God's Families

Staying Right At Home

Book of 1 Peter 3:1-12

So far as we have studied the Book of 1 Peter, we have seen how to build our relationship with God the Father. It must begin through God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. We must be filled and sealed to redemption by God the Holy Spirit.

It is the Triune God that has brought about all creation.

It is the Triune God that has brought about our salvation.

It is the Triune God that will carry us throughout eternity.

Human reasoning cannot fathom the reasoning around the Triune God but to doubt the existence of our God in 3 persons is to doubt the truth of the Scriptures, for even the Holy Scriptures would not exist without the strength of God in 3 persons which is the truth of God.

Peter has spent a lot of time teaching us how to build upon our relationship with our God and with all the things already considered our relationship with God must include the relationship we have with our family.

After all God is all about family! We are to be the family of God! We are to be the "Bride of Christ"! We are God's children if we accept His own dear Son, God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ!

God is One in regard to essence! God is 3 in regard to persons! We must have understanding and a complete acceptance of this doctrine!

So to continue to see how God builds His family, we need to look to our own family, as the family is to be an example of the doctrine of God!

(Hint: Look at this wife as the Bride of Christ, God the Father as the Husband)

*****1Pe 3:1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

1Pe 3:2 While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.

God's family planning is to show us the design of the ultimate family of God. In all things, men and women are created equal except for some bodily functions.

After the man and the woman come together, the woman is to bear the child. This one thing is observed throughout creation.

In reality, in the family there must be a head of the family like the Lord Jesus is the Head of the Church!

As we study this passage, we must understand that the entire theme is giving ourselves to God after He has made us to be a part of His family!

If the Christian wife wants to give herself to God, in doing so she must also submit herself to her own husband in God's design for the family!

Notice that phrase "own husband". God did not want women to think they had to submit to any other husband of someone else!

In reality the Christian wife is to place herself under the authority and the control of her husband, but this is to be as the Bride of Christ is to live under the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.

There are some keys that we must understand.

1Co 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

This family will not work as the Lord describes, unless that husband has submitted himself to Christ, the woman also submitting herself to Christ.

Eph 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

Eph 5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Eph 5:28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

The main key being, we must all obey the doctrine of God, not the doctrine of this world or the doctrine of some man!

Rom 6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

Rom 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

God is building the perfect family, The Lord and the "Bride of Christ". The family upon this earth should resemble the family of God to be a true family.

It is the families that are suffering the most upon this earth.

You know many things are said in trying to stop abortion but "if the men" would follow the Word of God themselves, abortion would cease to exist!

The wife is to be a beautiful example of the "Bride of Christ" and therefore a true witness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

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

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

What makes the wife to be beautiful to God and therefore the husband?

*****1Pe 3:3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;

1Pe 3:4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with a woman trying to do everything she can to look beautiful to her husband, but it is not the way she fixes her hair. It is not adorning herself with gold and it is not trying to find the nicest apparel.

It is the same things that please God!

God looks into the heart of all His children.

A man, if He takes the time to truly look into the heart of a woman, instead of that outside adornment, he will find that wife that will truly please him and who is already pleasing to God!

You see, it is the "Gospel of Jesus Christ that will produce these qualities in that adoring wife that will make her fairer than all others!

It is the Body of Christ that is the Church! Many see the Church as a building, but a building is only the house where the Body of Christ meets to worship God.

It does not take the most beautiful buildings to serve the church for it's not what is on the outside of any house of God that is important, but it is the "heart" of the congregation on the inside that makes the church.

Much money spent on adorning the outside of buildings could be spent on promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Having said that, God does not want to the Church to reside in tents, but nice buildings well equipped to make disciples, is the purpose that should come first!

Remember we are to be good stewards of the tithes and offerings to God!

Will heaven be a place of great adornment? We must trust the Scriptures, but the one thing Heaven will be is perfect.

We have no idea what perfect looks like nor can we describe perfect!

What does the perfect woman of God look like?

A heart given to God, a beautiful ornament of a meek and quiet spirit that is uncorruptable, which when God sees this, He knows the woman has paid a great price to be this way in our evil world.

This is a woman who is noticed. A woman who has this inward holiness, is well worth holding onto but without leaving your first love which must remain the Lord!

A godly woman will not be trying to attract the world to herself, she will be trying to attract the lost to the Lord, and she does this buy first being in submission to the Lord, then in submission to her husband and then to the welfare of her family, not willing to lose any of them to Satan!

Jas 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

Jas 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

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

According to the Lord we can see that holy women of old, as far back as Abraham and Sara had no problem with all these things and they were not slaves to their husbands.

*****1Pe 3:5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:

1Pe 3:6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

Again we see the greatest quality of that precious lady is her holiness. Far greater than great riches and beauty!

Beauty fades with age and sickness.

Wealth finds so many ways to disappear.

Grace holds on to eternal life and even God blesses such a woman.

Remember Jesus possesses Heaven and Earth, but He also had a mother!

