Remembering God's Promises

 Remembering the Promise to David

 Book of Psalms: Psalm 132

 This is another Psalm that was sung as the Israelites traveled to Jerusalem for the Feast’s days as commanded by God.

They had begun to remember the promises of God and it brought joy to them just as it does to each of us.

 If we take a look into David's past, we will see all the pains, the trouble, and anxiety he underwent in his lifetime for the cause of God, especially in the establishing a sanctuary in Jerusalem and making preparation for the building of the Temple.

 David was building God's special dwelling place on this Earth, a place where God would meet with His people.

 If you do not have a longing to meet with God, then you cannot be a Christian!

 You cannot be a Christian because the Holy Spirit will not come to live within you!

 Every Christian is a sanctuary for God to dwell in!

 If we look at the very first word of this Psalm, we see the word LORD, this is the Almighty God Himself, Jehovah.

 David had accomplished what no lowly shepherd could accomplish.

David rose from a lowly shepherd to become King of Israel.

 Except we do know of another man who was a shepherd who came to save His people, and His name is Jesus the Christ, the Messiah.

 We know that special days are set aside to honor special people and some of the heroes of our nation.

 In fact, almost every nation has set days to remember their national heroes.

 For the Israelites, David was a hero and in fact, David is still honored as one of the Jews greatest heroes.

 The Star of David is the national flag of Israel today.

 The "Sling of David" is the name of one of the air defense systems of Israel.

 This Psalm was probably written for the dedication of the Temple built by Solomon.

 We know that David had spent many years gathering the wealth to build a magnificent Home for God, when He would come to visit this planet, but we know that God is everywhere, and He even abides in every "Born Again" child of God.

 He lives in every person who has their name written down in the Lamb's Book of Life.

 Rev 21:2  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 

 Rev 21:27  And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. 

 David was now dead and gone, we know He is with the Lord, but the Jews had a great fondness for King David.

 By remembering the hardships David faced before he was made king, it inspired the Jews to face their own hardships!

 It has never been easy to live in this world since the sin of Adam, and it is not always easy to be a Christian.

 We do still live in a cursed world!

 The word cursed is used seventy-two times in the Bible.

 We know that the Serpent who was Satan is cursed:

 Gen_3:14  And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

 Gen_3:17  And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

 If you look up the word cursed in the Bible, you will see that many of our leaders of today are cursed by their actions.

 Deu_27:25  Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen.

 We know we have been sold out by our leaders for riches, they will never spend.

 We know that every doctor who is paid to end the life of an innocent baby is also cursed.

 God has also placed a curse on all those who reject any part of the Scriptures:

 Deu_27:26  Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.

 And to all those so-called churches that have left the truth of the Bible, God says:

 Jer_11:3  And say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant,

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.

 God is very serious about the words He has given us to live by.

 Let's begin.

 *****Psa 132:1  A Song of degrees. LORD, remember David, and all his afflictions: 

Psa 132:2  How he sware unto the LORD, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob; 

Psa 132:3  Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed; 

Psa 132:4  I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, 

Psa 132:5  Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.

 The Psalmist who wrote this Psalm reminded the Lord how David was devoted to Him.

 We all say these things such as, “Lord remember me”.

 The truth is that God only forgets when He decides to forget.

His memory is perfect!

 He has forgotten our sins, and it is He that said we are covered by the blood of Jesus that has washed away our sins.

 Rev_1:5  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

 We know that King David had made a vow to find a place for the Almighty God to dwell in Jerusalem.

 David was determined that He was going to build a House for God for God to dwell in Jerusalem.

 This was David's vow.

 David had endured much suffering at the hands of Saul.

David had endured much suffering in finding a neutral place to worship God.

David had not yet taken Jerusalem from the Jebusites so, this too had to be done.

David had to transport the "Ark of the Congregation “ to this new House of God, but it was not in his hands at this time.

David had to also defend Jerusalem from the attacks of the Philistines two times, while all these other things were going on.

 These things may have hindered David in completing his vow to God, but it did not stop Him.

 In fact, David said; I'm not going to rest until I build a House for the Lord.

 David said it was not right that he was living in a beautiful palace and worshiping God in a tent.

 We can see that David's devotion to God provides a worthy example for us to follow.

 Many missionaries today have this same vision as David, to build a house for the worship of our God.

 I believe Nathan had this vision and I believe Scott David had this vision.

 These were church planters as David wanted to be.

 *****Psa 132:6  Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood. 

Psa 132:7  We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool. 

Psa 132:8  Arise, O LORD, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength. 

Psa 132:9  Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy. 

Psa 132:10  For thy servant David's sake turn not away the face of thine anointed. 

 Though this Scripture is hard to understand, what we do know is that David found the Ark of the Covenant and moved it to Jerusalem where it would remain until 70 AD when Titus destroyed Jerusalem.

 At this time nobody really knows the whereabouts of the Ark!

 These people recalled the passion of David to obtain the Ark and bring it to Jerusalem where he intended to build a House for God.

 The Ark had been gone so long that many people had forgotten about it.

It was David who had to remind the people:

 1Ch 13:2  And David said unto all the congregation of Israel, If it seem good unto you, and that it be of the LORD our God, let us send abroad unto our brethren every where, that are left in all the land of Israel, and with them also to the priests and Levites which are in their cities and suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us: 

1Ch 13:3  And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we enquired not at it in the days of Saul. 

1Ch 13:4  And all the congregation said that they would do so: for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people. 

