The Comforter

 The Ministry of Comforting

 Book of 2 Corinthians Chapter 1

 

 To have a proper understanding of the Book of 2 Corinthians, we first need to study the Book of 1 Corinthians.

 We know that suffering has always been a problem for us humans.

 It is in every Church service that we recognize a prayer list of people in need of comfort because of their suffering.

There are always others not on the prayer list who suffer but keep it private and unspoken needs.

 People injured, people in the hospital, people spending their last days in hospice care, people recovering from surgery or cancer, or heart disease, and those who have been to the cemetery because a loved one has passed.

 In reality, it can be said that the Book of 2 Corinthians was written for those who suffer.

 Suffering can be said to feel or bear things that are painful, disagreeable, or distressing, and these things are constant in our lives.

 We endure these things, but we are never very happy about them.

 Pain and grief of mind are not pleasant things for anyone!

I read of a new religion last week who call themselves the extinctionists because they have determined that the only answer for suffering and the protection of this world is the extinction of all humans.

We know the only answer is a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ!

 Once we begin to know about the truth of Jesus Christ, we begin to see we are sinners and we begin to suffer with our conscience, and we find that we have offended God and are condemned to suffer the wrath of God.

 There is only one comfort, and there is only one Comforter!

Give your life to Christ Jesus, and you will meet Him.

 *****2Co 1:3  Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 

2Co 1:4  Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 

 When we choose to be a servant of God, we will have to deal with all sorts of difficulties and trials.

 As we study the Bible, we find that the Apostle Paul is a great example of Christian suffering while he spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 God will indeed use these trials and tribulations to make us better Christians and better servants.

 That word "mercies" means compassion, pity, and mercy.

 It means that as we witness for the Lord, we see a people in need and have compassion and mercy upon them.

These are characteristics of the Lord Jesus.

 We see that God is the Father of mercies.

 As the Devil is the father of murder and lies, God is the Father of mercies.

 God sees His Children as a Father and not so much as a God, even though He is God.

 As long as we are living, our Heavenly Father will shower us with His mercy!

 Col 3:12  Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 

Col 3:13  Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 

 As a Father, He floods us with His mercies, and as God, He comforts us in all our tribulations, because He is the God of all comfort.

 We should understand that suffering is part of our human lives! We do live in a cursed world!

 God does not take away our afflictions to comfort us; God carries us through our afflictions.

 Isa 63:8  For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour. 

Isa 63:9  In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. 

 God will snuggle up closer to us in our afflictions, put His arms around us, and speak gracious, comforting words to us.

 This is a great example of what He wants us to do to others, as we tell the world about our Savior.

 *****2Co 1:5  For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 

 One of the lessons we are to learn as Christians is that God allows sufferings in our lives so we can experience His mercies and His comfort.

 Notice that God allows, but He is not the cause of those sufferings.

As we know, we live in a sin-sick world!

 We need this experience to be able to comfort others.

 Sometimes this suffering can make us feel like we will perish, but the comfort of the Lord Jesus Christ surpasses all suffering, because He is the God of all comfort.

 2Co 4:10  Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 

2Co 4:11  For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 

 Rom 15:4  For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. 

 To understand our own suffering, we must understand the suffering of our Lord and Savior.

 The sufferings of Christ were not exhausted by Him, but overflow to us who have to suffer as He suffered.

 We must bear the weight of His dying so we can share His life. 

He is not suffering in us, but we can have fellowship in His sufferings.

 Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 

 *****2Co 1:6  And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

2Co 1:7  And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation. 

 The Apostle Paul is saying that his own suffering was not only designed for his own spiritual training but was a source of direct blessing to all who were saved under his preaching.

 Paul's suffering enabled him not only by example but also by the lessons of experience to be a strength to others who were suffering, while serving Jesus Christ.

 Php 1:14  And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

 It is important that the experience of our own suffering can be a comfort to another person going through tough times.

 We can sometimes become so absorbed in our own grief that we start believing that no one suffers as we do, but we are not alone in our grief, and we can draw comfort from others.

 1Pe 5:9  Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

 Very few Christians will ever suffer like the Apostle Paul did to get the gospel to us, but just because we are associated with the Lord Jesus Christ, we will suffer in this world.

 When we know we are not alone in our grief, that one thing will make us stronger.

 2Ti 3:12  Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 

 We should never want special attention in our suffering, knowing that we all suffer.

 We must never become like those who are saved today and lost tomorrow.

We cannot trust God today and not trust Him tomorrow and still believe that He is All-Powerful

 We must continue with our Savior through the good times and the bad times.

We must continue with our Savior through suffering as well as good health.

We must continue with our Savior through rejection as well as acceptance.

We must continue with our Savior through persecution as well as honor.

 We learn endurance through suffering!

We learn to share the God of all comfort through our own suffering!

 Php 2:1  If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 

Php 2:2  Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 

 Every time we suffer from a different kind of suffering, we will experience a new kind of comfort.

 *****2Co 1:8  For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: 

 Once we learn that as Christians, we are stronger as a group than as individuals, then we can realize that we can be a comfort to those who are carrying the Gospel to the world.

 There should be no doubt that the Devil works far more to damage a good pastor or the evangelist, or the missionary, than he does to the individual Christian, even though he will attack us all and it is never pleasant.

The Devil can only be in one place at a time, so he will dispatch his demons to do most of his dirty work while he concentrates on certain individuals who may not even be Christians.

 We must become prayer warriors for those who carry the Gospel to the world and also for each other.

 Our prayers are our greatest weapon in this world.

Closet prayer may be the greatest weapon we have against the Devil, his demons, and his followers.

 God wants to know how we suffer and what we suffer from, and He will help us.

 The fact that Doctor Luke traveled with Paul so often should also tell us that Paul needed medical attention often.

 We can learn a lot of it from the Book of Acts, but we should know that the Devil would do anything he could to stop the Apostle Paul and the other Apostles and every missionary called of Jesus.

That man in the pulpit of God, that preaches the truth of the Word of God is one of the Devils greatest enemies!

The devil is still trying to do this today, and it looks like he is winning.

This was what Paul was trying to tell us. 

It may look like the devil is winning, but God is just eliminating all those who do not want to join Him in Heaven.

We are still on the winning side!

 *****2Co 1:9  But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: 

 We wonder sometimes, "What will be the end of it all"?

If we do not put our faith into the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ, these thoughts will hinder us as we try to serve God.

Death is coming to this world just as death comes to each of us but only in the Lord's set time.

Paul was in some situations where it just seemed that it was beyond all human possibility of deliverance.

There are Christians in this same situation today, who live in lands ruled by wicked and evil men who hate the Lord Jesus Christ, and they have to hide just to be able to worship.

God has a special blessing reserved for them if they just hang on to their faith.

God has a special blessing for all who cling to their faith till the end.

We cannot trust our deliverance to ourselves any more than the Apostle Paul could!

All our faith must be in our Savior and in His Word.

Jer 17:5  Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. 

Jer 17:6  For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. 

