The True Church

 Receivers and Responders

Book of 1 Thessalonians Chapter 1

We go from the Books of James written by James the half-brother of the Lord to the writings of the Apostle Paul but Paul assured us that we know that it was the Holy Spirit who directed all the Scriptures.

Every chapter, every verse, every word given to us by the Holy Spirit are to make the Church to be strong.

The world will claim every building with a steeple is a church but we know only those groups of true believers make up the true Church.

The Church is not a building, the Church is all those who are trying to follow in the ways of the Lord Jesus Christ and His truths!

The true Church has Preachers and Pastors who are faithful to the true Church by remaining faithful to the truth of the Word of God.

A strong church is a church that has accepted the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ, the true Messiah, the same Messiah who will return to first take His children home and then deal with this wicked world and complete the promises He has made to Israel.

The true church is founded on the oneness of God in His three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

There is no true church if that congregation does not accept the trinity of God!

*****1Th 1:1  Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

If we cannot understand the truth of this scripture then we do not understand the Love of God!

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. 

Joh 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 

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.

All other places that gather together are not part of the true Church unless they accept this truth!

They are only a man-created gathering, no matter what they call themselves!

The Lord was discussing this with His disciples before He was crucified.

Mat 16:15  He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 

Mat 16:16  And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 

Mat 16:17  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 

Mat 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 

Now the Church is not built upon Peter but the fact that the Lord Jesus is indeed the Messiah, the Son of the Living God!

The true Church possesses God gifts of "Grace" and "Peace".

We know that "Grace" is the sum of all the blessings that God the father bestows on us through Jesus Christ. Grace is God's love and favor to us who are certainly undeserving of it!

We know that our Lord Jesus by God's "grace" is the death of His Son for all believers, in fact for all sinners.

We should know that peace is more than the absence of hostility and disorder: it also denotes good health and harmony with nature, and inward wellbeing.

This peace came through the blood of the cross.

Eph 2:14  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 

Eph 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 

Eph 2:16  And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 

Eph 2:17  And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 

Eph 2:18  For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 

The peace comes only by God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit gives us these words of truth.

Paul as a Church builder never departed from this truth about our Savior but built upon it, just as we are to do today.

Silas and Timothy were with Paul when the Church at Thessalonica was established and the Holy Spirit always showed that Paul was not alone and that he traveled with others who had the same faith that he had.

Again we will see that prayers are the strength of the Church.

*****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; 

A strong Church is a praying church!

A true Church is one whose prayers reach into the throne room of God!

Mat 21:22  And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. 

It is our duty to be thankful for the personal benefits we receive from God but notice it is better to be thankful for the good of others.

Paul knew his own strength came because of all those churches praying for his success.

We need to pray for all the missions of our church because they need those prayers and we will still receive those benefits from God.

Our prayers must be a work of our faith or they are useless!

Remember what we learned from James, "faith without works is a dead faith".

We show our love to Christ by what we do for Him willingly!

We must take prayer seriously because it is the power behind the true Church!

Our faith in Jesus Christ will stir us up to do a work for God.

The stronger our faith, the more we can accomplish in the name of our Lord Jesus!

We must never get over the fact that we have been saved from a burning Hell!

Just as faith stirs the Church to do a work of God, "love" stirs the Church to labor, or we would say to get busy serving the Lord.

We know this work can be tiring but when we do get to rest, we will rest satisfied that we are working in the name of our Savior.

One day that true rest will come and our labor on this earth will be over.

Our faith works, our love labors, our hope patiently suffers all things!

We should remember our rewards come from the labor we have done in this life.

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

What does this election mean?

1) Election means that we as believers are elected and chosen by God to be His beloved people.

God has called each of us out of this world and away from our old life of sin and eternal death.

Being in the will of God means we are now separate and set apart for God's use!

2) Election means we as Christians are all in the same family because we have the same Father.

We are all brothers and sisters in Christ and we are to hold each believer close to our hearts.

We are family because of our faith.

1Jn 3:1  Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 

1Jn 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 

When we look upon another Christian, we must see them as an object of God's love!

We are all brethren because we are all the object of God's "Grace".

When visitors come into our Church, they should be able to see that our members act like the beloved of God.

They should see clearly that each member treats each other member as the beloved brethren of God.

The "Gospel" is not just a bunch of words written down on paper!

*****1Th 1:5  For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

1Th 1:6  And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: 

What is the greatest trait of the Christian? We believe the Word of God and it is this language that we speak. It is the language of Heaven!

The "Gospel" came in power! Not miraculously but persuasively because it came from the heart of God.

The "Gospel" came to us by the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Truth.

When Paul preached, he was not concerned if he were a good preacher or not.

