Faith Is Still the Key to the Gospel

 Paul's Ministry In Rome

Book of Acts Chapter 28

The Apostle Paul made it to Rome simply because the Lord God of all creation decided that Paul would be a witness for the Lord Jesus Christ in Rome.

The Book to the Roman Christian Church had been written three years before the arrival of the Apostle Paul.

Many people wanted to see the man who wrote this great epistle.

Of course we know that it was the Holy Spirit who gave Paul the scriptures to use.

2Pe 1:20  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 

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

Many times Paul had to dictate the words that were written down by some other Christian.

Paul was treated with respect probably because Julius the Roman Centurion had been saved by the advice of Paul during that great storm.

Paul was bound by one chain to one guard but allowed to stay in a house that was rented for him.

Paul used every opportunity to spread the gospel even to the many guards as they relieved each other.

No doubt Paul was well known to the Roman guards also because of the things that happened on this trip to Rome.

**How did Paul reach Rome? It was because of his faith in the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ!

**It was an answer to his prayers!

This may seem a strange way for God to answer a prayer, but the ways of God are unknown to the world.

Isa_55:8  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

The promise of God was much more than just fulfilled. Paul had much to witness through his trials and his work to get there.

Paul had been through great trials, but he had been saved by great deliverances from those trials.

Paul had written:

Rom 1:13  Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles. 

Rom 1:14  I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. 

Rom 1:15  So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. 

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

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

The story of Paul's imprisonment had gone before him.

Rom 1:9  For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; 

Rom 1:10  Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. 

Rom 1:11  For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; 

Paul had made that prosperous journey.

Notice that this was not a onetime prayer, but Paul prayed without ceasing.

We should notice that the Church was already established in Rome before Paul got there.

*****Act 28:14  Where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven days: and so we went toward Rome. 

Act 28:15  And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii forum, and The three taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage. 

Act 28:16  And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him. 

Paul was anxious for his fellow Christians to be exposed to the dangers that are out in the world.

Those dangers to Christians still exist today!

According to records, Paul arrived in Rome in the spring of A.D. 61, and he dwelt two years in his own rented house and it seems that Paul went back to the mission field again and his beheading came at a later date.

After three days’ rest, Paul called the chief of the Jews to his residence.

We should be able to see that there is nothing and no one in this world that can stop the spread of the Gospel.

It is our Holy God who will decide if the Gospel has gone to all the places, He has intended for it to go!

*****Act 28:17  And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.

The Apostle Paul had entered Rome, the then capitol of the world, as a prisoner.

His first step was to contact the Jewish religious leadership.

Paul turns himself for the last time to his Jewish people with an explanation.

For the rest of his short life he reached out only to the Gentiles!

Paul wanted them to know that under Roman Law, he was innocent, and he was not charged for breaking Roman laws.

Paul said he had not committed any wrong against the nation of Israel and he would be free if not for false accusations.

Paul had been dealt an injustice by his own nation, just because he believed in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, and he believed in the truth of all the Scriptures.

Paul had a great desire to reach Rome, to evangelize this wicked city, but mainly to ensure the spiritual growth of the Christian Church.

Discipleship seems to be the missing ingredient in most churches today, along with worldly compromise coming from the pulpits of most churches.

It was not much different in the days of the Apostle Paul; it is just more widespread.

We should notice that even after the ordeal Paul had been through, he still did not rest but went straight into the work of the Lord.

**We could say that Paul's coming to Rome was an answer to Paul's prayers.

Paul was a prisoner in the company of criminals.

The story of Paul's imprisonment had gone before him from this came sympathy from God's children.

Some powerful Roman officials now had great regard for the Apostle Paul, including Julius the Centurion and many soldiers.

Paul had now experienced the truth of God's promises and we all should take notice.

Paul had shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ while this terrible trip was taking place.

Paul was an innocent man seeking only to please God.

Notice how much that Paul tried to be like the Lord Jesus who was also innocent of all charges, who spent all his days reveling the Gospel and the truth of God, because he is God.

In those first three days Paul had secured a private home even still being bound to a Roman soldier.

He had now had his meeting with the Jewish leaders in Rome and gave his testimony.

*****Act 28:18  Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me. 

Act 28:19  But when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had ought to accuse my nation of. 

Act 28:20  For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain. 

Paul knew how valuable it would be for a Christian presence in Rome.

From Jerusalem came the Law of God.

From Rome came the law of Satan.

Some say that this is still true.

You have to make your own personal trip to the cross of Jesus to understand these things.

Paganism still has a long reach but so does the Gospel and the Gospel will go to where God intends it, and the Gospel will succeed in the way God intends it.

Everyone will get an opportunity to hear the truth of the Gospel because this is the will of God!

We are all called to be witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ in this evil world that is not getting better but just the opposite, it is getting worse.

Can the Gospel change the world? Sure it can, but Satan has a strangle hold on this world and he is in his own last days, and he is spreading more evil and more wickedness and even more immorality, before his time expires and he is locked away for a thousand years.

This world should stop long enough to witness the truth of God unfold day by day, but the lies of climate change along with the immorality of the homosexuals and the transgender movement, and the threat of war and the collapse of the monetary systems keeps the world rulers occupied.

Satan is a defeated foe, but no one ever said the Devil was stupid.

Paul was an innocent man and Paul defended himself before a Jerusalem mob, a chief captain of Rome, the Sanhedrin Court, Felix, Festus, King Agrippa II and now the Jews of Rome.

How did these Jews respond?

*****Act 28:21  And they said unto him, We neither received letters out of Judaea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came shewed or spake any harm of thee. 

Act 28:22  But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against. 

Act 28:23  And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.

Paul received an open invitation to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It was the Lord Jesus Christ who had brought the Kingdom of God to Earth, just so He could take all believers to Heaven to present them to His Heavenly Father.

Mat 9:35  And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 

Mat 9:36  But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. 

Mat 9:37  Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; 

Mat 9:38  Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. 

Mat 10:7  And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

The Apostle Paul was just one of those laborers!

Paul focused his preaching on the Word of God alone.

There is nothing in this world that can be used to save the soul of the lost except its wickedness!

What truth is the Gospel based upon?

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

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

Paul preached that it was the same Lord Jesus who would return to take His children home to Heaven.

As are normal, some believed the Word of God, and some rejected the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

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. 

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

As they began to leave. Paul could not allow them to leave without a warning from the same truths of the Word of God.

*****Act 28:24  And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. 

Act 28:25  And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, 

Act 28:26  Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: 

Act 28:27  For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 

Act 28:28  Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. 