Jer 17:7  Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. 

If God allows this world to take our life, He has a reason for it, and it is always a good reason where something good will come out of it.

We may not see it, but He sees it.

The important thing is that our death leads to our victory!

Our true Christian friends will want to know what happened when the Lord does save us from this destruction and we make it through that suffering, and that sentence of death.

There is nothing too hard for God, but when we give our lives to the Lord, we are doing just that; we are giving our lives to Him for His use.

What did Jesus say? 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 was an instrument of death.

We must never forget that we are in the hands of God and no one can take us out of His hands.

Paul was threatened by large crowds.

Paul was threatened by the unions of that day.

Paul was threatened by the governments of that day.

Paul was threatened by ungodly Jews.

Paul's friends had to risk their lives for Paul.

Paul's friends were locked up in jail.

Paul's enemies were like beasts who would hunt you down to destroy you.

These are the same enemies the Church faces every day.

1Co_15:32  If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.

Paul sometimes felt crushed by his burden for the Church.

Paul was locked away in prison on seven different occasions.

Paul was in more than one shipwreck.

My question is, what do we have to complain about if the Lord calls us into His service?

Our Savior is also our Deliverer and our Comforter!

When we cannot go with these men and women who are called into God's service, then our calling is to pray for them and support them.

*****2Co 1:10  Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us; 

2Co 1:11  Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.

Paul was not complaining; Paul was saying, "Look at all the opportunities the Lord has given me to serve, and He delivered me every time".

This is the exact way we should look at it!

Who are we to witness to?

Sinners are wicked, evil people, and we know this because we were once part of them.

Most everyone in the world today hates the Lord Jesus Christ. That should tell us something!

Just the mention of His name will turn some crowds into our enemies.

These are similar things that happened to Paul.

One of our own greatest lessons is that we cannot save ourselves from our sin, and we cannot save ourselves from this world.

We will suffer at times just so the Lord knows He can trust us to remain faithful.

God is not going to call us into His service and then let us suffer death on our first mission unless it is truly important and many souls are saved because of it.

God never said it would be easy to be a Christian, but He did say the benefits would be Heavenly.

Of all the reasons we may have suffering, maybe the greatest reason is the fact that we will spend more time in prayer and thanksgiving with our Heavenly Father.

Every prayer for us from another believer may cause God to move on our behalf.

It is called intercessory prayer.

Intercessory prayer works, and history from men such as Paul has proven it works.

Intercessory prayer in the Church has proven results because we have heard many testimonies from those who were delivered from cancer and heart problems, and treatments, and other sicknesses.

I was delivered from cancer myself on two occasions because of the prayers of righteous men and women of God and the LORD, who said: “I’m not through with you yet”.

We are all called to be intercessors if God has not called us to do something else, and even if He has, He still expects us to pray for one another.

The Lord Jesus prayed for us! 

Jhn_17:9  I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

Jhn_17:15  I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

Jhn_17:20  Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

How can we not pray for one another if the Lord Jesus Christ prayed for us?

Amen    

The Restoration of the Kingdom of Israel

 The Restoration of the Kingdom of Israel

 Book of Micah Chapters 3-5

 How important is good leadership? Leadership is a matter of life and death to any nation and to any church.

 What's wrong with America today?

 1) America has walked away from God.

2) The leadership in America has done nothing to keep America secure, militarily or financially, nor to provide proper care for its people.

3) The politicians have forgotten that they are to serve the people and not themselves.

They act like a bunch of cackling hens, forgetting what they are in Washington to do, and it is not to play politician; it is to serve our nation that is going to the dogs.

 The leadership in America has failed its people, and they do not care to change their ways, and foolish Americans keep them in office to do nothing. If they had a real job, most of them would be fired and replaced, yet we the people do not have that option, but we should.

 To be honest, I do not believe there is an honest leader in any nation today who serves to benefit their people.

 This was the case in Israel.

 The government of Israel was divided into civil, judicial, and religious branches, and the leaders of all three branches had become corrupt.

 Sounds familiar, does it not?

 Every leader in every leadership position is to act fairly with integrity and fair dealing, while upholding the laws of the land they serve.

 They are to administer justice.

 If we as voters send someone into leadership positions in our government offices or our courts, many of them become corrupt before they do any good at all.

 It is a well-known fact that much of the Church has become corrupt, and it is the same in the false religions.

We absolutely cannot attempt to rewrite the Word of God every time we see something we do not like.

 Just as Israel will be judged by God, so will the Church and the leaders of every nation upon this world.

 Justice will extend to every part of the societies of this world and every aspect of human behavior.

 In the Church, justice goes far beyond the legal systems of this world.

 The Ten Commandments are all about justice.

 God's Law requires much more than avoiding wrongdoing toward others.

 God's Law requires much more than not harming or hurting others.

 God's Law requires much more than refraining from doing wrong.

 True justice always seeks to do what is right and what is good.

 True justice is the purpose of the Word of God, so we can be more like Christ Jesus.

 Jas 1:26  If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. 

Jas 1:27  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. 

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

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

 Many people throughout this world live in quiet desperation when they do not have to.

 In Israel, the Temple was destroyed.

 Today, we see the Church also falling apart.

 The truth is that it is impossible that the Houses of God lie in waste forever!

 The Bride of Christ is certain, and the Lord Jesus Christ will return to get His bride, and He will come just as soon as God the Father decides it is time.

 Mar 13:32  But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

This is a true statement because this was the procedure for all Jewish marriages. The bridegroom would build on to the Father’s House, and only the Father would know that everything was ready to accept the new Bride.

 We know this entire world could collapse at any moment when one of the foolish leaders sets off an atomic bomb,  and then all those weapons would be fired, and there are certainly some foolish leaders who could one day do this.

 The fact is that the Temple of God will be rebuilt.

 The Church will hang on till the end.

 The Lord Jesus will return, first to get His Bride, the Church, then to remove sin from this world.

 These are the facts.

 Abraham, who is the father of faith, clearly understood this truth.

 Heb 11:8  By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 

Heb 11:9  By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 

Heb 11:10  For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. 

 What is left of the world after the return of Jesus Christ will walk to please the Lord!

 The Gospel will be located in Jerusalem, and the world that remains will want to know all about it!

 Jesus Christ caused the Gospel to begin in Jerusalem.

 Jerusalem is the place where His ministry began, where He died, where He arose from that death, where He ascended back to Heaven, where He gave the Apostles their commission, and where the Church received the Holy Spirit.

 It is only in Jerusalem that we can walk in the actual paths of the Lord.

 All those who remain after the Lord has judged this world will remember what they had so easily forgotten.

 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: 

 The Gospel is the fulfillment of God's Law.

 Why would any other city be chosen for Jesus to return to?

 Why would we as Christians give up so easily? Where is our faith?

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

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

Mic 4:5  For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever. 

 Our world has not been at peace since the sin of Adam and Eve, but the world will finally be at peace when the Lord Jesus returns, after He causes peace to happen.

