. 

It is the Word of God that lights our path to righteousness!

Psa 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. 

The Lord Jesus is that true Light who leads us to that path of salvation.

Mat 7:12  Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. 

Mat 7:13  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 

Mat 7:14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 

There is no other pathway to Heaven!

Amen

The King is Coming

 The Reign of the Messiah

Book of Psalms Chapter 72

 No doubt that Psalm 72 was written about Solomon the son of David but in reality, the Holy Spirit caused it to be written of Israel's last and greatest King, which is the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

 David becomes a prophet in this Psalm.

 What do we know about the reign of the Messiah? It has not happened yet.

 During the early centuries of the Church there were many groups that denied the humanity of Jesus Christ.

 Today, it is in the reverse, the man Jesus is recognized, but there is a denial of His deity.

 People believe that Christ was either a liar, or a lunatic, or He is LORD like He says He is.

 Jesus Christ is God and not simply God-Like!

 Jesus Christ is absolutely equal with God the Father in His person and in His work.

 The Lord Jesus Christ is all that God is, to possess the whole fullness of the attributes which make God, God!

 Any attack on the deity of Jesus Christ is an attack on the bedrock of Christianity.

 I am tired of seeing my Savior mocked in this world.

 Heb 1:8  But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. 

 It is a fundamental truth of Scripture that only God is to be worshiped.

 Even Satan knows this is the truth!

 Mat 4:10  Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 

 It is the Trinity of God that is the Lord Jesus Christ:

 2Co 13:14  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

 Prophecy says that the Messiah would be King.

 Gen 49:10  The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. 

 There will be a people ready to be ruled by the Messiah.

 2Sa 7:16  And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. 

 God the Father announced the making of His Son to be King.

 Psa 2:6  Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

 The Lord Jesus Christ will be the government of this world!

 Isa 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 

Isa 9:7  Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. 

 The three offices of the Messiah which are, Prophet, Priest, and King will be fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ!

 As a Prophet, the Lord Jesus was involved with revealing the salvation message of God.

As a Priest, His work was as an Intercessor, and His saving work.

As King, He fulfill the promises to Israel and He will rule the entire earth.

 \*****Psa 72:1 Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son. 

 As King David lay on his death bed, he had this prayer for his son by asking God to make him a righteous ruler.

 One of the king's most important duties was to judge disputes and then administer justice.

 If Solomon would govern according to the Word of God, the Lord would bless him and his nation's people.

 This same prayer holds true to every ruler, every king, and every president of every nation even today!

 God is the source of all "judgment"!

 It should be noted that Solomon prayed this same prayer for himself.

 1Ki 3:9  Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? 

 We know that a society cannot exist without laws and these laws are to be expressed and enforced and whoever does this is the ruler but this is just a part of what is needed to govern any people.

 *****Psa 72:2  He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment. 

Psa 72:3  The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. 

Psa 72:4  He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.

 It is obvious that the courts and prosecutors of today are not interested with righteousness!

 It is obvious today that our courts are not fair and impartial but yield to the politics of today!

 We should also understand that the children of Israel belong to God just as the Church belongs to God.

 The Church is bought and paid for with the Blood of Jesus Christ.

 We should also understand that peace will never come to this world because leaders seek their own fortunes rather than seeking the good will of those they were elected to serve.

 In old times most of the poor were not that way because of laziness or would not work.

 We know this has changed today.

 There are still some who are poor for many reasons but there are also many who refuse to work and would rather live off the taxpayer.

 In the day of the Kings the poor were powerless to defend themselves and were taken advantage of by greedy and wicked people.

 These same greedy and wicked people are going after the middle class today and the middle class is becoming powerless to defend themselves.

 It is easy to see that it is the rich who are the cause of the oppression of the poor and they want to keep it that way.

 It is a fact that in the day the Jesus Christ rules this earth from Jerusalem the oppression of the poor will end.

 It is uncalled for today, but the greedy rich just cannot get enough riches to satisfy them!

 Peace can be said to be the absence of fear of the threat of harm along with a sense of security.

 We do not have this in America today and it is because of greedy politicians, who always seem to have a better way, but it never turns out that way!

 When King Jesus sits upon the throne of David there will be great changes.

 *****Psa 72:5  They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.

 It is this passage where we begin to see that this Psalm was not just about King Solomon because his life would be similar to the life expectancy we have today.

 It is King Jesus in whom we should have a godly fear of throughout time as it we see it today.

