Giving Toward the Work of the Lord

 The Ministry of Giving

 Book of 2 Corinthians Chapter 9

 

We will see a lot of what we saw in Chapter 8 in this chapter on giving.

 We should understand that every church is a little different.

 The people in every church are different.

 Every situation is different for them, so no one can say that God expects the same amount from every church and every church member.

 There is what is called "The Word of Faith" movement going on in our world, and its emphasis is on a prosperity Gospel theology; it is a movement of greed, and it is heresy.

 Other movements teach a prosperity Gospel, and all of them are heresy!

 The background of every prosperity Gospel is the lie that God wants us all to be rich and enjoy perfect health.

 That poverty and sickness are caused by a lack of faith, and this is a big fat devilish lie.

 Giving to the church, giving to the ministries of the church, and giving to individuals who have a need certainly pleases God.

 This is God's greatest trait!

 Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, “that he gave” his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

 Giving pleases God, but not every giver pleases God!

 Again, giving is referred to as stewardship.

 We will one day give an account of our stewardship, but it will never be about the amount we give.

 Givers who please God are those believers who have a readiness and an eagerness to give.

 If there is a need that is in the will of God, Christians should be giving toward that need. As we are able.

 The greatest need of this world is salvation!

 *****2Co 9:6  But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

 There is an old proverb that says those who try to hold on to what they own can end up in poverty.

 Pro 11:24  There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.

 Another old Proverb says: Pro 19:17  He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.

 Some people are poor in Spirit, and there are people so financially poor they will not survive without some help.

 1Jn_3:17  But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

 This is called love: 1Jn 3:18  My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

 Our giving does not earn a reward because of the amount we give.

 Our reward depends on the ratio of what we give in accordance with what we have to give.

 Mrk_12:42  And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.

Mrk_12:43  And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:

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

 This is why giving in the New Covenant is not based on the tithe; it is based on “grace”, our grace toward each other.

 *****2Co 9:7  Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

 Giving should be according to God's mercy.

 The Lord Jesus is the mercy of God, and God gave it all for us.

 1Jn 4:9  In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

1Jn 4:10  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1Jn 4:11  Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

 When we give, we will give according to the will of God if we put our heart in our hand along with our pocketbook.

 Eph 3:17  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

Eph 3:18  May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

Eph 3:19  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

 God does not promise prosperity upon this earth; God promises prosperity in Heaven.

 1Ti 6:17  Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;

1Ti 6:18  That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;

1Ti 6:19  Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

 It should be very clear that God does not accept the gift of a person who does not want to give it!

 We are to think about the need and compare that to our own needs and then give sacrificially.

 There is usually always something we can give up to help someone who truly has a need, or some ministry that has a great need.

 The Holy Spirit is always willing to help us in this decision.

 When we fail to see the desperate needs of others, then we are failing to see what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us.

 *****2Co 9:8  And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

2Co 9:9  (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.

 The prosperity preacher will tell you that the more you give to him, the more God will give to you, but God never says such things.

 Giving is not about moneymaking. Giving is about the privilege to give back some of God's blessings to which special blessings from Him are attached.

 There is a right way to give. Giving must be seen in the fact that all we have already belongs to God and He lets us use most all of it, but He may call on us to give sacrificially on some occasions.

 We talk about the "Grace" of God a lot, but sometimes we just do not understand the true meaning of God's Grace.

 Yes, "Grace" is the unmerited favor of God. We have done nothing to deserve God's Grace!

 1) Common Grace is God's general blessings to all mankind.

 The Lord Jesus Christ paid the sin debt of everyone who has ever lived from the time of Adam to the day of the last sinner.

 Common grace also includes general blessings to all mankind!

 Mat 5:45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

 God allows rain and sunshine on the atheist as well as the believer.

 Psa 145:8  The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.

Psa 145:9  The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

 God knows those who will eventually come to Him and those who will never come to Him, but He does not judge that person before it is time and still provides for them.

 Rom 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

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

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

 God's restraining of sin in this world is also a part of His common grace.

 Think about Job. When Satan challenged God about Job's loyalty, God allowed Satan to go only so far. God restrained Satan.

 God said the Holy Spirit would not always strive with man, which means the Holy Spirit is actively restraining sin in this world.

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

 The ministry of the prophets and true preachers is to restrain sin.