 As in every war, food will be scarce, so all military hardware that was used for war will be converted to farm equipment.

We may see tanks pulling plow equipment and building roads and repairing a broken world.

 The word "war" will be totally forgotten and replaced with "love thy neighbor".

 Many a believer has thought, how wonderful it would be to sit at the feet of Jesus, and this will finally be possible when King Jesus rules from Jerusalem.

 King Jesus will also "Judge" all disputes between nations wherever they are located upon this earth.

 I believe the task of those whom the Lord brought with Him, the wife He will no longer separate Himself from, will be to sit and judge the disputes of individuals.

 1Co_6:3  Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

 Can you just imagine the savings when there is no money spent on war, no money spent to combat drugs, no money spent to combat sin, no money spent on bad health, and no money spent on politicians, for none of these things will exist.

 There will be no United Nations, which has never been what it set out to be.

 Rom 14:17  For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 

Rom 14:18  For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.

People will be changed: Tit 3:2  To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

 People will enjoy life completely safe.

 The Jewish people and the Jewish nation will be honored among all people.

 Deu 28:1  And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: 

Deu 28:2  And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. 

 Jerusalem will then be the actual center of the world.

 We should remember God's promise to Abraham.

 Gen 12:1  Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 

Gen 12:2  And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 

Gen 12:3  And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. 

 God never breaks a promise!

 All the people of the world will walk to Jerusalem in the laws of their god, but they will leave Jerusalem walking in the laws of the Lord God of Israel, and now the Lord God of all His Creation.

 It's like salvation. I walked in my own ways before I met Jesus. Now, I walk in His laws and will do so forever and ever!

 All nations will recognize the Word of God as the Laws of God, which is much higher, much deeper, and more complete than anything previous.

 All those who have had to hide their worship of the Lord because of their faith in Him can now walk openly.

All those who were outcasts because of their faith in Jesus Christ can walk with their heads held high.

All those whose walk was not perfect in the Lord will now walk in perfection.

All those who were afflicted because of their faith in Christ will no longer be afflicted.

 There will be no power that can overcome the power of our Savior and our King, King Jesus!

 Prophecy will be fulfilled: Dan 2:44  And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. 

 King Jesus will sit on His throne in Jerusalem because all the prophecies of the Bible will have been fulfilled!

 The Lord Jesus was born in a humble stable, to humble parents, and He served His life as a humble Shepherd, and He humbled Himself and died on a cruel cross, but this same Jesus is God Almighty and now sits as the eternal King of all His Creation.

 This is how the true Judge of Israel began His life on earth.

 *****Mic 5:2  But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. 

Mic 5:3  Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. 

Mic 5:4  And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.

 The Prophet Micah begins to tell us about the true Judge of Israel in more detail.

 It is easy to see that the future of the Church, the Bride of Christ, and the future of Israel lies in that Babe that was born in Bethlehem Ephratah some two thousand years ago.

 The prophecy of Micah was some seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, our King.

 We read all the time about the prophecies of men who may get one or two things right, but the prophets of God had to get every prophecy of God right, or we could not consider them true prophets of God and the Word of God could not be trusted.

 We know that this prophecy of the birth of our Savior was true, so why should we doubt that the Lord Jesus will sit as King of this world for a thousand years?

 It is the Lord Jesus Christ who is our life because He is our future.

 He was born of a virgin just as the Word of God, by the Prophet Isaiah, wrote.

 Isa 7:14  Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 

 This Immanuel is the true food of His people: Joh 6:51  I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 

 It is this Jesus who will gather His Church to bear the fruit of God: Joh 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 

 The world does not get excited about these things, but we who believe and have faith in the work that the Lord Jesus did for our salvation should be excited and should stay excited about the truth of the Word of God. It is time to look up, for our redemption is closer than it has ever been.

 Jer 23:5  Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. 

Jer 23:6  In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

 It is Israel that has given us our Messiah and our soon-coming King.

 Rev 12:1  And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: 

Rev 12:2  And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

 When the Lord Jesus returns to this earth, He will come in His full power.

 He will stand up for His people.

He will defeat the enemies of His people.

He will then be King but also a Shepherd and provide for the needs of His people.

He is God's ideal King.

 The Church, His Bride, will be with Him.

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

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

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

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

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

 The remnant of Israel will join with the Church; all will be the children of God.

 Rom 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 

Rom 11:26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 

Rom 11:27  For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 

 *****Mic 5:7  And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men. 

Mic 5:8  And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. 

Mic 5:9  Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off. 

We should all know by now the promises made to Abraham, and here in the Book of Micah, we see Micah give us information about the fulfillment of that prophecy.

God will make true believers out of that remnant of Jacob.

We need to understand clearly the promises God made to Abraham.

Paul wrote: Rom 9:8  That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. 

Rom 9:9  For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son. 

Rom 9:10  And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; 

Rom 9:11  (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) 

Rom 9:12  It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 

Rom 9:13  As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. 

It was Jacob who inherited his father's blessing, but Jacob was never a perfect man, and no patriarch of Israel can be seen as a perfect model of Christian morals.

We should also understand that it was the fear of his brother Esau that sent Jacob to find a Gentile bride. That Gentile bride is the Church.

The promise to Abraham was to be a blessing to all nations and not just to the Jews.

Micah describes a remnant that will be as fresh as the morning dew, sharing the water of life with the nations that remain after the Tribulation period.

Jer_30:7  Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.

It is only at this time that the Jews become true believers.

After this remnant is noted as fresh as the morning dew, they will be to the Gentiles as a lion among the beasts.

At this time, all the animals will have become docile, and none of them will be against mankind nor mankind against the animals.

That remnant of the Jews will be associated with the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

Gen 49:9  Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? 

Rev 5:5  And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. 

Israel will finally become a tool in the hand of God during the Tribulation period of seven years.

God will bring the Tribulation period to an end.

Mic 5:15  And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard. 

Zep 3:8  Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.

These things have already begun to take place.

Amen

My Savior Lives

 Jesus Is Alive

 Book of Luke Chapter 24

 People sometimes ask, what is the greatest discovery that has ever been made throughout the history of our world?

Immediately, they think about material things or certain medicines.

 That answer should be simple. The greatest discovery that has ever been made in this world is the empty tomb of the Lord Jesus Christ!

 His tomb is still empty today because it was a borrowed tomb; the Lord Jesus only needed it for three days.

 Much of this world does not know this, and most of the world does not believe this is true to their loss.

We should be very clear: if the Lord Jesus Christ had not risen from the dead, there would be no such thing as Christianity.

Christianity would be just another religion serving a false god.

 The empty tomb and our risen Savior have to become a personal discovery for each individual on this earth.

 If my God cannot do the impossible, then He cannot be my God!

If my God is not alive, then I am no more than a fool and bound for Hell with no means of salvation.

 The Passover is past. The Lord Jesus was buried just before six PM on the day of the Passover.

The first day following Passover was to be a holy convocation treated as a special Sabbath, and it did not matter what day of the week it was; it could well have been on a Friday.