 The people thought the Ark was in Ephratah, but Bethlehem and Kirjath-Jearim were both known as Bethlehem at this time.

 There is the city of Bethlehem but there is also the region which was called Bethlehem.

It was Bethlehem Ephratah that provided the sheep for the Temple.

 Rth 4:11  And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem:

 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. 

 Kirjath-Jearim would be the place that was in the woods!

 We know that David failed the in his first attempt to retrieve the Ark, but he succeeded when He retrieved it according to the Word of God.

 We will always fail if we do not do things according to the proven ways of God!

 It is easy to see how this Scripture can be applied to the Lord Jesus Christ.

 If King David did not have the zeal for the Lord that he had, we do not know if anyone would have remembered the Ark of God.

 David challenged the people to get back to the worship of Jehovah God.

 David referred to the Ark as the Lord's footstool.

 1Ch 28:2  Then David the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people: As for me, I had in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for the building: 

1Ch 28:3  But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood. 

 Psa 99:5  Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy. 

 The world knows nothing about the Holiness of God and many in the Church have also.

 Rom 6:22  But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 

 David built a tent for the Ark of the Covenant, but he must have also built a place where the people could gather to worship though many of them and the priests still went to the Tabernacle that was in Gibeon, but did not have the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy Place.

 The reality of these things is that God will sit on the throne of David in Jerusalem.

 1) The Ark is not only a symbol of God's presence, but it is also a symbol of God's power!

 2) The priests that serve the Lord will be godly servants and agents of righteousness!

 3) The saints of God will be a happy people.

 4) God would not reject David's anointed successor. Solomon would be the next king, but these things also make reference to God's truly anointed which is the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Today we worship together in a building set up for worship.

 It is the people that are the Church.

 The building or the place that we worship is just that, a building or a place.

 We should never defile our bodies with the sins of the flesh.

We must obey the commands of God which say we are to separate ourselves from all unrighteousness and ungodliness.

 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. 

 Today, God is still searching for people like David who love to worship Him.

 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. 

Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 

Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 

 We must be wholly devoted to the Lord!

 Next we will see some of the promises made to David.

 *****Psa 132:11  The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne. 

Psa 132:12  If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore.

 There is no greater promise of the Lord Jesus Christ than this.

 This verse points to the Messiah and His Kingdom!

 Psa 89:3  I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, 

Psa 89:4  Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah. 

 Psa 89:35  Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.

 2Sa 7:28  And now, O Lord GOD, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant: 

2Sa 7:29  Therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee: for thou, O Lord GOD, hast spoken it: and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever. 

 The thing we know is true is, that a descendant of David will occupy the throne in Jerusalem.

 That throne is the government, and that government will be located in Jerusalem and the Messiah will rule the world from Jerusalem.

 There were some conditions to be met for each descendant of David.

 We should clearly understand that our unfaithfulness cannot defeat God's purpose and neither could those sons of David who rejected the truth of God.

 We know that God will keep His oaths, and He expects us to keep ours!

 It is Jehovah God who chose Jerusalem when He could have chosen anywhere.

 King Jesus will rule from Jerusalem.

 *****Psa 132:13  For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. 

Psa 132:14  This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it. 

 We know that some of the descendants of David turned from God and He had to discipline them.

 The Israelites would be singing this Psalm as they traveled toward Jerusalem.

 We know for a time there was no son of David sitting on the throne in Jerusalem, the fulfillment of the promises had been interrupted and it will stay that way until King Jesus takes control of the governments that remain in this world from Jerusalem.

 God's promise will be fulfilled, and the world is moving toward that moment when the Messiah will return.

 The promise will be fulfilled in two stages:

 1) Jesus Christ returns and rules the entire earth from Jerusalem for one thousand years.

 Jer 3:17  At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart. 

 2) When Christ Jesus takes us to New Jerusalem and reigns from there forever and ever.

 Rev 22:3  And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: 

Rev 22:4  And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

 God promises to provide abundantly for those who are now His people.

 *****Psa 132:15  I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread. 

Psa 132:16  I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy. 

 I believe this speaks of the point when the Jews will join the Church.

 God will provide any and all needs to His children.

 The poor will not lack food and necessities as they had on Earth. These are material needs.

 Mat 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 

 Then God will supply their Spiritual needs.

 In verse nine we see that it was a prayer that asked the Lord for the priests be clothed in righteousness.

 Psa 132:9  Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy. 

 We see in verse sixteen that God has answered that prayer.

 I still believe that this is the Jews as they have now joined the Church, and all the saints will shout with joy for the Church is now complete and the Bride of Christ can join with the Bridegroom.

 *****Psa 132:17  There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed. 

Psa 132:18  His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish. 

The Lord promised to make the horn of David to sprout.

To sprout means to bud to spring forth and grow.

The “horn” is a symbol of power.

This phrase means that a powerful ruler will come forth from the line of David and this ruler will fulfill all the promises made to David.

He will be a lamp or a light to all the world!

The “lamp” and that “horn” mean the Messiah.

1) Zec 6:13  Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. 

2) Jer 33:15  In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. 

3) Isa 49:6  And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. 

Zacharias the father of John the Baptist said: 

Luk 1:69  And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David. 

Luk 1:79  To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. 

We know what is going on in Israel today is turbulent times for them.

We need to remember these promises of God to David, and they will be fulfilled.

As far as the Church, we need to pray for the peace of Jerusalem which will take place at the return of Jesus Christ.

