Lessons to Learn

 Parables and Blessings

 Book of Luke Chapter 18

 

 Besides the Holy Spirit, prayer is our greatest weapon in this world against the evilness and wickedness of our world. 

 *****Luk 18:1  And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; 

 Prayer is the meeting of our soul with the mind of God.

 1Sa 1:15  And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.

 Prayer is beseeching the Lord.

 Exo 32:11  And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? 

 Prayer is crying out to Heaven.

 2Ch 32:19  And they spake against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth, which were the work of the hands of man. 

2Ch 32:20  And for this cause Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven.

 Prayers are seeking and making supplication.

 Job 8:5  If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty; 

 Prayer is drawing near to God.

 Psa 73:28  But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.

 Prayer is the bowing of the knees.

 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. 

We must persevere in prayer because it is our duty!

 We must put forth the effort to talk with God even when it seems He is not listening because He is always listening!

 *****Luk 18:2  Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: 

Luk 18:3  And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 

Luk 18:4  And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 

Luk 18:5  Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 

 What is persevering prayer? To persevere means to be constant in our purpose for praying.

 When we look around, we see that we are in similar days of Noah and Lot where God brought destruction.

 God has already promised a future destruction, and we are very near to it now.

 Psa_2:12  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

 Isa_9:19  Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts is the land darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire: no man shall spare his brother.

 Isa_13:13  Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

 Zep_1:15  That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

 There is power in persistence.

 Continuous prayer is the only thing that gives us the strength to persevere.

 Continuous prayer shows that we are confident in our God.

 We are to pray and continue to pray until the Lord Jesus Christ returns to take us home.

 In this parable, we see an unjust judge who disregards the laws, hates God, and hates those who come before him.

 Yet he feels like he has the power to do as he wishes.

 This is the way of our world today.

 Everyone wants to reach in and grab a piece of power to do the things they desire.

 We live in the day of the unjust judge, and it is very noticeable.

 There was this widow who had been wronged and was seeking help from the judicial system, but this judge had no feelings for the truth, and he hated to be bothered with such trivial matters.

 Every judge in our nation needs to understand there is a Higher Judge who has His eyes on them, and they, too, will be judged the same way that they judge others.

 It is a fact that on that day of the widow, that most every widow, especially those who had no children, lived in helplessness and defenselessness.

 Luk 7:12  Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. 

Luk 7:13  And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. 

 Many times, this judge just ignored her and her problems.

 We know this is not the way of the Lord Jesus, who is a most compassionate God.

 This judge began to realize that if he did not do anything to help this widow, she was going to continue to come before him.

 Finally, this self-centered judge did the right thing just to free himself from her ceaseless pleading.

 The Lord Jesus is saying that if a corrupt judge on this earth will attend to the pleas of this poor widow whom he cared not for, how much more will God be moved by those He loves.

 It is a fact that God is biased in favor of innocent victims of persecution.

 We may never have to plead with God, but we must also understand that God will not answer every prayer at the time we think it is needed.

 God knows what we need and when we need it.

 God does not get mad at us if we ask for the same thing over and over again until we receive it or God says no.

 *****Luk 18:6  And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.  

 We must not think that this judge is a type of God; he is not. He is just an unjust judge who does not care about the suffering of any people.

 The Lord Jesus wants us to continue in prayer of faith until we get an answer.

 It is not that God is just too busy; it is just that God knows what we need and when we need it.

 God knows our needs, and He promised to meet our needs.

 God will avenge His own elect!

 God's elect are those who follow His Son, Jesus!

 As God's elect, we know that only God can meet our needs!

 We also know that only God is the Judge of all His creation.

 Luk 21:36  Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. 

 God is patient with all of us, but we know He is so full of mercy and grace that He will always meet our needs.

 We must also realize that just as Jesus suffered, we will also suffer, and this will make us stronger witnesses and servants.

 1Pe 1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 

 These things will make us stronger, and God wants us to learn from all our trials.

 God will also avenge His elect without hesitation.

 *****Luk 18:7  And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

 Our God is the only true Judge in this cosmos.

 That word elect means God's favorites, God's preferred, God's believers, the disciples of Jesus Christ.

 God will preserve all Christians from all their adversaries and save them from the seven years of Tribulation that is soon to come to this world.

 Remember, this is God's choice, and He did not have to make this choice.

 Only God can do the choosing of those who will not be a part of His wrath.

 Joh 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 

Joh 15:6  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 

Joh 15:7  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 

Joh 15:8  Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

 If an unjust judge grants the petition of a defenseless person he cares nothing for, how much more shall our just Judge, our merciful God hear the cries and avenge the cause of those He loves.

 We may have to cry out day and night before God will answer but He will answer.

 He never said we would not suffer; in fact, He said we would.

 Keep in mind the Jews suffered many years before God sent Moses to Pharaoh.

 We should know that once God chooses to avenge His elect, He will come speedily.

 *****Luk 18:8  I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? 

 We must understand that persevering prayer is tied to our faith! He may not come soon but it will be suddenly.

 Our adversaries will not know what hit them until it is over.

 Jesus then adds, when He comes, will He find faith on this earth?

 The Lord wants us to continue to pray even though it has been so long that we are losing heart, even though the answer is delayed, and we see evil increasing daily.

 God is still hearing our prayers, but we must persevere until He comes.

 We could ask how many will keep the faith until He comes?

 We must guard against losing our faith!

 God will always remain faithful to do as He says, but will we?

 We swore an oath to be saved based on faith, and that faith must remain with us.

 God does not have to think about whether He will return or not.

 He knows He is coming and He knows when He is returning, and it will not take Him long to get here when He does come.

 The Church may pass through a period of oppression in this world, but we must cling to our faith.

 We should begin now by praying more earnestly.

 If Jesus Christ seems to be delaying His return, then He has His reasons, and it has nothing to do with the Church.

 The vengeance of the Lord will be a terrible time upon this earth, and the Lord will have to put aside His compassion to do those things, but He will do what He says He will for His Church.

 Whenever deliverance comes, it will be sudden!

  Then the Lord speaks with another parable.

 *****Luk 18:9  And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 

 The fact is that self-righteous people do not need to pray at all!

 These people will never lose heart because they never had it to begin with.

 They do not need faith to be confident in this world.

 They feel that all they need dwells within them in their bodies and minds.

 Pro 30:12  There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. 

 We are in the generation of the return of Christ, but we are also in the generation of self-righteousness.

 The Lord continues.