Lev 23:5  In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD'S passover. 

Lev 23:6  And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. 

Lev 23:7  In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. 

It was on Tuesday when the Lord Jesus had these words.

Mat 26:2  Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. 

Two days after Tuesday would be Thursday. The words of Jesus are more reliable than calendars; this Passover was on a Thursday. 

The day after the preparation day, which was Passover, would be the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which was treated as a Sabbath, a High Day. Then, in this particular year, the true Sabbath would follow that day, meaning that when Sunday came, Jesus would have been in the ground for three days and three nights. 

The Lord Jesus had been in the grave three days and three nights just as He had said.

At least this is where my Bible study leads me.

Mat_12:40  For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so, shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Jhn_19:31  The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

 Luk 23:54  And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. 

Luk 23:55  And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. 

Luk 23:56  And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. 

 *****Luk 24:1  Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. 

Luk 24:2  And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. 

Luk 24:3  And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. 

 It was the death of the Lord Jesus Christ that would bring the history of this world and eternity to their fulfillment according to God's plan.

 God plans that every living soul be provided with the opportunity for atonement.

The day of atonement was the only day of the year in which the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies, but not without blood, which he offered for himself.

On this day, he wore none of his colorful clothes to enter behind the Veil but wore white linen clothes.

On this Passover, the Lord Jesus offered His own blood for the atonement.

When the High Priest fulfilled his purpose, he left those clothes in the Holy of Holies just as the Lord Jesus left His white linen clothes behind, and He is not only our Mediator, but He is our true High Priest.

 Rom 5:11  And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. 

 The meaning of the word is at-one-ment, and it means the state of being at one or being reconciled to God.

Until you are washed in the blood of Jesus, you cannot be reconciled to God! 

Atonement is reconciliation. It signifies the truth of the Gospel which flows from the death of Jesus Christ.

 The Lord Jesus Christ died in our place! The Lord Jesus Christ took our punishment, which we were rightly due for the sins we committed against our Heavenly Father, our Creator.

 Our guilt was imputed to Him, and this is why He came at the First Coming.

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

 1Pe 2:24  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 

 Heb 9:28  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. 

 This was God's plan, and it was executed by His only begotten Son.

 The Old Covenant is over, and the New Covenant has begun.

 These women were not aware of these things, yet all they knew was that the body of the Lord Jesus Christ had not been properly cared for, and it had been three days.

At four days, the body of Jesus would be corrupted.

Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus had rushed to get the body of Christ into a grave on the day of Passover.

 The Lord Jesus had been dead three days, just as He had said.

 Mat_12:40  For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

 The Lord Jesus Christ arose on the first day of the week, which is Sunday on the Jewish calendar.

 We now look at Monday as the first day of the week and Sunday as our Sabbath.

 Act 20:7  And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.

 This Sunday would have had its beginning at six o’clock the previous day, and these ladies came to the Tomb of Christ early that next morning.

 Because His resurrection had occurred just as He had said, another order of things had occurred.

 It was love that brought these ladies to the tomb of Jesus, and it is love and truth that should bring us all to the cross of Jesus.

 Death reigns no more in our earthly flesh if you are reconciled to God.

The curse of Adam has ended for you.

 The rules of death have been broken by the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Why? Because His tomb was empty, but that was not all.

 1) The Scriptures were opened: Luk 24:27  And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. 

 2) Eyes were opened: Luk 24:31  And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. 

 3) The mind is opened: Luk 24:45  Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

 4) Heaven was opened: Luk 24:51  And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. 

 That stone was not rolled away to let the Lord out of that grave. He was already out before the angels rolled away that stone.

 That stone was rolled away to allow these women who loved Him so much to go inside and look at an empty tomb.

 This was the first victory of God's amazing grace.

 Now, mercy and grace are the rules God will use toward all mankind.

 These ladies were perplexed about what they had seen.

 *****Luk 24:4  And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: 

 One of the best proofs of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the testimony of these ladies.

They witnessed the body of the Lord Jesus being placed into that tomb, and they now see that the tomb is empty.

 They knew He was dead, and they knew where He had been laid, and the door had been sealed.

It was the penalty of death to remove this seal unauthorized.

 None of those who came to the tomb of Christ had believed Him when He said He would be three days in it and then He would arise from that death until it took place.

 As they arrive, they see the stone rolled away, and no one man could do such a thing, and they knew that they could not do it themselves.

 Mar 16:3  And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? 

Mar 16:4  And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.  

It was the angels who rolled away the stone.

 Mat 28:2  And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 

 An angel of the Lord cannot lie; they are only messengers.

 The body of Jesus Christ was not in the tomb.

 These angels had taken on the form of humans.

 They looked like men, but their clothing was not of this world but shining garments.

One angel was on each end of the slab where the Lord Jesus had lain, which gives us the vision that the mercy seat was no longer in the Holy of Holies.

 Jesus is first called Lord Jesus in this passage after His resurrection, for He is now our risen Savior. 

 What was the message of the angels?

 *****Luk 24:5  And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? 

Luk 24:6  He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, 

Luk 24:7  Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. 

Luk 24:8  And they remembered his words,

 They were not so much afraid of those angels as they were about the missing body of Christ.

 The truth is, God the Father has fully accepted the work of His Son for our atonement, and life has returned to Him.

 Joh 10:17  Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 

Joh 10:18  No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. 

 The Lord Jesus becomes the Living God because death cannot hold our Savior!

 Not many living will stay in a dead man's tomb for very long.

.These angels also reminded these women of what the Lord Jesus had said before His death.

 We had better be clear in our hearts, we do not honor a dead Savior, we honor the Living God!

 Because they now remembered the words that Jesus had spoken, they had conviction and boldness to witness to others this truth.

 The Lord Jesus had declared that the grave could not hold Him.

 Heb 7:8  And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.

 Rom 1:4  And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

 Eph 1:19  And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 

Eph 1:20  Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,  

It is the power of His resurrection that removes any doubt that the Lord Jesus is the true Messiah, God in the Flesh.

 None of those who had followed the Lord Jesus had truly accepted that He would arise from His death.

 They had not accepted that He would die until it happened.

 It is an eye-opening event when we realize that we were wrong about God!

 God is who He says He is!

God does as He says He will do!

 *****Luk 24:9  And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. 

Luk 24:10  It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. 

Luk 24:11  And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not. 

 What is the greatest lesson we can learn from this passage? 

We need to pay attention to what the Lord Jesus Christ says!

 The Lord Jesus always speaks the truth!

 Not finding the Body of Jesus puzzled these women when it should have brought faith.

 Many will say that an empty tomb is not proof of a resurrection.

 Full belief required the appearance of Jesus Christ.

 Faith would know that He is alive!

 We should understand that the Holy Spirit did it this way so the Church would know that the grave was empty and it was the actual body of Jesus and not some ghost.

 Many commentators will say that those two angels are Moses and Elijah, but the Bible does not lead us in this direction.

