How To Stand Before A Holy God

The Persistent Servant

Book of Mark Chapter 7

We could say our lesson today is about true holiness. It seems that not much is said about holiness today. 

I know my Pastor mentions holiness often but it is not mentioned much anywhere else.

What does God say about holiness?

Heb 12:14  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 

1Pe 1:15  But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 

1Pe 1:16  Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

The basic meaning of holiness is "to be set apart" or "separation".

Holiness is the greatest attribute of God because it is consistent with everything that He does!

Many people say that God is a God of love, which He is.

They say a God of love would never allow anyone to go to Hell and we would certainly not see His wrath.

God is a God of love, but above that He is Holy and we are to be holy.

It is God's holiness that dictates His actions toward the unholy not His love!

This being true, then how could we ever think that we should not also be looked upon as holy.

We cannot even worship the Lord properly without being able to raise holy hands!

1Ti_2:8  I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

It is holiness that keeps God distinct from all His creation.

It is holiness that says God is exalted above all His creation in infinite majesty!

Our Holy God is separate from all moral evil and sin!

Holiness points to the Lord's majestical purity!

It is because Jehovah is morally pure, that He cannot condone evil or have any relationship with it!

God's holiness has nothing to do with His love for us!

I love all my family but I cannot make them accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and without this they will never see Heaven.

Psa 11:4  The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD'S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. 

Psa 11:5  The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. 

Psa 11:6  Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup. 

The Lord's deity is that He is holy, entirely set apart and separated from sin and sinners.

The most common name for God's Spirit is the "Holy Spirit" because He is certainly Holy!

This indicates to us that "holiness" is the primary attribute to the Holy Trinity, the Triune God!

How could we ever think we could stand before such a Holy God? There is only one way!

Heb 10:19  Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 

Heb 10:20  By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 

As we grow in the ways of the Lord Jesus Christ, we must cleanse ourselves of all the filthiness of this world and we cannot do that without the Holy Spirit.

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

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

2Co 7:1  Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Our lesson today shows how important it was for the Lord Jesus to teach the disciples about holiness and how important it is for us to practice holiness today.

*****Mar 7:14  And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand: 

The Lord Jesus had just finished teaching the Pharisees the wrong in their traditions.

Mar 7:13  Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. 

Traditions make the Word of God have no effect!

Many people are satisfied that they are right before God, when they put ceremonies and confessions in the place of the righteousness of the heart and a life walking with Jesus Christ.

Ritualism is disastrous to holiness!

People have to reject the Word of God to keep their religious traditions, and God will never be pleased with those who teach these things and those who do these things. 

So, the Lord Jesus says listen and understand what He is about to teach.

We must understand that all impurities within us come from the heart and unless the heart is cleansed from the inside, there is no amount of cleansing from the outside that can cleanse our soul and make it holy enough to be in the family of God!

We are not defiled by what enters into our bodies!

We are defiled by what comes out of our hearts!

What is in our hearts will make it into our minds and we will react to it!

*****Mar 7:15  There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. 

Mar 7:16  If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. 

Notice how the Lord Jesus emphasizes how important it is for us to realize this.

We must hear what our Lord has to say and then we must understand it!

Just like many are today the disciples were spiritually dull.

They were slow to learn what these things meant in their service to the Lord Jesus Christ!

Things that enter by the mouth, which should be food and nourishment, do not defile us.

To defile is to make unclean.

To defile is to make impure.

To defile is to pollute.

To defile is to corrupt.

What we eat or drink does not defile us!

Therefore eating with unwashed hands cannot defile us, at least not spiritually.

There is no connection to what we eat and our spirituality!

This does not mean that eating certain foods or drinking certain drinks are sometimes wrong.

Surely, we are to be conscious of the things we eat or drink as they relate to our good health.

It is a sin to eat till we are obese!

But there is no morality or virtue in the food we eat!

The Lord says, it is what we do with things, what our heart does, that makes us either good or bad, spiritual, or carnal!

1Co 8:8  But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. 

We must understand that the traditions of men make the Word of God of no effect!

Ceremonialism substitutes washing with water for the purity of the heart!

It substitutes the traditions of the elders for the commands of God!

So many today look at the Word of God as suggestions to live by when what God says are God's commands.

We need a clean heart to serve God and this cannot be done without the intervention of the Holy Spirit who brings with Him the mind of God!

1Co 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 

1Co 2:15  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 

1Co 2:16  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. 

Unless we understand what, the Lord Jesus is saying, we may never understand the whole plan of Gospel salvation.

This is the reason, upon our confession of "faith" and our "repentance" led by the Holy Spirit comes to each child of God, at the first, rather than at the last so, we can understand the Gospel Message and grab onto our salvation.

Since the Holy Spirit will never leave us nor forsake us, then we can never lose our salvation!

The Holy Spirit will never live inside a wicked soul!

No tradition and no ceremonial offering can make these same promises!

It took a while for the disciples who followed the Lord daily to realize what the Lord was saying, and it takes a while for disciples today, and many remain babes in Christ because it is almost too simple to believe.

*****Mar 7:17  And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable. 

Mar 7:18  And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; 

Mar 7:19  Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats? 

Sometimes we need a little more explanation on the things of God and it is the Lord Jesus Christ we need to go to for those answers.

We will come to realize that there are no unimportant questions that we can ask the Lord!

We must understand that the Lord Jesus is talking about our moral state and not necessarily our physical state.

Some of the Pharisees were offended by what the Lord Jesus was saying and this bothered some of the disciples.

We need to understand that the truths of the Lord Jesus Christ cannot be compared to the religion of traditionalist!

Christianity cannot be compared to religion at all! They are two different things!

It was Peter who asked the question and then the Lord's response.

Mat 15:15  Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable. 

Mat 15:16  And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? 

Mat 15:17  Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? 

Mat 15:18  But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 

Mat 15:19  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 

Mat 15:20  These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. 

Mark was Peter's disciple and very close to him, and would never try to make Peter look bad.

Mark usually went straight to the point without adding much of his own thoughts.

We should understand that the Sermon on the Mount had already taken place at this time, and the Lord Jesus had not left anything out about purity and impurity.

As far as nourishment for the body, it is that part that goes out in the draught that purifies what remains.

The body had separated the needed part from the unneeded part, so the part that nourishes the bodily system is already moving through the bodily system doing what God designed the body to do to sustain life.

It is by this process that our life preserving blood is formed!

What the blood does not need passes away by the draught.