 *****Luk 18:10  Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 

Luk 18:11  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 

Luk 18:12  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 

 When we think we stand head and shoulders above all others, we are no better off than King Saul.

 This Pharisee was a religionist.

 This publican was a sinner.

 Both these men went to the House of God to pray, which the Lord Jesus said was a house of prayer.

 There is no better place to pray than in the House of God!

 They both wanted to please God.

They were both seeking God to feel His presence in their lives.

 Deu 4:29  But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. 

 This Pharisee represents the religious world in its most respected form.

 This publican represents people who have no honor to maintain. He knows he is a sinner and is looking for the mercy of God.

 The Pharisee prayed only with himself, only to himself.

 He glorified himself before God and just told God how great a man of God he was.

 This was not true prayer, and it did not reach into Heaven.

 Joh 9:31  Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.

 Prayer is a means of worship, but this Pharisee only worshipped himself.

 In fact, he actually thanked God for making him who he was.

 God does not make us self-righteous, and God does not cause us to be sinners, and God does not tempt us in any way.

 This Pharisee said he had not fallen into sin, which means he made himself to be equal with the Lord Jesus Christ, who truly had no sin.

 He fasted twice a week, and he tithed. Both of these are good things and are pleasing to God, but these things do not make up for self-righteousness.

 The publican.

 *****Luk 18:13  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

 This man was ashamed and embarrassed by his sin, and others would not get near him because of his sin.

Remember Publicans were tax collectors for Rome, and the Jews hated them.

 This publican stood far off, much like a leper.

 He felt cut off by God and mankind. The Jews had a special hatred for publicans and considered them traitors to the nation of Israel.

 I feel somewhat like this for all Democrats and many Republicans.

 He would not even lift his eyes toward Heaven, but he did lift his heart toward Heaven.

 He knew he did not deserve God's forgiveness!

 He beat on his chest because he was angry with himself for his sin.

 He pleaded with God to forgive Him. He pleaded for God's mercy.

 We can only appeal to God's "Grace" when we do not deserve it.

 There is no other way to be received by God than to acknowledge our sin before God and plead for God's forgiveness.

 Mercy is not getting what we deserve, which is eternal death.

 Grace comes from the Lord Jesus Christ, and it is receiving what we do not deserve, eternal salvation.

 We should understand that as long as we are in these bodies of flesh, we will never be righteous; we are only "counted righteous" by our Holy God because we are covered by the Blood of Jesus.

 2Th_1:5  Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

 Who then was justified?

 *****Luk 18:14  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. 

 We can see that the words of Jesus do not line up with what the world says.

 In fact, the words of Jesus do not line up with what many churches teach today.

 It is the one who acknowledges that he is a sinner who has been justified by his faith.

 Rom 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 

Rom 5:2  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 

 *****Luk 18:15  And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 

Luk 18:16  But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. 

Luk 18:17  Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein. 

 We must be humble when we approach the Lord for forgiveness of our sins.

  The first characteristic that fits the Kingdom of God is that of a child.

When we doubt that the Lord Jesus can save little children, we are acting like a Pharisee.

When we think the Church is spending too much money on our youth, we act like Pharisees.

When we do not look at our youth as being the future of the Church, we are acting like a Pharisee.

When we do not look at our youth as being the future of our nation, we act foolish because we need to train them to be the future of our nation.

God cares about every stage of the process of our growth, starting from childhood.

God loves the little children as much as He loves any of us!

Most children are obedient to their parents, and they can learn right from wrong at an early age.

Most children are far more forgiving than most adults.

When we get to Heaven, we will find that we are all children, God's children!

There is no way to get into Heaven except by receiving God's Kingdom like a child!

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

Amen

The Lord Jesus Will Return to This Earth

 A Miracle and the Second Coming of Christ

 Book of Luke Chapter 17 verses 12-19, 30 through 37

 

 We know that our Lord Jesus is now making His way to Jerusalem. He has an appointment with a cross where He will die for our sins. He had no sin Himself!

 Even facing the death of the cross, Jesus still shows His compassion.

 Jesus could have gone around Samaria and Galilee to give Him more time, but He chose to go through them. He also had an appointment with ten lepers.

 We can see that the Lord Jesus was not afraid to walk where He was not wanted.

 *****Luk 17:11  And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 

Luk 17:12  And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 

Luk 17:13  And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 

 Lepers were not bound by geographic regions. Lepers were bound by their disease.

 Lev 13:46  All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.

 This leads us to believe that Jesus was now in the wilderness between Samaria and Galilee.

 These lepers stood afar off and would not approach the Lord Jesus.

 They had to raise their voices to be heard.

 They called Him Master, but the Greek word used here means more Commander than it does Rabbi.

 They knew who He was, and they knew He had the power to heal.

What is wrong with our world today? The world does not know who Jesus is!

 They knew Jesus had the power to meet their needs. We sometimes forget this.

 They knew more than most of the world does today!

 Notice how the Lord Jesus heals these ten diseased men.

 They spoke from a distance, and the Lord Jesus heals from a distance.

 Leprosy is, in fact, a type of sin, and the Lord Jesus does not have to be physically present to wash us in His blood and forgive our sins. 

Jesus does have to be spiritually present in our hearts because faith is still required.

 These ten lepers had to have faith in the power of the Lord Jesus.

 These ten lepers were desperate; they had the most feared disease of that day.

 It is somewhat like cancer. When cancer is mentioned, the first thing on our minds is death.

 The Lord Jesus can heal cancer too!

I know because He has healed me twice from this dreaded disease.

 These ten men interrupted the Lord Jesus Christ, not caring if it caused Him problems, but Jesus did not mind; He wanted to hear what bothered us at any time.

 The Lord Jesus understood their desperation, their humility, and their acknowledgment of being unclean.

 If we cannot realize that we are sinners in need of salvation, then the Lord Jesus cannot save us.

 We must recognize that, like these lepers, we were also unclean, and we must keep our distance from sinners except to witness to them.

 Jas 4:10  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. 

 The Lord Jesus told them to obey the Laws of Moses and present themselves to the priests, after He had healed them.

 No matter what the Lord Jesus tells us to do, we need to do. He will never tell us to go against the Word of God.

They had to present themselves to the priests before they would be welcomed back into society.

 As these men traveled to the place of the priests, they were cleansed on their journey.

 There must be believing, and there must be an obeying.

 Remember Namaan from the Old Testament.

 2Ki 5:14  Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

 Six times dipping in the River Jordan was not good enough; seven times brought his cure.