When Paul preached his only concern was sharing the "Gospel" of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is only in these terms that the Holy Spirit can do His work of conviction.

God honors His Word and His Word only!

If we do not believe the Word of God is from Heaven, then we cannot stand before any group in the power of God!

Even as teachers we have no power unless the Holy Spirit is with us and He will not be with us if we have no faith in God's truth!

Those that believe that our creation came in the process of evolution, have no power.

Those that believe that we are not to teach against sin as described in the Bible, have no power.

Those that believe that the Word of God is not the complete truth, have no power.

Those that say the Jesus is not the Messiah who is coming again, have no power.

The truth of God must be taught by example!

Those that are chosen of God are the same ones who have accepted the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The "Gospel" cannot be received without joy!

Our afflictions come by some man, but our joy comes by the Holy Spirit!

The "Gospel" will always bear fruit!

We must all guard our lives to be sure we are following in the ways of the Lord Jesus Christ.

*****1Th 1:7  So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. 

1Th 1:8  For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. 

How were these Thessalonians examples of the Apostle Paul?

In their faith.

In their hope.

In their brotherly love.

In their good works.

We must not get caught up in what will people think of us!

It is not a terrible thing to be seen as a peculiar people!

The Church at Thessalonica became an example to other believers.

The new established church was so committed to the Lord Jesus Christ that their testimony spread all over Greece and then all over the known world.

This shows us that the Lord will use us if we just given Him control through the Holy Spirit.

This church was not afraid to show their faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We must understand that if we do not have the Spirit of Jesus Christ in us, then we do not belong to Christ!

Rom_8:9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Having the Spirit of Christ in us will show up in our daily life.

This is one of the greatest testimonies of witnessing in all the Bible.

Our greatest work we can show to those around us is that work for Jesus Christ.

Rom 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 

Rom 10:18  But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. 

When we speak with the voice of the Lord, His message will spread everywhere.

Psa 29:4  The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. 

When we do not speak with the voice of the Lord then we are not in the will of God!

When our church does not speak with the voice of the Lord, then we need to close the doors of the church and go home because we are not who we say we are!

*****1Th 1:9  For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; 

The world sees the Bible as just a book of fables as they serve their idols of this world.

The Christian sees the Bible as the revelations of the True and Living God who lives in Heaven.

Jer 10:10  But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. 

Jer 10:11  Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.

Exo 3:14  And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. 

Once we have accepted the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ, then we have turned from the idols of the world to the True and Living God.

This is the time we begin standing on the truth of the "Gospel".

We might try to clean our lives up by ourselves but we will find this is impossible. We cannot reform ourselves!

We cannot turn away from idols and seek God.

We must turn to God first and then with God's help and God's strength we can repent and turn away from idols.

It is after we accept the truth of the Gospel that we can repent and be baptized.

Idols are dead images of some imaginary beings, but my Savior, My God is alive and will never die!

Conversion means we have turned completely around.

We begin to hate the things we loved and love the things we hated.

Conversion is to turn to God distinctly by an act and deed of our mind and our will because we see the truth of creation.

We begin to see that there is a purpose to our being on this earth.

This lost world will worship anything and those who say this is not true worship themselves and this is the worst of all false worship.

Every person has an opinion of what God is and what God is like and what God allows and what God does not allow.

The lost world will take these ideas and make themselves an imaginary god out of wood, or silver, or gold, or some other object of this world.

Others just have a picture in their minds of what a god should be.

Some have made this planet to be their god.

Others have made the stars or some alien to be their god.

So an idol is any image created in the mind of man other than the God who gave us the Scriptures that reveal the truth.

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

Rom 1:22  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 

Rom 1:23  And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 

Many of those in Greece had heard of the man Jesus and knew the truth of His crucifixion but were acceptable of His resurrection, but when they heard of His return they sought Him out for the truth.

You see, it is God's Son who is returning to earth, the One who died for us all.

We that know the Lord want to be acceptable to Him and live with Him forever.

This is the reason we are waiting upon the return of Jesus Christ so we can go home and leave this wicked world behind.

Joh 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 

Joh 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 

Joh 14:4  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 

*****1Th 1:10  And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. 

How do we know that the Lord Jesus is coming to take us home?

Because God raised Him up from the dead.

By resurrecting Christ Jesus God proved he is the God of all power and not some imaginary God.

God proved He has the power to raise all the dead in Christ.

God proved that He is going to do everything that the Lord Jesus has taught us.

The truth; God will raise some to eternal life but some will be raised to eternal death.

Eternal death is to be separated from the Living God for eternity, which is what they wanted and strived for, but it will be a terrible thing.