 Human governments are put in place to restrain sin; some do better than others, but those governments will answer to God for their negligence.

 Rom 13:1  Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

Rom 13:2  Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

Rom 13:3  For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

Rom 13:4  For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

 It is a fact that God will not allow the Antichrist to show up in this world until God is ready!

 2Th 2:6  And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

 As Christians, we believe God will remove this restraining force at the Rapture of the Church, but we are not certain.

We know He will do it, but we are not certain as to the time.

 "Common grace" is necessary because before a person can be saved, there must be a witness from God.

 Most people know they will be held accountable for their actions.

 2) Then there is "efficacious grace". All those who receive "efficacious grace" will be saved.

 This is the work of the Holy Spirit in salvation.

 This is a person who answers to the will of God!

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

 This is the grace of God that is never rejected, as many will reject "Common Grace" and do not agree that God provides for them as He does for all.

 Many of these believe they provide for themselves through their own power, and most of them will refuse to share with those who may need some help.

 Even this will not stop God from providing the many things that He provides to the unbeliever.

 Grace still refers to the favor and the blessings of God.

 *****2Co 9:10  Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)

 To those who give willingly, God will give more and more.

We must also understand that God will hold us accountable for taking care of our families as well.

 Not to hoard and keep for themselves, but so they can continue to give more and more.

 We all know that if we do not sow much seed, then there will not be much of a harvest.

 Here we see something different.

 Here we see that God will give the sower earthly possessions that might be distributed to the poor, and after this God still provides what we need for a living.

 God says, give first and then take for yourselves!

 We do this when we lay aside part of our income for giving and then compare that to what we actually need for our own needs.

Giving is tied into a test of our faith, but giving is never to be about seeking prosperity here on earth.

Most of our rewards will be in Heaven!

This is why God does not ask for a tithe from each believer in the New Testament Church.

 Some can give more than others because their needs are fewer.

 In most cases, God will multiply.

 We get back the seed that we scatter, but we get a lot more seed in turn.

 The fruits of righteousness always, always increase!

 Isa 55:10  For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

Isa 55:11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

 *****2Co 9:11  Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.

 To those who are willing givers, God will prove that they will receive what they are to give while retaining what they already have.

 This is not for a savings account but is a gift to meet the desperate needs of the world.

 Every believer is to be a channel through which God sends His blessings to the world.

 To keep more than we need is, in a sense, robbing God!

 Heb 13:20  Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

Heb 13:21  Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

 Sacrificial giving depends on one thing: trusting and believing God!

 Mat 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Mat 6:34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

 As in helping, giving all boils down to stewardship.

 *****2Co 9:12  For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;

 Giving to the church is the Christian way of meeting the needs of the world.

 The most important need of this world is to hear the "Good News" of the Bible, the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 The greatest benefit of good stewardship is that it brings praise to God!

 Does God get mad at us if we put back something for hard times? No!

 Even the world tells us we may need to have enough to last six months in an emergency.

 God does remind us that if we have more than the necessities of life, we will be held accountable if we refuse to share.

 God expects us to be good stewards with all the benefits He shares with us.

 God does not like to see selfishness in His children.

 When we truly act like the children of God, then other people will see it, and they will praise God.

 Mat 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

 God will also use our act of giving or our lack of giving to prove our loyalty to the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ.

 Jas 2:14  What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

Jas 2:15  If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

Jas 2:16  And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

Jas 2:17  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

 We have no work to do to get saved; the Lord Jesus Christ has completed all the work for our salvation.

 All we need to do is accept His gift.

 After our salvation, God expects us to be busy as a servant and as a steward.

 *****2Co 9:13  Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;

2Co 9:14  And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.

 The Gospel of Jesus Christ tells the world about the greatest gift that has ever been given to people.

 Salvation may be looked at as the greatest gift of God, but it would not have happened without His great love for us.

 God sacrificed His Son just so we could have life and life eternal.

 We can only prove our loyalty to our Savior by being involved in the ministries of His Church.

 It is His Church, and Jesus has only one Church!

 Giving is one of the greatest ministries of the Church and ranks right up there with praying.

 The doors of many places of worship today are closed because the people of that house of God will not give enough to keep those doors open.

 If that place of worship was sharing the "Gospel," then it has stopped.

