God Forgives

The Certainty Of Christ's Forgiveness

Book of Luke 15


Forgiveness of our sins is the first part of our justification before God.

We are justified by our "faith" in the work of Jesus Christ.

Rom 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Rom 5:2  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

BUT, We are saved by God's "Grace"!

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.

As sinners, with faith in the work of Jesus Christ to erase our sin debt, we are forever freed from the guilt and penalty of sin.

Justification is the exact opposite of condemnation!

We already know that Jesus used many parables to teach the truth of the "Gospel".

The parable of the Prodigal Son is the greatest and most beloved story ever told in human language.

The title "prodigal" describes someone who is given to live an extravagant lifestyle making expenditures on things that go far beyond their actual needs. A prodigal will also possess a very liberal attitude toward the Word of God and the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ.

What is the truth of God?

God loves and reaches out to all the prodigals of this world!

God will run to embrace any prodigal who calls on Him for salvation and repents, no matter how terrible their sin!

*****Luk 15:11  And he said, A certain man had two sons:
Luk 15:12  And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
Luk 15:13  And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

Here is a man who is the son of his father by birth.

He belonged to the estate(the world) by natural birth of his father.

The facts will show that he did not belong to his father with his heart, his mind, nor his spirit.

This son wanted two things:

1) He wanted his inheritance given to him. Which means "dad I wish you were dead".

He wanted all the worldly possessions which he would inherit.

He wanted to get all his father would give him in order that he could enjoy it in that day and time.

We should consider:

a) He had not earned any of it, it was all his fathers, therefore he did not deserve it.

b) He was selfish, self-centered, rude and unkind. He demanded for his father to just "give". (Not please nor may I have) He cared not what effect this would have on his father's estate or on his other brother.

Kind of sounds like the world we live in now where the many want handouts of things they did not earn themselves and feel like this world owes them something. They are all, selfish, self-centered, rude, and unkind to those who work and contribute to the system that provides all these things.

The Bible says:

2Ti 3:1  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2Ti 3:2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2Ti 3:3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
2Ti 3:4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

This prodigal said "give me my independence" and "finance me" the way I want to live because "I refuse to live by your rules".

We know that so many of our youth have these very same thoughts today!

He felt he was tied down by his family and was held responsible to help care for his father's property.

He felt his father made to many demands on his life.
He felt his father hindered his freedom.
He felt his father restricted his pleasure.
He felt his father just had to much control of his lifestyle.

SO, His father gave him his freedom and his portion of possessions at that time. His father let him go to live as he wished to live.

He rebelled, he revolted and he went to a far country.

He chose a place that had different rules and a place that was full of sinful pleasures.

He chose the pathway to death and Hell, though he did not realize it at first.

And what did he do?

"He wasted his substance on riotous living".

Jer 44:16  As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee.

What would this prodigal find out about the world?

He would find that this world would leave him homeless.
He would find that worldly happiness is unsatisfying.
He would find that this world will degrade and humiliate those who place their trust in it.
He found out that he did not possess the knowledge of his own future as he had thought.

What is the truth of of these things?

Men will desert the world when the world deserts them!

This is the feeling many of our young have today.
This is the feeling many of black community have today.
This is the feeling many of the so-called middle class have today.

There is already a famine of  those that trust the Word of God in our world today!

Amo 8:11  Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:
Amo 8:12  And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.

Tit 1:16  They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

*****Luk 15:14  And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
Luk 15:15  And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

What happens when we abandon the truths of God?

What happens when we underestimate the value of our Heavenly Father?

What happens when we pursue our own will and ignore the will of the Heavenly Father?

We will begin to be in want!

Instead of finding happiness, this prodigal is over taken with poverty.

He can no longer provide for himself.

Things happen in this world that are far beyond man's control and he had no more control of his surroundings.

The fruit of evil deeds will always reveal it's poison!

He has not become a citizen in a better land, he has only become a stranger and a slave to a citizen of that place where he had searched for happiness.

A worldly lifestyle cannot bring a life of peace!

To a Jew to play any part in the care of swine is about as low and degrading as they can become.

The lust of his flesh had brought poverty.
The lust of his eyes had brought no satisfaction.
His pride of life had brought humility.