Jesus teaches us that no food, of whatever kind, when received with thanksgiving, can make us spiritually unclean making any meat that is consumed clean.

The Jews would not eat pork and many other things but even pork received in thanksgiving would not make them spiritually unclean but they have never understood these things.

This was a new thought to the disciples, but also easily understood even though maybe not well received.

These things eaten entered into the belly and passed out of the bodily system.

In truth: Act 10:15  And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. 

It is the things that enter into the heart not the stomach that makes us unclean!

*****Mar 7:20  And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 

Mar 7:21  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 

Mar 7:22  Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 

Mar 7:23  All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

As we read the Scriptures, we will see that references to the heart can mean the major organ of our body and also to the most important part of each person, man's most innermost being.

Our heart can be said to be the center of our life!

The heart is our inward life and contains the inner man or some would say the real man.

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. 

We see that once Peter understood all these things, he was no longer the old fisherman, but He became the leader of men who would turn this world upside down.

Of course this includes women and most of us realize that the inner most life of women seems to be more tender than that of a man.

It is the heart that determines what we do whether good or bad!

The heart is the source of our reasoning.

Mar 2:6  But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,

The heart is the source of our understanding.

Mat 13:15  For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 

The heart is the source of our thinking.

Mat 9:4  And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? 

The heart is the source of our desires.

Mat 5:28  But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 

The heart can also be the source of our spiritual being!

Our conscience: Act 2:37  Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 

Our will: 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. 

Our faith: Mar 11:23  For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 

Rom 10:10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 

But also of evil: Jer 17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 

What is the progress of sin within us?

1) Sin begins with our human nature, within, but out of the heart.

2) Sin develops in our minds in evil thoughts. We all have evil thoughts that we do not know where they came from, but from our sin nature.

3) Sin is expressed in the things we do that go against the Word of God!

Evil thoughts are things that should not guide us because they are wrong, they are wicked, and they are immoral.

These are things we see in the world around us and our mind just cannot shake them all off because they are carnal.

They must be replaced with thoughts that are uplifting and edifying and we get these from the study of the Bible, preaching of the truth, and open prayer with the Lord as our guide along with the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

Our thoughts can be sin against the commandments of God!

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. 

Rom 8:10  And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 

2Co 10:5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 

2Co 10:6  And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Php 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.  

**Adultery is unfaithfulness. We think of a man and his wife when we hear of adultery.

Adultery includes lusting after someone else other than our spouse, even if the act of adultery never takes place.

Adultery includes lusting after someone even in a picture this is why porn leads to sin.

We commit spiritual adultery when we forsake the Lord Jesus Christ and lust for the ways of this world!

**Fornication includes all forms of immoral and sexual acts!

It is the will of God that we abstain from fornication!

1Th 4:3  For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: 

Going against the will of God is sin!

**Murder is taking the life of another person.

Murder is sin!

The Bible says that whosoever hates his brother is the sin of murder. So hatred then is sin and the same as murder.(1 John 3:15)

God says, "thou shall not kill".

**Thefts. 

To cheat someone is stealing from them.

To cheat someone is stealing whether we do it according to the law or against the law.

**Covetousness.

We have seen this word a lot in the last couple of weeks.

Covetousness is the lust for more.

It is like a starving appetite for something that we do not have or we cannot have.

It includes not only possessions, but also power, pleasure, and fame.

Covetousness is a lust and craving so deep that a person finds his happiness in things, rather than in the God of the Bible.

This is what makes covetousness idolatry and such a terrible sin!

 Again, we see that these are things that come from the heart so, it is these things from the heart that defile us and not the things we eat or drink.

A polluted heart is our greatest enemy!

 We are not unclean because of the things we have; we are unclean because of what we do with those things.

Our hearts will lead us to sin against God unless the Holy Spirit can regenerate our heart.

Tit_3:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Regeneration is making something anew!

The source of evil within us before we met the Lord Jesus Christ was our heart!

Evil comes from our heart and it is the heart that dictates what is on our mind and then how we use our bodies!

If we multiply this evil by a number of about eight billion, which is close to the number of people in this world, we can see that we live in an evil world.

Only a small portion of these 8.1 billion people have a new heart regenerated by the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit!

Today, our judges can only judge the acts of the body not the sinfulness of the heart.

In today's world, a person who has never broken the law is seen as a perfect person but this is not how God sees us.

Society fails to see that somehow a man's heart needs to be reborn.

Only God can see these things!

This is the problem that is solved by the work of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Amen 

We Must Be Heavenly Minded

 The Servant's Disciples

Book of Mark Chapter 6

In the time of Jesus upon this earth every teacher had his own company of disciples.

There were two types of disciples who followed the Lord Jesus Christ.

1) A disciple of Jesus Christ would be someone who believed in Him though they remained where Jesus found them, but they confessed their allegiance to Him and testified of His Grace.

2) Then there was the inner circle the Twelve whom the Lord Jesus later called the Apostles.

These were called to forsake their old lives and follow Jesus wherever He went and aided Him in His ministry and they were also trained to carry on His work after He was gone back to Heaven.

The Lord Jesus had been in His ministry for a little more than a year when He again came to Nazareth, His hometown, the place where He had been raised.

The Lord Jesus had not attended any of the Rabbinical schools that were available at that time and the elders of Judaism were astonished at His doctrine, His wisdom, and especially His mighty works, His miracles.

They all knew He was but the stepson of a Carpenter, and His mother was Mary, whose fidelity was questioned, and that He had four stepbrothers and more than one stepsister all fathered by Joseph.

Joh_8:41  Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.

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

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

They rejected the Lord because He was not from their own inner circle!

The Lord Jesus stated: Mar 6:4  But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.

The Bible says: Joh_1:11  He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

Not only were the towns people rejecting Him, but His own brothers and sisters were rejecting Him.

His mother knew the truth!

Luk_2:19  But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

All the town of Nazareth turned their back on Jesus the Messiah!

We know He soon left never to return again because these things hindered Him from doing any mighty work.

He did lay His hands on a few sick folks and healed them.

The Lord Jesus marveled at their unbelief.

What is the truth? The sinner cannot understand nor endure the saint of God, not then and not now!

It is obvious that there is no room for Jesus in the places where Satan rules!

God's greatest blessings cannot come without "faith"!

There was in fact no excuse for their lack of faith because many had known Him from a child and that He had been a perfect child.

They should have at least listened to what the Lord Jesus had to say, but they were too caught up in their own sin!

This is the way of the world today.