Act 28:29  And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.

We see the same things that happen today. Some people believe and some do not and there is no third choice.

Notice how Paul speaks with the same thoughts that God had given to Isaiah.

One of those thoughts reads:

Isa_49:6  And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

What was wrong with these elders and those members of the Sanhedrin Court?

They heard the Word of God every Sabbath, but they did not try to understand what God was saying and none of the elders tried to explain it to them.

Only in the time of Ezra do we read where he made sense of the Word of God.

Remember the Jews had killed most all of God's prophets because they rejected the truth of Jehovah God.

We need to take the time to study the Word of God ourselves and to study is much more than to just read the Bible.

Notice how Paul tells these people that it is the Holy Ghost who gave Isaiah the words he had written.

What was the biggest problem with these Jews?

Their hearts had waxed gross! 

These people had become so involved in carnal and temporal things they had become hardened to the Divine and Spiritual things.

We can see again that nothing has really changed in nearly two thousand years.

Even, here in the Bible Belt, we know that many have become dull to hearing the Word of God and I am sure the patience of the Lord is wearing thin and when His patience reaches a certain amount, He will return to take His Church out of this world.

2Pe_3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Then Paul said to these Jews, if you will not believe what the Lord has said, then the Word of God would go to the Gentiles and many of them would believe.

Paul said this is one part of the Bible you had better understand because your salvation depends upon it!

These Jews could not understand that Jehovah Himself had proclaimed that His ministers were to turn to the Gentiles when the Jews would not listen.

This was not something new, God had made the Word of God to be understood before He began His creating of this universe.

This is something the Holy Trinity had decided before time began!

Look in the Book of Genesis for the words "let us" and see that the Holy Trinity was been involved in the truth of God since our Creation.

Paul simply told these Jews that the Prophet Isaiah, a prophet these Jews admired, had written that these things would happen so, now the Jews only include a portion of the Book of Isaiah in their own Scriptures.

This is also the same today. People just remove the parts of the Bible they refuse to believe, how foolish!

You see if the Gospel cannot touch the heart, then it will not be accepted.

These people had a heart of rock and not a heart that could be reached by the true Rock, the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is from the heart that this grossness reaches the mind.

Jer_17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Anyone who willfully rejects the truth of Jehovah experiences a judicial blindness and rejection by Jehovah.

All those who deliberately choose to remain blind to the truth of God and who reject the Lord's understanding are given over to a justified punishment which is also written down in the Bible.

When you reject any part of the Word of God you will be rejected by the Writer who is God Holy Spirit.

Gen 6:3  And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. 

God gave Noah 120 years to preach to the world but not one was saved beyond Noah's own family!

Not much of the world is listening to the Word of God today!

Those days of Noah are upon us again today.

Mat_24:37  But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

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.

There is nothing stronger than these things that are said in the Scriptures.

Why is the Lord Jesus Christ rejected?

1) Hardening their hearts to the truth.

2) Deafening their ears to the truth.

2) Closing their eyes to the truth.

2Th 2:12  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 

Psa 52:3  Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. 

The Lord Jesus explained it this way:

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. 

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

Joh 3:20  For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 

Joh 3:21  But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

It is tragic that the Word of God is so easily rejected by those who believe what the world is saying, when few politicians will even get near the truth themselves.

*****Act 28:30  And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, 

Act 28:31  Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him. 

Though these things bothered the Apostle Paul, he continued to serve the Lord.

Paul received anyone who wanted to know the truth, but it was also during this time that Paul, by the same Holy Spirit as Isaiah, authored more books of the New Testament.

Till the day Paul died he preached the coming of the kingdom of God and all things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul was confident that the message of the Gospel is all we need to reach Heaven's Gates.

No one in Rome at this time tried to stop the Apostle Paul from preaching the Gospel.

Most of the Jews wanted nothing to do with Paul and the Lord Jesus Christ that he preached.

All those Jews now are believers because they are in the Hell that is also the truth of the Gospel along with all unbelievers at that time.

Everyone in Hell now fully believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but it is too late for them.

Paul spent as much time making disciples as he did preach the Gospel. This is something that seems to be forgotten today in most churches.

The Book of Acts began with a few believers and this hand full of believers continued to serve the Lord, and the Gospel had now made it to the Capital City of the entire world.

Sometimes the Gospel has flown freely and sometimes the Gospel has been silently counterfeited by false teachers who have infiltrated the Church.

The Word of God is sometimes added to and sometimes parts of it have been deleted.

The Gospel has never been stopped and neither is this possible!

Mortal man cannot stop the Word of God.

If we open the Word of God today, we can see how it perfectly describes this world we live in today.

Believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be saved!

Reject the Gospel and see the wrath of the All-Powerful God.

Amen

Paul Surrenders to the Lord Jesus

 The Enemy is Changed

Book of Acts Chapter 9

In the Bible, Paul is first known by the Greek equivalent of his Hebrew name which is Saul. Paul is best known by his Latin Roman name Paul.

Paul went from being the most hated persecutor of the Church to being the great Christian and Apostle to the Church that belongs to Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul was the most dominate missionary to the Gentiles.

To the Church Paul was a murderer and he was certainly a murderer. 

It was the Lord Jesus Christ Himself who came to Paul and brought salvation to him.

It is only the Lord Jesus Christ who can save anyone.

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.

It was the Lord Jesus Christ that cleansed Paul from his sin of persecuting and murdering the Church.

We can be sure Paul had other sin.

Paul hated the Church and wanted to destroy the Church. 

When we persecute the Church, we are actually persecuting the Lord Jesus Christ for He is the Head of the Church!

*****Act 9:1  And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 

Act 9:2  And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. 

Paul burned with a flaming fury against the Church and all Christians.

It is Christians that make the Church. The Church is not a building!

Paul was consumed with fierce anger and that fierce anger was against Christ Jesus and His disciples.

Paul hunted down and slaughtered all the believers he could find, and we can be sure the world helped him.

The followers of Jesus Christ were called "the way" before the term Christianity was used.

Act 19:9  But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of "that way" before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus.

Act 19:23  And the same time there arose no small stir about "that way".

Act 22:4  And I persecuted "this way" unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

Act 24:14  But this I confess unto thee, that after "the way" which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: 

Act 24:22  And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of "that way", he deferred them, and said, When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter. 

The teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ were not pictured as a religion and Christianity is not a religion!

The teachings of the Lord were not pictured as rules and regulations for they are simply the truth of God.

The teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ were seen as "the way of life' according to our Heavenly Father.