1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

This world will never have anything better to offer than these 3 things!

He found out husk are only food fit for swine!

For the most part swine are heavy, stupid, animals, that delight to wallow in the mire of this world!

He was destitute of all spiritual help, and left out in the world.

In the world as long as you have money you will always have friends to help you spend your money but when the money goes so goes those friends.

Eph 2:12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

*****Luk 15:16  And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

This man was suffering through a natural disaster that affects all in an area, good or bad.

This man had lost all his friends.

This man was a Jew in the world of the Gentile.

Those husk were actually the fruit of the Carob tree.

This tree is very common in Syria and Egypt and produces pods 6 to 10 inches long and  shaped like a horn.

These husk were part of the diet of the truly poor but were for the most part used to feed the swine.

This young man would have never seen such a thing as a meal in his father's house but even these things were denied from him.

We see that this Jew in a Gentile world was being spiritually, mentally and emotionally drained for he had allowed his riches to be his god.

He had become a slave to the world in a far country and sought refuge with another man far away from God.

He had allowed sin to lead him into the "hog pens" of the world.

That's what sin does!

Sin will take you farther than you want to go!

Sin will keep you longer than you want to stay!

Sin will cost you much more than you want to pay!

Pro 5:21  For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.
Pro 5:22  His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.
Pro 5:23  He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

This world we live in makes great promises but just ask the older generation how true those promises are.

The truth is, nothing in the hands of man can ever satisfy the spiritual needs of any individual!

This young man finally came to his senses.

*****Luk 15:17  And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

This young man began to realize the worth of his father's house.

This man was finally taking the first steps to repentance.

Repentance begins when we realize we are traveling down life's roadway in the wrong direction!

He thought upon life in his fathers house. (In type our Heavenly Father)

He thought upon the riches that even the servants had in his father's house. (In type the believers, the children of God)

His father had provided abundantly for all those in his house, even the lowest servant.

He finally realized the sense of being in a loving family and belonging and having purpose.

He finally realized he had chosen a path to an early death. ("I perish")

He was already perishing in this life.

He was also doomed to perish eternally.

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.

It was time to make a move before he was unable to do so.

2Co 6:2  (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

It would be a humbling thing to go face his father but he would first have to repent.

*****Luk 15:18  I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
Luk 15:19  And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

What is the definition of repentance?

He had to arise!
He had to go away from his sinful life!
He had to humbly turn toward his father!
He had to admit he had sinned against the God of Heaven.

We have to have a true sense of our own guilt.
We have to realize that the mercy of God will only come through Jesus Christ.
We have to hate sin.
We have to walk in the ways of God.

He had to realize his unworthiness!

Up to this point he had only a head knowledge of what to do, but a head knowledge will simply not get you saved!

It was time to take action!

*****Luk 15:20  And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
Luk 15:21  And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

This prodigal son came to himself, and snapped back into reality.

He then arose to return to his father!

Of all the decisions he had ever made in his life, this was the most important decision he would ever make!

Once we realize we are just dirty sinners we must make the personal decision to remove ourselves from that filth. No one can do this for us!

He arose and he turned away from his sinful life.

He realized that there is a God in Heaven and he had sinned against Him and his father.

Sin insults the purity and despises the love of God.

Sin destroys the morality of man!

We can confess that we love the Lord but until we repent we have not given God anything to work with.

Act 8:22  Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

Isa 55:6  Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Isa 55:7  Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

What is the truth of God?

"While he was yet a great ways off, his father saw him, had compassion, and ran, and loved on him"

The truth is God can see into the heart. He had not seen his father yet but his father could see him.

Psa 51:17  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Psa 22:24  For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.

It would not have done this prodigal any good just to realize his sin, if he did not also arise and go unto his father.

Repentance is a sign that we are sincere and have returned from our wicked ways!

God forgives as soon as we repent and this is the reason this father could run to his son.

This exactly what happens with our Father who is in Heaven!

God is full of "Mercy".

God is full of "Grace".

God is so full of "Mercy" and "Grace" that He is always bursting at the seams to show His love for us.

But we must first believe and then we must repent!

Pro 28:13  He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

So simple, but most of us are to stubborn and to foolish to say that we are wrong in our way of thinking.