 The angels quickly told these ladies that if they wanted to see the Risen Savior, they had come to the wrong place.

 We know our Savior cannot be bound by any tomb, and you will never find Him there again.

 The angels told these ladies to remind the eleven Apostles that He would meet them in Galilee.

 The angels also said, “Do you not remember what Jesus said?"

 Luk 18:31  Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. 

Luk 18:32  For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: 

Luk 18:33  And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. 

 The body of Jesus Christ had not been removed; Jesus had walked out of that grave, going straight through the rock because it was the angels who rolled that heavy stone away.

 The enemies of Jesus were still rejoicing, but this rejoicing was about to end.

 It took a while for these women to believe that the Lord had risen from that grave, and the Apostles did not believe these women.

 The greatest sin in all the Bible is to not believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

 The Apostles had no excuse for rejecting the truth of the resurrection, for the Lord had told them He would arise on many occasions.

 They did go to Galilee, but they were quitting. They felt they had no one to serve after the death of Jesus.

 This is where they would witness the truth of the Lord Jesus.

 There is a lack of clear direction. They are no longer full of the Lord Jesus, and activities they previously abandoned for Him have a chance to creep back in.

 It is never a good time to quit on Jesus!

 Mar 16:14  Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. 

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

 Peter was still suffering because he had denied Christ.

 *****Luk 24:12  Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass. 

 Many say that those linen clothes lay in that grave just as they were wrapped, meaning that the body of Jesus had passed through those wrappings, leaving them in place.

 Jesus had folded the napkin that was over His face and laid it in another place, and we all know the meaning of this. "I will be back."

As I said earlier, the High Priests would always leave those white linen clothes in the Holy of Holies, so that the empty tomb had become the Holy of Holies, and that place in the Temple was no longer important. The Veil had been torn into two pieces.

 Peter came to the tomb of Jesus.

 Peter saw what manner His clothes were laid.

 Peter departed, wondering within himself what had actually happened.

 What we now know is that it is dangerous not to understand the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 We cannot spiritualize the Word of God because it will lead to unbelief and serious problems.

 All we need to do is be open to the evidence that the Holy Spirit gives us in the Gospels.

 1) The tomb is empty.

2) Jesus has risen just as He said.

3) The Holy Spirit will convince us of the truth if we listen to Him.

 Joh 8:23  And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. 

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. 

 Act 4:12  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. 

 The risen Messiah was not some spirit, He was not some vision, not some phantom, not a hallucination or the figment of man's imagination, He was the risen Savior.

 One day, not so far into the future, we will have a glorified body just like the Lord has.

 *****Luk 24:44  And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

Luk 24:45  Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 

Luk 24:46  And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 

Luk 24:47  And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 

Luk 24:48  And ye are witnesses of these things. 

Luk 24:49  And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. 

 The road to Emmaus is another great picture of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but our lesson goes to the teaching of the Lord Jesus to the Apostles after they knew that the resurrected Christ is the same Christ who had died for their sin and ours.

 Now that these Apostles know that Jesus is a risen Savior, they can better understand the lessons He had taught them.

 All prophecies up to the point of the Cross had been fulfilled just as they were written.

 Jesus makes a point to teach these men that every word of God would be fulfilled just as written.

 We can depend on the Word of God and a proper translation of the Word of God, such as the KJV.

 Many translations are nothing but trash and should be done away with.

 1) The death of Christ and the Resurrection had to take place just as they happened. Some of the brutalizing of our Savior was unnecessary, but foretold.

 None of these things should have been a surprise to these men, and certainly not to the Scribes and Pharisees who were supposedly Bible scholars.

 The Lord Jesus had preached these things Himself.

 2) It was necessary that the death of Christ and His resurrection take place. His death was imperative, or we would still be bound with our sin, unforgiven.

 His resurrection also had to take place, showing us the power of God and our own future resurrection of our bodies.

 The Lord Jesus gave us His own division of the Bible of that day.

 The Law

The Prophets

The Psalms

 Basically, the entire Old Testament.

 3) The Lord Jesus opened their eyes so they could understand:

 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. 

 4) These prophecies had to be fulfilled.

 Christ had to suffer a terrible death and then rise from that death.

 Repentance and forgiveness must be preached.

 The Holy Spirit and the Power of Heavenly Father must be sent.

 Every believer was to be equipped for witnessing the truth of God.

 The source of the Holy Spirit and His Power can come from God the Father only.

 Jesus Christ was to send the promises of God the Father.

It was God the Father who made the promises.

We are to wait upon the Lord Jesus Christ to return while praying for the promises of God.

 God the Father is the source of all power.

 Act 1:8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

 His work finished, the Lord went home to be by His Father's side.

 *****Luk 24:50  And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. 

Luke closes his Gospel with the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ.

He had remained on earth for forty days since His resurrection.

The Lord Jesus came to this world on a mission to save the people of this world, and He provided a means of salvation and reconciliation with God to every individual who has lived since that time.

His ascension closes His earthly ministry, but it opens His Heavenly ministry, His mission of intercession for the world.

He now bears witness through the lives of those who believe Him.

He is now the propitiation for our sins.

1Jn 2:1  My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 

1Jn 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 

1Jn 2:3  And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 

God's Son returned to the right hand of God the Father.

His ascension proves that Heaven is a real place!

Php 3:20  For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 

Php 3:21  Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. 

His ascension assures us that we have a very special Helper in Heaven who really loves and cares for us.

Amen

Instructions From heaven

 A Father's Instructions

 Book of Proverbs Chapter 4

 We know that if we hear what the Lord has to say and listen to it just once, then this is enough, and we should abide by it.

In last week's lesson, we saw that we must submit to all the Word of God, not just comply with it.

 As we read the Book of Proverbs, we will see that the Holy Spirit teaches us by repetition.

 Once is enough, but when we see a matter repeated over and over, then it must be important to the Lord that we have a clear understanding of that Scripture.

 We must agree with the Word of God to have a clear understanding of it!

 We are to read, to listen, and to pay attention to what is being taught.

We must understand the Word of God as God’s commands and not God’s suggestions.

We must know that the Word of God is wisdom.

We must recognize that there are numerous benefits to possessing the knowledge and wisdom of God.

We must know that there is great danger in rejecting the wisdom of God, our Heavenly Father.

 There are some things that our Heavenly Father hates, and we must stay away from them!

 Pro 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

Pro 6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

Pro 6:18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

Pro 6:19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

 These are things we must avoid as we follow in the path of Jesus, and we should treat this chapter as words from our Heavenly Father and not King Solomon.

 *****Pro 4:1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

Pro 4:2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.

 I find that I am better prepared on Sunday if I read the Scriptures out loud so that I can hear them at the same time.

 We must, as the children of our Heavenly Father, read these instructions as they came from Him because they did come from Him.

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

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

 The word "hear" in this Scripture means far more than to hear the Word of God; it also means to observe and to obey what our Father is saying to us.

 Solomon may have received these words from his father David, and David may have received these words from his father Jesse, but Heaven was the source of these words and was delivered by the Holy Spirit.