By turning to the Living God we will escape the wrath of God that is coming to this world.

Since all the world has now turned against Israel, including my own nation we can see that this day of God's wrath is very close.

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.

The USA has just come under the curse of God by the works of administration that is in office today.

God will reward those who are in rebellion to His Word with eternal death!

The world is already condemned but all those who turn to God in any nation from idols that are all imaginary can still be saved.

I can assure you that you do not want to see the wrath of an angry God toward those who reject His Son!

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

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

Amen

God's Messiah Not Man's Messiah

 The Servant Acknowledged

Book of Mark Chapter 8

Most people do not object to the thought of a Messiah, but their downfall is that they are seeking some human leader who will make this place called earth a better place, a utopia.

This will be their downfall, when the Antichrist shows up to claim that he is the long-awaited Messiah. 

The people will believe they have the true Messiah, but he will be only the true Deceiver.

People are not looking for the true Messiah who comes in judgment after He has redeemed His family.

God has decided that this earth is not worth saving, even after He makes it new again seven years after the return of Jesus Christ.

No place that has been subject to sin will be considered worthy of God's children.

Even Heaven will be made new because the Devil and his angels once lived in Heaven.

2Pe 3:10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 

2Pe 3:11  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 

2Pe 3:12  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 

2Pe 3:13  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 

2Pe 3:14  Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

The Lord Jesus teaches many valuable lessons in Chapter 8 of the Book of Mark.

The most important lesson in Chapter 8 is that Jesus teaches His disciples about the Church and the Church Age.

Who is the true Church? Only those who confess the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ!

The Lord Jesus is the Head of the Church and the Church is the Body of Christ!

1Jn_4:15  Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

Who is not the true Church?

2Jn_1:7  For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

The Lord Jesus Christ is God's Messiah, not man's Messiah!

The twelve disciples needed a clear understanding of this.

This is when Judas Iscariot began to have his own doubts about the Lord Jesus.

*****Mar 8:27  And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?

Caesarea Philippi was a city with a rich religious history. It had once been the center of Baal worship and there were at least fourteen temples in and around this city.

Remember, a religious history does not mean a Christian history.

It was a place where it was said that the false Greek god Pan was born.

Pan was said to be the god of the shepherds.

In fact, this city was once called Panias.

The name of this city changed after Herod the Great built a temple in honor of Caesar, and his son Philip adorned this new temple making it famous world-wide.

Much of the people began to worship Caesar and many other false gods, but they knew nothing of Jehovah, the One True God.

It was Caesar's son Philip who caused this to happen, even adding his own name to this city making it Caesarea Philippi.

Caesarea Philippi was a heathen city!

This may be the reason the Lord asked His disciples a very important question.

You see, the world has many gods, but as Christians we know that there is only One True God, and He is Jehovah in the Old Testament and the Lord Jesus Christ of the New Testament both being the same person.

As Jesus and the twelve traveled from Bethsaida and around the town of Caesarea Philippi, He asked the supreme question of this life.

Jesus had taken a moment for solitary prayer and upon ending this prayer, He confronted the disciples with this question.

Luk 9:18  And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am? 

How did they answer Him?

*****Mar 8:28  And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets. 

Many of those who had seen the Lord Jesus and those who had only heard of the Lord Jesus, saw him as just a great man.

The Lord Jesus was highly respected by many in those days, but it takes much more than this to be saved.

John the Baptist had been murdered by this time and many said that Jesus was the reincarnation of John the Baptist.

Some said that Jesus was a great Spirit of Righteousness, a Spirit that was willing to be martyred for its faith.

Herod and many in government thought this.

Mat 14:1  At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus, 

Mat 14:2  And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him

Even some common people thought that this could be true.

The prophet Malachi had written: Mal 4:5  Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: 

Mal 4:6  And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. 

Some thought that Jesus could even be Elijah reincarnated.

They had said that Jesus was the greatest prophet and rabbi of all time.

Even today the Jews feel that Elijah will return before the Messiah comes.

In fact, when the celebration of Passover, is observed, they always leave a chair vacant for resurrected Elijah to occupy.

The Jews even connect when Jesus was feeding those two great multitudes to Elijah, because of the miracle of the woman and her son.

1Ki 17:14  For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth. 

1Ki 17:15  And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.

Many said that Jesus was just one of the prophets, whose name was not mentioned in the Old Testament, who came when Israel had a great need.

They said this because it was a fact in the Old Testament and God would send a prophet because this is the way God spoke to Israel, when the people were rebelling against the truth of God.

There are so many of those false accusations that are still said today.

The Lord Jesus is much more than just a great man. In His flesh He was the greatest of all men. In reality He is God!