We know that the conclusion of God's plan may be nearing its end, and we will live forever in the presence of the Mighty God!

All evilness and wickedness will be gone, and we will finally be at peace on New Earth and the New Jerusalem. 

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

Zion the City of God

The Praise of Mount Zion

Book of Psalms Chapter 48

As we watch what is going on in Israel today, we might ask ourselves how many times have efforts been made to destroy Israel and annihilate the Jewish people but they have failed every time.

We know that Hitler had six million Jews slaughtered.

God has made certain promises to Israel and God has never broken a promise He has made to anyone!

One man wrote, that the story of Mount Zion in the Bible is both miraculous and awe-inspiring. 

The events that took place on and around this mountain shaped the course of history and the development of Christianity. 

In the Bible, this mountain is mentioned numerous times, and the importance of Zion should not be underestimated.

That word Zion is used one hundred and fifty-three times in the Old Testament.

Many times it is called the city of the Lord in both the New and the Old Testaments

In most countries one city will stand out as the grandest and the most important.

When we mention Zion, we can be talking about the city of Jerusalem, or we can be talking about Mount Zion which is a hill just outside the gates of the Old City of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is the city in Israel where people would travel to to worship God.

In fact, Jerusalem was called the city of God.

Psa_46:4  There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

Psa_87:3  Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.

Since God does not change then Jerusalem is still the city of God because God chose Jerusalem.

Isa_60:14  The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

In this Psalm we will see the greatness of Jehovah and the glory of His city Zion

*****Psa 48:1  A Song and Psalm for the sons of Korah. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. 

Psa 48:2  Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.

The most common use for the word Zion was to refer to the city of God in what some call the New Age.

The Book of Isaiah says: Isa 1:27  Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness. 

Isa 1:28  And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.

This verse in the Book of Isaiah is referring to the return of the Lord.

Isaiah also writes of the birth of Christianity: Isa 28:16  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. 

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

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

Psalms 132:13 says  For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. 

Psa 132:14  This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it. 

We can see that some of these verses refer to New Jerusalem and some the Old Jerusalem, but they both say Zion.

The proof is seen in the Book of Hebrews: Heb 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 

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

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

We see the Church is not a building, but is the general assembly of those who are Born Again.

Rev 14:1  And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. 

In Isa 33:5 it says: The LORD is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.

This will take place at the return of the Lord. 

Zion stood for the capital of Judah: Amo 6:1  Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came! 

 We should clearly understand that Jerusalem will be the capital of this world just as it is the capital of Israel.

Psa 87:1  A Psalm or Song for the sons of Korah. His foundation is in the holy mountains. 

Psa 87:2  The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. 

Psa 87:3  Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.

Psa 87:5  And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the highest himself shall establish her.

We can see that God has some major plans for Jerusalem or Zion.

God's presence on this mountain made it a special place in the time of Jesus and when Jesus returns, He will first put His feet down on the Mount of Olives and then He will establish Jerusalem as His capital city as He will rule the world from Jerusalem for one thousand years.

King Jesus will be praised in the city of our God!

Jerusalem will be remade into a beautiful city.

*****Psa 48:2  Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. 

I have never been to Israel so I have never seen the city of Jerusalem except in pictures, but I will see it one day because I am listed as a resident of the New Jerusalem where my home is located.

Jerusalem is a lovely sight to behold.

It is the fact that God spent some time in Jerusalem that makes it a special place, and the fact that when the Living God returns, He will set His throne in Jerusalem for one thousand years.

It is this same fact that makes Jerusalem to be a holy city.

Lam 2:15  All that pass by clap their hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth? 

Jerusalem will one day soon become the city of peace and a most beautiful place when the Lord Jesus Christ returns.

Jerusalem will then become the joy of the whole earth.

Few today believe these things but this does not make it any less true. I know I believe.

Zec 14:9  And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one. 

Zec 14:10  All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king's winepresses.

Isa 2:1  The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 

Isa 2:2  And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. 

Isa 2:3  And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 

Isa 2:4  And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. 

There is only one Great King and that is King Jesus.

Just to the north of the city will be the citadel of King Jesus.

*****Psa 48:3  God is known in her palaces for a refuge. 

When Israel was on the side of Jehovah, He defended Jerusalem.

When Israel was going the ways of the world, then Jehovah allowed the destruction of Jerusalem.

We know that Jerusalem was destroyed two times.

First by Nebuchadnezzar and once by Rome.

The Gentiles have ruled Jerusalem far too long and King Jesus will soon sit on His throne and there will be no more destruction of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem's palaces will be defended by God Himself.

On May 14, 1948, God proved to the world that he was not done with Israel.

The enemies of Israel were taken aback by this happening and they immediately tried to drive Israel into the Mediterranean Sea. 

They have failed every time they have tried because God is known in her palaces. 

Jehovah is Zion's Protector and the world is finding this out, just as the enemies of Israel found this out many times.

Here in America today, our government has forgotten that it is not the nation that makes the people but the people who make the nation.

When God is honored in the palace, He will be worshipped in the home.

When the Atheist make the laws there will be masses who rise up against those laws as we see in America today.

That big push to get America into socialism is a push for the downfall of America.

America stands as the last wall to conquer so the world will have a one world government.

Less than fifty percent of those who say they are Christians believe in our Divine Creator and these are the same ones who regularly attend Church services.

These are the ones in the family of God and will be welcomed into Heaven.

All the rest believe in some form of evolution and these are those who rarely attend Church.

These are the goats who will be separated from the sheep and will hear the words of Jesus when He says. "I never knew you."