 While these men began their journey to the priests, one man, a Samaritan, realized he was clean.

 *****Luk 17:15  And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 

Luk 17:16  And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 

 Leprosy was the most terrible disease in the days of Jesus. It was disfiguring, and most of the time it was fatal.

 The world had judged all lepers to be dead already; they were called the Living Dead.

 A leper had to wear a black garment so he could be recognized among the dead.

 He was banished, an outcast, removed from society, defiled.

 He was thought to be polluted and incurable!

 Doctor Jesus has never met a disease he could not cure, even death!

 This Samaritan was not of Judaism, and a Jewish priest would not even see him.

 We know the priests of the Samaritans were false priests of a false religion, so they could not have helped him.

 This Samaritan knew only one person who was worthy of his thanks, and it was the Lord Jesus Christ.

 We sometimes forget this, too!

 There is never a day that we should not be thanking the Lord for what He has already done for us, and we know a lot of the things that are in our future, and we should be thanking Him for these things also.

If your name is written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life, you owe the Lord your thanks; you owe the Lord your life.

 We should also be ready to worship our Savior at any time and at all times.

 Prayer is also worship, and we can pray anywhere and at any time.

Prayer is worship when we talk to the Lord, but not when we repeat some chant over and over again.

 The Lord Jesus is always worthy of our praise.

 The Lord Jesus Christ is the only Priest we need to see, and this Samaritan realized this truth.

 Why go to some man when we can go to the Living God?

 Jesus asked His disciples, where were the other nine?

 *****Luk 17:17  And Jesus answering, said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 

Luk 17:18  There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 

Luk 17:19  And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole. 

 The Samaritan is cleansed and saved, but the other nine who benefited from the power of God wanted to remain Jews rather than convert to become Christians.

 They had benefitted from the true Shepherd, but they were locked into the legal system of the Law.

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

 The Lord Jesus is still asking this same question today.

 Many of the modern Church have forgotten who cleansed them from their sin, and many of them have returned to the Law, forgetting the Grace of God.

Many denominations today have added their own oral laws and traditions.

 Those other nine went back to their old lives doing the same things they did before they were overcome by leprosy.

 They may have gotten an outward cure, but only the Samaritan got the Spiritual Blessing!

 We should not doubt that it was faith in the work of the Lord that made this man whole!

 That word faith is in the New Testament 245 times in 229 verses.

 The word faith is used only twice in the Old Testament, but both are important.

 1) What happens to those with no faith?

 Deu_32:20  And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.

 2) Only those with true faith are justified.

 Hab_2:4  Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

 This Samaritan was justified.

 I think it is important to add a few verses to our lesson format.

 *****Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 

Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. 

Luk 17:22  And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. 

Luk 17:23  And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them. 

Luk 17:24  For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. 

Luk 17:25  But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation. 

Luk 17:26  And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 

Luk 17:27  They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 

Luk 17:28  Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 

Luk 17:29  But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 

Luk 17:30  Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. 

 We see that the Lord Jesus begins dealing with His return.

 We know that the return of Jesus Christ will be in two stages.

 1) He will first return to take His Church, the Bride of Christ, out of this world. We will meet Him in the clouds, as He will not place His feet on the earth at this time.

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

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

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

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

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

 2) Jesus will return to end the Seven Years of Tribulation before those on earth destroy themselves.

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

 Dan 7:13  I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 

Dan 7:14  And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. 

 Dan 7:22  Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. 

 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. 

 We know the Kingdom of God is internal, but the Kingdom of God is also external.

 In the days of Noah, people lived their own lives, which God called corrupt in His sight.

 We can say that the Ten Commandments meant nothing to them, just as they mean nothing to the liberals of today.

The Ten Commandments only remind them of their sin, and they know they are sinners and do not want to be reminded of it.

 It was a world full of violence.

 In the days of Lot, people were more devoted to the gratification of bodily appetites and free indulgence in carnal pleasures.

 They accepted that this was the life that was meant to be.

 It was a corrupt and carnal place to live.

 Gen_13:13  But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.

 Gen_18:20  And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

 The Lord Jesus Christ will begin His reign with the righteous judgment of sin!

 This world will not be prepared to meet King Jesus!

 The destruction of this world will be greater than what the flood caused and it will burn like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

 After these things the Lord Jesus our Creator, will restore this world as it was in the day He created it.

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

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

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

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

 Isa 32:17  And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. 

 Isa 11:1  And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 

Isa 11:2  And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; 

Isa 11:3  And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: 

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.

 The Lord Jesus will sit as King in Jerusalem!

 Zec 8:3  Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain. 

 *****Luk 17:31  In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. 

Luk 17:32  Remember Lot's wife. 

Luk 17:33  Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. 

 Just before the Lord returns, people will be going about their wickedness as if nothing can happen to them.

 These are the same people who have denied the existence of God.

 When God's people, the Jews, realize what is happening, they will have to act quickly.

 They will need to move without packing or returning to their homes.

 We may not know when the Lord will come, but what we know for sure is that when He comes, it will be very quick.

 Rev_22:12  And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

 Then the Lord Jesus reminds them, do not look back, but keep going forward.

 Lot's wife was so close to salvation, but with one turn of her neck, she became a pillar of salt.

 There is no worldly way to save lives on that day; there is only the ways of the Lord Jesus.

 Faithfulness to the truth of God will be their only escape.

 Anyone who considers some earthly possession more important than his life will lose his life.

 Just as in salvation today, whoever lets go of his life and gives it to the Lord will be saved.

 *****Luk 17:34  I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. 

Luk 17:35  Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 

Luk 17:36  Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 

 As far as the Rapture of the Church, the point is clear: people will be going about their daily routine, when all of a sudden, one here and one there will be taken up to meet the Lord Jesus in the clouds.

 The word "Rapture" means rapid seizing by violence.

 Only a believer who is truly prepared will be taken up to meet the Lord Jesus.

 "ALL" who oppose and reject the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ will be left behind.

 1Th 5:3  For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.. 

 Believers will miss out on this destruction: 1Th 5:9  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 

1Th 5:10  Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 

 God knows who the true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ are!

 God knows that those who just claim to be the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ will be left behind to go through the seven years of Tribulation.

 Tit_1:16  They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

 God knows all those who reject the truth of Jesus Christ, and they will be left behind to go through the seven years of Tribulation.

 There will be no last-second decisions; it will be too late to claim the Savior at that point.