The Lord Jesus is much more than some great teacher. In His flesh He was the greatest of all teachers. In reality He is Jehovah.

The Lord Jesus is much more than a prophet. He is Lord of lords and King of kings! He is the true Messiah!

1Jn 2:22  Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 

1Jn 2:23  Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. 

Then, the Lord Jesus asked His own disciples who they thought He was.

*****Mar 8:29  And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ. 

We should clearly understand that the Lord Jesus Christ will hold us accountable for the opinions we have of Him!

The Apostle Peter immediately says "Thou are the Christ" the Messiah.

We should clearly understand that if we do not believe Jesus the Messiah, the things He did and the things He says, then we are calling God a liar.

Jesus is declared to be all that God is, to possess the whole fulness of attributes which make God, God!

If the Lord Jesus was only a man, He could not have died to save this world, but because He is who He says He is, then He is of infinite value and could die in our place, each and every one of us!

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

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

Notice John wrote "in the beginning" and not "from the beginning".

In fact, all the Gospels emphasize the authenticity of His claims as Messiah!

If we put all the Gospels together, we can see that more than half of all the words used, were said by Jesus Himself.

We see them as written in red letters.

When we disagree with the "Gospel" again we are calling God a liar!

Isaiah wrote, the Messiah would give sight to the blind, speech to the dumb, and healing to the lame.

Isa 29:18  And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness. 

Isa 29:19  The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

Isa 32:3  And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken. 

Isa 32:4  The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly. 

Isaiah also wrote that there would be a day that vile persons would say that God is a liar and we are in that day right now!

Isa 32:6  For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the LORD, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail. 

Isa 32:7  The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right. 

The Kingdom of God is surely at hand!

All those of this earth that walk around saying important things about God and then, deny the Messiah are the same ones who are destroying the people of this earth.

It is these words of Peter that determine if we get to Heaven or are sent to Hell!

It is these words of Peter that are the foundation of the Church, and this will never change!

The survival of our souls depends upon these words being true!

The Lord Jesus Christ is the only source of life!

The Lord Jesus Christ possesses the source, the energy, and the power of life, within Himself!

There is no other source for life!

At this time, these men who would one day turn the world upside down, were instructed not to say anything about this.

*****Mar 8:30  And he charged them that they should tell no man of him. 

Why would Jesus say such a thing, if the fact that He is the Messiah was true?

The disciples were just beginning to understand this thing themselves, and they needed to understand what Jesus being the Messiah meant!

Remember that most people of the Jews felt that the Messiah, when He came, would sit on the throne of David as King of the Jews, and push the Romans out of Israel.

It was not this time yet!

This time is still in our future, but this will happen in God's timing and not man's timing!

Any false teaching in this day of the Apostles would do much harm to the Church as it began!

We must understand that confessing that Christ Jesus is the Messiah is just the beginning of our Spiritual journey, and there is much to learn on our journey to the true Promised Land.

We must be accurate in our studies! We have already seen how false teaching is affecting the Church and our nation.

We must be accurate in what we share, making sure we share the truth of God!

This means, that we need to take the time to learn these things and it was the same for the Apostle Peter and all the other Apostles.

There is enough false teaching in the world without us adding to it!

*****Mar 8:31  And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 

Just as all the twelve chosen disciples had just agreed that the Lord Jesus is the true Messiah, the Lord Jesus begins to tell them that He must die to build His Church.

Remember, Jesus is God's Messiah and not man's Messiah.

God's Messiah could not die according to the Scriptures they had been taught.

The Lord Jesus is now in the third year of His ministry and it was time for all of them to learn about our Savior.

1) He would suffer many things.

2) He would be rejected of the elders of Israel, the chief Priests, and the Scribes.

3) He would be killed or murdered.

4) He would rise to live again three days after He was buried.

Nothing like this had ever happened!

Nothing like this would ever happen again!

How could humans ever kill God's own Son?

It was time for these twelve men to understand that God would not accept any other payment for all the world's sin, than the sacrifice of His Son.

It is not mentioned, but I wonder if the Lord Jesus told the disciples the story of Abrham and Isaac.

Gen 22:8  And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. 

You see, we will never understand the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, until we understand that the Lord Jesus is God who came down from Heaven to save His children! Immanuel, God with us.

That word "must" means that these things absolutely had to take place!

Remember John 3:16.

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. 

God is love, but man is corruptible!

It is because of this great love God has for His created humans, it was absolutely necessary for our Lord Jesus to suffer and die in our place!

It is because of His great love for us that God had to provide salvation for mankind!

God is also just, so this salvation must be done in a way that justice would be done.