The world's people are afraid of the Gospel because they might have to give up their sin! 

Those that heard Him teach had heard the truth of the Scriptures and had witnessed His wisdom and His moral authority.

Jesus was right down the line with the Word of God, as we would say.

Because there were some questions in His family, of His origin, and the fact that He had not attended rabbinical schools, they just rejected Him.

Jesus just went to other villages and towns and taught there, anywhere where people would listen.

They could then make their own choices.

It is fatal to reject the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ!

The Lord Jesus had prepared the chosen twelve disciples for their first mission assignment.

The Lord Jesus did not send them out unprepared.

*****Mar 6:7  And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits; 

These men are those whom the Lord had called to walk and associate with Him, to live with Him, to constantly be in His presence.

This is what Jesus expects of us and all the Church today!

We will one day live in His presence evermore!

By being with Him, they could see how the Lord Himself walked with God!

This is the only way we can be like Him.

We must walk with Him.

We must associate with Him.

We must live with Him, Spiritually.

We must constantly be in His presence by gathering with others who walk with Him.

Mat_18:20  For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

At the first, the Lord Jesus had taught only to the Jew and this is whom the Lord would first send His disciples.

The Lord wanted His disciples to feel comfortable with people of their own nationality, rather than first send them to the Gentiles.

The Lord sent them out two by two so they did not have to travel alone.

This is an idea still used by the Church.

This was not necessarily for their protection for He would protect them.

This again, was to keep them in their comfort zone to travel with someone they knew pretty well.

There was another important reason; "Every word was to be established"!

Mat 18:16  But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 

They also were sent out with a dose of the power of God.

Mat 10:1  And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. 

You see, no one can have this power unless given to them by the Lord Jesus Christ!

You cannot go to some school to learn these things!

They were also given the power to preach the Kingdom of God.

They were not to preach any other message!

Luk 9:1  Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. 

Luk 9:2  And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.

Why did Mark not mention these other things?

It seems that Mark is writing to the Gentiles about God's true Servant to them.

The Gentiles needed to be aware of the unclean spirits that lived amongst them, and their need to be cleansed in the eyes of God.

Thank goodness the Lord included the Gentiles in His ministry.

What is the central purpose of our Lord Jesus Christ?

To conquer our spirit of evil by giving us His Spirit? To destroy the works of the Devil that is within us!

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

Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Each disciple was to follow the commands of the Lord Jesus Christ, just as we are today!

The Bible is not a book of suggestions, it is a book of commands!

*****Mar 6:8  And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: 

Mar 6:9  But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats. 

What Jesus was saying was "just go as you are".

We are never to try to be something that we are not!

We can see the words, humble and simple, proclaimed in the words of our Lord.

1) They could take their staff, which was a shepherd’s staff which did allow them some protection, but it was also a symbol of a hardworking and simple people.

2) They were to take no scrip "or we would say a wallet", no bread, and no money to buy bread.

They had to have faith that the Lord would provide these things as needed.

3) They were to wear sandals to protect their feet and provide some comfort. The wearing of those sandals also meant they had not been deprived of the simple things of life. To be barefoot would mean they were in search of gifts to help them.

The Lord says He will provide all our needs. We should never appear that He has not done this!

4) They were not to wear two coats.

The Jews in the days of Christ wore two principle garments. An interior coat, sometimes called a tunic and a more costly exterior coat or a cloak. This cloak was used not only as a jacket or overcoat, but also as a covering to sleep under at night if they had to spend the night outside.

As a rule a Jew had at least two complete suits in his possession that he might be able to change often.

As missionaries for Christ, to have this second suit of clothing could display extravagant and wasteful spending.

The whole idea is that a servant of God is to live a simple and humble life just most as ordinary people live.

Why? We are to be heavenly minded!

Col 3:1  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 

Col 3:2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 

Heb 11:14  For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. 

Heb 11:15  And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 

Heb 11:16  But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

As the servants of God, our minds should be centered on the "preaching of the Gospel" and telling everyone we see about the love of Christ Jesus.

We must show that we are dependent on the Lord Jesus Christ to provide our needs!

*****Mar 6:10  And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place. 

Mar 6:11  And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. 

The disciples were not to show they were desperate. In whatever place that accepted them, they were to remain with that host until it was time to go to some other town.

They were not to seek more comfort or luxury. There are always those of good reputation and those of bad reputations in every place.

A worthy host would have good morals. Living with someone who did not have good morals, would jeopardize the message of the Gospel.

2Pe 2:6  And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 

2Pe 2:7  And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 

They were to reach out to these people but not stay with them.

Christians should always be careful in choosing close friends!

A worthy host was a person who had the fear of God!

A worthy host would be hospitable.

1Pe 4:9  Use hospitality one to another without grudging. 

1Pe 4:10  As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Simply put, the disciples were not to seek out the wealthy or the leading citizens as host.

They were not to seek out the best accommodation.

The good people in any town are usually known, especially in the time of Christ when most people traveled by foot.

We know the things that happened to Sodom and Gomorrah are true or they would not be mentioned!

This period in the time of Abraham teaches many things that we see today.

People who will use violence to have things their way at the cost of all others are not good people!

We see today, where a small percentage of people try to dictate the rules for all of society.

We see an industry that is filled with this sort of people and they have great influence on a government, who also have low morals and immoral leadership and councilors.

This is the standard of our nation today!

Remember the Bible uses the people of Sodom and Gomorrah was an example of the worst sinners throughout God's creation.

It all boils down to God creating human beings for higher goals than these sinful things!

The example of the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah is an example of suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. 

Those people are still burning today because the fire of God never goes out!

How can we expect God to be different in His treatment of America or at least in the places where these things are taking place?

Jesus says with authority, that it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for these places doing the same thing today.

All I can say is that we have been warned!

So, these twelve disciples went out and preached repentance, a word that sinners want to ignore and still say they are believers.

*****Mar 6:12  And they went out, and preached that men should repent. 

Mar 6:13  And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them. 

A missionary's work is to break up the fallow ground so the Gospel Seed can be planted!

What we see is, that no servant of God is to have his own message!

We are all called to repent!

Act 17:30  And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 

Act 17:31  Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

Repentance is necessary for receiving the Holy Spirit!

Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

We have seen many who have prayed the sinner’s prayer, but they never repent of their old lifestyle, which means the Holy Spirit did not move in to them. 

The Holy Spirit will not live in such a person who is not sincere. Remember God sees within the heart of all!