 If that place of worship was not sharing the "Gospel," then those doors should be closed.

 We say all the time that the Lord Jesus would have died on that cross if only one person was saved. If this is true, and it is, maybe we should help keep the doors open in some places of worship or at least look into it.

 I'm not talking about our presence, for I would not leave my church unless the Lord wanted me to.

 I'm talking about a giving ministry without taking from the ministries of our own church.

 I’m talking about helping some church that has that true man of God who preaches the truth, but that church is so poor.

Maybe this could be another mission.

 It's just a thought.

 Surely, we can pray for other places of worship to continue to serve the Lord.

 Giving stirs up great prayers.

 When you have a financial investment in the ministries of God, you will pray for the success of that ministry.

 God's people are supposed to be filled with love, and we are all in the same family because we all have the same "Father", God the Father.

 We are all filled with the same "Spirit", God the Holy Spirit.

 We are all saved by the same work of the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Son.

 Let us never make the death of the Lord Jesus Christ be for nothing!

 1Th 1:2  We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;

1Th 1:3  Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

1Th 1:4  Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.

 We sometimes forget the great cost that the Lord Jesus paid to reconcile us back to God the Father.

 *****2Co 9:15  Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

 God the Father knew exactly what would happen to His Son when He sent Him to pay our sin debt.

 God knew He would be beaten and mistreated and then murdered, because this is what our world has become. We see it every day.

 1Jn_4:10  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

 The death of Jesus Christ was truly a sacrifice when we understand the truth of the Triune God!

 God the Father could not, because of His character, forgive sin without a bloody sacrifice!

 But God could give, and He gave sacrificially!

 If we cannot find it in our hearts to give toward the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, then what does this say about us?

 God gave the supreme gift; what should we give?

 Amen

Spiritual Power

 The Ministry of Spiritual Power

 Book of 2 Corinthians Chapter 4

 

What makes a local church? When is it actually a church according to Scripture?

 Is it when people gather to listen to tapes of some so-called Christian leader?

 Is it when a group gathers together to hear different Bible conference speakers?

Is it just to fellowship with other people?

 A church that is the Bride of Christ is much more than these things!

 1) There must first be worship!

 The most important reason we gather is to worship according to the Word of God.

 Jhn_4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

Jhn_4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

 1Co 14:25  And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth. 

 Worship involves presenting ourselves, our entire being, to the Lord.

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

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

 Many say the church that meets on Sunday violates Scripture.

 They also say this was because of some Roman ruler, who said for the church to worship on Sunday.

 These same people reject the Word of God, as it reads that we worship on Sunday because the early church decided to commemorate the resurrection of our Savior, who is the foundation of the Church.

 Joh 20:1  The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.

 Joh 20:19  Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 

 Joh 20:26  And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

 The Lord's supper:

 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. 

 The offerings were made:

 1Co 16:2  Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.

 Hymns were then incorporated into worship:

 Eph 5:19  Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 

Eph 5:20  Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 

Eph 5:21  Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. 

 2) There must be preaching.

 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. 

 This preaching is for instruction so we can avoid false doctrines!

 1Ti 1:3  As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, 

 This preaching should produce spiritual love among believers, along with increased faith.

 1Ti 1:5  Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: 

 There must be spiritual nourishment.

 1Ti 4:6  If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. 

 Teaching godliness:

 1Ti 4:8  For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. 

 Teaching submission:

 1Ti 5:17  Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. 

 Teaching a proper focus on life:

 1Ti 6:17  Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; 

1Ti 6:18  That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; 

1Ti 6:19  Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. 

 Passing this work to others called to preach:

 2Ti 2:2  And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. 

 3) The church must be devoted to the teaching of the original Apostles who were taught by the Lord Jesus:

 Act 2:42  And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

 And Christian Doctrine:

 Act 5:28  Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. 

Act 5:29  Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. 

 Act 18:11  And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. 

 Teaching in the church and in homes:

 Act 20:20  And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house, 

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

 4) The church must encourage fellowship.

 Act 2:42  And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 

 Act 4:31  And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. 

 5) Prayer is to be important because it is powerful.

 Act 4:31  And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. 

 Act 12:5  Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. 

 1Th_5:17  Pray without ceasing.

 6) Each of these things have their own importance, but they must all be included in a functioning church.

 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. 