When a godly gracious man meets a godly gracious woman in the love of God, a family has begun!

Notice Peter does not mention women of the world, but some women who already had their names written down in the Scriptures.

If a woman has become a Christian after her marriage, then there is a very good chance she could win her husband over to the Lord!

If a woman is Christian along with her husband, then she will be in subjection to her husband.

Col 3:18 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.

It is by Sarah that the nation of Israel was formed.

It is by Sara that we can have such a godly example.

Her daughters would be all those who have followed her in the examples of godliness.

When Peter looked at these things, he could see nothing in the world that could resemble the family of Abraham and Sara!

Abraham was the father of all believers:

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

Sara also had great faith and mother of all wives of holiness.

Heb 11:11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

Gal 3:7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. (By his wife Sara)

Men never get off the hook with God, yes women were to subject themselves to the man, but God holds the man accountable for the family.

Watch that word "likewise".

*****1Pe 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

The Bible pulls no punches with the husband. Each husband is to live with his own wife, not some other woman, and he is to understand and honor her with the highest esteem!

This same husband as a father, is to see that his children are taught the Word of God.

Isa 54:13 And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

Notice that the man is to dwell with his wife. This is not just living together, but it covers all the things of married life!

The man is to dwell with his wife, and not anyone else, he is not to know anyone else other than a godly friend.

He is to dwell with her in purity, righteousness and holiness!

To dwell means he is not to be gone all the time but must reserve some time just for her!

He must set aside some time for his wife. Remember all the time of the Lord is spent in concern for His Bride!

He is to be a close companion not a faraway companion.

He is the leader of a godly team, he and his wife!

Obviously, this is not to do away with individuality, but this is never a problem between two loving people.

It is all these things a man should consider before he even takes a woman to be his wife!

Mar 10:6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

Mar 10:7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;

Mar 10:8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.

Mar 10:9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Outside the family there are still things the man and woman of God must do.

*****1Pe 3:8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

1Pe 3:9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

Maybe the greatest problem with Christianity, is the fact that we are not all of one mind.

The Apostle Peter was not the only one who taught this principle by the Holy Spirit, so was the Apostle Paul.

Rom 15:5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:

Rom 15:6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The church is to be unified in one thing in particular, we are all to be in one mind concerning the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ and just so we are all not to forget it, Jesus Christ is the foundation of the Church and the Church is to teach the Doctrine of the Apostles and the Prophets.

It is easy to see how the mainline denominations have strayed from this truth!

Where is the unity and the compassion? Many a church now act like each church is the enemy of the other.

What happened to love and be loved as brethren?

What happened to being pitiful, which is being sympathetic and courteous?

We are all to know, that it is evil to go against the written Word of God and it is even more evil for anybody who have chosen to go against the Scriptures to bring evil upon those who adhere to the Word of God!

Any, body of believers that have accepted the leaven of those who teach that the marriage between one man and one woman is now meaningless and marriage can be between anyone including animals, are a joke to the truth of God.

We cannot allow the courts and the politicians to determine what a godly marriage is to be!

All those who call themselves Christians, but allow babies to be murdered (yes, I said murdered) in the womb, saying they have some kind of right to do so, are a joke to the truth of God!

Contrariwise, we have forgotten that we are to be a blessing to one another, and we are not to allow the world, nor the things of this world, inside the Church.

What happened to the spirit of oneness to the truth of God?

What happened to a repenting soul knowing they have sinned!

Sin is sin because the Scriptures say so, it is not open to discussion to politicians nor the world, nor world governments!

There are no blessings to those who toss the Word of God out, there is only a place called Hell, which itself will be tossed into the "Burning Lake of God"!

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

We cannot teach the Word of God properly without mentioning the sin in our world, but the true church must take a stand in this evil world and those who do so, must be likeminded teaching the truth of God and still showing the truth of God!

God says we must not forget to hate evil, and there is to be no compromise with evil!

*****1Pe 3:10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:

1Pe 3:11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.

What is a life worth living upon this earth?

Psa 34:11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

Psa 34:12 What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?

Psa 34:13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

Psa 34:14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

What does God want us to clearly understand, before we allow the world to influence the Church?

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.

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.

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.

While we are upon this earth, we learn the principles of life and the Word of God directs us to that life that is a blessing to our God, if we listen to what He says.

Life has never been about, "do what we want to anytime we want to"!

Life is about knowing there is an enmity that has given us this life and His purpose is for us to learn about Him and His character and His truths and then, life as He describes and then a precious future that is a life that we cannot even imagine!

That word eschew means, that we are to do everything we can do stay away from evil!

To avoid doing evil ourselves and taking no part in the evils of the world, but also the evils that have entered into many a place that at one time were true houses of God, but are now no more than a platform for the Devil to broadcast his definition of life, which is a dead life or not a life at all but being in the slave market of Satan!