This was the Apostle Paul's message:

Act 20:21  Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Failure to repent will lead to the "Judgment" of God!

Rev 9:20  And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: 

Rev 9:21  Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

We should be ashamed if we cannot change our lifestyle and walk with Jesus Christ!

2Co 7:9  Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. 

2Co 7:10  For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 

We must repent to be in the family of God!

The Holy Spirit will help us to repent and be Born Again, but the Holy Spirit will not move in unless God looks into our heart and sees the faith that is required  in the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is not complicated!

While preaching this message in those cities, the disciple also ministered to the people and cast out evil spirits.

They ministered to the body and the soul!

They ministered to those who were sick and also to those who were suffering and hurting.

When we see "Oil" in the Bible it is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit has all the power of God and there is no sickness He cannot heal!

The Holy Spirit allows us to concentrate on the truth of the Scriptures.

Those who are hurting and suffering with pain do not have good concentration. The Holy Spirit can solve this problem, but these things are in our hands and it is called "FAITH"!

Oil is also a symbol of God's care, God's comfort, and God's joy, of His "mercy" on us.

Heb_1:9  Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

The fame of Jesus began to spread and even some of those in government became afraid.

King Herod was stricken by his own conscience.

How did King Herod see his guiltiness?

1) Herod had a guilty conscience because of an inadequate religion. He did want to hear the preaching of John the Baptist, but he never yielded to his conscience. He had kept John locked up for over a year, without hearing his message of repentance.

2) Herod had a guilty conscience because of his partying and his drunkenness, along with suggestive and passionate dancing.

3) Herod had a guilty conscience because he would seek social approval, above honoring God and respect for the Word of God.

Remember all Jewish Kings had a copy of the Word of God.

4) Herod had a guilty conscience because he was afraid of what people might say.

We can see these same things in Washington D.C. today and in many other governments.

We need the fame of Jesus to spread in our government today!

We need our government to read the Word of God and not just talk about a few passages that they use and do not understand.

It seemed that everyone had an opinion of the Lord Jesus Christ just as they do today, but not many seek the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ!

John the Baptist was murdered because of a woman's vengeance! 

John the Baptist stood firm on the Word of God and it cost him his life!

It could happen to any of us or all of us today, but we must stand firm on the Word of God no matter the situation we find ourselves in.

If we have work to do God will save us!

If our work is complete, we can go on to Heaven where none of these things can ever happen!

*****Mar 6:30  And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. 

Mar 6:31  And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

Mar 6:32  And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.  

The disciples returned and gathered to the Lord Jesus Christ.

They reported what they had done and what they had taught.

Jesus knew the first thing they needed was rest, but the rest they needed could not happen where they were.

The Lord Jesus took them to a deserted place where they should rest physically.

We know this is true because our own pastor cannot find rest at home with his family and he and his family have to travel to places where he is out of contact range.

Even if some people knew where he was going, they would make sure to be there before he got there and he would then get no rest.

We have to make sure our pastor gets the rest he needs!

There is great danger in not taking time to rest for every one of us!

We may never understand all of God's creation, but the earth spins upon its axis to bring the stated seasons, but also because it gives us a time to rest.

Our minds need to take time to look away from things we are doing and to things that do not occupy our minds for more than a moment!

It is not the work of God's servant alone that makes us tired, we must make sure to take time to be alone with God, and sometimes other people will not allow us this time.

We need to have a good reason to disturb the man of God who is busy with the work of the Lord, especially in his times of rest!

We should be able to see how the Lord will care for His children!

We must know that while we try to do the work God has given us to do, we must still take the time to sit down at the feet of Jesus in a quiet place!

A wise man once wrote: "The flame of devotion will not burn very long or very bright, unless you have oil in your vessels with your lamps".

Without rest, the body slowly dies and we shorten our life spans or we reach a point where we can just no longer go.

God said we are to enjoy our lives and we will not without taking time to rest!

Our journey from Earth to Heaven need not be a dull life, but a life of joy and excitement.

We can also fine refreshment in Bible reading if we stick to it!

True rest does not come if there is no true work!

Overall, we must put God first and overwork takes away from us being able to serve God with all our heart so, it is then sin not to take time to rest so, we can be at our best!

Amen

Do You Know the Holy Spirit

 A Mighty Work in Ephesus

Book of Acts Chapter 19

The city of Ephesus was the capitol city of the Roman province in Asia.

Ephesus was a large and ancient city even at the time of the Apostle Paul.

Ephesus was an important harbor town even though it was three miles from the coast and located on the Cayster River.

Ephesus was on the main road to Rome so, any important government or political figure would certainly come by Ephesus.

All the governors of Asia minor would always land in Ephesus!

Ephesus became the center of the work of the Apostle Paul who was led there by the Holy Spirit.

Besides the Apostle Paul, Tychius, Timothy, John Mark, the Apostle John, Priscilla, and Aquila, all spent some time in Ephesus.

There are some who say that Mary the mother of Jesus is buried in Ephesus having traveled there with John the Apostle who had promised to take of her.

At the time of Paul the harbor had been neglected and ships found it hard to dock in Ephesus and a route by the highlands was suitable for foot traffic.

Act 19:1  And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, 

There was a lot of opposition to Christianity in Ephesus, but not for the reasons we would think.

It was the goddess Diana (Artemis) who was the maiden huntress or mother-goddess of fertility, depending on which belief you accepted.

It is said that the original idol of Diana fell down from heaven as a meteorite.

Act 19:35  And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter? 

Every false god or goddess each have their own false history most of them related to those old Greek gods such as Apollo and Jupiter and many others.

The salvation message of the Apostle Paul brought a revival to Ephesus.

Paul, as he did in many other places began his preaching in a Jewish synagogue.

*****Act 19:8  And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. 

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 19:10  And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

Paul had made a commitment to reach the lost with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If we have accepted the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we have made this same commitment!

If we are truly saved then upon that call to salvation, we are immediately filled with God's the Holy Spirit!

It is automatic once you accept the truth of the Gospel and the Holy Spirit begins His work of "regeneration" within us immediately.

Tit 3:4  But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 

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

Tit 3:6  Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 

Tit 3:7  That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

When Paul began his ministry in Ephesus he had met twelve disciples who had no association with any church and it was evident they had not known Apollos.

Paul ask them if they had received the Holy Spirit upon their salvation, but they knew nothing of the Holy Spirit. 

Now the Jews require a sign so, if they had received the Holy Spirit they would certainly have known it.