Php 2:3  Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 

Php 2:4  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 

Php 2:5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 

 7) The Church depends on the church members to support these things!

Now this does not mean sending all offerings to Rome. No, it means we must support missionaries, evangelism, witnessing, child evangelism, and discipleship.

Now the world may say that Rome is the home of the Church, but we do not want any part of Rome. The true Church is those who have the Holy Spirit living within them.

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

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

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

 When these things and more are not found in the local church, then that place is not a church at all nor is it part of the Bride of Christ!

 The Bride of Christ has a ministry and so does every member!

 2Co 4:1  Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 

2Co 4:2  But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 

 All these things being true, and they are, if you are a child of God, then you have met the Devil!

 *****2Co 4:8  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 

2Co 4:9  Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 

 If you are serving the Lord Jesus Christ as He directed, then you will face trial after trial.

 The word trial is used in Scripture in the sense that we will be tested as we serve the LORD.

 We will experience fatigue and weariness.

We will suffer strain and pressure.

We will have troubles and doubts.

We will face criticism and opposition.

We will suffer conflict and persecution, and anything else the Devil can throw at us.

 If the Devil cannot reach us personally, he will use our families or our friends to get at us.

 If you began your reading of the Bible in the Book of Genesis, you would see where the first family that existed was tested, and we live in their failures every day of our lives.

 God's purpose was to give Adam and Eve a knowledge of sin through obedience, not from eating some fruit.

 They sought the knowledge of "good and evil," and they attained that knowledge in the wrong way.

 Their temptation came through that Old Serpent, the Devil.

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

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

 Rev_12:9  And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

 Rev_20:2  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

 We cannot serve the Lord in His purpose for us under our own power!

 It is the power of God that will sustain us in every trial and in every temptation if we let God's power work within us.

 We have the Holy Spirit living within us, and we must allow Him to do His work.

 What is His first work?

 Jhn_14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

 Jhn_14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

 Jhn_15:26  But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

Notice more and more we see the Triune God involved in our lives!

 Jhn_16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

 We may be persecuted, but we will never be forsaken!

 The supreme characteristic of the true Christian is not that we do not fall, but every time we fall, we get back up again.

 Psa 37:24  Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. 

 We may be beaten, but we cannot be defeated.

 We may lose a battle from time to time, but in the end, Jesus Christ has already won the war.

 If we remain with the Lord, He will remain with us, so we are on the "Winning Side"!

 *****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. 

2Co 4:12  So then death worketh in us, but life in you. 

 The Lord will never forsake us!

 Heb 13:5  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 

Heb 13:6  So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. 

 Yes, the Lord Jesus died, but He gave His life; no one took His life from Him!

 We do not serve the Lord in the power of His death!

 We are to serve the Lord in the power of His resurrection!

 Php 3:10  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 

Php 3:11  If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 

 2Ti 2:11  It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: 

 Rom 8:17  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 

 How many times does the Lord have to say He will never leave us until we understand He means it?

 In His physical body, the Lord Jesus was always dying to self!

 He was expending enormous energy to share the truth of God, His Father.

 He would go without food and water for days at a time.

He would work long, exhausting days.

He would have many sleepless nights.

 Someone was always wanting something from Him, and He gave of Himself.

 He did these things for the sake of others and not for Himself.

 As we serve the Lord to stay mentally sharp, we need to die to self and live in the power of the Holy Spirit.

 This is the truth of our Pastor and every man of God and each one of us.

 Rom 6:11  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Rom 6:12  Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 

 As human beings, we do not present such a formidable challenge to this world, but when we die to self and live the life of Jesus Christ, then others see the power of the Lord Jesus Christ within us.

 To some, this will lead them to turn to the Lord to be able to conquer their own life.

 Most people realize that some things they do are not right and that they have wronged many people.

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

 *****2Co 4:13  We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; 

 There is only One Spirit of Faith!

 Psa 116:9  I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living. 

Psa 116:10  I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted: 

 It is only our faith in the truth of the Lord Jesus that can sustain us!

 We must resist all temptation to give up!

 It is the power of our faith that will keep us from being discouraged.

 Faith means we believe with all our hearts.

 Faith means we stand against every opposition to the Word of God.

 Faith means we can see the evidence of God in His creation!

 I still believe the greatest Scripture in the Word of God is His first words.