1Jn 1:8  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1Jn 1:10  If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

A true parable always represents a Heavenly truth.

We should be able to see that the tenderness of our God, who is also the Most Powerful of beings, is so wonderful.

Our Mighty God is also a God of compassion!

Our God is showing His eagerness to run to us in our hour of repentance to catch us lest we fall!

God will make haste to save all that are lost if they will have faith and repent!

We must never overlook God's readiness to accept and pardon each of us just as we are!

We must never allow our unworthiness to get in our way, God knows exactly what we are!

Remember God sent His Son Jesus to save us "because we are all sinners".

And remember God made this plan before He created Heaven and Earth.

God just knows!

*****Luk 15:22  But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
Luk 15:23  And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
Luk 15:24  For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

We should understand that God recognizes the earliest beginnings of conviction because when he was still a great off, his father recognized him.

He had not seen his father but his father saw him.

What this son had not recognized the love of his father had been drawing him all along.

If he had ever lost the image of his father from his memory, he would have never returned.

When many would have rejected their son for such things, God shows compassion and mercy.

This prodigal was accepted and restored because he had returned.

Again the key to being accepted by God is faith, then repentance!

If this were not true then this parable would have little meaning at all.

A Parable is an earthly story that reveals Heavenly truths!

Before this son even had a chance to clean his life up, his father had accepted him back into the family.

We cannot clean ourselves up because that is the thing that God will do.

His father gave him the best of robes.

Symbolizing his acceptance back into the family in son-ship and honor.

**The robe symbolized his being clothed in righteousness!

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.

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

His father gave him some new shoes.

**The shoes immediately elevated him above servant-hood. He became a free man. Free from the bondage of sin!

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

Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall "make" you free.

This son was now equipped to carry the "Gospel" wherever he went.

His father gave him a ring.

**The ring restored him to a position of authority.

The son could now represent his father and his kingdom.

Gal 4:6  And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Gal 4:7  Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Rom 8:15  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Rom 8:16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
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.

Only then can there be a celebration!

It is God's own joy that He would have all Heaven rejoice with Him and proclaim a sinner returned to the flock of Heaven.

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.

Luk 15:10  Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

The father celebrated his son's return.

All that his son needed was provided to him.

The father proclaimed his son's new life!

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

He, who was once lost has now been found!

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.

The truth is a life without God is a wasted life!

Sin in all it's forms is a waster of life!

Sin may have it's own kind of liberty but this liberty will always lead to misery and degrading bondage.

The soul was made by God, the soul was made for God and the soul was made for the delight of God and sin prevents this from happening and therefore there must be suffering and loss.

Because God is God, He cannot deny Himself!

Because God is Holy, He must be an active opponent of sin and once saved, He expects the same from each of us.

The biggest problem our world has today is that the modern day Church has forgotten what it's job is!

Jesus Christ came to seek and to save and He has now given this job to the Church until He returns!

We have seen that God gets great joy in our salvation and that is only because we can be certain of Christ's forgiveness.

Questions?

Let's Pray!

Rules For Discipleship

The Certainty Of Christ's Rules For Discipleship

Book of Luke 14


What is a disciple?

A disciple is a follower of the doctrine of another.

We are to be followers of the doctrine of Jesus Christ to be His disciples.

There are some things we must do to be His disciples:

1) We are to believe the doctrine of Christ.
2) We are to rest on the sacrifice of Christ.
3) We are to absorb the Spirit of Jesus to think as He thinks.
4) We are to follow in the examples that Christ has given to us.
5) We must esteem Christ above all other things.
6) We are to deny our own desires and seek the desires of Christ!
7) We must realize that if we have any questions at all, the answer is always Jesus Christ!

No one can be a disciple of Jesus Christ unless his love for Christ is greater than that of another person they love.

No one can serve two masters:

Mat 6:24  "No man can serve two masters": for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

It is impossible that the love of God and the love of this world to be in the same heart!

To be a disciple of Jesus Christ, we must lay all our own desires at the feet of Jesus!

In fact we must be willing to lay down our own life at the feet of Jesus!

**We must show a love for all mankind!

Joh 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

**We must cling to the Word of God!

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

**We must bear fruit!

Joh 15:8  Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
Joh 15:9  As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

If these things are not true, then there could be no Church.