*****Psa 48:4  For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together. 

Psa 48:5  They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away. 

Psa 48:6  Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail. 

The nations of this world will come against the Church and this is in its beginning.

The nations of this world will come against Israel and we see this at its beginning.

God will protect His children from this wicked world.

It will be similar to the time of Sennacherib when one hundred and eighty-five thousand men of the Assyrian Army went to sleep and never woke up again upon this earth but woke up in Hell.

2Ki 19:35  And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. 

Sennacherib's problem was that he was so full of pride he thought he could defeat God.

This is the same problem that Satan has; he is so full of pride that he will challenge God.

In the days of Armageddon these things will be similar but it will be on a much larger scale!

The protective hand of God will remain on Jerusalem and the things that are allowed to happen to Jerusalem will be just as the Bible describes.

In this instance described in Verse five, they will look upon the defenses of Israel and decide to leave without firing a shot, out of fear.

Isa 33:3  At the noise of the tumult the people fled; at the lifting up of thyself the nations were scattered. 

Most all of us know that when that mother begins delivering her child, she can do nothing else but endure the pain.

*****Psa 48:7  Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind. 

Tarshish was seaport on the coast of Spain about twenty-five hundred miles west from Israel.

There were mighty merchant vessels located here than could sail in almost any storm but the winds from the East coming across the Mediterranean would wreak havoc on these ships.

Just as the largest, and strongest ships were no match for those storms from the east, the most powerful militaries of this world are no match to the power of God.

Job 27:21  The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place. 

Isa 27:8  In measure, when it shooteth forth, thou wilt debate with it: he stayeth his rough wind in the day of the east wind. 

I believe the United States Navy got a taste of the East wind when they tried to set up a temporary dock to unload those ships trying to bring aide to Gaza. They were no match for those same east winds.

A news source wrote:[O]n May 25, heavy sea states caused four US Army vessels operating in support of that pier operations to become beached. Two vessels were beached in Gaza near the base of the pier and two were beached near Ashkelon in Israel,” Singh said in a statement on Wednesday. “US personnel on those vessels were evacuated.

That pier cost 320 million tax payer dollars, but it could not hold up to those east winds on the Mediterranean Sea.

I believe that God had something to do with it!

Jer 18:17  I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity. 

The most powerful navy in this world had only one answer for this wind and it was to retreat.

*****Psa 48:8  As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah. 

The world has seen God's defense of Jerusalem many times and the truth of God's Word teaches us God's relationship with this Holy City of Jerusalem.

We know that God never changes and He gives us His warnings in the Books of the Prophets and the Book of Revelation.

1) The city of the Lord, "Elohim" speaks of God's unlimited power and when Jehovah is used, God is teaching us of His protection of Jerusalem because of His covenant with Israel.

Those covenants will be fulfilled!

2) The city of the Lord of Hosts teaches us that our God is the Commander of a mighty army of angels that no man can overcome.

l2Ki 6:16  And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. 

2Ki 6:17  And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. 

This is when the enemy of Israel came to stop Elisha as Elisha represented the Church.

3) The city of God teaches us that Jerusalem is the city where God had His Temple, the place where He met with the people of Israel.

We know that in the Middle East, the city of Jerusalem was a great prize and many nations have tried to take it away from Israel just as they are doing today.

The fact remains that spiritually speaking, Jerusalem is a picture of the true Jerusalem in Heaven and we will see this great city one day soon.

And Israel will be saved.

Heb 8:8  For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 

Heb 8:9  Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. 

This scripture is in the process of beginning today.

*****Psa 48:9  We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple. 

If you know the Lord in your heart then you have felt His Love.

I would not be here today if God had not thought of me.

I know that God loves me because He created me and He is still working on me.

We know these words were sung by the sons of Korah.

They could not sing about the love of God unless they had felt the love of God.

God's "grace" comes to us because of His loving kindness.

God's "mercy" comes to us because of His loving kindness.

I can praise and glorify God because He has shown me His loving kindness.

God Himself says all those who do not believe that He exists are fools and worthless.

Psa 14:1  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

If you know the loving kindness of God then you will praise Him.

*****Psa 48:10  According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness. 

Psa 48:11  Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments. 

God's name is Elohim.

Elohim is in the plural form because God is a Trinity which is better said Triunity.

God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit show the divine nature of God.

It is because of God's name that we can praise Him.

When we understand that God is One in essence we can praise Him unto the ends of the earth.

Jas 2:19  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 

There are still some in the Church that do not accept the Triunity of God.

These three persons are equal in authority, but God the Father is recognized as supreme yet each person stand equal in every respect.

1Co 8:6  But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. 

1Co 8:7  Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.

While Sennacherib could not over power and take Jerusalem, he had already taken over many of the unwalled cities.

If he defeated Jerusalem, he would have defeated all the nation of Israel.

These would be the daughters of Judah. These daughters of Judah could certainly rejoice because God had executed His "judgment" on the Assyrians.

They could now walk around without worrying about being captured by the enemy.

*****Psa 48:12  Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof. 

Psa 48:13  Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following. 

Now we get to a theme of our lesson which is deliverance.

Jerusalem had been delivered from her enemy without firing a shot.

A person could not walk around Jerusalem without noticing that Jerusalem was a well-fortified city.

1) Towers were the tallest structures in the city and were placed in prime locations so the watchmen could see for miles and the warriors were protected against the enemy.