Not just that but also the "course of life", "the means of life", "a condition of life", and "an experience of life".

It is the Lord Jesus Christ who showed us "the way" of salvation!

Act 16:17  The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us "the way" of salvation. 

It was the Lord Jesus Christ who showed us the "way of the Lord".

Act 18:25  This man was instructed in "the way" of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. 

It is the Lord Jesus Christ who has shown us how to have peace in our lives!

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

Rom 3:17  And "the way" of peace have they not known:

It was the Lord Jesus Christ who has shown us "the truth" of God's creation.

2Pe 2:2  And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom "the way of truth" shall be evil spoken of. 

This is what Paul was doing. He was speaking evil of the way of truth!

It is the Lord Jesus Christ who has shown us "the way of righteousness".

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. 

Paul was about to see "the way" himself and what it means to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.

*****Act 9:3  And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 

What is the truth of our Savior? God can save anybody, anywhere, at any time!

Saul was going to Damascus to slaughter Christians and wipe out Christianity.

Right in the middle of doing this evil, Paul was saved.

A light appeared suddenly, out of nowhere and unexpectedly. A light brighter than the noon day Sun!

Act 22:6  And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. 

Act 26:13  At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. 

Paul saw the Lord standing in the middle of this light.

1Co 9:1  Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? 

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

This light was the Glory of the Lord!

1Ti 6:15  Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; 

1Ti 6:16  Who only hath immortality, "dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto"; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

Just the power of this Light struck Paul down to the ground.

Act 26:14  And when "we were all fallen to the earth", I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 

The truth is, the Glory of God must shine in our hearts before we can be saved.

2Co 4:6  For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Glory of God!

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Lord of Heaven!

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God Himself!

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior to all those who believe, there is no other Savior.

Isa 9:2  The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. 

Paul is converted from Judaism to Christianity.

By the way, to be a Christian is to do the best we can to be like the Lord Jesus Christ and we can only do this by being filled with God Holy Spirit!

*****Act 9:4  And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 

Act 9:5  And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 

Paul had realized he had seen the Lord and now realized that He was hearing the Lord speak.

Paul was not alone but he was the only one who heard the Lord speak all the others heard was a mighty sound, but they could not distinguish the words spoken by Jesus.

What was Paul's sin?

Paul was opposing and persecuting the Lord Jesus Christ!

Joh_16:9  Of sin, because they believe not on me;

Paul was treading on dangerous ground and every soul upon this earth will get to meet our Savior.

Opposing Christ Jesus is serious, so serious it dooms a person to hell unless there is repentance.

This day was Paul's chance to miss hell and Paul had to make the right choice.

This may have been Paul's last day on earth had he remained rebellious.

Mat 25:40  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Mat 25:45  Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 

Mat 25:46  And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. 

Paul knew these things happening around him were coming from Heaven.

When Paul asked "who art thou Lord", he knew it was the Lord of Heaven and earth who was speaking to him.

Paul knew this person was the Lord of Heaven, but he did not know the Lord as his Savior but they are One and the Same.

It takes a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved.

Until you meet Jesus and recognize His glory, you will never understand this.

When a person really sees he has been rebelling against the Lord of Glory, the Savior, he will come under conviction.

Paul understood that what he was doing was opposing God who he had great faith in.

In Judaism it is Jehovah who is worshipped and Jehovah and the Lord Jesus are the same Deity.

Paul began to understand that he was lost, separated from Jehovah God and doomed to Hell.

Heb 2:3  How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; 

Heb 2:4  God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will? 

It is hard to kick against your own conscience.

"To kick against the pricks" is a picture of a stubborn ox being goaded with a long stick that was sharp on its end. 

It was hard for the ox to kick against the goad for he would only feel more pain.

Paul was questioning himself over the truth.

Paul was fighting himself over the truth.

Paul was struggling within himself with the truth of the Scriptures which he knew very well.

When the Light of the Gospel finally breaks through our sinful darkness, we will begin to know the truth.

Everyone who chooses to go against the Lord Jesus has chosen a hard way of life!

They will never know if they have chosen right, and it will affect everything they try to accomplish.

This something each Christian understands!

Psa 51:2  Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 

Psa 51:3  For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 

Psa 51:4  Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 

Psa 51:5  Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. 

Psa 51:6  Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 

There was only one thing Paul could do, he had to obey the Lord.

*****Act 9:6  And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. 

Paul had to surrender to the truth that he was the greatest of all sinners.

Gal_1:13  For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:

Paul was hardly able to bear up under the weight of his sin! 

We all get this way when we realize we are just dirty rotten sinners.

These things became part of Paul's testimony.

Paul became a shattered man, and it would take some time in prayer and meditation to clear his mind so he could learn the truth.

Paul needed the companionship of another believer who had been through similar things.

Paul had been converted and a radical change was taking place within him. 

It would take proof of his conversion for the Christian community to receive him.

There were some who witnessed this event that happened to Paul.

*****Act 9:7  And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.

There were some witnesses, but they did not know what was really happening.

In typology, we would say they were a type of the world we live in.

The world listens to false science and lies and reject the truth so the world cannot know the truth.

The world is aware of the miracle of conversion, but the world refuses to open their eyes to the truth but cling to the lies of false science.

We have to open our hearts to see the Light of the Lord Jesus.

We have to silence ourselves and our thoughts to hear the voice of God.

We have to make ourselves available to confront the Lord.

We have to be prepared to surrender if we call upon the Lord.

Act 28:27  For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 

Act 28:28  Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. 

2Co 4:3  But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 

2Co 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 

2Co 4:5  For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 

Paul could only do as the Lord instructed him. It is called obedience!

*****Act 9:8  And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. 

Act 9:9  And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink. 

Paul was blind and he did not know if it was temporary or forever.

Paul was helpless and had to be led by others.

Paul could do nothing else but to think about what had happened to him.

Paul became ashamed for what he had been doing.

Paul needed some help from a Christian!

Paul thought his purpose was to eliminate Christianity, but Paul now had no purpose in his life.

Paul wondered why the Lord Jesus had chosen him.

Paul wondered what the Lord Jesus wanted with him, and he wondered what the Lord Jesus was going to tell him to do.

Paul was unable to eat or drink for three days and Paul became exhausted with no strength at all.

We must understand that once the Lord Jesus has forgiven us, He no more remembers our sin and it is best we forget that old sin.

God sent Paul a brother in Christ named Ananias.

*****Act 9:17  And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. 

Act 9:18  And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. 

What Paul needed most was the need to experience the help and ministry of a fellow Christian.

As Christians we all know we are only sinners saved by the "Grace" of God!