You see God will have His Church in spite of the Devil!

God will have His Church in spite of wicked men!

Jesus Christ had certain rules for being His disciples and we should know them and allow them to rule in our own lives.

The Book of Revelation states that when Christ offers us the rewards for being His servants we will because of unworthiness place those rewards at the feet of Jesus.

Rev 4:10  The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and "cast their crowns before the throne, saying",
Rev 4:11  Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

If we are not willing to lay our substance in this world at the feet of Jesus, then we are unworthy to be His disciples!

In fact we should be willing to lay down our lives at the feet of Jesus because that is what He did for us that believe!

Jesus Christ is not interested in cheap imitations!

*****Luk 14:25  And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,

Huge crowds had been following Jesus for some time now.

The cross still lay ahead, but it would be only days before Jesus bore the cross of our salvation.

Jesus would pay an enormous cost to keep us all out of the Burning Lake of Fire, prepared for the Devil and his angels.

Jesus needed disciples who would also sacrifice themselves if the message of salvation was to be carried throughout the world.

To be second best would not be good enough!

God will only occupy the first place in our lives!

Jesus decided that it was time to make this very clear to all those who were following Him this day of these Scriptures.

*****Luk 14:26  If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

This verse may sound harsh but we must consider how the word "hate" is used here.

The word hate can mean to detest, but it can also mean to "love less", as it is used in this verse.

This can best be understood as showing preference to.

The truth is, we must put Christ Jesus first in our lives, we must show preference to the things of Christ Jesus!

Christ must be before our selves, we must deny our own flesh.

Christ must also be before our families, we must prefer the things of God more than the things of this world!

Christ was not saying we are to hate our families, in fact God says we are not to hate anyone.

We must remember the royal laws of King Jesus.

Mat 22:37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38  This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

There is no one on this earth that we are to hate!

Mat 5:43  Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Mat 5:44  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
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.

We must never take the Word of God out of the context that He intends!

God will never go against His own word!

God is just saying that we must consider what it takes to be His disciples, God must come first in our lives before all things of this world.

Jesus continues:

*****Luk 14:27  And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

We must die to ourselves and conform to the will of God that He has for our lives.

When Jesus Christ was nailed to His cross, He was completely naked, Even His garments were taken away from Him and divided among those that delivered Him to Golgotha.

If we cannot deny ourselves of the things of this world if God so demands it, then we are not worthy to bear our own cross, we are not worthy to named a Christian.

The cross means shame and reproach.

If we are not willing bear the shame and reproach of being a Christian (Christian means like Christ) then we cannot be His disciples!

We all have a tendency to fulfill our own desires but we must put them aside to fulfill the desires of the Lord Jesus Christ!

We must count the cost!

*****Luk 14:28  For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
Luk 14:29  Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
Luk 14:30  Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

These people that Jesus was preaching to this day knew exactly what He was talking about.

They had seen many a Jew crucified.

We should remember, Romans were never crucified. The Roman government felt that to be crucified was too harsh for the Roman people. They had no problem crucifying the Jews!

God just says for us to think about what He is asking us to do, this is why it is called "faith".

If we cannot have "faith" that God will provide all our needs, physically and spiritually then we cannot be a disciple of Jesus Christ.

We must count the cost!

We must understand the consequences of our decision!

For instance: If we decided to build a tower, we would first sit down and plan for that project and see if we had the resources to complete the work once we had started it.

Notice that the Lord chose a tower and not just some building because a tower is always reaching toward Heaven.

A tower more closely represents the spiritual building of the believer.

We should never forget our goal is to make it to Heaven!

A tower requires a sure foundation and the sure foundation of the Christian must be the Lord Jesus Christ.

1Co 3:11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Eph 2:20  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
Eph 2:21  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

When our "faith" is in the Lord Jesus we will build upon Him!

The difference being is that God will provide all the building materials and we provide only the vessel for those materials.

We should also consider that it can be very costly to build upon Jesus Christ.

We do not really know persecution here in America but there are those in our world that know if they accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior it will probably cost them their lives!

Their faith in the Lord will put most of us to shame.

In the least we must give up all our own desires.