2) Bulwarks were steep embankments outside the walls of Jerusalem. The enemies had to first get by them before they could attack the city.

There would be some of the military located there.

3) Palaces: For the devout Jews there was one thing only that made Zion glorious and it was that Jehovah dwelt there.

One of those palaces would be the Temple in that day and Zion's hill was the mountain of God's holiness.

When the Jews were faithful to Jehovah no enemy could overcome them and Jehovah would keep His covenant with them.

*****Psa 48:14  For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death. 

Because God is our God forever, He will guide us through this life until our death.

Of all the people upon this earth God is the God of the Jew and the God of the Church.

We should understand the Lord's unfailing love God has for His people; it is never ending!

Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 

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

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

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

Amen 

Jesus and the End of the Church Age

 More Lessons from the King

Book of Matthew "Continuing" Chapter 13

If we want to understand the nature of the Kingdom of Heaven then, there is no better place in the Bible to find out than these parables that were preached and taught by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Remember a parable describes a "Spiritual Truth" from an earthly truth!

*****Mat 13:44  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. 

Mat 13:45  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 

Mat 13:46  Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. 

Verse 38 describes this field as the world, and it probably means the same in this verse. There is no reason to think differently.

So what is this treasure and who is this man?

In the first two parables, the sower was the Lord Jesus Christ, and the seed was the Word of God or the "Gospel" the "Good News".

We know that to the Lord, the most valuable thing upon this earth is the soul of man.

It is so important that the Lord gave His life for our souls!

Mat 16:26  For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 

In this verse we see that the Holy Spirit describes the "soul" to be of much more value than the totals of all this world.

This leaves us to believe without a doubt that this man is the Lord Jesus Christ, who laid the glory of Heaven aside and came to this earth to give all that He had, even His life for the "for all our souls".

The only thing we need to know is why it was hidden?

What we need to realize is the mystery of Israel and the mystery of the Church in these two parables.

Israel is that treasure hidden in the field:

Exo 19:5  Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: 

Psa 135:4  For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure. 

When the Lord Jesus Christ came from Heaven, He found His people hidden in a field.

By His death, Jesus bought the whole world and with it, all the people who are His earthly treasure.

Jesus died for all people, but He also died for the nation of Israel.

Joh 11:51  And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; 

Joh 11:52  And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. 

We do not read that Jesus then got possession of that treasure so, this treasure is still hidden in this field which He bought with such a great price for the sake of owning that treasure.

This is the key to these two parables!

Israel is the Lord's peculiar treasure.

Jesus has purchased His earthy people yet still, Israel is that hidden peculiar treasure, until He returns to get His Church first, then back to earth to get this treasure of Israel.

Israel will then be "justified", "separated" and become a Spirit-filled people!

The Lord Jesus died for the nation of Israel, but the results of that death are not at this time complete.

Israel is still hidden in the that purchased field in this world!

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. 

Much of the so-called Church says that God has cast away and forgotten these people, but this is far from the truth!

True Israel is that treasure still hidden in that field that was also purchased by the blood of Jesus, who will come again! 

1) To complete the redemption of His Church at the Rapture and 

2) Reclaim Israel.

The One pearl of greatest value is the Church.

Eph_5:25  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

This pearl is taken out of the Sea, way down from the dark bottom out of the mouth of an animal!

We are told that a miserable grain of soil, embeds itself between the animal (the oyster) and its shell and this process continues until a beautiful pearl is produced.

A pearl of great price. 

A pearl with the colors of the rainbow from Heaven are blended together.

It is then taken up and becomes the priceless jewel in the crown of the kingdom.

This pearl is a type of the Church!

This pearl is still forming today and has not yet reached the beauty it will one day have, when the Lord calls the Church home!

The Lord returns to claim the treasure that is still hidden (Israel), He will bring that Pearl with Him!

*****Mat 13:47  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: 

Mat 13:48  Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. 

Mat 13:49  So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 

Mat 13:50  And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 

The kingdom of heaven is not the Church Age?

At the end of the Church Age, the Lord recalls His Church to remain with Him forevermore.

At the end of the Church Age, the seven years of Tribulation will begin.

In every age there is miscellaneous multitude of young and old, good and evil, people who move about this world at liberty in the wide expanse of what we call life.

It is the same for the fish that move about in the many oceans and seas.

God has dropped His invisible lines down into the Sea of Life and they are silently and slowly creeping in around us!

God will separate the wheat from the tares at the end of the Church Age.

Mat 13:30  Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. 

God will gather this large net into the shore one day and that day is not as far off as we may realize.

This shall be at the completion of the seven most horrible years upon this earth.

Rev 19:11  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 

In the previous parables, the Church and Israel have been regathered. 

So this is not the "Gospel Net", as in the Church Age, as it is sometimes called.

We already know that the seas represent the nations.

Rev 14:6  And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 

Rev 14:7  Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

The angels will be used to separate the wicked from the just.

The wicked will be cast into the ever-burning flames of Hell.

As far as these disciples are concerned, they know nothing of the Church Age at this time and will not realize it until after the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and Pentecost.

We have learned from these 7 parables of the mysteries of the kingdom of heavens beginning with the Apostolic Age and then the conditions we face up to the end.

These last 3 parables have shown us the mystery of Israel, the mystery of the Church, and the mystery of the ending of these ages.

All these things were taught to the 12 disciples. That great multitude only heard the first 2 parables.

Even those 12 chosen would not understand these things until they were filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

So Jesus then asked, "have you understood these things"?