If we will avoid evil as bests we can, do good and never bad, seek the peace of God and all the blessings that come with a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and ensue it, then we can know life here as God expects us to know it.

By the way Peter used that word “ensue” which means to follow these things with the full force of our being!

We are never to be a bunch of wimps in our Christian stance before this world and before all evil!

There is a very good reason we are to be this way in this life!

*****1Pe 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

Jehovah God is the source of all life!

As the righteous, we have the true love of God, and to all His commandments, and not allow ourselves to be drawn into anything contrary to the revealed Word of God!

There are and never will be any revisions to the Word God given to the writers of the Scriptures.

There are no lost books of the Bible.

Remember God gave these words to the writers, "so they are the actual words of our Creator"!

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.

Those who love the Lord, can only be perfect in the eyes of God by learning and loving the Holy Ghost inspired Word of God!

Then there are those who intentionally do evil!

All of us are capable to do evil in most cases by ignorance, but those who intentionally live a life of evil, rejecting the Word of God, will find that the Lord God Jehovah is against them as long as they have chosen this life!

What does God say again?

Eze 15:7 And I will set my face against them; they shall go out from one fire, and another fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I set my face against them.

Eze 15:8 And I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, saith the Lord GOD.

Psalms 34:16 The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

Psa 9:16 The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.

God knows most of those who are evil will never read these things, so they are written for our assurance but also for our admonition.

We need to serve the Lord, but we must serve the Lord according to what He has taught us!

Remember the things God write to us are also His promises!

Amen

Let us all pray!

We Must Lay Aside Some Things

Understanding Our Heritage

Book of 1 Peter Chapter 2:1-10

In our previous lesson we learned that we must be "Born Again" to be in the family of God. God writes the name of all His children in what God calls the Lamb's Book of Life and we must be "Born Again" to have our names written in this book!

As soon as our name is written down, we find that Satan has become our enemy and it will not always be easy to be a child of God!

We will be perfect in the eyes of God because when He sees us, He sees His Son.

We will be an enemy to the world and there some lessons we need to learn very quickly!

That word "wherefore" means, for this reason.

"Wherefore" because we have been "Born Again" there are some things we must do.

*****1Pe 2:1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,

1Pe 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

We must lay aside some things!

**Malice: Malice means that you are determined to get revenge upon your enemies or at least cause them problems, but since you are a child of God, you must let your Father in Heaven take care of all your problems including this one!

Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

**All guile: Guile is being cunning and deceitful. These are some of the traits of Satan and Satan is our enemy. We certainly are not to be anything like him. To be involved in the traits guile will cause you to lose the blessings of God!

Psa_32:2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

**Hypocrisies: Spiritual hypocrisy is acting in any way that goes against the Word of God but claiming to be on God's side.

Luk 12:1 In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

Leaven as used in this Scripture, is the thing that caused the Pharisees to be hypocrites. Leaven represents sin in most all of the Bible.

**All evil speaking: the word evil means wicked immorality, going against the pure Word of God.

These are some of the first things that we are to repent of, and we can learn all these things from the Word of God.

If we cannot lay aside these things, we will never be counted good enough to enter into Heaven's gates!

I can just imagine that pearly gate will be so mirror like that we can see our new selves before we come face to face with the Lord of Glory.

We must have a desire to learn about our God and He has given us the Word of God to do so!

Again God cautions us that as "babes in Christ" we need some help to understand the Word of God, but the more we stay in the Word of God, we will grow and no longer be a "Babe"!

The Word of God is that Spiritual milk we need every day for the rest of our lives to become a mature child of God!

It is by the "Grace" of God that we are saved and the "Grace of God" that we will grow until we come useful to the Lord!

*****1Pe 2:3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

To be "Born Again" into the family of God, begins to show us just how the "Grace" of God works in our lives!

We must also understand that God intends for us to grow in His knowledge.

We cannot have the wisdom of the Lord until we have the knowledge of the Lord!

You see God wants us to know all about Him! God does not hide anything about His character!

God did not have to reveal Himself to us at all!

We have to have food and water to make our physical bodies grow and most all babies need milk and food from baby foods.

The milk of the Gospel are the basics thoughts.

God took off His heavenly garments and came to this earth to pay our sin debt we could not pay.

We are sinners at birth, and we need a Savior and that Savior is the Lord Jesus Christ, God in the flesh.

It is the work that Jesus did that we could not do, that has reconciled us to God.

After we have tasted the "grace" of God it becomes time to grow in the Word of God!

1Pe 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Psa 24:8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.

Psa 24:9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

Psa 24:10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

God laid aside His majesty to come to this earth to provide a means for our salvation!

*****1Pe 2:4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,

1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

God came to us in a body of flesh (a living stone)(The Lord Jesus Christ). The Lord Jesus was rejected by His own people.

Remember Jesus was born in Bethlehem to Mary a descendant of Nathan a son of King David.

The Father of Jesus was the Holy Ghost! Jesus had no earthly father until He was adopted (accepted) by Joseph who was a descendant of Solomon the son of King David.