We may have to lose everything that we once counted gain in this world.

In most cases we will have to part from our former companions and expect that they will mock us.

We will be under the consistent attack of the storms of Satan and we must count the damage from such storms.

BUT, if our strength remains in Christ we need not to fear any of these things!

Php 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

A false profession of "faith" can always be readily seen by those who have already rejected the Word of God!

We also see many who have lost their zeal to serve the Lord or grow cold and fall away because they did not count the cost!

God says: Jas 4:7  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

When we submit ourselves to the Devil we have submitted to a loser!

The builder of the tower might give up when he finds that he does not have the resources to complete the project.

The wise Christian builder will discover that he never had the resources to become a disciple of the Lord.

He will discover that the work far exceeds any resources at his command and he must forsake all that he has and proceed to build trusting in the Lord to provide.

A life for Christ far exceeds anything that this world can provide!

Remember when we pick up our own cross daily we become pilgrims on the road to Heaven!

All that we have belongs to God and He will provide what we need on a daily basis!

Remember Christ will never ask us to do anything that He has not already done Himself!

If we follow in the ways of Christ, be a true Christian, no one will ever say "he began to build but he was not able to finish".

And Jesus gives us another example:

*****Luk 14:31  Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
Luk 14:32  Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.

War:

There have been great wars in our past but in reality there has been only one time when our world was at peace and that was before sin entered into the world.

In our Scripture one king had only 10,000 men in his army while the king that was coming to attack him had a 20,000 man army.

That king with the smaller army had to sit down and do some serious thinking.

We see immediately the importance of a strong army.

This king had to look at all his resources and he had to consider the loss of life and a possible defeat.

This king had to decide if it were better to fight or to surrender and make peace before the battle started.

This king had to decide if would forsake all in the name of peace or fight a battle that he would lose.

If we consider the invading king as being Jesus Christ and the defending king has being ourselves or some individual we can see the point that Jesus was making.

We can see that we must forsake all to be at peace with God!

When we choose to follow the Lord Jesus Christ we must be willing to forsake all we have.

What is the truth? We must die to ourselves before we will ever live again in Christ!

No one can fight against God and expect to win but a fool!

In fact the greatest battle we will ever face in this life is the war we have between our body of flesh and our eternal soul.

God requires devotion and commitment!
God requires us to choose what we will look at.
God requires us to be careful of what we listen to.
God requires to be careful of what we touch and what we pick up.
God requires us to watch where we go and what we do.
God requires us to watch what we eat and what we drink.
God requires us to control our desires.
God requires us to follow in the cause of Jesus Christ!

It's not always easy to be a Christian!

2Co 6:17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2Co 6:18  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

If we are what we were then we are not what we need to be!

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.

If we cannot pick up our own cross and die daily for the Lord then we are not saved!

Gal 5:24  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Gal 5:25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

To be at peace with God can cost us all we have!

We may be like the Jew or the Muslim who have to give up their own families.

We may have to give up friends we have known all our lives.

We may have to give up our homes and live in places that we never thought we would have to.

We may have to share what little we have with those that have even less than we do.

We must be willing to use all we have for the cause of Christ.

God may not ask for any of these things or He may ask for all these things, it is our willingness to obey Him that sets us apart from this world!

To reject the Lord Jesus Christ means we will never know true life!

We will never know a life of peace.
We will never feel we have a purpose in this life.
We will never be free from the reality of death.
We will never know the love of God!

Surrendering to God is an easy choice once we realize the benefits of serving a loving God!

Psa 116:12  What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?
Psa 116:13  I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.
Psa 116:14  I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people.
Psa 116:15  Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

We are worthless to the Lord unless we are committed to the Lord!

*****Luk 14:34  Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?
Luk 14:35  It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

We do not give much thought to salt but salt is genuine!

Salt is an important commodity in our world today and salt preserves life.

Salt keeps our oceans from becoming polluted.

Salt adds buoyancy to the oceans making it easier for ships to travel.

In fact the Dead Sea has so much salt that even humans can float without flotation devices.

Salt aids in turning carbon dioxide back to breathable oxygen.

Salt is good for many things.

In the days of Rome, salt was even used to pay the soldiers because unlike some monies, salt was accepted in every land that soldier traveled.