 Rom_1:28  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

 *****Luk 17:37  And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

The Rapture of the Church will take place throughout the entire world all at the same time, At the same moment.

Some say instead of Eagles it should have been Vultures, but Jesus says what He means and He means what He says.

The vultures of Gennesaret are hideous-looking birds, almost the same size as eagles and matching their strength.

The things that the Lord Jesus is talking about here will be worldwide.

At this time, we should not expect a Deliverer of the Jewish nation, for it is devoted to destruction.

The Jews will face the wrath of God, as all the world will.

We must understand that the moral corruption throughout this world ensures that the Lord Jesus will return in Divine Judgment.

Amen

Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit

 Instructions and Indictments

 Book of Luke Chapter 11 Verses 17-28

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 King David has been proven to have existed.

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

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

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

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

 This is just another name given to Satan.

 We must understand how the wicked work in our world.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 This is the sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit!

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

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

 There will be no opportunity for repentance for this sin!

There will be no opportunity for a pardon!

There will be no opportunity for forgiveness!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 The Lord Jesus deserved far more respect than these exorcists.

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

 We still see this today in many denominations!

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

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

 Without the Holy Trinity, there is no salvation!

 What the Lord says next is interesting.

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

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

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

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

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

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

 I believe Him!

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

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

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

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

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

He is still doing this through the Church today!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 It is the Lord Jesus Christ who determines our destiny!

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

 We either fight against evil or fight against righteousness.

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

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

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

 A voice of silence is a voice for evil!

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

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

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

Luk 11:26  Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. 

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

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

 Maybe someone can get the unclean spirit to leave him.

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

Maybe someone can stop worshiping material things in this world.

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

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

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

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

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

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

 2Pe 2:21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 

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

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

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

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

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

We do know that Mary was blessed by God.

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

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

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

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

How did the Lord Jesus respond to this?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amen

Chosen Disciples of Christ Jesus

 Appointing the Apostles and the Sermon on the Mount

 Book of Luke Chapter 6

 What is wrong with much of the Church today? People tend to institutionalize religion, making it full of form and ritual, rules and regulations, ceremonies, and services.

 What does the Bible say about this? 2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 

 The modern church is denying the power of the Holy Spirit, and many have kicked the Lord Jesus Christ out of the doors of the church.

 The Church becomes a religion like all the false religions and far from Christianity, which is the desire of our Heavenly Father.

 The Church is to walk in the ways of the Lord Jesus Christ, or it is not a church!

 Why were we saved to begin with? The Lord Jesus Christ needs people!

 In fact, that word "need “is wrong. The Lord Jesus does not need any of us!

 It is those who are lost who need Christians; they do not need religionists!

 We are chosen to carry the message of salvation to the world.

 How did the Lord Jesus go about choosing people to serve as ambassadors from Heaven?

 *****Luk 6:12  And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. 

 The Lord Jesus chose His people after much prayer.

 No matter what we are about to take on, we are foolish not to spend much time in prayer.

 There was a large group of people following Jesus at this time, and not all of them had the right reasons for doing so.

 The leaders of Judaism were filled with hatred for Him, and their hatred was increasing.

 In every circumstance, prayer is the refuge for those who serve Christ!

 Most of us can say our prayers in a minute or two, but in reality, this is not enough time to get our message to our Heavenly Father.

 Yes, He knows what we need, but why should He help us or our ministries if we refuse to spend some time with Him?

 The Lord continued all night. Once the Lord started this prayer, He stayed with it until He got His message across and received His answer.

We may not always get an answer when we pray, but we must get our intentions to the Lord!

Jesus was about to choose men to carry the Gospel to all the world, and yet He had a reason for every choice He made.

 We know that one of those men was Judas Iscariot, and though we may not know the exact reason he was chosen, we do know Christ had His reason.

 By the time the sun had come out, the Lord Jesus Christ knew whom He would choose.

 *****Luk 6:13  And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;

 There were many who were following the Lord Jesus everywhere He traveled, but He chose twelve men from those who were called disciples with the intent that they would be His apostles.

 A disciple of Jesus Christ must:

 1) Believes in His doctrine.

2) Rests on His sacrifice.

3) Keep the knowledge of His Spirit.

4) Follows His example.

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

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.  

An Apostle of Jesus Christ:

 1) They are commissioned to preach the Gospel.

2) They had the authority of the Master.

3) They aided in the ministry of Christ.

4) They followed His example.

 These are the same things we, who are disciples, must do!

How were an Apostle chosen:

 1) They were men who had been with Jesus.

2) They could testify to the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Act 1:22  Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.

3) They were given the keys to the Kingdom of God.

4) They were given supernatural gifts. Act 2:43  And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. 

5) They were called by the Lord Jesus Christ: Gal 1:1  Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) 

6) They were given the inspired Word of God and would not depart from its truth: 1Th 2:13  For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

 These Apostles were to have no successors. They were the only authoritative teachers of the Doctrines of Jesus Christ.

The office of the Apostle ceased when these men died.

 We cannot be apostles, but we can be the messengers of Jesus Christ and the Gospel.

 The Lord Jesus called Himself the Apostle sent from Heaven: Joh 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 

 That word “sent” is the Greek word "Apostello," meaning sent on a mission.

 The Apostle Paul also said the Lord Jesus was an Apostle: Heb 3:1  Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; 

 The Lord Jesus Christ, our great Apostle, was sent from Heaven with the message of salvation.

 So, the Lord chose His Apostles:

 *****Luk 6:14  Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, 

Luk 6:15  Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, 

Luk 6:16  And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor. 

 There should be no doubt that these twelve men were a diverse group.

 Simon, whom the Lord had already named Cephas, which means a "mass of rock" and is translated as Peter, was chosen, as was his brother Andrew.

 We could say that Andrew was more Greek than he was Israelite. He had also been a disciple of John the Baptist

 James and John, along with Simon, were businessmen, and these three seemed to have a closer relationship with our Savior than the rest.

 James and John were also called Boanerges, "sons of thunder".

 Some say this was because of their preaching, but in reality, the name came because of their temper.

 Luk_9:54  And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?

 The enthusiasm of James serving the Lord was probably what got him selected as the first martyr.

 Matthew may have been the wealthiest of them all, but he may have given even his wealth up to follow the Lord Jesus.

 We know Thomas as doubting Thomas, and he may have been a twin.

 James the Less was a son of the sister of Mary, also named Mary.

 One was a political nationalist and an insurrectionist, Simon the Zealot.