Paul needed to see the faith of a brother in Christ.

Paul needed to know that he was also a brother in Christ.

Paul needed to feel the power of God and a glorious healing.

Paul needed to feel the power of the Holy Spirit.

Many ask, just when was Paul saved?

Was Paul saved on the Damascus Road or when he was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Paul knew that awesome Light was from Heaven.

Paul knew that voice he heard was from Heaven.

Paul knew who ever was speaking to him was of Heaven.

Paul called this Heavenly being "Lord".

Paul was surrendering to the Lord when Paul asked Him "What will you have me do"?

Paul did not have a personal relationship, but he knew it was the Lord God of Heaven.

Paul called Him Lord a second time.

Paul realized his only help was to obey the Lord God of Heaven as he surrendered to the Lord.

Paul prayed and the Lord Jesus heard him.

Act 9:11  And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, "he prayeth", 

Act 9:12  And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. 

It is evident that Paul surrendered to the Lord Jesus on the Damascus Road.

Does not sound a whole lot different from many of us who prayed the sinners pray and many pray and never give themselves to the Lord Jesus.

We now have Paul's history of how he served the Lord in the New Testament.

Paul could now eat because he was settled in his faith.

*****Act 9:19  And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. 

Paul was a changed man because he had been "Born Again"!

We see that a Church had been established in Damascus and now Paul was identified with other believers.

Paul was a true believer; his old man had surely died!

Paul became a follower of "The Way".

Paul became a true follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.

*****Act 9:20  And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. 

Paul preached Christ, the Messiah.

Paul no longer preached religion, or tradition, or ceremony or ritual.

There is a great significant difference between the two!

Paul also did not preach his firsthand experiences, his visions, his praying.

Paul preached Christ. It takes a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ to know the truth!

2Co 4:5  For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 

Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 

Col 1:28  Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: 

Col 1:29  Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily

Paul preached Christ the Son of God:

Col 2:8  Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 

Col 2:9  For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 

Col 2:10  And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: 

The people were amazed at the change in Paul. We could say Paul made a 180 degree turn rom his old life.

*****Act 9:21  But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests? 

Paul stood as a testimony to the change that comes about when the Holy Spirit moves in and we are "Born Again".

The people in the synagogues and in the public were amazed at what they saw in the new Paul.

They were expecting all the things they had heard about in Jerusalem to take place.

They had known about the mission of Paul and how he treated men and women Christians.

Paul now identified as a Christian himself.

Paul would later declare to the Romans that he was not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

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

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

And to the Christians at Corinth:

1Co 9:16  For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! 

1Co 9:17  For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. 

Paul became steadfast and faithful to the cause of Christ  and his old friends became his enemies.

*****Act 9:22  But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ. 

Act 9:23  And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him: 

Paul continued to grow in his faith and his zeal was now for the truth of Jehovah who is the Messiah who came to our world to save us.

Paul grew Spiritually. We can have no strength that can compare to "Spiritual Strength".

The Bible we have today is rich in the work of the Holy Spirit.

We should never forget the Holy Spirit is one third of the Triune God.

The Holy Spirit is not the influence of God, the Holy Spirit is God with His own work in our lives to accomplish and the power of the Holy Spirit showed mightily in the Apostle Paul.

The more Paul grew in the Lord the more he was able to confuse those who opposed the "Gospel."

Paul could take the Scriptures and prove that the Lord Jesus was the true Messiah!

Paul grew in strength because his "faith" grew greatly every day.

Paul had been studying the Old Testament since he was a child, but he now knew the truth of the Messiah.

What is the truth of the Bible?

Heb 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 

So the same ones who had encouraged Paul to persecute Christians now plotted to kill Paul.

God was not about to allow this to happen.

*****Act 9:24  But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him. 

Act 9:25  Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket. 

We would wonder why they would hate Paul with such a vengeance.

They then considered Paul to be a traitor to Judaism.

When Paul escaped, this is probably the time when Paul went to spend some time with the Lord.

Gal 1:15  But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, 

Gal 1:16  To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: 

Gal 1:17  Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. 

Where did Paul get his message?

Paul says not from man.

Paul did not immediately go back to Jerusalem to learn from the Apostles.

Paul went to Arabia where he stayed about three years. The same amount of time the other Apostles spent with Jesus.

It is after this he returned to Damascus.

Many times we just need to get alone with God and just talk to Him.

He is always ready to hear from us!

It is probably on his return to Damascus that verse twenty-three kicks in and this passage we are on now.

There are different theories about Paul's time in Arabia.

The point being Paul spent some quality time with the Lord Jesus and became a much more mature Christian and it was time for the Lord to use Paul in a mighty way.

Even after returning from Arabia it was still 12 years before Paul went to the missionary field.

Paul fled from assassination all the remaining days of his life.

Paul was run out of Jerusalem and did not get to go home very much.

Paul went to his childhood home in Tarsus until he was called to the mission field.

The message of the "Gospel" convicted and threatened the followers of Judaism, and it still does today.

Christianity is not a growth from Judaism but in fact all those in Judaism will have to convert to Christianity which will take place after the "Rapture of the Church.

The Apostle Paul is an example for us all of the change that takes place after we are saved and the work that we need to be doing as disciples.

Paul was not some fanatic no more than a Christian is today, witnessing for our Lord and Savior.

God will always make a way to escape when we are true witnesses for the Lord.

God will deliver us from difficulty when we true witnesses.

God will carry us through to His presence when death comes.

2Ti 4:18  And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 

You see this is the truth of the Scriptures!

Israel To Be Restored By God's Grace

 The Gospel of Grace and Israel's Restoration

Book of Romans Chapter 11

There is a simple truth we had better understand and it is, that what we believe determines our ability to see things properly.

When we reject the truth, we will believe a lie and the things that go with that lie!

This is the exact reason the government we have in place today is doing its best to influence our children or indoctrinate our children, at every level of our school systems.

Of course they are denying this just as Iran is denying their attempt to make nuclear weapons, but it is still true.

They are both hoping that enough time will pass that these things will be irreversible!

It is not Nuclear weapons that make great nations or even powerful nations, but only foolish nations!

This same thing happened to the Israel of old!

Another thing we had better be clear on, is that God will never abandon this people!

Though the many things they did were wrong, they did preserve the Word of God down through the many generations.

To this, we as Christians owe a great debt, even though we know that God was behind this important thing to make sure it took place.

*****Rom 11:1  I say then, Hath God cast away his people? "God forbid". For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 

The Word of God does not just stop at the introduction of the Church!