It is because of God's holiness, that His judgement must take place.

The penalty for sin is death and this penalty must be paid!

Death must be carried out!

Some ideal man had to die for mankind, so this penalty could be paid!

There had never been an ideal man upon this earth until the Lord Jesus Christ was born and lived a sin free life.

Heb 5:8  Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 

Heb 5:9  And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; 

The Son of God had to become the Son of Man!

Who is this Son of Man?

Dan 7:13  I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 

Dan 7:14  And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. 

The phrase the Son of Man refers to the work the Lord Jesus came to accomplish!

**The deity of the Son of Man.

Joh 5:25  Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. 

Joh 5:26  For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 

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

**The royalty of the Son of Man.

Dan 7:13  I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 

**The humanity of the Son of Man.

Joh 3:14  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 

Joh 3:15  That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 

**The glory of the Son of Man.

Joh 1:51  And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. 

The salvation of the Son of Man.

Joh 6:53  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 

Joh 6:54  Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 

Joh 6:55  For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 

Joh 6:56  He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 

Joh 6:57  As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 

Joh 6:58  This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. 

These are things that the Lord Jesus Christ saw in Himself.

The Lord Jesus Christ had to suffer in our place, so that all these things would be true!

These were things that the twelve disciples, chosen by Jesus were having a tough time absorbing.

*****Mar 8:32  And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. 

Mar 8:33  But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.

We should be aware that the other disciples were just as confused as Peter, so they encouraged Peter to confront the Lord.

Peter then spoke without hesitation.

The truth is that most of mankind wants another way to get to Heaven, than the cross of Calvary.

They get confused about the death of the Lord Jesus Christ because they see this as a weakness in a God that cannot die.

Most of the world wants some other way to remove their sin and they think they find it in false gods.

The idea of a suffering Savior does not sit well with the lost!

Peter's attempt to stop the plan of God did not set well with our Lord Jesus Christ.

We must understand that this is God's plan and we can be a part of His plan or we can just get out of God's way!

Those who think of God as only our grandfather who we can call upon for great advice, miss the meaning of a true God.

The cross is much more than an emblem of God's love!

The cross is an emblem of suffering, and sacrifice, and self-denial!

These are the things that the Lord Jesus did for us, because of His great love for us!

Yes, the rebuke of Peter was harsh, but Peter was saying things that were like those of Satan.

Yes, the Lord Jesus had the power to refuse to go to that cross and had He chosen to use that power, there would be no salvation for anyone!

Jesus was being tempted to bypass God's will for His life!

We are all tempted to bypass God's will for us from time to time, but the greatest point of God's will is for us to be saved.

1Ti 2:3  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 

1Ti 2:4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 

1Ti 2:5  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 

1Ti 2:6  Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. 

Then Jesus gathered all those who were in the reach of His voice.

*****Mar 8:34  And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Who is the leader of the Church? He is the Lord Jesus Christ!

Who is the true Church? Those who deny themselves and follow the Lord Jesus Christ!

To follow the Lord Jesus Christ is to expect hardships.

There will be times of self-denial.

There will be cross bearing.

There will be scorn.

The rewards and eternal rest come later!

We must make a deliberate choice to follow Jesus by doing these three things.

1) We must disregard our own desires (deny self).

This means saying yes to Jesus Christ and let Him rule in our hearts and in our lives.

We must let Jesus Christ completely have His way with us!

2) We must become a follower, a companion, a disciple, of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We must be in union with the Lord Jesus no matter the costs!

3) We must see that His steps led to His death before they lead to glory.

Mat 16:21  From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 

Why are these things so important?

*****Mar 8:35  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. 

What does this verse really mean?

All those who abandon their lives for the sake of the Lord Jesus, will in the end save their lives.

Those persons who keep to their own lives and seek increasingly more of this life, shall lose that life completely and eternally.

The call of Jesus Christ is just what He says, a life of denying self and takes up the cross of Jesus and follow in His steps.

It is the same for the "Gospel's sake."

When we are willing to sacrifice this life and give all we have to the spreading of the Gospel, then we shall save our life eternally.

Then Jesus asked a question.

*****Mar 8:36  For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 

Mar 8:37  Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 

Mar 8:38  Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. 

There are two stages of life that we must examine.

There are two beings and two existences to this same life!

1) Fact: Once a person is born into this world he or she will live forever!

The problem is that after this short life is over our being, our soul still lives forever.

Our choices are to be with God or to be without God!

All the power, all the riches, all the pleasure, and all the fame are nothing compared with our soul!

Nothing we gain in this world can we take with us!

What is a life of 60, 70, or 80 and a few with more years than this, compared to eternal life?

Everything in this life just fades and then passes away.