 We know that all the Law of Moses also had their beginning in Heaven.

 These words we have now are intended for all generations that exist and those in the future that remain.

 Psa 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

Psa 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

 The word "good" in verse two means "in the wisest sense".

 It is good doctrine because it came from Heaven.

 Jas_1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

 *****Pro 4:3 For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

Pro 4:4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

 This verse speaks of the historical record of King Solomon and being the child of promise, but it also speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 2Sa 7:12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.

2Sa 7:13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

 Bathsheba knew her son was to be King of Israel.

 Mary, the mother of Jesus, knew her child was in some sense the child of the Living God.

 She had been told by the Angel Gabriel that her son would be the Savior of the world.

 She may not have grasped the complete meaning of these things, but she pondered them in her heart.

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

Luk_2:51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.

 We know the remainder of the family of Jesus did not believe what they heard about Jesus, only His mother.

 Mrk_6:3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.

 The more we know of the Lord Jesus Christ and live in faith, the more we will enjoy a long and happy life.

 The key to our lives is our faith in the wisdom of our Heavenly Father. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the actual image of God’s wisdom.

 *****Pro 4:5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

Pro 4:6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.

Pro 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

Pro 4:8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.

Pro 4:9 She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.

 Without the wisdom of our Heavenly Father, we will never have the right understanding of life as we live in this wicked world.

 Without obedience to the Word of God, we will perish.

 That word get means to buy wisdom and understanding if we have to. Money is not nearly as important as the wisdom of God.

 Pro 16:16 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!

 Getting wisdom is not a once-and-for-all decision; it is a lifelong process!

 Getting wisdom requires an ongoing commitment.

 Wisdom must be used, but it must also be sustained.

 We may lose a lot of things we have had in our lives, but we must hold onto the wisdom of our Heavenly Father and apply it to our lives every day and not allow it to slip away.

 We know what happened to King Solomon; he turned away from his father's advice and turned away from our Heavenly Father's commandments.

 We cannot allow the wisdom we have strived to get from our Heavenly Father to just slip away!

 God's wisdom will protect and watch over us if we abide by it!

 Wisdom is personified in the Lord Jesus Christ, no matter what gender is referred to in this passage.

 2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

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

 Wisdom is also personified by the Church, which is the Bride of Christ, if we hold onto the wisdom of God

 Wisdom is the principal thing because wisdom begins with the "fear of the Lord".

 Pro 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

 How can this be explained? Eph 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

Eph 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

 Jas 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

 The wisdom of God will bring favor to those who get it.

 The wisdom of our Heavenly Father is an ornament of His "Grace".

 The wisdom of our Heavenly Father will bring a "crown of glory to the victor".

 These principles are intended to be taught to children by their Christian parents.

 The home is the right place to teach the wisdom of God to our children, and then make sure they go with us to a Bible believing church.

 They will not learn it in schools, which will only teach them the ways and wisdom of this world, which will come to nothing.

 Spiritual training needs to begin in the early years of a child's life.

 The father has a special role in the Spiritual leadership within the family!

 *****Pro 4:10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.

Pro 4:11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.

Pro 4:12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

 For years, many a person has wasted time and money seeking the truth for a long life.

 The Word of God explains the truth in a few simple words. Receive the truth of the Word of God and hold to it.

 We simply must choose the right path of life and stay on the path.

 Mat 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

 We must travel the way of wisdom rather than the world's path to destruction.

 Will we live a life of submission to the Lord, or will we be slaves to the Devil and to sin?

 We will all get an opportunity to choose one way or the other, and it helps a great deal to know the truth of our Heavenly Father.

 We must understand that our flesh will lead us to join the foolishness of this world.

 This is the path of destruction.

 The wisdom of our Heavenly Father will lead us down that path which leads to life, "eternal life" in that Heavenly Home of our Heavenly Father.

 *****Pro 4:13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

Pro 4:14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. 

Pro 4:15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

 We should understand that the "wisdom" of our Heavenly Father does not just give us a good life.

 The "wisdom" of our Heavenly Father is life!

 Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

 It is not the quality of life, but life, eternal life.

 Taking hold of the "wisdom" of our Heavenly Father is a matter of life and death!

 If we do not choose the "wisdom" of our Heavenly Father, we are certain to face eternal death!

 1) We must heed this warning from our Heavenly Father.

2) We must never let go once we know the wisdom of God.

3) We must keep and guard the Word of God,

4) We must never start down that path to destruction.

5) We must not veer to the left or the right nor follow the ways of evil men.

6) We must avoid that wicked path altogether.

7) We must not even go near that wicked path.

8) We must go in the opposite direction from all evil.

9) We must move past that wicked path and continue on the path of righteousness.

 *****Pro 4:16 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

Pro 4:17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

Pro 4:18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

Pro 4:19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

 We sometimes just do not think much about the wickedness of this world.

 If we believe the Word of God, then we need to believe what God says!

 1Jn 5:19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.

 Only those who are committed to the truth of the Word of God are not wicked, though none of us are perfect.

 Why do we fail so often? Because all the rest of the world is lying in wickedness!

 We belong to our Heavenly Father, and the rest of the world belongs to the Devil.

 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.

 We may try to see some goodness in those who are lost, but we must know that at any time the Devil will use them for one of his wickedly sick purposes and they will be unable to resist him.

 Mrk_10:18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

 Those who are lost, their lives revolve around sin.

 We know this because we were once just like them until we met our Savior.

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

 They eat a steady diet of sin!

They drink the wine of violence!

 The color of their wine is the same color as blood.

 We see these things increase in our world today.

 There is no comparison between the life of a true Christian and that of the lost.

 There is a perfect day in our future, but for the lost and wicked, there is only the life turmoil now and a future of eternal torment.

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

Joh 1:5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

 Joh 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

 1Jn 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

1Jn 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

 The way of the lost is in darkness!

 Even the Bible says there is pleasure in sin for a season, and many of the lost hunt for that pleasure all their lives and never find it again because they remain in the darkness of the Devil.

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

 All of these take great pleasure in sin that, in truth, has made them captives of the Devil.

 *****Pro 4:20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

Pro 4:21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.

Pro 4:22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

Pro 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

 Here we see our Heavenly Father almost begging us to hear what He has to say.

 This is the loving concern for us that He always shows us.

 We must listen closely to what God has to say to us. He always has our best interests in mind.

 Pro 1:5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:

 We must pay attention to what God is saying to us.

 Jesus Christ said: Jhn_14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

 We cannot just listen to what the Lord is saying, we must act upon it. We can do that only if we keep the Word of God in the midst of our hearts.

 God's wisdom is like life-giving blood; it flows through our bodies, giving us new life that we never knew before.

 2Ti_1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

 What is our heart like before we meet Jesus?

 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:

 A fact of life is that out of our hearts come the issues of life, our moral conduct.

 The wisdom of God will purify our hearts, and if our hearts are pure, our lives will be pure.