 The Zealots were pledged to overthrow the Roman government and to assassinate as many Roman officials and their Jewish cohorts as possible.

 Philip was a native of Bethsaida and seems to have had a prominent place among the Apostles.

 Bartholomew was also known as Nathanael and is always mentioned with Philip.

 Not much is said about Bartholomew. The Lord Jesus did appear to him on the Sea of Tiberias after His resurrection, and he did witness the Ascension of the Lord.

 The Lord Jesus said he was indeed an Israelite. Joh 1:47  Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

 Guile means being crafty, so Bartholomew was a man who fulfilled the true idea of Israel. A man of God, and we could say a man who could get in touch with God through prayer.

Bartholomew would be one of those Israelites who stand at the wall today, praying.

 Judas or Jude, the son of Alphaeus, who was also the son of Caphi, who was a Jewish general under Jonathan Maccabaeus.

 He seems to be the brother of James the Less.

 Then there is Judas Iscariot, the betrayer, also called the Son of Simon. Joh 13:26  Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 

Joh 13:27  And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly. 

 None of these men was famous or in any way tied to the government.

 As this group comes together, we can see the power of Christ, who gives us all purpose and meaning to life.

 We should understand that the Lord knew that Judas the traitor would betray Him, and this also was the providence of God.

 1Co 1:27  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 

1Co 1:28  And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 

1Co 1:29  That no flesh should glory in his presence. 

 Once these things were settled, the Lord Jesus had a sermon that needed preaching.

 *****Luk 6:20  And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. 

Luk 6:21  Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. 

Luk 6:22  Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. 

Luk 6:23  Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets. 

 Many Bible scholars call this passage the Sermon on the Plain to say it is different from the Sermon on the Mount, but we are going to see what the Lord says here.

 The Lord Jesus had just chosen His twelve Apostles, knowing that one of them would betray Him, which is another lesson for the Church.

 It shows that anyone can spend a lot of time with the Lord Jesus and appear to be saved when they never truly accept who Jesus is and why He came as a Shepherd and will return to be King of kings and Lord of lords.

 Jesus is not only speaking to the crowd that had gathered, but He is also speaking to those chosen to be His Apostles.

 This message, some call the beatitudes, explains clearly what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.

 What is materialism? Materialism is the philosophy that considers the fundamental principle of all things and denies the independence and autonomy of the spirit.

 Some say it is naturalism, but it is not.

It can be called sensualism, but this is an incomplete meaning.

 Materialism is sensual enjoyment in its fullest sense and denies the existence of the spirit world.

 We should understand that some parts of our being are non-material.

 Gen 1:26  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 

Gen 1:27  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 

 What is the image of God?

 The image of God in mankind cannot be material because God is Spirit.

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

 God is spirit, and He does not have a body.

 1) Personality is nonmaterial because each of us has self-consciousness and self-determination, which allows us to make choices. Animals do not have this trait.

 Without this, we could not be redeemed!

 Personality reveals our ability to exercise dominion over our created world and develop the earth.

 Gen 1:28  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. 

 Gen 2:15  And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 

 2) Our Spiritual being. God is Spirit, so the human soul is a spirit.

 The attributes of a spirit are reason, conscience, and will. These are all non-material.

 God has endowed each of us with those attributes that belong to His own nature as a Spirit.

 This is why we can know God and the foundation of our belief in our Creator.

 If we do not have the image of God, we cannot know Him, and we would be like the animals.

 3) We have a moral nature.

 Man was created in moral righteousness, also called knowledge and holiness, which was lost in the fall of Adam.

 Eph 4:22  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 

Eph 4:23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 

Eph 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

 Col 3:10  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: 

 We are not all material but are also spiritual.

 This was Darwin's error that has followed mankind through the last few centuries.

 We did not evolve from animals!!!!!!!

 The Lord Jesus begins His sermon, preaching to those who are poor in spirit.

 There is nothing in this material world that can make us rich in spirit!!

 We must seek our Creator, our God, and His Kingdom, knowing that He alone has the power to make us rich in spirit.

 Mat_6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

 Being poor in spirit is being full of self.

 There is a lot of difference between having self-righteousness and having God's righteousness.

 Self-righteousness dies when the body dies.

 The righteousness of Christ Jesus lives forever.

 Jesus says all those who become rich in spirit will inherit the kingdom of God.

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

 Blessed are the hungry. Again, this is spiritual hunger and not physical hunger.

 Being hungry is not a blessing; it is sad and tragic.

 If we hunger after righteousness, hunger spiritually, it means we have a starving spirit that craves the righteousness of God.

 Righteousness means to be right and to do right according to the Word of God.

 Just being righteous is not enough; we must do righteousness!

 Loose living is dangerous. People do whatever they desire, and they feel comfortable with their relationship with Christ, and they are wrong. They must be righteous and do righteousness to be secure.

 Self-righteousness is the first step to legalism and being judgmental.

 Jesus does not say Blessed are the righteous because no one is.

 Rom 3:10  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 

Rom 3:11  There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

 Jesus says Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.

 Jesus continues Blessed are those who are sorrowful, those who weep and mourn.

 The thought here is of a broken heart over wickedness, helpless against evil, desperate.

 It’s the same brokenness we should feel when we see the Lord Jesus Christ on that cross.

 We should be broken when we realize that we should have been on that cross rather than our innocent Savior.

 We should be desperately sorry for our sin.

We should feel sorrowful for other sinners.

We should feel sorrowful when we experience personal tragedy or trauma.

 When the Lord says He will wipe away all tears, it means we will laugh with the joy and comfort of our salvation and redemption.

 Psa 16:11  Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. 

 We will pass from death to real life!

God will wipe away all our tears.

 We should feel blessed when the world looks upon us as the disciples of Jesus Christ.

 We will be hated without a cause.

Our names will be seen in slander.

We will be charged with false crimes and accusations.

 We should rejoice and jump for joy because our rewards are in heaven and not on this earth.

 We must remember that we are not of this world; our home is in Heaven!

 Those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ and depend upon materialism will not have any of these blessings.

 *****Luk 6:24  But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. 

Luk 6:25  Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. 

Luk 6:26  Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

Judgment is coming to all those who depend upon materialism.

We already know that materialism cannot satisfy our God given spirit!

We can say that woe is equivalent to great grief.

I do not consider myself to be rich, but we could say that anyone who has something that they can put away or save after their needs are met are richer than our parents and grandparents were.

Mar 12:41  And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. 