1Ti 6:7  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 

It is certain that anything we gain in this world stays in this world.

Most people turn these things over to some family member even before their death.

The human soul is eternal; it never dies, never ceases to exist.

Our human souls are more valuable than the entire world!

If we are ashamed of the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ, then we are deciding that our soul will live in a place without God and there is only one such place, it is called Hell.

The Lord Jesus Christ is God's Messiah.

All prophecy in the Old Testament has been fulfilled in Jesus!

During our time of life in this life, we must decide if we accept the truth of the Lord Jesus or if we accept the falseness of this world.

We must never deny God's Messiah!

This world we live in makes it very hard on us to accept the truth of Christ.

It seems that fewer and fewer people want to confess the Lord Jesus Christ, because this world is an adulterous and sinful place, full of lies and deceit.

You would have to be locked away in a vacuum to not recognize this.

Most people just want to keep control of their lives even when life is falling apart or is aging out of existence.

Whether we believe the Messiah or not, the fact remains that the Word of God is true and one day soon, the Lord Jesus will return and reveal His glory and the world will see Him as He really is, but it will be too late for them at that time.

He will have already removed those who were not ashamed of Him!

When the Lord returns in His glory to this world, all those who are ashamed of the Messiah will be more ashamed of their own behavior where it really counts, before God Himself, but the Lord will say, "I never knew you".

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

How can anyone believe that life is some accident and they live to just die?

Even some animals and insects live more than seventy years.

We are not accidents, but we are the created beings of God and life is our opportunity to choose His magnificence or misery.

To not choose at all is to choose misery forever and ever!

Amen

Jesus Instructs the Church

 Instructions For Subjects of King Jesus

Book of Matthew Chapter 18

As "Born Again" Christians the greatest asset we have is our "faith". Hebrews 11:6 says without "faith" it is impossible to please Jehovah God!

You might be able to please the false gods of this world because they do not exist, but you will never please our Righteous Living God without faith!

Remember the Holy Spirit provides "saving faith" so here we are talking about faith above and beyond this "saving faith" that is freely given.

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 

Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast. 

We did not have to work for it, nor could we earn it, all the things of salvation are freely given to us by our Merciful God!

This faith must remain with us all our lives and it must grow, it is our shield against the evil of this world!

Eph 6:16  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 

In the first part of this chapter Jesus teaches us we must become as little children in order to enter the kingdom of Heaven.

The disciples were consumed about who would be the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven and Jesus said you must humble yourself as a child.

Most children are not trying to get to the front of the line they are simply excited to be in the line and not be left out!

They will take the back of the line if that is all that is available.

Mat 5:5  Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

There must be some modesty along with that faith.

A little child knows nothing about ambition.

Jas 4:10  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. 

In this context, every Christian, even "babes in Christ" must be allowed access to the things of God!

Mar 10:15  Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. 

Then we must realize that these children, "babes in Christ" and those who have been led away from Christ, are the same ones the Lord Jesus is referring to in our lesson today.

*****Mat 18:11  For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. 

Mat 18:12  How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? 

Why did the Living God pour Himself into a body of flesh? He came to save that which was lost, which is all of His creation. 

How will He do this?

2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Rev 21:5  And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

Then Jesus uses another parable to explain these things. The Parable of the Lost Sheep.

Jesus is very serious about all those with "childlike" faith who have received Him as their Savior!

Mat 18:6  But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. 

Mat 18:7  Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! 

We should clearly understand that the Lord Jesus Christ, the God of the Bible, Jehovah, takes His stand with those who love Him and believe in Him.

The Lord Jesus Christ says: "I Am Your Father"!

The Lord Jesus Christ is our Lord!

What did Isaiah write of our Savior?

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. 

The Lord Jesus was afflicted on the cross, but every time one of His children is afflicted today, He suffers with them.

We should keep this in mind as we witness all the suffering in our world especially the persecution of the Church.

As we honor those who love the Lord, we do honor unto our Lord!

If we have a hand in any persecution of the Church, then we are persecuting our Lord and our Savior over and over again!

We should allow this to sink in to teach us how to behave one toward another!

Jesus came to save those who are lost, He certainly will not lose any of them!

The Lord Jesus Christ left Heaven with a purpose!

The world is full of those who have strayed from our Creator.

Those that remain astray are doomed to be destroyed unless they are reached and saved by the Lord Jesus Christ!

Rom 3:11  There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 

Rom 3:12  They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 

Rom 3:13  Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 

Rom 3:14  Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 

Rom 3:15  Their feet are swift to shed blood: 

Rom 3:16  Destruction and misery are in their ways: 

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

Rom 3:18  There is no fear of God before their eyes.