In God's wisdom, He has blinded the eyes of the Israelites until the fulness of the Church comes in.

The Apostle Paul said that jealousy would provoke them to see the Lord in a unique way.

It was the Jews, in the time of the trial of the Lord Jesus Christ who demanded to see the wrath of God.

Mat 27:25  Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

Mat 27:26  Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.  

God has promised that the Church would not see His wrath.

Rom 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 

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

Eph 5:6  Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 

These Jews, the children of disobedience, and those who have rejected the Lord Jesus Christ during the Church Age, will see the wrath of God, but not the true Church.

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. 

Rom 5:9  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 

The Church will not see the wrath of God!

The Jews begged to see the wrath of God, so in God's wisdom He set aside Israel until the fulness of the Church comes in at the "Rapture", then He will again deal with Israel as He promised Abraham and David, after they witness His wrath which they could have avoided!

God always keeps His promises!

God's covenants are sincere!

Israel was disobedient to God and turned away the hand of a loving God.

Rom 10:21  But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people. 

They had decided that they did not need to be obedient to the Word of God just as so much of the world has decided today!

Again we should be clear, God has not cast away His people.

Before God removes the blinders from this people, they will see the wrath of God that they had pleaded for at the death of their Deliverer who is the only Deliverer from the wrath of God!

Israel is not saved at this time and to be saved they must come to Jesus and repent.

This does not ever mean there is not a remnant of these Israelites ready to serve the Lord!

There will never be some new way to be reconciled to God, the Father of us all!

Jehovah has blinded the eyes of Israel, but the rest of the world just has no excuse because they have seen the truth of God through eyes that clearly see!

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

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

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

The Apostle Paul was proud of His Jewish heritage, but most proud of his Christian heritage!

We cannot be disobedient to the Word of God and be reconciled to God! 

This is something that we just cannot do and expect the "Grace of God"!

Israel is not a saved people at this time even though God will always have a remnant of the Israelites who love Him!

God's promises are to all people and God will deal with Israel just as His Word has said, and these things are not changeable!

We should clearly understand that God always has a remnant of Jews who love Him and who will serve Him.

The Apostle Paul was part of that remnant in the days of the early Church.

The Apostle Paul could be said to be a true Jew a direct descendant of Abraham through his mother.

In fact, it is the mothers who determine the line of Jews from Abraham just as it was Sarah who determines who is a true Israelite and a descendant of Abraham!

There are many descendants of Abraham who are not part of the family of Israel, such as those from Abraham's second wife Keturah along with the descendants of Ishmael and of Esau.

God will not cast off the descendants of Abraham by his wife Sarah!

Elijah, as powerful a prophet as he was, fell into this trap thinking that God did not have those who love Him at all times.

*****Rom 11:2  God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,

Rom 11:3  Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.  

The Book of Hebrews teaches us that without "faith" it is impossible to please God, because we must believe that He is the God of the Bible and the God of all creation.

Heb 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God "must believe that he is", and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Once you have accepted this in your mind, then why would you ever believe He would not be "all-knowing"?

God saves those He knows!

God does not forget those He knows!

The key here is that God knows!

Remember Jesus said to those who hated Him "that He never knew them".

God only knows those who love Him and are obedient to His Word.

If you understand the Lord Jesus, He does not even know those who do not love Him.

Remember He said, "I never knew you"!

God says you can always tell the ones that He knows by the way they live their lives!

Mat 7:20  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 

Mat 7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 

Mat 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 

Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 

Mat 7:24  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 

Mat 7:25  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 

Mat 7:26  And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 

Mat 7:27  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

God cannot be fooled, or He could not be God!

Rom 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 

Rom 8:30  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 

It is a fact that only a remnant of Israel will be saved during the Church Age!

It is also a fact that during the time of Elijah and all the other prophets there was only a remnant that genuinely loved God!

But there is always this remnant!

Elijah felt alone for a moment of his life because he did not see any around him that were trying to be obedient to the Word of God.

Elijah allowed the world (wicked Jezebel) to frighten him, and he became afraid to die and we must not ever be afraid to die for our Savior who died for us.

Luk_9:23  And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

The cross is a symbol of death!

We must never believe we are all alone in serving God! 

We never will be!

It is a fact that most of this world are disobedient and disloyal to our Creator and certainly disloyal to our Deliverer!(they are One and the Same person)

We should also understand that the image of a nation is determined by the lifestyle of the majority who live in that nation, not by that remnant!

As far as the United States goes, our image is not that of a godly nation, but our image is that of Sodom and Gomorrah just like the European Union and just like all nations of the United Nations that have adopted this wicked and immoral stance.

These are not freedoms; they are just sin against a Holy God!

Most of the rest are corrupt and wicked and self-righteous and seeking power they will never have.

There is a remnant today, but there is also the true Church that lives amongst all these wicked nations.

God will never leave Himself without a witness!

God will never leave His people without brothers and sisters going about the work given to us by Jesus Christ!

We must keep that work going until the Lord takes us home!

There will be a remnant of the Jews in place even when the Church has been removed from this world!

*****Rom 11:4  But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. 

Rom 11:5  Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 

The Apostle Paul knew there was a remnant of Jews in his day, and we had better know there is a remnant of Jews today who serve the Lord according to the "Grace of God".

The Holy Spirit is alive and well, working throughout this world according to the "Grace" God has shown to us.

Tit 2:11  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 

Tit 2:12  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 

Tit 2:13  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 

Tit 2:14  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. 

Tit 2:15  These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee. 

Since it is by "Grace", then there is still only the Law of Grace, and not any other law by which we can be saved, no matter where we come from!

*****Rom 11:6  And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. 

Grace is no longer "Grace" if God allowed a remnant according to those old Laws of Moses.

The Old Testament Saints were saved because they had the "faith of Abraham" which gained their righteousness.

What was the "faith of Abraham"? That God would provide Himself to be the Lamb of God, the Messiah!

No one deserves the "Grace" of God, so all who come to the truth of Jesus Christ are eligible to receive God's "Grace"!

We must clearly understand that no one will ever get to Heaven who does not have the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ!

There is no one who will ever work their way into Heaven!

God does not bestow His "Grace" upon anyone because we are deserving of it, because none of us are!

It is Jehovah God who placed the blinders upon the Israelites, and it is only Jehovah God who can remove those blinders!

What is said of Israel?

1) Isa 29:10  For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.

Isa 6:9  And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.

2) Psa 69:22  Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap. 

 3) Psa 69:23  Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake. 

Psa 69:24  Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them.

They were blind to the truth of the Messiah, and they still are!