 The sun and the moon will endure until God brings them to an end and it is only God who can live through all the generations of mankind and forever.

 Only God can do these things. It was Solomon's job to make sure all the people of his kingdom understood this, just as it is the job of every national leader to do today.

 We see where this world is failing!

 You see, for as long as the course of nature last, we are to fear the Lord.

 God promised eternal dominion to the house of David.

 Since the Lord Jesus as a man was a descendant of the House of David, and because He is God then these things apply to the Messiah.

 Since we are in the family of the Messiah then these things apply to the Body of Christ.

 King Solomon was to provide security for God's people.

 King Jesus will also provide security in His Kingdom. He will rule with a rod of iron.

 He would rescue the needy.

He would rescue the poor and those who are afflicted, and their children.

 These are the ones that the world takes advantage of.

 These are the same ones that this government we have now, have taken advantage of.

 They have tried to keep the poor, poor so that they will always need the government to help them.

 This is why the gates of America have been thrown open for the world to enter so even more people will become dependent upon the government to support them.

 This is the way a certain party is trying to stay in power.

 The Messiah came to this earth to put a stop to these things.

 The Messiah came to rescue the needy and the poor, all those who are Spiritually poor.

 David prayed that his son would crush all those who are so cruel in this world.

 *****Psa 72:6  He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth. 

 We already know there is a great famine for the Word of God today.

 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.

 Eze 34:23  And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. 

Eze 34:24  And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it. 

Eze 34:25  And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. 

Eze 34:26  And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.

 Deu 32:2  My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: 

Deu 32:3  Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.

 David called on his son to be true to Jesus Christ.

 The Lord Jesus will enforce righteousness upon this earth when He sits as King of the World!

 *****Psa 72:7  In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. 

 Does anyone here know how long the moon that we see nightly is going to flourish? I do not either because only God knows.

 Isa 11:4  But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. 

Isa 11:5  And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

 All those who are with Christ during His Millennial Reign upon this earth will enjoy lives that are full, and free of fear and oppression.

 If the Lord Jesus Christ is going to save us from all these things, then these are the things that are going to get worse especially during the time of the Antichrist.

 Keep in mind this is after the Rapture of the Church and the Church will come down again to this earth during the time Christ sits as King of this world and remain the God of all creation.

 *****Psa 72:8  He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. 

Psa 72:9  They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust. 

 What was the Kingdom of Solomon?

 1Ki 4:21  And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life. 

 Notice Solomon ruled over the land of the Philistines also at this time.

 As we apply this to King Jesus:

 Isa 60:4  Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. 

Isa 60:5  Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. 

Isa 60:6  The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD. 

Isa 60:7  All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory. 

Isa 60:8  Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? 

Isa 60:9  Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee. 

Isa 60:10  And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee. 

 *****Psa 72:10  The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. 

Psa 72:11  Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him. 

 David prayed that Solomon would be recognized as the world's leader the sovereign ruler over all the earth.

 He asked that God would cause all rulers to pay tribute to Solomon.

 As David prayed for his son, he also prophesied of the Messiah.

 Solomon did establish an extensive kingdom but he did not rule to the ends of the earth.

 Solomon was not King of all kings.

 Only the Lord Jesus Christ will fully answer this prayer of David!

 Only the Lord Jesus Christ will reign forever over all the earth!

 Zec 9:9  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. 

Zec 9:10  And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. 

 Psa 2:7  I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. 

Psa 2:8  Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 

 Luk 1:33  And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 

 Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

 King Jesus will rule this world just as He rules everything that we see and know about. He will rule all His creation.

 Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

Joh 1:2  The same was in the beginning with God. 

Joh 1:3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 

Joh 1:4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 

Joh 1:5  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

 David then prays that Solomon will be compassionate toward the people.

 *****Psa 72:12  For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. 

Psa 72:13  He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. 

Psa 72:14  He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight. 

 When is the last time we have seen our leaders be compassionate to all the people?

 This is when we know we have a true leader.

 Did you know being compassionate to the people is not one of the things that our President is to do.

 An American President is to keep our nation safe and make sure the Constitution is being implemented and is the guide to our laws.

 If our leaders would show compassion to all the people of our great nation instead of picking out certain groups to show compassion, if you can call it that, to certain groups and cause division in all the rest, our nation would be a better place.

 A true leader will deliver all who cry to him who are in need.

 These would be those who are poor, oppressed, and helpless beyond their fault.

 He is to deliver those who suffer due to circumstances beyond their control.