Then prophecy was fulfilled.

Jesus was born a Jew, so His people would be the Jews the tribe of Judah.

Make no mistake, Jesus the Messiah, in the flesh was a Jew and was rejected by these foolish people at the time and that generation perished in 70 A.D. at the hands of the Roman General Titus, who hated the Jewish people.

Rome was that Empire of iron and clay that was broken into what is the Europe of today

Dan 2:34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces

Not so long a time after this God brought to Rome to its knees because clay feet are so easily broken!

At salvation, we become the living stones who make up the Church, a spiritual house when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, who can then offer up Spiritual sacrifices accepted by Jesus Christ our Savior, our King, our Master, our God!

Heb_12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Eph 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

Eph 2:21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

Eph 2:22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

What are our Spiritual Sacrifices?

We must offer up our souls, our bodies, all out thoughts, all our words and all our actions.

It may take some time, but these are the things that God requires of us!

It is at this time we become a part of the Scriptures!

*****1Pe 2:6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

Confounded means a lot of things but "dismayed" is the meaning of this passage adding maybe "perplexed"!

Jesus, the Messiah is and was that chief corner stone.

He is elect because He is God the Father's chosen Messiah!

Isa 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

Isa 42:2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

Isa 42:3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

Isa 42:4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

Isa 42:5 Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:

Isa 42:6 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

Isa 42:7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

Isa 49:22 Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.

Isa 49:23 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.

Sion (Zion) of course is Jerusalem. The City of peace!

*****1Pe 2:7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

1Pe 2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

You see, I not only believe my Lord is precious, I know He is precious, or He would never have accepted me into His family.

He did not get much when He first got me!

Much like the Israelite, I spent my 40 years in the wilderness of the world and the Lord endured me until He brought me into His family!

A loving and powerful God opens His arms to all who will believe and accept Him, yet so few do.

The only sin that cannot be forgiven is the sin of unbelief which shows disobedience, and in the end will bring the wrath of God.

God promises those who love Him will never see His wrath!!!!!

Jesus Christ is the appointed foundation stone of all creation, yet He is the foundation stone of our lives and the foundation stone of the Church.

What's wrong with this world?

They want nothing to do with this Stone (Christ Jesus)

They do not think that this "Stone" will fit into their plans.

They do not think this "Stone" will suit what they are building.

They do not think this "Stone" is worth the price they would have to pay.

The "Stone" of eternal life is rejected because, even though His price is free, He still costs too much for the unbeliever to change!

In rejecting this world, which can only offer the promises of failure, we can learn the important things which are life and life eternal.

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

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

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

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

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

In reality, Jesus Christ is the living breathing wisdom of God!

The Bible says: "but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it"

There is no life without Jesus Christ!

You see, if you cannot make peace with the Living Stone of Jesus, then that Living Stone you will stumble over. This Stone will then become the Stone of Offence and He will roll over you!

All those people who disregard the Triune God, reject that Jesus is God in the flesh will find their beliefs are false and they are foolish!

The biggest problem the world has today is the world thinks it is wise and the people of God are from an Era that has long since pasted.

This is opposite from the truth!!!!!

Again the Lord has already said what He was going to do with all unbelievers, and this is the truth of those who reject my Savior!

Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Jer 6:15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

But what of the believer?

*****1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

1Pe 2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

What does a chosen generation do?

Those who build their lives upon the "Rock of the Lord" Jesus Christ!

If we cannot give our lives to the Lord, for His use, we have not given God the thing He wants the most !!!!!!!

When we agree with Jesus Christ, we all become a new people, who are special to the Lord! It is just that simple !!!!!

God loves the people who love His Son!

To be a Christian, means we are a very special people in the eyes of God!

That word "chosen" means that the Church is now God's new people.

The "Born Again" chosen children of God somewhat like the chosen people of Israel in that generation of Abraham whom God will return to deal with after the "Rapture" of the Church.

The Church is to be a "royal priesthood"!

When we invite Jesus to come in our hearts we become "royal priests" to King Jesus!

There are men who are called to be Pastors and Priests and other titles, but every child of God is to be a "royal priest" to King Jesus!

We have instant access into the throne room of God!

We also have access to God no matter where He is at, because He is everywhere at the same time.

There is never a time we cannot reach out to God in thought but more in prayer!

Eph 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

If we could gather ourselves together with all the Saints of God, we would become a Holy Nation!

You see, God is building Himself a Holy Nation

To be Holy is to be different from this world!!!!!!

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

If you wonder why the world hates the Christian, it is because not only are we the "Chosen People of God", Royal Priests, but we are a little bit peculiar in fact, most of us are a whole lot peculiar which means, we are God's own possession, in fact His special possessions!

You know the world hates that we say this but that does not make it any less true!

Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

In the beginning God said, "let there be light" and we are that special, particular, peculiar, and purchased creation that are to shine like the stars! Created twice to die once, who are called out of darkness into that "Light" which is the Lord Jesus Christ!