They were disciples of John the Baptist, and they were still looking for the coming of the Messiah and did not know who the Messiah would be.

The true Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ had already come and had been murdered, then buried, and because the grave could not hold Him, He had resurrected from that death, as our Savior and Redeemer.

They had not been Baptized with the Holy Spirit and they had not been water baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

As much as they loved God, they knew nothing of the Gospel!

Paul did not rebuke them nor degrade them for not understanding the full message of John.

Paul pointed out that they had done well by repenting of their sin which is a part of the Gospel, but there was much more to his message that needed to be said and understood.

John had made it a point to teach all his disciples that they should believe on Him, which should come after him.

Luk_3:16  John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:

When they heard this, they responded just as they should have, they believed and placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

What is the truth?

Some people repent and get baptized but still do not receive the truth of Jesus Christ into their heart and are therefore not saved.

Some people have an incomplete faith because they do not have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ so, the Holy Spirit will not enter into them.

Some people believe so much in baptism as the means of salvation, they forget that salvation must come first! Baptism is just a sign that they have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ but lack in faith just wanting to be a part of the Church.

There is no such thing as baby baptism by the sprinkling of water!

Salvation requires a decision! They must believe the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ (all the truth) and decide to accept Him or by default they have automatically rejected Him.

Eph 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 

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

2Co 1:21  Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 

2Co 1:22  Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. 

Salvation is simple but it requires truth "faith"!

These men accepted the truth and were gloriously saved in the name of Jesus, and then baptized again because baptism comes after salvation and not before salvation. That first baptism was irrelevant.

It is after these things that Paul went into that Jewish synagogue and preached boldly for three months.

Those twelve salvations had energized the Apostle Paul.

Many of them spoke evil of Christianity (the Way) and Paul separated himself and all the disciples and found another place to gather together.

Which many believe to be a private Synagogue and Paul preached here for two years.

There was no dispute with the Gentiles, it was the Jews who tried to dispute Christianity.

Now the Jews did stir up the Gentiles just to cause problems in the Church.

Paul removed the disciples because God expects us to lead a new disciple into maturity.

For those who remained blind to the Gospel, they will see the wrath of God!

We should all be settled in our heart that we have given our lives to the Lord!

Salvation is only real if we have done this.

To get the gift of salvation, then we must accept the truth of God's Son!

1Co 6:19  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 

1Co 6:20  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. 

It is God the Father who allowed Paul to have some power of miracles, Paul had no such power within himself.

*****Act 19:11  And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: 

Act 19:12  So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them. 

How special were these miracles?

These healings took place without the laying on of the hands of Paul.

These healings happened without Paul being present.

These healings happened without Paul having any knowledge of the disease or the ailment.

These healings happened without Paul knowing their needs at all.

They remind us of the time when that woman was healed, who just knew if she could touch the hem of the garment of the Lord Jesus Christ she could be healed.

Jesus said:

Luk_8:46  And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.

These healings happened with the only link being handkerchiefs and aprons that had been in contact with the body of the Apostle Paul.

These healings happened when these things were carried to the sick and those who were possessed by a friend or family.

Also reminds us of those who were healed when the shadow of Peter overshadowed them.

These were certainly special miracles, but trouble is always just around the corner from those who think they know a better way.

*****Act 19:13  Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. 

Act 19:14  And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. 

A vagabond is someone moving place to place without having a place called home. 

They actually move around without having any certain destination.

After Cain murdered Abel, God sentenced Cain to be a vagabond.

Gen 4:12  When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. 

Cain felt this punishment was too great!

Gen 4:13  And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.

These certain Jews were probably vagabond, because they were also exorcists or they believed they were.

An exorcist, has a belief in demoniacal possessions, which may be traced in almost every nation. 

These things have always been attended by the professed ability, on the part of some individuals, to release the unhappy victims from their calamity.

Exorcists were common throughout the ancient world, and they traveled around living as gypsies.

They made their living off of the superstitions of the people.

These felt that power lay in the using the name of God in some imaginary formula. 

These being Jews, used the name of Jehovah until they heard Paul preach the Lord Jesus the true Messiah.

In New Testament times, this so called art had developed and professional exorcists had become numerous.

This Sceva and his seven sons had become exorcists and there was always some money involved which made them professional. 

The vital part of the procedure was the invocation of a name (or a series of names, of a deity or an angel), at the mention of which the evil spirit was supposed to recognize as the presence of a superior power and to decline a combat, as though a spell had been put upon him. 

This is exactly what was going on here in Ephesus except this Sceva and his sons began using the name of the Lord Jesus and they mentioned the name Paul.

This Jewish priest was not doing what he was supposed to be doing as a Jewish priest, which is why he was vagabond. He could not stay in one place too long after he was found out by the Jews in each synagogue.

He used the priesthood to make money!

Do evil spirits take control of people? These demons can certainly take control of a lost person and this happens where we see all the evilest and wickedness that are taking place, even today.

Can an evil spirit or demon take control of a saved person. No this is impossible!

1Jn_4:4  Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

The child of God who have the Holy Spirit living within him or her, cannot be overcome by a demon because the Holy Spirit is far greater in His power.

How did the Lord Jesus Christ remove demons?

Christ, on the other hand, uses no spell, but in virtue of His own authority bids the evil spirits retire, and they render His slightest word unquestioning obedience.

Mar 9:25  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. 

Mar 9:26  And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. 

Mar 9:27  But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose. 

The Lord Jesus just commanded them to leave and they did.

What we see here is that these so-called exorcists had no power to overcome any demon because no one has this power but the Lord.

*****Act 19:15  And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? 

Act 19:16  And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 

This evil demon, using the voice of the man possessed, certainly knew the Lord Jesus Christ, and said he knew the Apostle Paul.

We should notice how this demon used the body of the possessed man to overcome these false priests.

This happens in most of all the most heinous crimes still today by people are demon possessed.

We know that we are all sinners in need of the "Grace" of God.

Those who do not know the Lord as their Savior, and home to the Holy Spirit, are easily take over by one of the Devil's demons.

2Ti_2:26  And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

This demon possessed man overcame all seven of these false priests and they fled as described, naked and wounded.

The news of this incident spread very fast throughout Ephesus.

We see that it is the Holy Spirit who holds back the evilness in this world, until the Gospel has reached the limits set by Jehovah God.

The name of the Lord Jesus was magnified throughout Ephesus and many souls were saved.

*****Act 19:17  And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. 

Act 19:18  And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. 