 Most of the problems where people suffer today is because our leaders have made laws that cause friction in the people.

 A good leader would deliver those who are oppressed who are law abiding people.

 A good leaders would not take away our freedoms that are guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

 A good leader would save the people from oppression and stop their adversaries who only deceive and defraud the people.

 An unrighteous leader would view the needy with contempt, seeing them as a burden to society and worthless.

 Why is our nation faltering? It is because no one wants a righteous leader!

 Even Solomon was not a righteous leader many of his days because he taxed the people so he could live an extravagant life.

 God told Israel these things about a king:

 Deu 17:15  Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother. 

Deu 17:16  But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. 

Deu 17:17  Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold. 

Deu 17:18  And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: 

Deu 17:19  And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: 

Deu 17:20  That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel. 

 Solomon ignored all these laws of God just as most all kings have done even presidents.

 But the Lord Jesus Christ was innocent of any wrong doing!

 Israel became a rich nation but it was just like today.

 The rich got richer and the poor remained poor and the middle class paid most of the taxes.

 David prophesied of King Jesus as no one else could meet the qualifications that God had set in His Laws.

 The Jews had six hundred and thirteen laws besides these things that God added to kings.

 The Lord Jesus Christ perfectly portrayed the compassionate, sacrificial heart of our Savior because He cannot be different from what He is!

 He is still this same Savior today with these same characteristics!

 Because of Jesus our souls can be saved from a Spiritual death which means an eternal separation from God in Hell.

 The Lord Jesus is soon returning to claim our bodies as well!

 Solomon did become the richest man in the world, but a lot of it was wasted when He could have done more for Israel such as tax relief.

 *****Psa 72:15  And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised. 

Psa 72:16  There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth. 

Psa 72:17  His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed. 

 Verse 15 is hard to understand but it could mean "God save the King".

 People could not only greet him in the customary way, but bring gifts to him and they would pray for him.

 Besides the gifts, we still do this for our own leaders.

 The gift we can give is to be obedient to the laws of the land that do not go against the Word of God.

 A good king would be the source of happiness and prosperity and there will never be but one good king and that is King Jesus.

 Another prayer would be for the fertility of the land.

 "May there be an abundance of corn in the land upon the top of the mountains?"

"May the fruit rustle like Lebanon".

"May men flourish out of the city like the grass of the earth."

 This would be praying for the prosperity for the people of the kingdom.

 These would be the things that the Lord Jesus will do after He has destroyed the earth. He will make all things new and the earth will again be like it was in the Garden of Eden.

 Hos 14:5  I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. 

Hos 14:6  His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. 

Hos 14:7  They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.

 Isa 27:6  He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit. 

 There will also be a conversion of the Jews.

 Psa 92:12  The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 

Psa 92:13  Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. 

Psa 92:14  They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; 

Psa 92:15  To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. 

 Only the Lord Jesus fits the picture painted by verse seventeen:

 Psa 45:17  I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever. 

 Eph 3:13  Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. 

Eph 3:14  For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

Eph 3:15  Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 

Eph 3:16  That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 

Eph 3:17  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 

Eph 3:18  May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 

Eph 3:19  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 

 And blessed be the Lord God:

 *****Psa 72:18  Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. 

Psa 72:19  And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen. 

Psa 72:20  The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended. 

 When the Messiah sits on the throne of David during the Millennial Kingdom the whole earth will be filled with God's glory.

 Isa 11:9  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. 

Isa 11:10  And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. 

 Hab 2:14  For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

 The Lord did wondrous things as the God of Israel by delivering them from bondage.

 The Lord did wondrous things for the Church as he delivered us all from the bondage of Satan.

 He did these things because His mercy endures forever!

 It is our duty to praise God for what He has done for us and Israel will soon find this same thing out.

 It is our honor to praise God.

 It is our honor to meet each week in the House of our God to offer to Him our praise.

 We will do this in Heaven, we just as well get in the practice here on earth!

 It is our duty and our pleasure to honor our God, the Lord Jesus Christ!

 It is only the lord who can do these wondrous things and does them because He loves us!

 Me and my brother Mike used to talk about being saved and we would refer to this passage in the Book of James.

 Jas 5:19  Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 

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

 Our sins, as terrible as they were now are all blotted out in God's records in Heaven!

 Mike is in Heaven now and I owe it to the Lord to spend the rest of my days serving Him!

 This was David's dying prayer for his son Solomon, but the Holy Spirit used this same prayer to prophecy of the Messiah, King Jesus.

 Amen