1) The Light of His truth:

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

2) The Light of His favor:

Psa 4:6 There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.

3) The Light of His holiness:

Eph 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

You see when we were lost in this evil and wicked world, we were nobodies who yielded to the Devil every time he called, but now after the Light of Jesus has shined upon us, we are the people of God!

Maybe the most important feeling we can have is that we know these things are true!

1Jn_5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

You see, we are become the people of God through and by the Lord Jesus Christ!

We now have the Light of life. Not just any life but "Eternal Life"!

OH, for the love and the grace of God that He would give to all who will call upon Him in "repentance" and "faith".

The world would say there is no god, but the world has made themselves to be little gods just as Satan has taught them!

Gen 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

Gen 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

God has given us "free will" to choose.

We can choose the good of Jesus, or we can choose the evil of the Devil.

Hint! I read the back of the Book and the Devil loses!

Why not get on the “Winning Side”?

Amen

Let us all pray

God Rewards His Children

Precious Rewards

2 Timothy 4

As we close out the 2 Books of Timothy, next week will begin with a few lessons in the Book of Titus.

We should not forget this second book written in the name of Timothy were the last written words of the Apostle Paul.

It was written from Rome as Paul was arrested the second time by Nero, for preaching the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ.

This time Paul was sentenced to death by beheading, and again Paul was content that his life would soon be coming to an end and he would be going home to be with the Lord!

The truth is, we live in a world that is bombarded with messages of hope, yet all we can see is a world that is becoming more and more corrupt because our world offers no hope for true life.

My hope is that we could see one more worldwide revival and thousands or even billions would come to know the Lord Jesus Christ on a personal level that begins with love and remains as love because we have such a great love letter from our Savior!

The message of the Word of God is so simple that many do not understand the simplicity of salvation, but one thing must happen. The Holy Spirit must convict us of our sin!

The only lasting hope for all mankind is a personal relationship with Jehovah God, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Great "I AM" of the Scriptures.

The Word of God is so important that the Lord called special men and then equipped them to preach the "Gospel Message" of the Lord Jesus Christ!

*****2Ti 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead "at his appearing" and "his kingdom";

2Ti 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

What is the work of that Preacher who is called of God? Number one He is to preach.

I think it would be good to mention that in all the pastoral epistles we find nowhere in the Scriptures where any female is authorized to preach the Word of God and the Word of God gives no indication that any woman should become the Pastor of any of the sheep of God who is the Good Shepherd of all His sheep!

In fact, it takes only one Scripture to prove my point!

1Ti 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

What we know is that Timothy was a single man called to be Pastor in the Church at Ephesus.

For a married man called of God, he must meet the qualifications set down in what we call the pastoral Epistles, the 2 Books of Timothy and Titus, after first becoming a "Born Again" child of God.

In this one passage we see that the husband must be blameless and have only one wife and could even mean one wife at a time, but this one passage eliminates the woman who could never be the husband of one wife. If it turned out to be a couple in the LBGT movement then it cannot be any part of the church!

So, God commands that those men He has personally chosen, are to preach the Word of God.

How many false men behind the pulpits of America and even this world have rejected the Word of God and preached every version but the truth of God?

A Preacher, whether you say Pastor, Bishop, or any other name is to Preach the Word of God and this means every passage in the Bible, all 31,173 verses in the context that they were written, rightly divided.

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.

We saw this Scripture last week and it has not changed, nor will it ever change!

It is a fact that we will be judged for every evil thing we have done since coming to know Savior but without a doubt that Pastor will be judged for every message he has preached all the time he has been called to be a pastor.

God is watching us all but there is much more written about God watching those who deal falsely with the truth of the Word of God!

The most important reason to preach the pure truth of God is the fact that we will all be judged by the same Word of God that is be preached.

I personally trust the King James Version Bible because it is an English translation from the original Hebrew and Greek manuscripts. I also realize that King James himself was an evil man who I never hear of changing. The King James Bible has nothing to do with King James except to say that he may have paid to have this work done and even then, not having the right intentions. As God does, He makes good things come from bad intentions!

I would stay away from any other English translation and those who use any of the other languages should gauge their own translation by those same Greek and Hebrew manuscripts.

Every work of the Christian must be good enough, not to satisfy men, but to satisfy Jesus Christ (Christlike)!

We must clearly understand that if the Lord gave such a command to "Preach" then He is certainly not trying to hide anything from us and He will greatly judge all those who do try to hide the truth of God from us.

In fact, the truth of God simply cannot be hidden from those who are seeking the truth but easily hidden from those who will sit and listen to anything from every "so-called" man of God!

No one is perfect and myself far from that, but we are all to search the Scriptures, so we will know the truth when we hear it and it is not that hard because God will never hide the truth from us!

The man has never lived who can outsmart God!

Psa_2:4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

Psa_59:8 But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.