 Ezk_36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

 This is why we are to guard our new heart above all else.

 A wise person will recognize the importance of keeping wisdom in the heart!

 These wise people are the Body of Christ!

 When our hearts become the fountain of moral life, then our moral life will be the fountain of our conduct, which everyone sees.

 When we hear corrupt talk around us, we need to get as far away from it as we can.

 *****Pro 4:24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.

Pro 4:25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

Pro 4:26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

Pro 4:27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

 A person with a dark heart will spew ungodly words and evil speaking, and we should not trouble our ears to hear such filth.

 The Lord Jesus makes this very simple for us to understand.

 Mat 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Mat 12:35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

Mat 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

Mat 12:37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

 If there is no evil in our hearts, no filth will spew out of our mouths!

 Eph 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

 We need to take the words in the Word of God about the New Heaven and try to visually see what it looks like, and then focus our path on the entrance gate, and as we complete our walk in this life, the vision of that place will become brighter as we walk in that direction, not veering to the left or the right.

If we keep our focus upon Jesus, we will find the entrance to heaven because He is that entrance.

 If we spend our time looking around trying to see some evil, we will surely see it.

 Remember David on the roof of his mansion, just looking out to see what he could see, and there it was right in front of him. A beautiful woman with no clothes on probably innocent to his stare.

 There is no profit in our looking to see how evil our world is; we must know that it is because the Word of God says it is, and keep our focus on the Lord Jesus Christ, who will lead us to His Father's mansion.

 We need to remove all the stumbling blocks out of our pathway and walk on the glory road that ends in New Heaven.

 If we stay focused on these things, we will not see things on the left or the right that might deceive us!

 These are the same things we must teach our children, our grandchildren, and our great-grandchildren.

 God has sent us an invitation to join Him around His glorious throne, and we would be foolish not to want to be there with Him!

 This is the prize we seek.

 It is the glory of God that will blind us from the path of evil if we just listen to Him and obey Him!

 Amen

Judgment on King Ahab and Jezebel

 Judgment on the House of Ahab

 Book of 2 Kings

 There are many disagreements in the many denominations of the Church about the "Judgment of God," but we are all united in the belief that there will be a final "Judgment".

 Death is a reality for every member of the human race.

 Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

 We should understand that this Scripture refers to the physical death of the body, but not the soul.

 The soul can be described as the life-principle of a human being, and the life-principle of every human will live on after the death of the body.

 The Lord Jesus says this about the soul: Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

 The soul can be said to be the immaterial nature of every human!

 The soul can only be seen by God, who gave it!

Sometimes, the real me on the inside of this sack of flesh will be looking out, and I will want to do something, but I cannot get this flesh to cooperate. It gets worse as I get older.

 At death, the soul and the body will separate: Jas 2:26 "For as the body without the spirit is dead", so faith without works is dead also.

 With the body now dead, it is the soul that will face the judgment of God, as our verse in the Book of Hebrews says.

 No one is exempt from this death. Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

 We must be very clear that because Jehovah is holy, He must judge all that is unholy, or He would no longer be holy Himself!

 "Judgment" is an expression of God's character!

 Today, we will see that many will face God's "Judgement" as they die because they are evil and wicked, and they have refused to repent of that wickedness.

 We have already spoken some on the judgment of King Ahab and his wife Jezebel, but today we will see it as it takes place in the Scriptures.

 It was the Prophet Elijah who first informed King Ahab about how his life would end in judgment.

 We know that God had already judged Lucifer and the fallen angels, and the things written in the Scriptures will take place as they are written.

 We know that God judged the people on this earth with the worldwide flood in the days of Noah.

 God judged the people at the Tower of Babel.

 God judged the people of the Northern Kingdom, as we have been studying.

 God also judged the Southern Kingdom.

 We know that the wrath of God will be revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness!

The Book of Revelation gives us the horrible details of this "Judgement".

 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.

 As the Son of God, our Lord Jesus has the authority to render judgment when He returns, and He will only do this after He has removed His Church from this earth.

 Joh 5:27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

Joh 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,

Joh 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

 It would be Jehu who would be the hand of God's judgment upon King Ahab and his wife Jezebel.

We will see that Jehu went farther than the Lord intended and in ways that were not intended.

 *****2Ki 9:1 And Elisha the prophet called one of the children of the prophets, and said unto him, Gird up thy loins, and take this box of oil in thine hand, and go to Ramothgilead:

2Ki 9:2 And when thou comest thither, look out there Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in, and make him arise up from among his brethren, and carry him to an inner chamber;

2Ki 9:3 Then take the box of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, Thus saith the LORD, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door, and flee, and tarry not.

2Ki 9:4 So the young man, even the young man the prophet, went to Ramothgilead.

2Ki 9:5 And when he came, behold, the captains of the host were sitting; and he said, I have an errand to thee, O captain. And Jehu said, Unto which of all us? And he said, To thee, O captain.

 Once Jehu was known to be the next King of the Northern Tribes of Israel, he had to move fast because he would be charged with high treason.

 Jehu was commanded by Jehovah to put a stop to the House of Ahab and being obedient to God and upon the right principles, he did not have to worry about opposition.

 What did the Lord actually say?

 1Ki 19:17 And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.

1Ki 19:18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

 What had God said to Ahab?

 1Ki 21:21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,

1Ki 21:22 And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin.

1Ki 21:23 And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.

1Ki 21:24 Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.

 This was Ahab's last chance to repent. We know that Ahab did repent at least a little and Jehovah allowed him to die in a war with Syria "before his family came to judgment", but the words of God's prophet still held.

 1Ki 22:37 So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.

1Ki 22:38 And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of the LORD which he spake.

 *****2Ki 9:6 And he arose, and went into the house; and he poured the oil on his head, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the LORD, even over Israel.

2Ki 9:7 And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel.

2Ki 9:8 For the whole house of Ahab shall perish: and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel:

2Ki 9:9 And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah:

2Ki 9:10 And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her. And he opened the door, and fled.

 It was Elijah who had received the order from Jehovah to anoint Jehu as the new King of the Northern Tribes of Israel.

 Elijah anointed Elisha to replace him as a Prophet of God, and it was Elisha who anointed Hazael as King of Syria. Now, Elisha sent another prophet to anoint Jehu as the new king.

 God had allowed King Ahab to reign until his death.

 1Ki 21:27 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.

1Ki 21:28 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

1Ki 21:29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.

 Once King Ahab had died, Jehovah fulfilled the promise He had made.

 1Ki 21:21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,

1Ki 21:22 And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin.

 The person Elisha chose to anoint Jehu as king was to do three things.

 Jehu was one of the captains of the Army of King Ahab and may have been the lead captain.

 1) This prophet was to take Jehu into an inner room and privately anoint him out of sight of everyone else.

2) He was to declare that it was Jehovah who had appointed him king over Israel.

3) He was to flee the scene as quickly as he could.

 For someone to declare themselves to be king would be considered high treason to the existing government.

 This is the thing that the Jews used to have the Lord Jesus crucified.