Mar 12:42  And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. 

Mar 12:43  And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: 

Mar 12:44  For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living. 

The wealthy are esteemed, honored, and envied.

Wealth brings power!

Those who are already wealthy usually work hard to gain more.

What does God say?

Eph 4:28  Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. 

What did the Lord tell the rich young ruler?

Mat 19:21  Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

Riches make most who have it selfish.

Riches attach us to this dying world.

Those who are full are those who are so full of themselves that they do not have room for God!

Those who choose to be full of what this world has to offer.

Rom 16:18  For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. 

They will leave everything they have accumulated behind when they pass on.

There are no desires that can be fulfilled after death.

There are no delights fulfilled in Hell that will last for eternity.

They shall hunger for righteousness, but it will be too late.

What did the Lord Jesus say?

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

Those who laugh now are those who laugh in their sin.

They have no sense of sin, no sorrow, and no regret over evil or suffering or wickedness.

They pay no attention to this dying world!

They will be alone in Hell to weep over their great losses.

Job 20:5  That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment? 

Job 20:6  Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds; 

Job 20:7  Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he? 

Worldly people want attention, honor, and praise, but all these things do is fill them with pride that they cannot overcome. 

We must also be aware of the so-called preachers that the world speaks well of.

The modern church would not allow Jesus Christ in the pulpit today.

The modern church has allowed the world into the church, and though they are rich, they are failing because they have rejected the Doctrine of Jesus Christ, who God has made Head of the true Church.

The sermon on the mount and the sermon on the plain would be rejected as false, and the false church will keep growing in sin and riches and end in Hell.

Amen

Seeking the Presence of God

 Book of 1 Chronicles Chapters 13-16

David's Unwise Choice

We should understand that we as Christians are still human and we are going to make mistakes and they will be sinful mistakes.

God gives us His Word to guide us in this life and to help keep our mistakes to a minimum.

God also gives us the means of forgiveness but chastisement for our mistakes is also just as sure.

David, as the King of Israel, was to rule according to the Word of God!

Just like every other ruler in this world!

We will never make the right decisions in life without seeking the presence of God!

This is the greatest necessity we have in order to have a happy and joyous and a safe life.

Without God's presence we will never grow spiritually, without seeking the presence of God through prayer and obedience!

In order for Israel to be a strong nation, they needed to move the Ark of God to a place specifically made under Jehovah's specifications.

David had already built a place named the Tabernacle of David to house the Ark when it would be

returned.

What were David's plans?

*****1Ch 13:1  And David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader. 

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. 

We can immediately see why King Saul failed and Israel failed under his government!

Saul never prayed to Jehovah concerning his leadership of Israel!

Now we will also see some mistakes King David will make, after making a commitment to the Lord.

1) David made the decision to move the Ark to Jerusalem so he and the people could seek the presence of God.

2) David built his palace in Jerusalem to centralize the government of Israel in the same place where all of Israel could seek the presence of God and His guidance.

3) David made a commitment to seek God in prayer before taking Israel into any war.

You see, as a nation we must strive for economic security.

We must also strive for national security against any foreign military and terrorists who would attack us.

We must also strive for the personal security of our homes against any of those who would cause us harm, including our own government.

Our nation should be seeking the economic wealth of all its people along with these other things!

Not some socialist agenda!

Not some communist agenda!

These are things that are written in our own constitution and much of it is being ignored today!

We should consult God in every decision we make that concerns any of these things, and add to this, we must pray to God to maintain our relationship with Him.,

1Th_5:17  Pray without ceasing.

Just as soon as David was made King of all of Israel, he began to address these matters.

We need a new government today that will stand firm on the constitution.

The best government would first stand firm on the Word of God.

No one in Washington can call anyone a liar especially Donald Trump, because no one in Washington is concerned for the Constitution of the United States of America which they all took an oath to defend.

They should remove all who will not do this!

They are all liars!

Especially those who make up a certain political party and all those who call themselves progressive!

I said it once and I will say it again, there is no such person as a progressive Christian!

And today we can see that there is no such person as a Christian who follows the Democrat Agenda.

For Israel to have the Ark of God and the place of God in the same place as the government in Jerusalem, would be a natural thing.

Our own government seeks to be as far away from God as they possibly can! 

Such foolish people but they recognize the gods of this world and seek to pacify them!

Only through Jesus Christ can we seek the presence of God!

King David had brought all the elders of Israel and the Priests of God to Jerusalem to discuss these things and these things were decided.

It had been sixty years since the Ark of God was last in His place.

David knew that God had selected Jerusalem to be the place of His presence and all the people agreed!

*****1Ch 13:5  So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor of Egypt even unto the entering of Hemath, to bring the ark of God from Kirjathjearim. 

1Ch 13:6  And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kirjathjearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up thence the ark of God the LORD, that dwelleth between the cherubims, whose name is called on it. 

In all the days of Saul, he had never tried to return the Ark of God.

David sent out a summons to all of Israel to join with him as he transported the Ark of God to Jerusalem.

This Baalah to Kirjathjearrim which is Judah, and much of that land that is in dispute today is claimed by the Palestinians which has never been true.

Remember, it is Judah which is Judea that Rome renamed to Palestinia just to get back at the Jews because of hatred.

Rome hated the Jews and Rome in the Bible shows the same hatred we see in the world today.

It was a good thing that David was seeking, but David did not consult with the Bible nor with the Priest nor the Levites on how to move the Ark of God.

He decided to move the Ark just as the Philistines had moved it.

Once all of Israel was united and David was anointed King of all of Israel, it seemed to David that it in the interest of all of Israel that the Ark of God be restored to a house of worship.

As we go over these Scriptures, we can see that the Ark of God can also be seen as a type of Jesus Christ.

Before the Ark came to the home of Obed-Edom, the Ark was located at the home of Abinadab that was in Gibeah.

Let us look at both of these things today.

We must clearly understand that there is a right way and a wrong way to seek to be in the presence of God!

Since I prayed for the Lord Jesus to come into my heart and save me, I also understand how important it is for me to be in the presence of God.

I need to feel Him and to know that He is listening to me, though I can do this at home or any other place, there is no greater feeling than being in the company of the many others who feel the same way at my church, my place of worship.

You see upon the Ark is the "Mercy Seat".

The Ark was the place where Israel was to meet with the Lord God of Israel!

By the way He is also the Lord God of all creation, all the things we see and all the things we do not see!