The one thing that stands out in this passage is the fact that The Lord says to preach the Word of God and does not mean to preach any other matter to those who are listening! This is a sharp command to preach.

This is to take the Word of God and make sense of the Word so all those listening can understand, with the vigor to make sure they hear what God has to say!

This is so the Holy Spirit can do His work of conviction!

There are many Preachers and Pastors who have no problem with the preaching of God's Word. Where many fail they do not exhort those who are hearing to take the Word of God in to their hearts and apply it to their daily life.

God has already proved that He is longsuffering and even says so and all those who receive the Word of God into their hearts can be gloriously saved but even God has a limit with His longsuffering.

Isa 63:10 But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.

We already know that God does not ever changed His perfect ways and He never will!

Why are all these things so very important? Because of the time we have arrived at today in the Church Age!

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

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

We should clearly understand that in the day Paul wrote these words to Timothy and the Church, false doctrine was already entering the Church!

The human being is still a basically sinful creature, since the time of Adam and we will use ever method thought of to avoid hearing the truth of our sinfulness. This is the Holy Ghost's first obstacle in convicting us of our sin!

The human being will seek out words that will be suited more to their desires and their fancies!

It is just a fact and even more so, when they only receive partial truths or the Word of God is not drilled into those fancies. Most every one that hears the Word of God that is preached as commanded, will know when they hear the truth and it is then it becomes time to make a decision to accept the truth or reject the truth, but the truth is understood and not many will do so the very first time they truly understand the Word of God.

The Preacher is to also be patient! Salvation is nothing to be toyed with. It is the most important decision any of us will make and it is the right decision!

God will continue to send His Words to individuals until the Holy Spirit says that it is enough! God said my Spirit will not always strive with man!

Church history has already proven that this happened early to the Churches in Asia and Paul even commented upon this same thing.

2Ti 1:15 This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.

These are the 7 churches in the Book of Revelation, but we must also remember that these are also the 7 Ages of the Church nearing its end.

Only one Church the Church of Philadelphia will remain completely faithful to the Lord.

All six of the other churches became apostate in one way or the other with the greatest apostacy of leaving the first love of the church or the foundation which is the Lord Jesus Christ.

I believe this is where we are at in the USA and most of the rest of the world where the church is not still on fire for God! In fact, the USA has become one of the biggest mission fields in the entire world when it was once known as a godly nation!

We must also know that if we are not on fire for the Lord Jesus Christ, then we can also be considered to be an apostate Church!

People turn away from God simply because they have rejected the truth and do not want to hear the truth, not even considering the consequences of such a rebellion against our Holy God!

The Bible is very clear! When you turn away from the foundation of the Church, the Lord Jesus Christ, then Satan will have a man or even some woman who will teach unto you vain fables to make you feel good about the false church!

They will tell you anything that sounds close to the truth without having any truth in it.

Gen 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Gen 3:2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

Gen 3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

Gen 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

Gen 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Sinful man simply wants teachers who will allow them to live as they please, without hearing anything about sin or Hell, or even Heaven.

For such people these places will become places that simply do not exist!

We must pray for such people and God still loves them!

But we must not ever be fooled the only way any one can be saved is to surrender to the whole truth of God!

Gal 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

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

Gal 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Gal 1:9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

We must realize that myths and fables exist in every religion but not in Christianity!

*****2Ti 4:5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

When God gives us a ministry then we are to make full proof of that ministry God has given to us!

It is obvious that when we look around we can see many so-called men of God who just do not remain faithful to their ministry!

A true minister of God will suffer more hardships than most because they have a target on their back for those who follow Satan to fire their fiery darts.

1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1Co 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Not every man of God will be traveling preachers because many are chosen to Pastor a church. For any ministry the object must remain to seek to win souls in everything that is done, even in discipleship training, the object is to seek those that the Lord can save.

The Lord Jesus has passed this baton to the church!

Joh 4:34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

We should not forget the circumstances of the Apostle Paul as the Holy Spirit gave him these words.

*****2Ti 4:6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.

2Ti 4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

2Ti 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Paul knows his punishment will be death by beheading but his knowledge of going home to be with the Lord far outweighs anything this world could do to him!

The very last act we as Christians must do is give our bodies as a sacrifice back to the Lord, who will then even resurrect that body at the "rapture of thee Church". That saved soul will be in Heaven at the last breath of that body.

When we give our life to the Lord, He will still require the death of that body at a time of His choosing!

To depart from this world and to move into that place prepared for us by the Lord Jesus Christ is the greatest blessing we can receive in this world and the beginning of true life!

**Paul said death was no more than a departure from this world and finally going home!

We must remember when we are in the Army of God we must live our life as a faithful soldier. We should clearly understand, God has an all-volunteer Army and we must be committed to the fight!

This world no longer has any real importance to that soldier in God's Army!

In the end we should all be able to say we have fought a good fight. In fact, our rewards will be based on our fight in the army of God!