*****Mat 13:51  Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. 

Mat 13:52  Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old. 

You see, since we know and understand these things, we are beginning our preparation to go out into the world in obedience to Jesus Christ just as the Apostles did!

The word "scribe" as used here means those who are skilled in the Word of God, who read and can make sense of the Word, as Ezra said, to the people of this world, especially those to whom God has called.

The old things are those things in the Old Testament that refer to the Messiah and the truth of God, and those new things are all the things of the New Covenant or the New Testament.

We need to understand, and we need to proclaim in a loving way to those who remain lost, this is the only opportunity they will have to spend time with those who are good according to the Word of God. 

Once they leave this world their eternity will be filled with violence and eternal damnation.

We do not just walk up and tell them this for they need the "Gospel" before they need any bad news!

Those new things are summarized in these parables!

Then Jesus teaches us that once He has revealed all He came to reveal, He will be going back to Heaven until these Ages run their course, of course under His supervision.

*****Mat 13:53  And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence. 

Mat 13:54  And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? 

We can understand His own country as Nazareth and the area around Nazareth.

Luk 4:16  And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. 

Luk 4:17  And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 

Luk 4:18  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 

Luk 4:19  To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 

Jesus had never preached in this synagogue of Nazareth, His hometown, where He grew up with Mary and Joseph, but it was now time to do so.

No one had paid much attention to this Son of God as He grew, but they would now hear the true Word of God.

They were now astonished at His wisdom and this wisdom was from God, Jehovah God.

To His hometown, Jesus declared that He was the Messiah come from God.

Luk 4:20  And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 

Luk 4:21  And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. 

Luk 4:22  And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son? 

Yes, this Jesus was the same Jesus who had a stepfather named Joseph who had trained Him to be a Carpenter.

This was a very humble family!

*****Mat 13:55  Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? 

Mat 13:56  And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? 

Mat 13:57  And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. 

Mat 13:58  And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

Yes, this mother was the Virgin Mary, selected by God to bring the Messiah into the world.

This is the place where we learn some about the children fathered by Joseph, which were James, Joses, Simon and Judas and there were sisters also, which means more than one sister and some say three sisters.

The Lord Jesus was rejected because the people of Nazareth could not understand where such a man from such a humble family could have the wisdom of God!

The Virgin Mary had become housewife and mother and neither Mary nor Joseph had achieved any prominence nor had any of the children and nothing else changed with this family of children until the Lord Jesus was crucified and then He raised Himself from that grave.

The people of Nazareth decided that Jesus could not be who He claimed to be!

Jesus was rejected because these people were offended at Him!

The word offended means they stumbled over the truth!

They could not imagine that someone they had seen grow up, to be the Messiah sent from Heaven.

They could not imagine a man from their own little city could make such claims as Jesus was making.

This became the same sentiment of all of Israel.

Joh 5:18  Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. 

Mat 27:39  And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, 

Mat 27:40  And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. 

This is where the world is at today.

If we think about it, how else would God have made Himself known.

He could have come down in a rocket ship and the whole world would have believed.

Many would have believed in fright.

Many would believe and tried to destroy Him.

The Book of Genesis says we were created in God's image, yet the same book says that God is Spirit.

So the image of God is not in looks, but in traits and the Lord Jesus Christ is the express image of His Father and the example we are to follow.

So we must choose to shrink King Jesus down to our level, or to accept Him for who He says He is!

If we look at all the miracles that He did, then we must accept Him as the Messiah.

If we look at all the prophecies that were fulfilled in Him, then we must accept Him as the Messiah.

If we believe the Word of God, then we must accept that Jesus is the Messiah.

If we look out at our created world, then we must believe that Jesus is the Messiah.

The Lord Jesus Christ is 100% God, and He was also 100% man.

There is no other explanation!

If Jesus is the Messiah, then He is our Lord and Savior, and this is my belief!

Unbelief leaves no alternative to salvation!

Unbelief hurts our God who has tried His best to show us the truth!

So choose to believe the truth and be saved, or choose to disregard the truth and suffer the wrath of God.

To not choose is to disregard the truth!

The greatest sin in all the world, is to be ignorant of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Amen

Open Your Ears to the Truth

 Jesus Confirmed His Kingdom

Book of Matthew Chapter 11

What is the truth, there is more effort necessary to be saved by grace than by works!

A life of faith is a life of self-denial! It is not easy, though God’s grace will prevent it being too difficult.

All the eager and enthusiastic followers of Jesus Christ must seize the kingdom and must win it as a prize of war.

In this sense, the Lord Jesus announced Himself as the Redeemer, who had come to save the world, to destroy the works of the devil, to annihilate the powers of evil, and to bring men from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light.

He reconciled men to God, gave them access to God, united them to Him as His dear children, and made His people one with God as He Himself is One with His Father.

We cannot therefore think we can just walk into Heaven without facing obstacles!

*****Mat 11:1  And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.

We know that Jesus had sent the 12 chosen disciples out to preach that the Kingdom of God is at hand.

They were to go to the Jews only at this time.

What did the Lord Jesus do at this time? He went and preached in their cities.

What was the key to the messages of the Lord?

Isa 61:1  The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 

Isa 61:2  To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 

Isa 61:3  To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. 

We know that John the Baptist was locked up in prison because he preached the truth to the government of Israel. 

To King Herod he said, it is unlawful by the Books of Moses for him to marry his brother's wife with whom he had committed adultery.

Herod had committed that sin and he locked away John the Baptist to shut his mouth.