*****Rom 11:7  What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded 

Rom 11:8  (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. 

Rom 11:9  And David saith, Let their "table" be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: 

Rom 11:10  Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. 

They were blinded.

They were given the Spirit of slumber.

They were given eyes that they should not see.

They were given ears that they should not hear.

That table is their lust for the things of this world rather than the things of God!

Rom 8:7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 

Rom 8:8  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 

Those who reject the truth of God experience judicial blindness and rejection by God!

Those who choose to reject the Lord Jesus Christ and the Gospel of Grace, have chosen for themselves damnation!

God offers His love and salvation freely, but God will not be taken advantage of, and God will not be mocked!

Unbelief only causes more obstinate unbelief!

We had better understand, God will not violate our will nor force His will upon us!

Sin only multiplies as our faith dwindles to nothingness!

Rom 2:5  But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 

Rom 2:6  Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 

What is the whole truth?

2Co 4:3  But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 

2Co 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

By rejecting the truth of the Gospel, we have placed ourselves in jeopardy and the penalties of Hell!

The Gospel which should feed and strengthen our souls, will become the means of destruction of the unbeliever!

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

Rom 11:12  Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? 

What was the "Gospel Message" to these Jews?

Mar 1:14  Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 

Mar 1:15  And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. 

True repentance must always be directed toward Jehovah God!

True repentance must always be for the remission of sins unto salvation!

These must be the desires of our heart!

Another especially important thing to remember is that God can save anyone, at any time and from any place!

Israel stumbled at the message of Jesus Christ!

Will Israel ever accept the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ?

Is the Spiritual fall of Israel to be forever?

The Holy Spirit says God forbids this to happen. Perish the thought of such a thing!

We should understand that the message of the "Gospel" is for the entire world.

God sent His messengers to Israel first, but God's salvation message is for all people.

The only ones who cannot be saved are those God has turned over to a reprobate mind!

This is a choice they have made, and the Holy Spirit will not strive with those people ever again, because it would not ever change their mind.

It is said that Israel stumbled because there were so many who chose to reject the message of God.

America was once known as a Christian nation because a greater majority of people trusted the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ! 

This is no longer the truth!

America is no longer known as a Christian nation because most Americans have abandoned the truth of Jesus Christ!

America is now the nation of Sodom and Gomorrah, along with the European Union and most of the United Nations.

The rest are power hungry nations who will fail because of their arrogance.

When Israel rejected the Gospel Message, God sent His messengers to all the other nations and one by one each nation either becomes a Christian Nation or they become a nation of reprobates by their own choice!

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

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

Act 13:48  And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. 

The things of this world may have been much better than what we see now, had the Israelites accepted the Word of God as it was given and had been missionaries to the world.

It has now been about two thousand years since Christ returned to Heaven and still the world has not been reached with the Gospel even though there are only a few places left if any now at this time.

We can now also see how our world could be much better had most of the Gentiles have received the truth of the Gospel and believed.

Even though all these things did not take place, God has still worked out all things for the good of those who love Him!

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 

God's plan cannot be overcome in any way form or fashion!

It is because of these two things that we are left with the world we now have, and God will take care of these two problems during the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ.

Even though people will still be left with a choice, with Satan out of the way there will be no temptation and none of his evil works to try to sway people at least for One Thousand years, where then he would be freed to do his evil for a brief period of time.

It is after this that the Israelites and the Church will be united in one mind and one faith to serve the Living God!

God assures the Church of these promises.

God assures the restoration of Israel.

God assures a restored earth back to the original as it was in the early days of Adam and Eve.

It is the Gospel that has impacted the world to the truth, the world is built upon the lust of the flesh, lies, deception, corruption, wickedness, and the love of money.

We should understand that millions have been saved from the wrath of God.

We should understand that millions have been saved from death and Hell.

We should understand that millions now have the promise of eternal life, and many millions are already living that life.

It is by the Gospel that humanity knows about the moral laws.

It is by the Gospel that morality and purity is preached world-wide.

It is only by the Gospel that we can be saved from the wrath of God on the Children of Disobedience.

The children of disobedience are all those who reject the truth of the Word of God!

Once Israel returns to Jehovah this world will see the blessings of God!

2Ch 7:14  If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 

2Ch 7:15  Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.

The Apostle Paul preached the truth until he was also murdered for preaching the truth to this world!

Rom 11:13  For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: 

Rom 11:14  If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. 

We should have this same love for all the lost and be obedient servants to the Lord Jesus Christ, the God who loves us enough to die for us that we too might be saved!

Amen

The Grace of God

 The Grace of God in a Sinful World

Book of Genesis Chapter 6

There are a lot of different thoughts about chapter 6 and the flood of the entire world but one thing we should clearly understand.

Our Heavenly Father has a plan of salvation and Satan will do everything he possibly do to cause God's plan to fail, which is impossible.

The things before the flood is our lesson today. We live in the world after the flood!

If we are not careful, we will make the events of Chapter 6 complicated when they are not.

We must understand once sin entered into the world, this world began to die.

This process of death began in earnest after the world-wide flood, and yes there was a world-wide flood.

The first part of society is the family, but when sin entered into the world of that day because of Adam, it passed down through his family and on to everyone who has been born since that day.

We begin to see the division.

A godly side who continued to worship and serve God, the line of Seth.

The ungodly side who neglected the worship and commands of God, the line of Cain.

In my mind this is what happened after Cain refused to repent and moved away.

We must understand the words of the Holy Spirit here!

2Co 6:14  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

We know that our God never changes, so it would have been the same command in the time of Adam and of Seth.

We will soon see that even those born in the line of Seth will soon depart from the truth.

There are certain reasons God does not want His children to be wed or joined to unbelievers, and we can see many of these reasons in this chapter.

Certainly, mankind was multiplying upon the earth at a pace we cannot comprehend.

Just look at Adam who lived to be 930 years old.

Gen 5:4  And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: "and he begat sons and daughters": 

Gen 5:5  And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.

All these men who were mentioned in the line of Seth lived many years and had many children and it would have been similar in the line of Cain.

*****Gen 6:1  And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, 

Gen 6:2  That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. 

We should not get confused about this phrase "the sons of God". 

If it is talking about angels, we should be clear that the "fallen angels" are never called the sons of God!

If we consider that it was angels that came together with these daughters of men, then we would have to ignore the truth that the Lord Jesus teaches the Church.

Mat_22:30  For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.

Mar_12:25  For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.

To understand what Jesus says is that angels do not have the ability to come together with human women or any humans at all!