There was no other furniture, lamps, altar, or anything else including the priesthood that meant more than the Ark which was the place Israel was to meet with God.

It is the "Mercy Seat" where we can meet with God today!

The "Mercy Seat" at the Church is the altar where I can reach out to my Savior!

This why it is so important to be in the house of God at the appointed times of worship!

When the Ark was taken because of the sins of Eli and his two sons, that punishment included the Ark of God being taken by the Philistines and the destruction of the Tabernacle located at Shiloh.

It seems at this time another Tabernacle had been built at Gibeah but was without the Holy of Holies.

This was an important event because it was at the Mercy Seat where God met with the High Priest of Israel to remove the sin of Israel.

As far as Israel was concerned, when the Ark was not in their possession, then God was not with Israel and they carried there sin year to year.

They could offer up their sacrifices at Gibeah but the High priest could not take the blood of that sacrifice and sprinkle upon the Mercy Seat because it was not there.

One of the first things David wanted to accomplish as King of Israel, was to bring the Ark back to Israel so all of Israel could meet with God.

We should remember that David was one of the few Jews that it is said he had the power of the Holy Spirit with him at all times.

1Sa_16:13  Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

“The Spirit of the Lord came mightily on David from that day forward.”

David could still meet with the Lord but the people had no place to do so.

We should understand that it was not going to take thirty thousand people to bring the Ark back to His place, but David assembled this large group to give honor to the Lord.

David did not do anything that might cause friction with the unified Israel so, David consulted with the leaders of Israel before he set out to bring the Ark back home.

But David did make a terrible mistake.

*****1Ch 13:7  And they carried the ark of God in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio drave the cart. 

All the things of God must be important to all the Church, but God has an order that must be followed!

We must understand that God has certain ways for us do spiritual things, and they must be done according to His Word.

How was the Ark to be moved from place to place?

Num 3:29  The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle southward. 

Num 3:30  And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. 

Num 3:31  And their charge shall be the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister, and the hanging, and all the service thereof. 

Num 7:9  But unto the sons of Kohath he gave none: because the service of the sanctuary belonging unto them was that they should bear upon their shoulders. 

Num 4:15  And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation. 

It was a good thing that David wanted to the Ark back into the hands of the people but God insists we do all things according to His Word.

The Ark was a sign of the covenant God had made with His people.

The Ark was the place of the "Mercy Seat" where their sins could be forgiven.

The Ark was to be carried upon the shoulders of the sons of Kohath, the priests assigned to all the furniture of the Tabernacle.

It was not to be carried in any wagon that it would appear as some unholy cargo.

It was good that David used a new cart that was not desecrated by common uses, but it  was still against Levitical law.

This is the same way that the Philistines had tried to move the Ark and it had cost them dearly, with many deaths and much destruction in their cities and especially in their places of worship.

The Bible is our means of knowing what God expects of us!

Today we have the completed Bible and it is to be our guide in all things of this life.

Israel had the Laws of Moses and it was enough to give them directions in their lives and in their government of Israel and all things in their worship of Jehovah.

It is the same for our Bible today!

*****1Ch 13:8  And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets. 

This possession was guided by the two sons of Abinadab Uzzah and Ahio with Ahioh walking in the front and Uzzah walking on the side near the rear of the cart and they began to travel to Jerusalem.

It was a joyous occasion for all of Israel but especially for King David.

There was the singing of songs.

There was the playing of many musical instruments.

God says to make a joyful noise before the Lord!

All these things seemed to be such wonderful things but David was disobeying by failing to transport the Ark as commanded by the Lord.

Obedience is the key to our relationship with the Lord!

*****1Ch 13:9  And when they came unto the threshingfloor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled. 

1Ch 13:10  And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzza, and he smote him, because he put his hand to the ark: and there he died before God. 

We know that David was transporting the Ark but not according to the Levitical laws.

We do not really know why David chose to move the Ark the same way the Philistines chose, but it seems that it was the plan of David.

It could have been done to please the people but it was still against the Word of God.

It seemed to be so small a matter, but it was a grave error on the part of King David and it turned into a serious offence.

Many thought, "why would God do such a thing"?

We must clearly understand we cannot worship the Lord according to the way we think, but we must worship the Lord according to His clear instructions in the Word He has given to us.

God gives clear instructions about how to worship Him and it must be done in spirit and truth!

We can never just throw the Word of God away and come together to worship according to our own ways, yet this is exactly what is going on in what is called the progressive movement we see today.

Most threshing floors were a place with a rock floor so the harvest could be gathered and it is very possible that the oxen hooves did slip and cause a jolt to the cart.

The Ark was never to be touched by the hands there were rings and poles to be used to carry the Ark.

Exo 25:13  And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. 

Exo_25:14  And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.

Exo_25:15  The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.

Exo_37:5  And he put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, to bear the ark.

Any way of bearing the Ark other than this manner was rejecting the Word of God and we must remember the Ark was in typology a type of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The holiness of God must be respected!

Num 4:15  And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation. 

The anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah and God killed him immediately.

Any act of irreverence towards the Ark was punished by death.

What would the world think if God did this today for irreverence?

We should remember and David and Uzzah should have remembered what happened at Beth-shemesh.

1Sa 6:19  And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter. 

1Sa 6:20  And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us?

Things that are serious to God will bring a terrible anger and a severe punishment.

The two things most important to God today are Israel and the Church!

God was disappointed in David and David was disappointed in God.

Have you ever tried with all you might to do something good for God and then find out that He was not pleased at all with you.

This is the way King David felt.

We must remember we have to do all these things in accordance with the Word of God!

David had to find out just what was the right way to retrieve the Ark of God without any more tragedies because of disobedience!

*****1Ch 15:11  And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab, 

1Ch 15:12  And said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it. 

1Ch 15:13  For because ye did it not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order.

God has a due order by which we must abide!

It seems that David is laying part of the blame for the tragedy of Uzzah upon these two who are sharing the High Priesthood and we know that they disagree with many things concerning David.

David told them that they sanctify themselves in a recommitment to the Lord.

We must be committed to the Lord to have a personal relationship with Him!

They were to set themselves apart for Jehovah by living holy and pure lives.

Much of the Church has forgotten about sanctification.

Sanctification was essential in approaching the Ark because the Ark is the symbol of God's Holy Presence.

This is why the Ark is a type of Christ.

We must be sanctified if we are to have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ!

2Th 2:13  But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 

 1Pe 1:2  Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. 

The sanctification of these two Priests included a ritual washing with water. 