 Gen 1:1  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 

Our world and everything in it was created and sustained by the Holy Trinity.

We are saved by that same Holy Trinity.

We will live in Heaven with that same Holy Trinity.

 If we cannot believe this, then we cannot be Christians!

 We must believe what we say of the Scriptures!

 1Jn 5:4  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 

1Jn 5:5  Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? 

 *****2Co 4:14  Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. 

The one thing we can say is that God always has the last word. No one can overrule Him!

God did raise the Lord Jesus from the dead because it was important for Jesus to die.

He died to take our sins to Hell where they belonged.

We must not forget that this death was a separation from His Heavenly Father.

We must do all we can to maintain a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father!

Mat 27:46  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

The Lord Jesus Christ had to pay with His life for the testimony He gave.

By His death Jesus saved us from the wrath of His Father and from His Judgment at the White Throne.

There will be no winners at the White Throne Judgment!

We know that Jesus died, but He could not stay dead. With this part of His mission complete, He arose from that death.

When we think on these things, we can be encouraged.

The same God that raised the Lord Jesus from His death will raise each of us from our own death.

The Holy Spirit made sure for us to know this is true!

1Co 6:14  And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. 

Rom 8:11  But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Col 2:12  Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 

Col 2:13  And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 

Col 2:14  Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 

1Co 15:23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. 

No matter what purpose God has given to us, serving the Lord has its problems, but knowing that no matter what happens to this body, it will not keep us out of God's New Heaven.

God can do as He says He will do!

God does not speak just to be speaking; He is all-powerful!

One of the great lessons we learn when serving the Lord is that He is willing and He is also able to do what He says.

Jud 1:24  Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 

Jud 1:25  To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. 

God will be happy to see us when Jesus lets us through the Door to Heaven.

If we trust the Lord Jesus for our salvation, then we must trust Him in everything He says.

Joh 11:25  Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 

Joh 11:26  And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? 

The Bible reveals to us the Will of God through His Son.

The Lord says everything He did was for our sakes.

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

God repeats this here in verse fifteen.

*****2Co 4:15  For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. 

We live in a lost world that is on its way to Hell.

God will take care of the world and will rebuild it as it was in the first week of creation.

Our job is the same job Jesus had when He walked upon this earth: to reach out to those who are lost and without Yahweh, the true God.

The God of the Bible is full of "mercy," and He is willing to show His "Grace" to all who will believe.

Only if we stay in the fight, refuse to be defeated, and glorify God with our lives can we show God's blessings to this lost world.

1) We are to meet the needs of the people by showing them the love of God.

Rom 15:1  We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 

Rom 15:2  Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. 

Rom 15:3  For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. 

2) We must lead those who are lost to the only Savior.

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

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

*****2Co 4:16  For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

If we are true to the Lord and full of faith, we will never quit on God.

The things we have just read about in the other verses will give us the strength we need.

At the end of every day, we may want to quit, but if we meditate on the truth of the Lord Jesus and get a refilling of the Holy Spirit and do not forget all the benefits of being a child of God, we will be renewed to face another day.

This old body will take a beating, but the death of this old body is the pathway to eternal life, just asverse fourteen reminded us.

The Holy Spirit said in verse 1: Therefore, seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;

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

If you have many years already on this body of flesh, you know for certain that it is wearing out.

People say our bodies, the day we are born, begin the process of growing, but in reality, our bodies begin the processes of aging, wearing out, and wasting away every day.

Once the Holy Spirit moves into our soul, He allows us to draw near to God for strength and growth.

It is this strength that delivers us from the trials, the pressure, and the troubles of this world.

When we draw near to God, He will draw near to us, and it is this power that renews us!

Psa 34:19  Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. 

*****2Co 4:17  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 

2Co 4:18  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 

The troubles we have in this world cannot compare to the glory we shall receive in Heaven!

We should not focus on the temporary things of this world but focus on the eternal things in the glory world.

Our goal is to spend eternity with the Lord in New Heaven and the New Earth and fulfill every purpose He has for now and for every purpose then and forever.

2Ti 2:12  If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 

2Ti 2:13  If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. 

We will have a purpose in Heaven!

Things that are seen are only temporary things!

The things that are not seen are eternal, everlasting, endless, forever, permanent, immortal, and glorious.

Let's think on these things and make them our goal!

Amen

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