But salt that has lost it's savour is useless!

This salt represents our Christian character.

The disciples of Jesus Christ are destined to be in this moral world as salt is to the natural world.

It is the Church, the disciples of Jesus Christ, that is to keep in check the corruption of this world.

The disciples of Jesus Christ are the "good salt" in this evil world!

We see in our world today that there are many who bear the Christian name but they have lost the qualities of Christianity.

To be a Christian is to follow in the examples of Jesus Christ, those that detour from the ways of Christ have lost their saltiness and are as the sand that needs to be swept out the door and trampled upon!

Salt loses it's savour when the Christian deviates from the truth of God and His Word.

Salt loses it's savour when the Christian allows the world to influence his obedience to God.

Salt loses it's savour when we have one foot in the Church and the other foot in the world.

Salt loses it's savour when we refuse to repent of our ways before God and try to defend our character before men!

When we yield to Satan we have lost all our savour!

For the Christian it is the "Grace" of God that provides our salt and it is "Grace" that that fashions every Christian into something worth while and makes us salty!

Salt is one of the most abundant elements in our world today and so God intends for the Church.

When we have lost our saltiness, Jesus we are not even fit for the dunghill!

When we have lost our saltiness we are not fit for the land!

When we have lost our saltiness we are only fit to be trampled upon by the world!

We can see that the world is beginning to walk all over the Church and we seem not to understand why.

Maybe it's because the Church has lost it's saltiness!

Jesus says: "he that hath ears to hear, let him hear".

The truth is salt this is exposed to the atmosphere will lose it's savour and become tasteless.

The Church that allows the world inside it's doors will also become tasteless and then useless!

We must always consider that God knows exactly what He is talking about because God always speaks the truth!

Joh 3:33  He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.
Joh 3:34  For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.
Joh 3:35  The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.

We can either accept the truth of God or reject it there is nothing that lies between the truth but for the truth!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

Will Many Be Saved

The Certainty Of Christ's Compassion

Book of Luke 13


Compassion is a warm feeling with and for other beings.

Compassion is suffering along with others who are suffering.

Compassion is a mixture of love and sorrow.

Compassion is a fundamental and a distinct conception of God.

It was God's compassion for a small group of people that set them free from the bondage of Egypt and form them into the nation of Israel.

The Old Testament full of God's acts of compassion, pity, and mercy.

When God made Himself known to Moses, He described Himself for the benefit of Moses.

Exo 34:6  And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
Exo 34:7  Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

God said He was a compassionate God and not some unloving being.

What did Moses do?

Exo 34:8  And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.

And Moses said "I have found Grace".

Until we have found the "Grace" of God, which is in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ we will never understand our compassionate God.

Because God is so full of compassion, then He expects those that love Him to be the same.

Mic 6:8  He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

God's greatest act of compassion was when He sent the Lord Jesus Christ to redeem His people!

God gave up His own Son, to the death of the cross, in order to release us from the bondage of sin!

Therefore all who know the God, the Father of Christ, and are filled with the Holy Spirit, and call themselves the children of God, will also show compassion and mercy to all those who do not know the Lord as their "personal" Savior!

Eph 4:31  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
Eph 4:32  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the epitome of compassion!

We begin with who can be saved:

*****Luk 13:22  And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.

The ministry of Christ Jesus was coming to an end and He was on the way to Jerusalem to Calvary's Cross.

This did not stop Him from preaching and teaching along the way, Jesus still remembered the work He was sent to do.

Jesus reached out to as many as He physically could.

Along the way a disciple asked Jesus a question that even many of us have asked and is still asked today.

Are there many or few who will be saved?

The word saved means to participate in God's Kingdom.

The truth is the door of "faith" has a narrow entrance.

The door of "faith" is found on our knees just as Moses found out when He fell on his face before the Lord.

The door of "faith" begins when we acknowledge God for who He is!

*****Luk 13:23  Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them,
Luk 13:24  Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

The question should never be how many will be saved but how many will be lost!

Notice the Lord Jesus did not respond to just the one who asked but took the time to teach all who were with Him.

There are so many today who think that everyone who dies goes to Heaven and they are wrong.