This was a ceremonial cleansing declaring that they had been cleansed from sin.

In the Church we know that we can only be forgiven when we are washed in the blood of Jesus and washed by the Word of God!

1Jn_1:7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Heb_10:19  Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,

We cannot approach God until we have been Born Again!

We cannot approach God until we too have made our own Spiritual preparations!

*****1Ch 15:14  So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel. 

1Ch 15:15  And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the LORD. 

We will never have a good relationship with the Lord, until we have dedicated our lives to Him.

We must walk away from our old lives and walk in the newness of life through the Lord Jesus Christ!

We can only do this when are obedient to all the Word of God.

We cannot pick and choose the parts we will obey and the parts we will not obey as is what is going on in many churches today.

We know that poles had to be inserted into the rings of the Ark and the Priest bear the Ark upon their shoulders.

We must clearly understand that violating the Holiness of God will lead to eternal death.

Safety has never been in the Ark of the Lord!

Safety comes from the Lord of the Ark!

Our own safety does not come from the Church!

Our safety comes from the Lord of the Church, the Head of the Body of Christ!

We should remember the Lord Jesus said His burden is light.

Jer 7:3  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. 

Jer 7:4  Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these. 

In the New Testament we find these words.

Mat 3:9  And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 

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

Israel was mistaken when Eli allowed his two wicked sons to take the Ark into battle.

Seven months later when the Philistines returned the Ark to Israel and the men of Bethshemesh looked into the Ark over Fifty thousand men lost their lives.

When the "Mercy Seat" is removed from the Ark, only death by the broken Law remains.

Then we see the useless death of Uzzah because the order of God was not followed.

We must see that the Holiness of God must be observed and this is not happening today in many places of worship.

*****1Ch 15:26  And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that they offered seven bullocks and seven rams. 

We see that God wanted the Ark to be back with the Israelites and in His place in the Holy of Holies so He helped these Levites.

We do need the help of Heaven in our worship services. 

In fact if the Holy Spirit does not show up there will not be a true worship service.

If our Preachers do not preach the message that God gives them, we will never understand how to live day by day in this wicked world.

Act_9:31  Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.

Notice the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit both are necessary in our worship services for the Church to be edified!

When do things right, then there will also be joy when the Lord joins with us in the House of God, and souls will be saved!

*****1Ch 15:27  And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers: David also had upon him an ephod of linen. 

1Ch 15:28  Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps. 

When we are in the presence of God, we must worship Him. This is what we live for.

The Lord is to be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth!

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

So many have forgotten these things today!

We must come to the Lord in Spirit: focusing our hearts and our minds upon Him giving Him our full attention, praising Him, and thanking Him for all that He is and all that He has already done for us and the things He has promised to do for us as we grow in Christ and wait for His return.

We must also worship Him in truth!

This is to worship Him exactly like He says to worship Him!

We can only approach God through and by the Lord Jesus Christ.

In this we must be sincere, God will not be mocked!

1Ch 16:29  Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. 

1Ch 16:30  Fear before him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved. 

1Ch 16:31  Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The LORD reigneth. 

1Ch 16:32  Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof: let the fields rejoice, and all that is therein. 

1Ch 16:33  Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the LORD, because he cometh to judge the earth. 

It is a fact that this lost world will not like our rejoicing over the truth of God!

*****1Ch 15:29  And it came to pass, as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looking out at a window saw king David dancing and playing: and she despised him in her heart.

One of David's wives, actually his first wife who was King Saul's daughter reacted against David because of the way he worshipped the Lord.

She was an unbeliever and also an idolater and while she watched these things from a window, she had seen David full of the Spirit of God and just having himself a time and she did not think a King should be doing such things.

We can see Michal as a type of the many who despise devotion to the Almighty God.

Michal saw Jehovah only as one of the gods among many gods.

David showed enthusiasm in His worship and which is something that is lacking in many a Church today.

2Sa 6:20  Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself! 

2Sa 6:21  And David said unto Michal, It was before the LORD, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel: therefore will I play before the LORD. 

2Sa 6:22  And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight: and of the maidservants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour. 

2Sa 6:23  Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death. 

David lost any affection he might have had for Michal that day.

We know that in the family, if a wife or husband is saved and the other is still lost it can cause friction in the home.

How does God see these things?

1Co 7:13  And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. 

1Co 7:14  For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. 

1Co 7:15  But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. 

Though David had many wives Michal remained under his support but there was no further relationship with the king in all of her days.

God expects us to do the best we can in our relationships with each other, but it may not ever lead to salvation for the unbelieving spouse.

*****1Ch 16:37  So he left there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD Asaph and his brethren, to minister before the ark continually, as every day's work required: 

1Ch 16:38  And Obededom with their brethren, threescore and eight; Obededom also the son of Jeduthun and Hosah to be porters: 

1Ch 16:39  And Zadok the priest, and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of the LORD in the high place that was at Gibeon, 

1Ch 16:40  To offer burnt offerings unto the LORD upon the altar of the burnt offering continually morning and evening, and to do according to all that is written in the law of the LORD, which he commanded Israel; 

Though many may disagree, this is where we see spiritual worship begin to take the place of ceremonial worship.

We are to worship God in Spirit and in Truth because this is the way God likes it.

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.

Nothing is gained from ceremonial worship, which is ritual worship!

It appears that David had only built the Holy place and the Holy of Holies and had not built the Tabernacle that was still located in Gibeah.

David appointed Asaph and his brethren to minister before the Lord at all times somewhat like what takes place in Heaven continuously.

Rev_4:8  And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

It was Asaph and the singers with musical instruments who were to do this in Jerusalem.

It was Zadok the High Priest who was chosen to lead the worship in Gibeon and who had remained faithful to David and we know that all the house of Eli were pronouced unworthy of which Abiathar was of that family.

Abiathar did remain as High Priest until King Solomon removed him.

It would be Zadok who would lead the worship at Gibeon, the place where the Tabernacle had been reestablished.

Not too far in the future did Abiathar choose David's son Absalom over David.

What does the Lord say?

Act_15:16  After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:

Act 15:17  That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. 

What these things mean is, that when the Lord Jesus returns to set set up His Millennial Kingdom to rule for one thousand years, then at this time all the remaining Israelites will worship the Lord in Spirit and Truth and not in some ceremonial fashion as was done at that Old Tabernacle.

It will be a new day for all of Israel.

There will be no ceremonial or ritual worship during those one thousand years!

Amen