There is no one outside the scope of God's love, but we must come when He calls us to return to Him!

So Jesus teaches these disciples so that they clearly understand their purpose and the purpose of each disciple today.

Jesus said: think like, I think.

We should understand this "certain man" as our Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ.

He has gathered a 100 sheep, but one is gone astray before it reaches the safety of the truth of salvation.

I do not like the term "once saved always saved' because it suggests that we can do as we please after we are saved, and God does not care, and this is very wrong.

The fact is that once we have given our heart to the Lord Jesus Christ, our goal is to be like Him which is the reason of the term Christian, (Like Christ).

There were 99 of these sheep safe in the hands of the Lord and one who was lost and had not found its way to the Lord.

The Lord Jesus has done everything He can to insure our salvation for, whosoever will come to Him, and it can be said that He is actively seeking all those who are lost.

Why?

1Pe 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 

1Pe 1:4  To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 

1Pe 1:5  Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 

1Pe 1:6  Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 

1Pe 1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 

1Pe 1:8  Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 

1Pe 1:9  Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. 

The Lord rejoices at the salvation of every soul!

*****Mat 18:13  And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.

We must never think that these lost sheep mean more to Jesus than those who are safe in the sheepfold!

We must understand that this parable is about Jesus building onto His Church.

The Apostle Paul got it right:

1Ti 1:15  This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.  

We already know the Lord Jesus is the "Good Shepherd"!

Joh 10:11  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 

We should know the Jesus is talking about His Sheep, the Church and then later on He will deal with Israel.

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. 

1Pe 2:25  For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. 

All of Heaven rejoices over every soul that is saved.

Luk 15:7  I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. 

Here in the Book of Luke, Jesus uses a similar parable to teach us about those who justify themselves, but there is joy in Heaven over every sinner that is saved.

We always ask about the will of God.

*****Mat 18:14  Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. 

God has provided the only means there is for us to be saved.

God poured Himself into a human body just to die for our sins!

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

Php 2:6  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 

Php 2:7  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 

Php 2:8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 

Once the Lord finds us lost and rambling through this lost world and we see the truth of the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ and believe, we become a member of His family.

He becomes "Our Father"!

He then expects our help to reach out to other "lost sheep"! 

Keep in mind He does not need us, but He promises rewards for becoming employed by the Holy Spirit.

We are also expected to help care for the flock by helping them to be witnesses of the "Gospel" and fishers of men!

What we refuse to do someone else will be sure to do!

1Ti 2:3  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 

1Ti 2:4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 

Jesus Christ died for those weak in their faith just as He died for those who are strong in faith!

1Co 8:9  But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. 

1Co 8:10  For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; 

1Co 8:11  And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 

1Co 8:12  But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. 

1Co 8:13  Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend. 

When we do things that are offensive to those, weak in their faith, we may cause them to stray. 

These things must be avoided!

We are to be as forgiving as Christ Jesus, but the Lord Jesus also gives us some guidelines on how to deal with them.

*****Mat 18:15  Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 

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

Mat 18:17  And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. 

Again we see Jesus teaching us about the Church.

If the Lord Jesus is teaching us then, He is teaching us how to be more like He is!

A brother would be a brother in Christ, a member of those who assemble for Christ, the Church.

We see the Church in this world, all those who go through the Door, which is Christ, have become enemies of each other, rather than unified in defense of the Gospel!

We still live in these bodies of flesh so we will be at odds with each other from time to time, but that is no reason for these things to cause us to be enemies.

If we go in good faith to that one and explain how we feel about what that person has done to us, we may actually make a better friend.

If we have not already forgiven them prior to confronting them, then we will not help the matter come to a good conclusion.

***There is no need to broadcast these things to any others until this first step has been taken.

We are to confess our faults to one another and pray to the Lord before we confront each other.

Jas 5:16  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Jesus admitted that this will not always work.

Sin is not always easy to get away from, and it cannot happen without the Lord!

The next step is to take one or two more who were witnesses to this trespass. 

What one may deny in front of one may not be so easy to deny because of others who witnessed this sin.

Still, do not resort to making this thing known to others or to the assembly of other Christians.

Mistakes are made in our lives and can be forgiven, but a ruined reputation may not ever be overcome.

We must keep in mind the purpose of these things is gain a brother and not to lose a brother.

Gal 6:1  Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 

Gal 6:2  Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 

Gal 6:3  For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 

Gal 6:4  But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 

Gal 6:5  For every man shall bear his own burden.

If this does not work restore this brother, then it is time to go before the assembly, all those who assemble in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We must remember all God's Children are already "justified" so this assembly is not set in place to judge this person.