Since this is true or Jesus is a liar, then we know these "sons of God" are other men who once served God in reality or falsely, and throughout the Scriptures the "sons of God" refer to believers or so-called believers!

This being true then, these "sons of God" must be the descendants of Seth from Chapter 5.

When we understand this, we can understand this whole passage.

Throughout this passage we never see the word angel!

Even in the New Testament references, we still see that this passage refers to men.

Mat 24:37  But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 

Mat 24:38  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 

Mat 24:39  And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 

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.

Again the Bible is written for Christians.

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

2Ti 3:17  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. 

Now we see that these descendants of Seth looked out into the world and decided that the daughters of the world are more desirable than the daughters of the sons of God.

Yes, men were told to multiply upon the face of the earth, yet corruption caused the abuse of God's blessing and turned it into another curse!

Moses understood that intermarriage between the godly and the ungodly was forbidden many years before there was such a law.

Deu 7:3  Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. 

Why would God teach us these things?

Deu 7:4  For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: "so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly". 

Moses knew how serious this issue was with Jehovah and that He might destroy them suddenly.

Even Isaac and Rebekah understood this thing.

Gen 27:46  And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me? 

Gen 28:1  And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. 

There is never a time in the Scriptures where we find angels marrying human beings and God will never allow such a thing.

When godly men fall into this trap with ungodly women, the only sure thing is that sin will increase but it does not change the fact that we are on the winning side!

Pro 29:16  When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increaseth: but the righteous shall see their fall. 

When the godly look at the world for satisfaction, it means they have forgotten what God has already done for them!

Then God our Creator says these words:

*****Gen 6:3  And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. 

In this verse we begin to understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

It is crucial that we follow the lead of the Holy Spirit!

Rom 8:6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 

Rom 8:7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 

Rom 8:8  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 

Rom 8:9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 

Gal 5:16  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 

Gal 5:17  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 

This Scripture leaves little doubt that the Holy Spirit was striving to keep the children of God on the right path!

In chapter 5 we see a list of men in the line of Seth who lived for many years and we can attribute this long life to the Holy Spirit.

We already know that our death cannot come, as long as we have that God breathed spirit within us.

We can also believe that we cannot live long lives, even eternity, without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who will never leave us once he moves in.

In this Scripture God is saying that these long lives would begin to get shorter and that length of life would get an average of 70 years as told by Moses, rather than near 900 years of the old patriarchs.

We know that God did allow Moses to live for 120 years but who died when his body was still healthy and strong.

All these things being true the truth is because Noah found "Grace" in the eyes of God, he was given 120 years to build the Ark of safety and the Holy Spirit would work for these 120 years on these unbelievers and then He would only work when called on by our Heavenly Father.

We can believe that God will not waste His time on those who have set their hearts on rebellion!

The Holy Spirit worked on these men by the preaching of Noah and He did so for 120 years and it is just that simple.

God does not beg for us to listen to Him and He will not beg us nor will He force us!

To spend eternity with our Heavenly Father is something we must have a great desire to do!

In the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit will only come to live within those who have already made this decision and then it takes place only by the "Grace of God" just like it happened to Noah!

Now all these things being clear, we can learn of giants in the land.

*****Gen 6:4  There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. 

Humanity becomes totally lawless.

We must not be deceived by that word "giant". In this passage it means "tyrants", "bullies", "apostates" from the truth of God and history proves this out whenever lawlessness occurs, and it can also mean some who were above average in their growth.

One group would attack another group until only the strongest most wicked groups were left.

In reality we still see these things in rogue godless nations because this is what sin does as sin increases!

We can be sure that there were men larger than other men and the strongest usually came out on top.

Many times these are the most wicked because they are feared.

The earth had become a place where the physically powerful ruled and dominated.

To me it sounds like the stories of the old wild west we use to enjoy as kids where there was always the hero coming to the rescue.

There was no one coming to the rescue at this time anywhere upon the earth and the Holy Spirit saw the end of His usefulness at this time which left only destruction.

God will not allow sin to rule for very long until, He puts a stop to it!

Deu 2:20  (That also was accounted a land of giants: giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims; 

Deu 2:21  A people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; but the LORD destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead: 

Deu 2:22  As he did to the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, when he destroyed the Horims from before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead even unto this day: 

Deu 2:23  And the Avims which dwelt in Hazerim, even unto Azzah, the Caphtorims, which came forth out of Caphtor, destroyed them, and dwelt in their stead.) 

These giants, men of renown, could be the descendants of those men in the line of Seth who left the Lord and married into the line of Cain.

Even today we know of many who have left the Lord to serve the world and they are some of the most wicked.

We already know that the Lord would bring an end to this evil day by a world-wide flood.

We already know that God will use fire to destroy this earth completely in our future.

*****Gen 6:5  And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 

Gen 6:6  And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 

When I read this passage, I just wonder what God sees today upon this same earth?

One man wrote: Before the world-wide flood we could look down as if we were in Heaven and see the things that were happening on God's creation. We were allowed to listen in on God's conversations with Adam and Eve, but after the flood, we can only see the characters of the Bible.

We see the story of the Bible and what sin has done to our world.

We see the flood waters come up around us and we will witness how God closes the door of the Ark to keep sin from safety.

What causes these things? The wickedness to humanity!

The wickedness of sin had multiplied much more than righteousness.

Society had fallen so deep into sin there was no bringing them back.

We now see that the wickedness of sin today, is becoming as it was before the flood!

It amazes me, especially in a certain state, that someone imagines something wicked in their mind and immediately they want to make it a new law for all people everywhere to observe.

It amazes me that some "judge" in no man's land can make a ruling and then say it will be the same through all 50 states and he is allowed to get away with it.

We see portrayed upon the screens of our television sets everyday wickedness and evilness continually.

We see that the very best people can do still falls far short of righteousness!

Righteousness is simply doing things that are right!

This is what God saw. The heart of society on earth had grown evil!

People were mean.

People were immoral.

People were perverse.

People were vile.

People were destructive.

People were lustful and sensual.

People were filthy and foul.

People were judgmental and condemning, of all those who did not think the way that they thought.

All these things sound familiar and could describe our own nation today.

Job 15:16  How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water? 

Crime was gross and heinous.

Psa 14:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. 

Psa 14:2  The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. 

Psa 14:3  They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 

When we get to the building of the Ark, we will realize that if Noah was not looked upon as a lunatic, the Ark would have never been built.

Our Creator groaned in His heart for what humans He had created.

We could say that the heart of our Creator was broken at what He was seeing happen to His creation, but still total destruction was never part of His plan.