 Jehu was chosen specifically to execute justice on the house of Ahab.

 This was because Ahab had allowed Jezebel to slaughter the people of God and God's prophets.

 Jehu was to kill all the descendants of Ahab and Jezebel.

 God had said this same thing would happen to other kings of Israel.

 Jezebel's ending would be just as God had described.

 2Ki 9:10 And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her.

 The army of King Ahab became the army of King Jehu.

 Jehu was appointed to be a just ruler to execute justice.

There is a big difference between justice and murder!

 It is the same for every ruler that God allows to rule today.

 They are in place to execute justice, and they will be held accountable to God for how they do this!

 Executing justice does not always mean murder, which is a sin!

 However, how any ruler executes justice to their people will determine how Jehovah will execute justice to them!

 Whatever they sow, they will reap!

 The Lord Jesus Christ will execute perfect justice when He returns!

 2Ch 19:6 And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD, who is with you in the judgment.

2Ch 19:7 Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.

 Mat 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

 Joram, a son of Ahab, was now ruler of Israel, and Ahaziah was King of Judah, and they were both together.

 Because Athaliah was the daughter of Jezebel and the mother of Ahaziah, Joram, King of Israel, was the uncle to Ahaziah, the King of Judah.

 *****2Ki 9:21 And Joram said, Make ready. And his chariot was made ready. And Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out against Jehu, and met him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite.

2Ki 9:22 And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?

2Ki 9:23 And Joram turned his hands, and fled, and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah.

 The uncle and his nephew went out to meet Jehu.

 As only God can manage, these men met at the portion of land that had been taken from Naboth.

 If we do not believe in the providence of God, then we will never understand the Word of God.

 In reality, Jehu carried out a bloody slaughter throughout Israel.

 Did Jehovah command this to happen, or did He just warn King Ahab that this was going to happen?

 God will always allow us to repent.

 God will tell us what will happen if we refuse to repent.

 Hos 1:4 And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.

Hos 1:5 And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.

 We can see that the military of King Ahab did not think too highly of Jezebel.

 Joram was just like his mother, and Ahaziah was just like his mother Athaliah, the daughter of Jezebel.

 *****2Ki 9:24 And Jehu drew a bow with his full strength, and smote Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot.

2Ki 9:25 Then said Jehu to Bidkar his captain, Take up, and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite: for remember how that, when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father, the LORD laid this burden upon him;

2Ki 9:26 Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, saith the LORD; and I will requite thee in this plat, saith the LORD. Now therefore take and cast him into the plat of ground, according to the word of the LORD.

2Ki 9:27 But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house. And Jehu followed after him, and said, Smite him also in the chariot. And they did so at the going up to Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo, and died there.

 There are over fifty-two verses of Scripture that describe the slaughter of Jehu, so it must be important that we understand what God is saying here.

 Jehu took out King Joram with one shot of an arrow through his heart, and his body was cast into the field once owned by Naboth where the birds would eat him.

 It is Verse 26 that tells that the sons of Naboth were also slaughtered by King Ahab and Jezebel.

 Now Jehu turns his attention to King Ahaziah of Judah, best described in the Book of 2 Chronicles:

 2Ch 22:7 And the destruction of Ahaziah was of God by coming to Joram: for when he was come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.

2Ch 22:8 And it came to pass, that, when Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab, and found the princes of Judah, and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah, that ministered to Ahaziah, he slew them.

2Ch 22:9 And he sought Ahaziah: and they caught him, (for he was hid in Samaria,) and brought him to Jehu: and when they had slain him, they buried him: Because, said they, he is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart. So the house of Ahaziah had no power to keep still the kingdom.

 The death of Ahaziah and his sons left Judah without a king, and this is when Athaliah took it upon herself to become Queen of Judah by her treachery. She murdered her own children and grandchildren.

 2Ch 22:10 But when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah.

 Only one son had survived, who was Joash, who continued the promise made to King David.

 2Ch 22:11 But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons that were slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest, (for she was the sister of Ahaziah,) hid him from Athaliah, so that she slew him not.

2Ch 22:12 And he was with them hid in the house of God six years: and Athaliah reigned over the land.

 Jehu decided it was time to take care of Jezebel.

 *****2Ki 9:30 And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window.

 A tire was a headdress, an ornament for the head, generally of gold or precious stones, a tiara.

 Jezebel was old by this time, but made herself look like royalty in an attempt to impress Jehu.

 She had been the cause of the death of many prophets of God.

 *****2Ki 9:31 And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?

2Ki 9:32 And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side? who? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs.

2Ki 9:33 And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down: and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trode her under foot.

2Ki 9:34 And when he was come in, he did eat and drink, and said, Go, see now this cursed woman, and bury her: for she is a king's daughter.

2Ki 9:35 And they went to bury her: but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands.

2Ki 9:36 Wherefore they came again, and told him. And he said, This is the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel:

2Ki 9:37 And the carcase of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel; so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel.

 The end of Jezebel was just as Jehovah had said.

 Her blood had splattered everywhere, she was trampled, and the dogs had eaten her until nothing but her skull, her hands, and her feet were left.

She would be as dung as her remains passed from the dogs in the nearby fields of Jezreel.

 She was buried in an unmarked grave, and no one mourned for this wicked woman.

 It was then that Jehu turned his attention to the seventy sons of King Ahab.

 The Scripture says seventy sons, but it may mean sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons.

 *****2Ki 10:10 Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spake concerning the house of Ahab: for the LORD hath done that which he spake by his servant Elijah.

2Ki 10:11  So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsfolks, and his priests, until he left him none remaining. 

 Jehu may have considered himself to be the arm of God, but in reality, we know that God does not need our help for His Word to be True!

 Zec 1:6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

 Mar 13:31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

 Jehu wrote a letter to the officials of Samaria and Jezreel, telling them to choose the closest relative of King Ahab and make him king of Israel and to prepare for war.

 This only terrified these officials, who were afraid to confront Jehu.

 Since they had switched their allegiance to Jehu, Jehu wrote another letter demanding that they execute justice against the seventy sons of King Ahab for treason.

 They were to bring the heads of these seventy sons to Jezreel the very next day.

 The word of Jehu was honored.

 Jehu made out that he was on a special mission for Jehovah to remove any blame for himself seeking the sympathy of the people.

 Jehu was not a godly man.

 *****2Ki 10:31 But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.

 He was just like Jeroboam.

 King Jehu went beyond the justice that God had intended, and he became a murderer.

 God wanted justice throughout the Northern Tribes of Israel and not just the elimination of one family, though God knew what Jehu would do.

 To murder is a terrible sin because it takes the life of a person out of this world.

 The hearts of many who are left behind also suffer much pain and grief, and in many cases hardship, because it was the male who was the breadwinner on that day, while the wife took care of the children.

 Jehu caused a terrible number of single-parent families.

 God never instructs His children to murder. God still says that they will suffer the consequences of this evil.

 For the wages of sin is death!

 Amen