Only the question of Christlike behavior is to be considered, knowing we all fail from time to time.

We simply cannot live in denial of the truth of God! 

The sin that occurred is now to be made public to the Church and it is the assembly that is to seek to restore this brother or sister.

Again, keeping in mind the Lord Jesus is teaching us how to build on to the Church and not to tear down the Church.

We cannot rate the growth of any assembly by numbers. 

The rate of the growth of any Church should be how well we adapt to the truth of the Scriptures and to be more like Christ Jesus!

We must understand that the Church did not exist at this time, so the Lord Jesus is teaching these things for future use.

There will still be those who will not listen to the assembly of God's people and then, it is time to ask them to leave that assembly.

Remember these are Holy Ghost filled people who are trying to obey the complete Word of God and we cannot allow any one person to deny the truth of God because, one bad apple can certainly ruin the whole bunch.

This person has forfeited the right to assemble with God's people, but it does mean we should not continue to seek to restore this person as the opportunity arises.

*****Mat 18:18  Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 

We should clearly understand that the Body of Christ has every right to discipline in their assemblies, but the one caution needs to be observed is that only the Word of God should be used.

Those who break man's laws will be disciplined by those laws without Church interference, except for the times when man's laws conflict the Word of God.

The Word of God is always right, rightly divided!

We should understand that personal matters are not up for discussion in the Church unless that person causes it to happen and not many will.

This is not a testimony unless that person causes it to be a part of their testimony.

We should clearly understand that no one but God can forgive sin!

We should clearly understand that no one but God can doom anyone to Hell!

We should understand that no one but God can make us free!

When that person refuses to reconcile their sin with the Church, then he is lost to that group of believers!

This means, the Church has failed to reach him or her and they are bound to earth, their business between them and a Holy God.

If this person ever comes to their senses and reconciles with the Church, they can be received as a redeemed brother or sister.

Those who attempt to divide the Church must be dealt with!

Mat 12:25  And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:

Divisiveness causes the Church to look corrupt and weak, it must be put down immediately!

Divisiveness threatens all the ministries of the Church that first one being making disciples to witness the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Notice that it is the Lord Jesus, upon which the Church is founded, that gives these instructions or better said, commandments!

The Church must always stand on the Word of God!

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

What is a true Church? Those who are gathered in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ!

No other group who gathers in assembly are part of God's Church!

*****Mat 18:19  Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. 

Mat 18:20  For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. 

Nothing in the Church is ever over until it has been bathed in prayer!

***Nothing in the Church is ever over until it has been bathed in prayer!

You see the Church must be united in this prayer and all divisiveness put down.

We are ambassadors for Christ, and we need to act like we are!

When a local assembly comes together in agreement with the Word of God, in prayer in the name of Christ Jesus, then and only then will that body of believers know how to handle that one who has divided himself or herself from the Church.

We must seek God's will and God's approval before we close the doors to anyone!

We must be unified in the name of Jesus Christ!

Notice this is not seeking the arm of God, it is seeking the face of God that many of us have forgotten to do.

1Ch 16:10  Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. 

1Ch 16:11  Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually. 

The greatest truth here is, that how can we ever attempt to correct a brother or sister if we do not have a close relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ ourselves?

Then Peter asked another question.

*****Mat 18:21  Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 

Mat 18:22  Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. 

Again this is a fair question when we think like humans. There must be some limit to our forgiveness.

But with the mind of Christ, then there can be no limit to our forgiveness. 

Think back to just how sinful we have been and continue to be, yet the Lord continues to forgive us our sin.

In fact, it should be harder for the Lord to forgive our sin since we have made a promise to follow Him in His ways.

I cannot help but to remember the Apostle Paul.

Rom 7:13  Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

Rom 7:14  For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 

Rom 7:15  For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 

Rom 7:16  If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 

Rom 7:17  Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 

Rom 7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing:for

to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 

Rom 7:19  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 

Rom 7:20  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 

Rom 7:21  I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 

Rom 7:22  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 

Rom 7:23  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 

Rom 7:24  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 

Rom 7:25  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. 

A good study of Romans Chapter 7 will help us all in this matter of living in this body of flesh!

I know we find it difficult, but in all things, we are to have the mind of Jesus Christ this means, we need to think as He says and as He does.

He has given us multiple examples when He was upon this earth.

He has shown us time after time how He reacts to sin, to abuse, to government, and to the Church and we know He will never change.

There is no way to improve on the "Goodness of God"!

There is no way to improve on the "Mercy of God"!

Because there is no way to improve on the "Love of God"!

God can save anybody anywhere at any time!

Rom 10:13  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

There is always another side to what God says and far too many travel this path to destruction!

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

Amen