This tactic is still in use today in many places.

What did the laws of Moses say?

Lev 18:16  Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife: it is thy brother's nakedness.

Lev 20:21  And if a man shall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing: he hath uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless.

John was locked up and later beheaded in a trap setup by a wicked woman.

The disciples of John were a bit confused because John himself was dealing with some doubts.

*****Mat 11:2  Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, 

Mat 11:3  And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? 

Most of us will go through periods of doubt so we need to keep the truth of the Scriptures close to our heart.

We could say our doubts are wavering faith, which is dangerous if allowed to continue.

John had predicted the coming of Christ just as the Old Testament Prophets had foretold so John preached.

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

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

The Lord Jesus had just begun His ministry, but what our Lord was providing was a means of salvation for the entire world and most of the Jews had a real problem with this.

They wanted a king that was like the Old Testament King David and who would free them from the tyranny of Rome.

Judgment would come later, but we can also say "Judgment" begins the moment people reject the truth of God, just as eternal life begins the moment, we accept the Lord Jesus Christ.

John was seeking a more visible proof that the Lord Jesus is the Messiah.

John wanted the Lord Jesus to proclaim that He was the Messiah and the things the Lord had already done were according to the Old Testament prophets.

The message of the Lord Jesus is still salvation at this time!

Psa 118:25  Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. 

Psa 118:26  Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD. 

Psa 118:27  God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. 

So Jesus began to answer them.

*****Mat 11:4  Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John "again" those things which ye do hear and see: 

Mat 11:5  The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

Jesus said, go show John what you have seen and what you have heard.

We should notice that word "again". It looks like John had ask for proof more than one time.

The healing miracles that Jesus had done were impossible for man to accomplish!

The sermons that Jesus had preached, He preached with authority like no one that had come before Him in the name of the Lord.

His birth place was known by most of them!

The virgin Mary was not accepted by many of the super religious but only by true believers.

Joh 8:41  Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.

The many prophecies that had already been fulfilled by His life.

There was no doubt that Jesus was the Messiah, but none of the Jews had seen, that Jesus first came to save, and He would later return in "Judgment".

Luk 4:32  And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power. 

Joh 8:51  Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. 

Joh 12:45  And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. 

Joh 12:46  I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. 

Joh 12:47  And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 

Joh 12:48  He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. 

Joh 12:49  For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. 

Joh 12:50  And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak. 

We either accept that the Word of God is true, or we will believe the lies of this world.

The biggest problem the world has, is that word "Gospel", they just do not want to understand it.

The word gospel means, "good news" or "good tidings"!

The "Good News" of salvation.

Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 

The world simply loves "bad news". This is why most news channels are accepted because they give nothing but bad news!

The Lord Jesus Christ was fulfilling Scripture just as it was written!

People just do not want to accept the Word of God as it is written and many of those call themselves believers!

So what do they believe?

Who are those who are blessed today?

*****Mat 11:6  And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. 

All the things that the Lord Jesus had done from the time He was a babe in Bethlehem, prove that He is the Messiah!

The Lord Jesus did not just profess to be the Messiah, He proved that He is the Messiah.

Some of the Apostles struggled in their faith also, but they soon believed when the Lord Jesus walked out of that tomb as prophesied!

Joh 14:8  Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 

Joh 14:9  Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? 

Joh 14:10  Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 

Joh 14:11  Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. 

Joh 14:12  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 

The one thing, that many miss is that they struggled to believe that the Lord Jesus is the Messiah, but many more did affirm that there is truly a sovereign God.

Many today deny there is a Holy God, all the time bragging on their personal god!!!!!

Mother Earth, Earth Day, Allah, Buddha and much too many to name them all.

The Lord Jesus is exactly who He claims to be, and it would be a much better world if more people believed this fact!

I am not looking for a Messiah to come, I am looking for the Lord Jesus Christ to come again!

Joh 10:32  Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?

Why did wicked people want to murder a man that never did anything bad?

Who can figure that one out?

Jesus said take the time to read the Bible and you will see!

Joh 5:39  Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. 

Joh 5:40  And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. 

Joh 5:41  I receive not honour from men. 

Joh 5:42  But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.

If you take the time to study the Word of God, you will see that there could be no Messiah if it is not the Lord Jesus Christ.

People are waiting on a fairy tale while the truth stares them in the face!

Jesus then says, what were you looking for when you saw John the Baptist?

People were looking for the Messiah and John said it is not me, but many insisted that John could have been the Messiah.

*****Mat 11:7  And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? 

Mat 11:8  But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. 

Some people thought that John was wavering in his faith, but this is really not true.

John wanted to be sure that Jesus was the Messiah, if not then he still had much work to do.

When the Lord gives us a task to do, we are not finished with it until the Lord says we are finished with it!

John was not a wavering reed, but he was a man solid in his convictions!

John was not a man that dressed in fine clothes to impress the people, John was a man of discipline and self-denial.

John was the voice that said the true King is Coming.

John was the greatest of natural men, but not as great as the least of true believers.

John the Baptist was the last of the Prophets of days of the Law.

John came in the power of Elijah to proclaim the Lord Jesus Christ.

John was not afraid of Herod or of what Herod could do to him.

John did not preach for the applause of men nor did he weaken his sermon before the doubters.

John preached the message given to him by the Lord and he did not stop until he was beheaded and then his legacy continued as Jesus said.

John did not sway with every breeze of change as we see today in the modern church.

John stood firm on the Word of God.

John the Baptist was much more than a prophet!