**Paul said he had remained in his race and he had finished his course, he had completed his race in this life!

We must discipline our lives to the commandments of God and follow the Lord as our example right up till the end!

A true runner will never stop in the middle of a race. This would include taking care of that body that we have been given and following the lead of the Lord.

**Paul had kept the faith!

We must be good stewards of the Word of God. The Lord has given us the ability for our faith to grow. When we are saved we have sworn our allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ. Even through all the sufferings of the Apostle Paul, when he could have thrown up his hands and laid his faith aside, but he had claimed that faith and he held onto his faith all the way to Heaven's gates where he was welcomed in the arms of the Lord!

We serve a righteous God who will Himself present a "crown of righteousness" to all those who have followed in the steps of the Apostle Paul!

Think about that for a minute!

The King of all the Ages make a presentation to a dirty rotten sinner like me, and like you, a Crown of Righteousness.

It is only then that we will have been made perfect in the eyes of the Lord!

Now if you are not looking and preparing for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ then you will miss out on such a precious gift that we will all just toss back to the Savior's feet.

How can I be worthy of such a thing? Have I truly finished my course? Have I been a consistent soldier in the army of God? Have I kept the faith as did Paul? Have I been true to the Lord once He saved me? Will I even have a crown to toss to the feet of Jesus?

1Co 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

Jas 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

1Pe 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

What did the Lord advise us all to?

Rev 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

This is what happens to those who fall into the trap of false preachers and false teachers!

One of the things that Paul wanted and could be fulfilled before his death was to spend just a little more time with this young man Timothy before he went home to be with the Lord.

We can learn many things in these last breathes of the Apostle Paul.

*****2Ti 4:9 Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me:

2Ti 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

2Ti 4:11 Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.

2Ti 4:12 And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus.

We should understand that until we get to Heaven, human companionship is a necessary thing. The most important of those would be our family and our church family who we know we will spend eternity with. Timothy was close to the heart of the Apostle Paul.

We should also understand that though the Christian life is the greatest life while we are upon this earth, but there are certainly times when every believer needs help!

No doubt Demas was believed to a part of Paul's church family but when he realized that he could die because of his beliefs it was too much for him to commit to.

Demas loved this present world more than he loved the Lord Jesus and Paul was hurt by his leaving. It is a terrible thing for someone who has been involved in the ministry of the Lord to give up on the Lord when times get hard. They too just reject the truth!

Mat 26:56 But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.

Mat 26:57 And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.

We see these things happening all over our nation today who prefer to be politically correct rather stick to the proven truth!

It should be obvious that worldliness is fatal to God's plan of salvation.

The Lord Jesus said this was a sign of the end of the Church Age!

Rev 2:1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

Rev 2:2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

Rev 2:3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

Rev 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

Timothy was the Pastor in Ephesus until He was also murdered by the government and this is no reflection on his preaching, but it is a sign of the Church Age we live in today.

For some unknown reason Titus had to return to his own ministry but we should consider that Dalmatia was also a Roman province and persecution was no doubt an issue here.

This is the only mention of Crescens in all the Scriptures, but tradition says he was one of the seventy disciples of Christ Jesus who was sent to preach and no doubt Crescens also had to return to his ministry in Galatia also a Roman province.

Luk_10:1 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.

Luk_10:17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.

Doctor Luke remained with Paul right up to the end. We should not doubt that Luke was certainly a highly skilled medical missionary!

We also see that Mark was near to Ephesus and Paul needed someone to take over his jail ministry and Mark was a great value to the Lord for such things.

We know from past studies that Tychicus had been sent to deliver these epistles of Paul many times which shows the importance of such men who take the Word of God to places it is not allowed.

We should also understand that the Church has no power when the world is allowed to enter into it!

We cannot be politically correct and obey the Word of God at the same time!

We next see that there are other things that Paul held dear all of his days after he met the Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus!

I pray we all remember our day on the Damascus road forever more!

When we lay on death's bed we need to remember what is truly important to us.

*****2Ti 4:13 The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments.

No doubt that this Roman prison was a cold dark place and Paul left his heavy coat in Troas. Just so we know when Timothy found Mark and then to Troas it was a 600-mile journey to Rome in a time when walking was the most used transportation.

No doubt that some books were at that available and Paul had some favorites, but these could still be scrolls containing the Word of God which is probably more accurate but at least we know that Paul enjoyed reading!

Those parchments were probably animal skins that had been prepared for writing. These things would outlast paper because they were more durable.

Paul is in prison, he cannot preach nor, can he teach but he could keep his mind active by reading and studying from some books that he had chosen. I'm sure the Scriptures were among them!

Paul's life as a Christian missionary had certainly been harsh at times!

*****2Ti 4:14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:

2Ti 4:15 Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.

Since not much is known about this Alexander, then must just accept what Paul is saying. We can also understand that Timothy all knew of this person.