Even the malice of the Devil can be used to further the Gospel!

For a time the power of God paralyzed the children of the Devil, who are the true enemies of the Gospel and people had something they could believe on, the Lord Jesus Christ and the Gospel.

Psa 33:8  Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. 

Psa 33:9  For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. 

We can believe that the message of the Gospel finally began to sink in.

What is wrong today? People just do not associate God with the miracles that happen every day and they just go unnoticed.

There is no fear of God and the Devil is just denied. 

Hell is taught as non-existing.

The Gospel is still the message of the true Church, and the Gospel still saves souls, and the Church cannot be stopped by the Devil.

In Ephesus, the Gospel was moving and much people began to give up false teaching.

*****Act 19:19  Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. 

Act 19:20  So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed. 

Today we see where there is a big question about what books need to be in school libraries, especially the early grades of school.

I believe what is happening in Florida and some other states are the right thing to do and most of them do not go far enough.

Here in Ephesus the people realized they had many books teaching evilness and wickedness, and the people themselves gathered all those books and brought them to a public place.

Instead of allowing those books to go to other places for they were very expensive, they burnt them and removed them from getting out into the world, which is the only way to handle such wickedness.

Since there were not many coins, silver was in pieces and they had to be weighed for true value.

Fifty thousand pieces of silver would have been about forty thousand dollars in this day of the Apostle Paul.

No telling what that value would be in today's economy.

It is not just anybody who would burn 40,000 dollars’ worth of books, but these people had decided that these books served no purpose in their own future and needed to be destroyed.

There are so many books out there today that need to be destroyed and kept away from our children.

There is only one book that is completely necessary and it is the Bible that is from a good translation that goes back to the original Scriptures.

Then, maybe a revival will break out in America and around the world.

Amen

It Takes Spiritual Leadership

 Spiritual Leadership for Israel

Book of Numbers Chapters 16 and 17

We must understand there is a great danger in going outside of God's plan of salvation!

In fact there is no plan of true salvation outside the "Grace" of God!

There is also great danger in taking a role in the leadership of the Church without being called of God to do so!

What is one of the biggest problems in America? Our leaders have no fear of God, and this is one of the signs of the last days.

As for the Church, God has given us all we need to know how to worship Him and serve Him properly!

To all who know they are called of God, they should do their absolute best to walk in obedience to the Word of God and follow the lead of the Holy Spirit.

Without the Holy Spirit living within you, the Word of God cannot be clearly understood.

The Bible is a Spiritual Book when it is taken from the right source, the "Received Text".

The seeking of power and authority other than the power of God will be the downfall of this world!

Just look at this man Putin who feels like he has the power to rule any nation he so chooses.

There is only one power God allows any government and it is the power to serve the people and that according to the Word of God.

Certainly not to be lord over God's creation. This is the thing that the Devil seeks!

The was an Israelite named Korah who grew disgusted with the leadership of Moses, but remember Moses was God's chosen leader.

Because of the unbelief of the Israelite people, Moses had just turned the nation of Israel around and led them away from the Promised Land by the orders of Jehovah.

Num 14:21  But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD. 

Num 14:22  Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; 

Num 14:23  Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it: 

Num 14:24  But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it. 

Korah and his allies were now ready to act and filled with anger, they sought to take the leadership away from Moses.

In reality, this was an insurrection against Jehovah God! 

It was God who instructed Moses to move away from the Promised Land and no human being would have been able to take control of this young Israelite nation to lead them to the Promised Land.

If not careful we could see some typology here. No one but Jesus can lead us to the true Promised Land, the New Heaven, and the New Jerusalem.

Korah was the ringleader of this rebellion. He too was a Levite in fact, he was a cousin to Moses.

Korah led a group of 250 men who were not just men, but leaders well known to the tribes of Israel.

Num 16:1  Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men: 

Num 16:2  And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:

Num 16:3  And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD? 

Some were even Levites.

When they should have been encouraging all the tribes of Israel to be obedient to God, they began a total rebellion to God's chosen men.

By the way this is happening today to those chosen men who preach the truth of the Word of God.

Much of the world just does not want to hear what God has to say!

Korah and this group of rebellious men felt that Moses and Aaron had assumed too much authority and they were ready to take over the reins of Israel and lead them into the Promised Land, where God would have destroyed them.

It is God that makes these kinds of decisions not man.

Heb 5:1  For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: 

Heb 5:2  Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. 

Heb 5:3  And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. 

Heb 5:4  And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. 

It is not man who decides what is holy and what is not holy. This too is decided by God Himself!

Num 16:5  And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Even to morrow the LORD will shew who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him.

God does not like to see these things!

Num 16:20  And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 

Num 16:21  Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. 

God was so angry with this group of men that He sent them straight to Hell without first dying.

Moses received His instructions again:

*****Num 16:23  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 

Num 16:24  Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. 

Num 16:25  And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him. 

Num 16:26  And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins. 

Num 16:27  So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children. 

**Num 16:28  And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind. 

We should be careful if we decide to challenge the Word of God for this is the same as challenging God Himself!

Evidently these rebellious men had joined their tents together so they could meet and discuss the intent to go against Moses and Aaron.

A tent is also called a tabernacle.

We can see that rebellious talk will bring a large crowd.

Moses had challenged these unruly men according to the Word of God to a trial by fire.

Moses just said that God would speak for Himself.

Num 16:16  And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before the LORD, thou, and they, and Aaron, to morrow: 

Num 16:17  And take every man his censer, and put incense in them, and bring ye before the LORD every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; thou also, and Aaron, each of you his censer.

We will also notice that this trial by fire would take place at the entrance to the Tabernacle of Testimony.

This would be the place where God would choose the men to be His leaders.

What does God always do before He brings final judgment? He gives a warning.

This is a biblical truth even though He does not have to do this.

Remember these rebels were official representatives of the nation of Israel.

It was also these same men who had agreed to the believe those ten spies rather than Joshua and Caleb.

Jehovah was ready to lead this nation into Canaan Land, but they had said no.

It was too late now, just as it will be too late for all those reject the truth of God once God has removed His Church at the rapture.

Will God take judgment upon a group of people for the sin of one man? No never.

Remember God looks into the heart!

God said:

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

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

Not only were these who were innocent to depart, they were not to take anything from them, which would include words of rebellion.

The only ones left were these wicked men and their families and those who did not walk away from this rebellion some 250 people.

There were four ringleaders of this rebellion. Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and On.