God's mercy is still one of His greatest traits! Surely His great love is His greatest trait!

God decided that humanity should not exist and to destroy all mankind was the only answer!

*****Gen 6:7  And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. 

Jehovah said: "I will erase this day from the days of creation".

What had God created on the fifth and sixth day?

Gen 1:20  And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. 

Gen 1:21  And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 

Gen 1:24  And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. 

Gen 1:25  And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 

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. 

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 1:29  And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

God said He would destroy everything but the fish and mammals of the sea. These would be living creatures that did not depend upon the land for survival.

The animals and other creatures were destroyed because they were made for man's pleasure!

All things concerning humanity would change after the flood.

This is the very reason the flood had to be a world-wide event!

That word "destroy" used in this passage means to "erase".

All these creatures were created to show the awesomeness of God, that man might serve and honor Him, but just as today the world did not see our Creator at all.

What happened that day is happening again today!

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; 

Rom 1:29  Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 

Rom 1:30  Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 

Rom 1:31  Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 

Rom 1:32  Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

There is very little doubt at least in my mind, that this is the mindset of a certain party of politicians who want to rule us because they are reprobates!

Reprobates have infiltrated their way into many places of government!

There was only one man that helped God to decide what He would do!

A man named Noah.

*****Gen 6:8  But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. 

Gen 6:9  These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. 

Gen 6:10  And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 

Throughout the Bible we will never see where God will destroy a righteous human being!

You see "Grace" is the theme of the New Testament (New Covenant) and Jehovah could not show His lack of "Grace" to this righteous man.

What had God promised Satan?

Gen 3:14  And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 

Gen 3:15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; "it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel". 

Once God said this then He had to know it would happen!

This is the first promise of the coming of the Messiah!

If there was no Messiah, then the Word of God would be a lie!

One man in the entire world still acknowledged our Creator and his name was Noah!

It was Noah who would continue the line from Adam to Jesus!

Luk 3:23  And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, 

Luk 3:24  Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph, 

Luk 3:25  Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge, 

Luk 3:26  Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda, 

Luk 3:27  Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri, 

Luk 3:28  Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er, 

Luk 3:29  Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, 

Luk 3:30  Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim, 

Luk 3:31  Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David, 

Luk 3:32  Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson, 

Luk 3:33  Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda, 

Luk 3:34  Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor, 

Luk 3:35  Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala, 

Luk 3:36  Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, "which was the son of Noe", which was the son of Lamech, 

Luk 3:37  Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan, 

Luk 3:38  Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God. 

The one thing our Creator will never do is, to destroy those who love Him! He will always remove them from His wrath!

The same water that caused the destruction of all humans and the land-based animals and the birds, is the same water that raised the Ark that Noah built to carry him to safety.

1Pe 3:18  For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 

1Pe 3:19  By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 

1Pe 3:20  Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 

The Ark of Noah in typology represents the Ark that saved Moses.

These two arks are very different in size!

Moses’ ark was maybe a yard long. Noah’s ark was 150 times longer. Moses’ ark was made of reeds from the Nile. Noah’s ark was made from cypress wood. One thing they both had in common — they were both covered in pitch or tar to keep them from sinking. And both arks represent the same thing — God’s means of saving humanity.

Noah’s ark saved a righteous family from God’s judgment on humanity!

Moses’ ark saved the man who would lead a nation to safety after God’s judgment on Egypt!

Both arks are about salvation, saving those God loves! 

They were life preservers for everyone on board, leading the world to the ultimate ark, the cross.

The cross is for those today who are sinking in a sea of sin. Hold on, it will get you through to the other side, where life everlasting awaits you.

God always sends an ark to save you from drowning. You just have to climb aboard!

We should understand that "salvation and holiness" are the work of God! God just ask us to have a part in them.

The Ark in typology represents Jesus Christ Incarnate on earth.

Noah became the symbol of salvation for mankind in his day, because he was the only remnant to survive, while Moses became the symbol of salvation for the Israelites, because he was the one who led them out of Egypt from the slavery that they endured.

Also, both of them were put into water as their journey. Noah was put into a wooden ark covered in pitch and then that ark was in the Flood.

Similarly, Moses (as a baby) was put into a reed basket covered in pitch which was placed on the Nile. 

Water is a significant symbol in both of the narratives. In The Bible, water tends to symbolize salvation or cleansing, hence the first comparison.

Both are types of Jesus Christ!

Noah had three sons who would repopulate the earth along with Noah and their wives.

We know that Noah found the "Grace" of God, but it does not say his children did.

God could have just saved Noah, but God has a much greater plan than to just save an Ark full of people and animals.

The one thing we know is that God's patience does have an end!

Now listen closely as the Bible describes the America of today.

*****Gen 6:11  The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 

Gen 6:12  And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. 

What are two words that express the wickedness of our world.

1) Corrupt

2) Violence

What are the two biggest things we see in America?

1) Corruption

2) Violence.

The government is corrupt and those few who battle for righteousness are just outnumbered.

Those who are corrupt instill this violence we see every day along with the News Media and Facebook and Twitter and other such sources contribute also!

To add to this, the Church has become corrupt because the world has been invited into the pulpits and into the leadership of the church.

In the day of Noah, all these things were true as the "sons of God" had become caught up in the "maids" of the world.

No one in their right mind can say our day is not getting as bad as it was in the days of Noah!

Our Creator never changes, and we know what He did in the day of Noah, He will do again!

This time without water, but fire!

Wickedness breeds corruption and corruption breeds violence!

God had only one answer to stay true to His holiness.

These things had to be destroyed!

*****Gen 6:14  Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. 

Since we have discussed this Ark, we will keep this short.

Gopher wood the wood used for ships is also the wood used for coffins in many areas of the world.

As Noah built this Ark, he also preached to those who were lost.

God had allowed 120 years for these things to take place.

Noah may not have known the day or the hour that the rain would come, he did know the year.

The pitch that water-proofed this Ark, can be said to be represent a "pardon" which we know comes only by the Lord Jesus Christ!

The Ark and the pitch together represent "Grace" which in reality still means God's Mercy At Christ’s Expense".

The study of the Ark is a lesson in itself.

Not many realize that seven days before the rains began, Noah and his family moved into the Ark.

The one and only door stayed open for these seven days and "whosoever" chose could have boarded the Ark and not one of those people chose to do so.

Then God shut the door so that not even Noah could open it, and when the rains came, we can just imagine how many tried to get into the Ark, but it was too late!

Do not wait until the door to Heaven is closed. Come while you still have time. God still takes "whosoever" will come while the door to safety is open!

Amen