It is believed that this is the same Alexander of Ephesus who was a leader in a certain union of metal workers making idols to the false goddess Diana.

Diana was a goddess in Roman mythology and the Greeks called her Artimus. In Ephesus was the Temple of Diana, once listed as one of the seven wonders of this world.

This Alexander was a Jew and the Jews had developed an extreme hatred for the Apostle Paul.

We still see that answer lies in the fact that when we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, anything we place over our Lord then becomes our god.

We should be able to see that money was the god of Alexander and not Diana nor the Lord Jesus Christ and he was truly an evil man!

There is a real possibility that this same Alexander testified against the Apostle Paul at his first answer, as he puts it!

It seems that today, even more Christians are turning against other Christians effectively killing the Holy Ghost Power in the Church.

*****2Ti 4:16 At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.

2Ti 4:17 Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

Here again we see another instance where Paul followed in the ways of Jesus Christ as he asks God the Father to forgive all those who had forsaken him.

We can also see that Paul would stand before Nero one more time. We may all stand before our own government one day just because we know the truth and accept the truth of God. We will never stand alone for though the whole world abandoned us, the Lord Jesus Christ will never leave our side the whole time.

We should not miss a very important point here. The Lord Jesus Christ was abandoned by all those who followed Him and was delivered by God the Father, The Lord Jesus Christ will deliver all those who call upon His name.

Paul knew He was going to his death, but he wanted every Christian to realize he would be delivered out of the mouth of the lion, that "roaring lion" Satan himself because, Satan holds no power over our death, because our life lies in the hands of our Holy God!

As long as our "faith" lies in work of the Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation, our life is held securely in the hand of God!

The Lord informed Paul that because he had remained faithful to the "gospel"; and the Holy Spirit had been the mind behind all the Epistles of Paul, that every Gentile would at some time, hear and understand the lifesaving Word of God, "The Truth" of life!

Php 1:7 Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.

Php 1:8 For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.

What is true deliverance?

*****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.

If we could all just hold to the truth of this Scripture, all our worries in this world would vanish and stay away!

We as Christians have been delivered from a Devil's Hell. It is in the past, we have already been delivered! We have been preserved to live out eternity wherever the Lord our God abides in His Heavenly Kingdom!

Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

Heb 2:15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

At the death of our body, in one moment of time, "the twinkling of an eye", our life in this world will cease and our life will begin wherever God is at!

Some say a twinkling is 11/100's of a second. This means it will be very quick!

One moment we are a citizen of this world and the next moment we will be at our new home in Heaven!

We will never have the taste of death in our mouths!

Isa 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

While we remain in this body, we should remember everyone who have made a difference in our lives!

*****2Ti 4:19 Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.

2Ti 4:20 Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.

2Ti 4:21 Do thy diligence to come before winter. Eubulus greeteth thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and all the brethren.

2Ti 4:22 The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen

We should also remember that these are the very last words of the Apostle Paul.

Paul would always send greetings from those who were with him and also to those he was writing to.

If there was ever a woman who could take on the role as Pastor, it would be Priscilla, but she remained with her husband Aquila and they both helped Paul in any way that they could.

They had been driven from Rome by the Emperor Claudius and had met Paul in Corinth and they made friends quickly because they were all tent makers.

They accompanied Paul to Ephesus, later again they went back to Rome where they allowed their house to be a church, where God's people could assemble.

Again, they were run out of Rome and it seems they settled in Ephesus.

No doubt these two Christians were a great help to Timothy. Priscilla was a great example of the godly wife and would work tirelessly in the church at Ephesus.

Onesiphorus was a Christian from Ephesus who had shown a great kindness to Paul while he was in that Roman jail. No doubt that this entire family had been a precious family to the Apostle Paul.

Erastus was also a companion of Paul at Ephesus who had been sent with Timothy to Macedonia while Paul traveled in Asia. He was a native of Corinth.

Trophimus had traveled with Paul on his 3rd missionary journey. He was with Paul in Jerusalem. He was that Gentile Paul was accused of taking into the Temple which meant the Temple was made unclean until a ceremony of cleanness could be performed.

It seems that Trophimus was too sick to travel to Rome to assist the Apostle Paul in his own last days.

It was difficult for ships to travel the Mediterranean Sea in the winter months and Paul wanted to see Timothy before this time and he certainly wanted that cloak.

Eubulus was another Christ who had helped Paul while he was in that Roman dungeon.

Pudens was a friend of Timothy's who after the death of Paul was also murdered by Nero.

Linus is said to have become the Pastor of the Church in Rome after Peter had been murdered.

It is believed that this Claudia was the wife of Pudens and both of them may have come from royal families, she being from Britain.

When Paul said all the brethren then he was referring to all those of the Church that day and today!

All brethren have the same Father, God the Father, and are brothers and sisters to the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ and filed with God the Holy Spirit!

Without wearing the seal of God, you cannot be in this family!

Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

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

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

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

Paul loved all those who have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior!

Amen!

Let's Pray!