We see that prayer still worked for the Lord listen to the words of Moses, but "judgment" was still coming to those who were guilty.

Judgment will always come to those who reject the Word of God!

As this group of rebels faced Moses and Aaron the hand of God fell upon these rebels.

The Lord did something new in this "judgment" that had not been seen before and I do not believe it has been seen since.

God opened up the earth and sent these rebels straight to Hell.

*****Num 16:29  If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me. 

Num 16:30  But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD. 

Num 16:31  And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them: 

Num 16:32  And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. 

Num 16:33  They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation. 

Moses said, if these rebels die a natural death, then he Moses was not chosen of God to lead them, Moses said he could be considered an imposter.

What is the truth?

Heb 10:29  Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 

Heb 10:30  For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 

Heb 10:31  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 

When we start doing what we think is right instead of doing what HGod says is right then we have chose our own path to destruction.

Remember we have no righteousness within us. We are accounted holy only because we have the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We do not know how to do right unless we are doing what the Word of God says!

No doubt that the Lord had told Moses what He would do.

These rebels went straight to hell to be tried by the fires of Hell and they are still there today realizing they should never have questioned God's man Moses.

Joh 8:24  I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. 

Heb 3:12  Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 

We need to pray for our Pastors and Church leaders who are called of God, and it will show by the way they preach Jesus Christ!

It was Moses who had selected Aaron by the Word of God and there would be a separate test for Aaron.

*****Num 17:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 

Num 17:2  Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man's name upon his rod. 

Num 17:3  And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers. 

Num 17:4  And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you. 

Num 17:5  And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you. 

Num 17:6  And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods. 

Num 17:7  And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness. 

Num 17:8  And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds. 

If we cannot see these things as they have happened, we must at least see that God does not like a bunch of complainers and most all of us complain far too much.

We must understand that nothing happens that God is not aware of and that He could stop if He chose to do so!

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. 

All the things of this world are moving along according to the plan of God!

We should understand that a "rod" used by the Israelites could have been from any tree and they were sometimes formed as that of the staff of a shepherd.

This rod used here seems to be the rod of the tribe of Levi and may not be the same rod Aaron used earlier.

Aaron's name was written on the rod of "Levi" and eleven more rods were gathered from the other tribes and their names were written upon their rods.

These rods would be from dried wood none of them being green.

The rod used in this manner was as an emblem of authority.

We should understand that God has it in His power to appoint His Pastors and other men of God.

God's method of choosing is far different from the way we would choose.

This person would serve under God.

This person would serve under the Lord Jesus Christ.

This person would be filled with the Holy Spirit because they had accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and are obedient to Him.

All others are false!

If this person does not promote the truth of God, then they are not God's man and God has the power to deal with them.

God holds this power over all His chosen servants!

Today, everyone called of God are chosen to be a type of Jesus Christ so it should be easy to see who are true to the Word of God and who are not.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the only perfect priest which means those chosen today are not perfect because they are only men and their importance comes by preaching the truth of God, which in the original manuscripts is also perfect!

When we attack the Priesthood, we take the chance of attacking the men God has specifically called into the ministry.

When we attack our Pastor, we are attacking God, we are attacking the Lord Jesus Christ.

We know that Korah and his cohorts attacked Aaron and God sent them straight to Hell where they would be judged by the eternal fires of Hell.

It was God who established the position of High Priest and God would defend His choice.

Heb 5:1  For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: 

Heb 5:2  Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. 

Heb 5:3  And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. 

Heb 5:4  And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. 

Every priest, or pastor, or whatever their title must serve as being like the Lord Jesus Christ!

If they don’t preach Jesus, or the Blood, or the Virgin Birth, and all the truths of Him written in both Testaments then they are false and not called of God.

All Aaron had was the first five books of the Bible and then he only had the part that Moses had written up to that point which was the moral law and the Book of Leviticus.

Even today some people murmur against any Pastor when the ten commandments are mentioned.

The world rejects most all the Book of Leviticus because of what it teaches about being gay and abortion.

Moses obtained twelve staffs, one from each tribal leader as was Aaron.

The purpose of this is stated: the staff that belonged to the man God had chosen would sprout and this man would be the one God had chosen.

A simple enough test but it required a miracle.

It was the rod of Aaron that sprouted, and Aaron was the High Priest and the line to the priesthood would continue from the line of the tribe of Levi.

All the grumbling and murmuring must come to an end.

This priesthood is not accountable to man but accountable to God and this has never changed.

Complaining and murmuring are not of pleasant to the ears of God and if we are to please Him.

True faith says we trust everything God does so there is no place for murmuring and complaining!

Murmuring and complaining are of the Devil!

If our Pastor is declaring the Word of God from a legitimate translation then those words came from God and that Pastor is just the messenger God has chosen.

God wants His children to know, respect, and honor His chosen messengers!

Aaron's rod sprouted, budded, and blossomed and produced almonds.

None of the others did so.

The tribal leaders knew from that point forward the Levites were priests, and the High Priest would be a Levite.

The point of God's ministers is to produce fruit, just as the rod of Aaron produced fruit.

Bearing fruit is the purpose of the Word of God.

Bearing fruit is the purpose of God's chosen men.

Bearing fruit is the purpose of the Church.

The "Lost" cannot know the truth without the truth being told them!

Bearing fruit means to stop walking in the ways of the world and walk in the "Fruit of the Spirit"!

1Co 12:7  But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 

Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 

Gal 5:24  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 

Gal 5:25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Eph 5:9  (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) 

Eph 5:10  Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 

The fruit of the Spirit is being welcomed into the family of God and a home reserved in God's New Heaven.

It takes Spiritual Leadership from God's chosen men to reach the Lost with the Truth!

Amen

Busy About the Work of Christ

 The Priests of Israel

Book of Leviticus Chapters 8 and 9

We should understand that God calls and also ordains every true preacher, or pastor, or priest or

whatever the leaders of the Church are called today, just as He calls every Christian.

Rom_1:1  Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, "called to be an apostle", "separated unto the gospel of God",

Rom_1:6  Among whom are "ye also the called of Jesus Christ":

We must be called and that first calling comes by the Holy Spirit for our salvation.

We may at that time, or some other time be called into a special ministry, but all the ministries of the Church must point to the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

If they are not called of God and ordained of God, they will never know how to lead the Church and are subject to damnation!

God does not take kindly to imposters!

No one can understand the truth of the Word of God without being filled with the Holy Spirit, who comes to live in every Christian!