John was the last of the priest in the line of Aaron and He passed that priesthood over to the Lord Jesus Christ!

*****Mat 11:9  But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. 

Mat 11:10  For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. 

We must understand that the Old Testament pointed to the coming of Jesus Christ, the true Messiah. Christ and Messiah are the same word when it comes to the Lord Jesus.

John the Baptist said: "He is here". John prophesied of the salvation that comes by accepting that the Lord Jesus is truly that Messiah.

Joh 1:29  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Joh 1:36  And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

What are we looking forward to?

Rev 22:3  And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

You see John the Baptist was himself a fulfillment of Prophecy with the job of preparing the way for the Lord and after he had done so, his ministry was complete and the world destroyed him as they did most all prophets of God, but not before they had preached the message of God!

Then the Lord Jesus bragged on John just a little bit.

***** Mat 11:11  Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a

greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 

Mat 11:12  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. 

Jesus said the John was the greatest of all-natural men, but true greatness comes only to those who are

"Born Again" into the family of God.

All those Old Testament Saints were at one time inferior to anyone who of God's saints by the work of Jesus Christ.

Gal 2:16  Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

John was perfect by the works of the Law and there were others like him and none as great as those "justified" (already Judged) by the faith in Christ Jesus.

All those who insists upon justification by the Law are still under the curse from the time of Adam!

Tit 3:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

These things are not so hard to understand!

The preaching of John the Baptist was the signal for all mankind to press for the mark as Paul put it.

Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Far too many reject this truth!

Jesus Christ is still calling today, but He will not continue to do so for very much longer or He will have lied to His Church!

God does not lie!

As Christians we need to take this time to seize the Kingdom of God and it is prepared for us to do so with "faith" in the works of Christ!

John preached to repent, and this part of his preaching is true today! We must repent of our evil ways and Jesus Christ is the tool of that repentance and our example to follow!

John could not preach the cross because it had not happened.

John could not preach the resurrection because it had not taken place in his lifetime.

Today it is our privilege to know the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

All the called, of God are to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, no other message has the importance of this message!

John was the last of the true prophets of God!

We now have the completed Word of God which has replaced all prophets of God.

We do not need prophets anymore!

*****Mat 11:13  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 

Mat 11:14  And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. 

Mat 11:15  He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 

Again the Lord Jesus says that John the Baptist was an end of an Age. The Age of the Law!

John was the bridge that connected prophecy to the fulfillment of prophecy when it comes to the Messiah!

Jesus Christ is that true Messiah, there is no other!

Heb 9:15  And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

John was that promised man that came in the power of Elijah, not Elijah but he was like Elijah.

Joh 1:21  And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. 

Joh 1:22  Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? 

Joh 1:23  He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. 

Some believe John was the resurrected Elijah, but I believe Elijah has not returned as of yet, but will be one of the two witnesses of the 7-year Tribulation Period.

John did resemble Elijah in many ways, but he says so himself that he was not Elijah.

We know that all Scripture is given to us by the Holy Spirit.

2Ti 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

2Pe 1:21  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Jesus completes this passage by saying if our ears are working, we need to listen to what the Holy Spirit has to say, and this is said many more times.

If God says it one time, then it is enough, but when God repeats Himself then we had surely pay attention!

*****Mat 11:28  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 

Here is a personal invitation from the Lord Jesus Christ, the God of the Bible.

Christ pleads with those who have no other steps to take and who fill their journey is unbearable and over.

Christ pleads with those who are about to explode and cannot take any more of this world.

Christ does not mention what causes these things, because He has personally felt this kind of pressure.

Heb_4:15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Christ knows what we are going through!

You see it does not matter what we are going through, Jesus Christ is the answer to that thing!

This is a simple invitation that opens the door to great things and things that will last throughout eternity.

The solution Christ offers is rest. We can rest our weary soul when we know the Lord.

We see that Christ offers this rest only to those who want to learn from Him!

We must put some effort into knowing the Lord Jesus Christ!

We become over-burdened in this world.

We see that worldliness and carnality do not bring much pleasure and is not a lasting pleasure.

We must choose:

Heb 11:25  Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

We get tired of the power of sin in our lives.

We see that earthly possessions do not last.

We see that fame is just emptiness.

We see that power is just loneliness.

We see that religion is not what it is made out to be and just full of rituals that are meaningless.

We see rules and regulations that do nothing more than rob us of our freedoms.

Life in this world causes exhaustion.

Searching for the truth, but never coming to the truth leaves us empty.

Only the Lord Jesus and help us with these things in this life and He promises a great life that will last throughout eternity.

Isa 1:18  Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 

Let us just take on the yoke of Jesus.

*****Mat 11:29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 

Mat 11:30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 

When Christ was upon this earth, He was meek and lowly, but He was not lacking in power.

God cares for those who love Him!

All the traits of God are perfect!

Yes, Jesus was meek and yes Jesus was lowly but He did not lack in power!

Jesus was perfect in in His understanding.

Jesus is perfect in His patience. (I Know this is true because He saved me!)

1Pe 5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Jesus will always offer encouragement and we must too!

Jesus, custom fits His yoke upon us, to match our problems and gives us the answer and help we truly need!

God made us so He knows how to custom fit our yoke!

To find the rest that God promises we just need to learn and labor under the leadership of our Savior and our Master!

Jesus is not a taskmaster He only requires obedience. After that, it is all downhill until we reach the Highest Hill of Heaven!

1Jn 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 

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

1Jn 5:5  Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? 

Amen