Ordination means to be appointed by the Lord to serve in the ministry of God.

Ordination means to be called, set apart (sanctified) and consecrated to the service of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If you have not been called of God, you should not be leading a ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Joh 15:14  Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 

Joh 15:15  Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father "I have made known unto you". 

Joh 15:16  Ye have not chosen me, "but I have chosen you", and "ordained you", that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father "in my name", he may give it you. 

Aaron and his sons were called of God.

Every true Christian has been called of God!

Not every true Christian has been called into a special ministry.

In fact if we are not already busy about the work that the Lord Jesus gave us to do, God will never call us into a special ministry!

*****Lev 8:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 

Lev 8:2  Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and a bullock for the sin offering, and two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread; 

Lev 8:3  And gather thou all the congregation together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 

Aaron and his sons had been called and appointed by God to the priesthood.

A priest, a pastor, or any such others are called to minister to God's people.

The goal of these ministries is to bring us all into one accord and not to cause division in the Church.

That ministering must be of the Lord Jesus Christ, or it is not a true ministry of the Church!

The ordination of these men should make a lasting impression on God's people.

Just as these things were completed at the entrance into the Tabernacle, every Christian should make a public profession of faith.

All such as a pastor or evangelist, are to never forget their calling and appointment.

When such a man of God is called and show it, they will have the respect of the Church as Aaron did have with the Children of Israel.

When a Church needs a new Pastor, then the selection of that person should be visible and not done behind closed doors!

Here, in the Book of John, we see that it is the Lord Jesus Christ who does the calling so at this time Moses would be considered to be a "type" of Christ Jesus.

It is of critical importance that our Church leaders be called by the Lord.

One of the problems in the modern Church is that the leader of that Church was not called of God and are not God's chosen!

They will only cause havoc in the Church!

*****Lev 8:4  And Moses did as the LORD commanded him; and the assembly was gathered together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 

Lev 8:5  And Moses said unto the congregation, This is the thing which the LORD commanded to be done. 

Why would someone enter the ministry?

1) Some like the idea of serving and ministering to people.

2) Some like the professionalism of the being the pastor, the idea of leadership and being recognized in the community.

3) Some like the idea of teaching and speaking on a regular basis.

4) Some like the prestige and the image of respect shown to the men of God.

5) Some just like the money in a big church.

6) There may be many other reasons.

The truth is, no one should serve in the ministry unless they are called and ordained of God to serve God's people!

Every Church should verify the calling of their church leaders and teachers.

That person should spend a lot of time in the Word of God and in prayer.

1Ti 3:1  This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. 

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; 

1Ti 3:3  Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 

1Ti 3:4  One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 

1Ti 3:5  (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 

1Ti 3:6  Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. 

1Ti 3:7  Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. 

Just because someone went to a Seminary does not mean they are taught of God.

In fact, many seminaries ruin what would have been a good Pastor.

Let us look at the calling of the Apostle Paul:

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. 

Act 26:15  And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. 

Act 26:16  But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; 

Act 26:17  Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, 

Act 26:18  To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. 

The Apostle Paul was a Jewish Pharisee and knew most of the Word of God by heart, but even Paul had to spend some time with the Holy Spirit.

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. 

Gal 1:18  Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. 

It could be said that no man of God should be leading a Church until, that man of God has been trained by the Holy Spirit for at least three years.

The Holy Spirit will only teach the things of Jesus Christ.

All those who lead people away from Jesus Christ are not called of God and should be removed until they repent and get saved and then trained in the works of Christ!

Obviously, the Holy Spirit is in charge of every called man of God!

A man called of God will teach the things of Jesus Christ!

Mat 28:18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 

Mat 28:19  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 

Mat 28:20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

The Holy Spirit will never lead that ordained man of God away from the Lord Jesus Christ nor the Blood of Jesus Christ!

2Co 3:4  And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: 

2Co 3:5  Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 

2Co 3:6  Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 

A Church is not a Church unless it teaches the truth of Jesus Christ!

A Preacher is not a man of God unless, he teaches the truth of Jesus Christ, The Gospel.

2Co 3:4  And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: 

2Co 3:5  Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 

2Co 3:6  Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 

Any works doctrine or any way of man cannot reconcile you to God!

Eph 3:7  Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. 

It is only by the "Blood" of Jesus Christ that we can be cleansed of our sins.

1Pe 1:18  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 

1Pe 1:19  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 

1Pe 1:20  Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 

1Pe 1:21  Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. 

It is only by the water of regeneration of the Holy Spirit that we become the chosen of God!

Tit_3:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

*****Lev 8:6  And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water. 

Remember Moses is a "type" of Jesus Christ.

No one can be cleansed without the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Psalmist wrote:

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. 

Psa 51:7  Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 

Moses, God's mediator, took those to be ordained and washed them in water.

You see, it is only God's mediator who can do the washing and the cleansing.

Jesus Christ is God's true Mediator!

This washing with water is a "type" of being Spiritually cleansed!

No one can cleanse themselves and no one can be cleansed but by God's Mediator!

This is the truth of the Scriptures!

God can only cleanse us of our sin.

The Lord Jesus Christ, He is God!

Joh_10:30  I and my Father are one.

Joh_17:22  And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

We should notice that this washing and cleansing with water took place right before the putting on of those white linen priestly clothes.

These clothes in type represent the righteousness of God.

As sinners we must be cleansed from that sin before we can put on the righteousness of God!

1Co 6:11  And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 

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.

It is only after this cleansing and this ordination that the true man of God can be a servant of God!

*****Lev 9:23  And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people. 

Lev 9:24  And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.

God met these children of Israel in this unique way, only because they had sought Him through the substitute sacrifice.

They had prepared themselves for the presence of God.

God has not ever changed!

That substitute is the Lord Jesus Christ.

We must be called, we must be chosen, and we must be cleansed, to ever be in the presence of God and the Holy Spirit does these things.

The Church has the truth for this ungodly world!

These children of Israel are still blind to this truth!

2Co 3:12  Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: 

2Co 3:13  And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: 

2Co 3:14  But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. 

2Co 3:15  But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. 

2Co 3:16  Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. 

2Co 3:17  Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 

2Co 3:18  But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 

There is no other way to be saved but by the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ our substitute.

There is no other way to be cleansed and regenerated, but by the Holy Spirit.

There is no other way to meet God our Heavenly Father, but by obedience to his Word and His Son.

Rev 3:20  Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 

Rev 3:21  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

Won't you look to Christ today and be cleansed from all your sin? 

Amen

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