There are also those who think there is no place called Heaven or Hell and they are certainly more wrong.

There are also those that think only certain predetermined ones will get into Heaven and they are wrong also.

The first word Jesus uses is "STRIVE".

The word strive means to struggle, to compete (as for a prize), to endeavor (to accomplish something).

To strive is to make an effort, to labor hard, to exert yourself, to contend.

The Jews taught that all would be saved just because they were Jews by birth and circumcised, this is not so.

The Lord Jesus Christ taught that nationality meant nothing toward entering into God's Kingdom!

The Lord Jesus taught that religious rituals meant nothing toward entering into God's Kingdom!

The Lord Jesus theme has always been that many are called but few are chosen!

Mat 22:14  For many are called, but few are chosen.

**The truth is that many people are curious about Heaven but not curious enough to truly seek the Lord in a personal manner!

They will certainly discuss the issue of salvation but they are unwilling to deny themselves of their own desires.

**Birth and ritual are not enough to save anyone. Not circumcision, Not Baptism in any form nor any other religious ritual and certainly not someone wearing some explosive device to kill others.

The entrance to the place of salvation is a narrow gate!

**In other words the way through this gate is specific, very specific!

This truth always seems to drive the liberal community crazy.

**There are not many ways to get to God's Kingdom, there is only One Way!

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

Why is Jesus Christ hated so much in our world?

This one Scripture gives us the answer. You cannot enter into God's Kingdom but by Jesus Christ!

We cannot pick and choose our own way to get to Heaven!

**To get into God's Kingdom is not a cake walk!

We must all "strive" to get there!

It takes a whole-hearted dedication and effort, but let's not confuse the issue because you cannot work your way to Heaven either.

No amount of work can pave our way into God's Kingdom as many try and will fail.

**To "strive" means we must diligently seek God by "faith"!

Heb 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

First there must be "faith".

Next there must be "repentance".

Isa 55:6  Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Isa 55:7  "Let the wicked forsake his way", and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and "let him return unto the LORD", and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

**This means we must deny ourselves and give ourselves to God.

In the military, to repent is to do an about face. Go 180 degrees from where you were headed,

We are our own worst enemy.

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?

Few are willing to pay the price of self-denial!

Most will say that self-denial is just to high a price to give up this world we live in now.

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.
Luk 9:24  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

When God closes that narrow gate, no one can open it!

*****Luk 13:25  When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:

What is the truth?

The truth is God will call us to salvation only so many times and some can move too late.

God says: the Holy Spirit will not always strive with man.

And we will not ever come until we are not called by the Holy Spirit!

Eph 4:4  There is one body, and one Spirit, "even as ye are called in one hope of your calling";
Eph 4:5  One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
Eph 4:6  One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

We know that God loves everyone enough to call them at least once!

We also know that God is a God of the second chance!

But we also know God can see into the heart and He knows those who will never accept Him.

1Co 1:26  For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

Those who "strive", those who truly seek the Lord will find Him but the truth is, in the future many will seek the Lord but they will not find Him.

When is the proper time to seek the Lord?

2Co 6:2  (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, "now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation".)

Salvation is the thing that needs to be sought!

There is nothing to gain by delay!

In fact you lose every moment you delay!

And you may forfeit your salvation by delay!

Today is the day of salvation!

Today, all that strive to enter into God's salvation will be accepted!

There are many who try to clean themselves up of the things they do that are not pleasing to God but they still use the world's standards and not God standards.

When we seek the good opinion of the world, rather than the will of God who calls us out of the world, then we are not acceptable to God.

Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

There is no one that meets God standards!

There is only one means to be justified in the eyes of God!

Rom 3:24  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

That is why it is called "Grace".

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.

There are no works that we can do ourselves to make us acceptable to God!

There is coming a day when the Master of the House "shall" rise up and shut the door to salvation.

There is a time limit to salvation!

The door to salvation will not always be opened!

Our death is certain but it is also certain that we do not know the time of our death!

We must not be fooled, the door to salvation is closed at a person's death.

There is no such thing as praying someone out of Purgatory!

For many today, the door to salvation will be shut in the next minute or the next hour or the next day!

There will be many who will cry on the day of judgment but it will be to late.

In fact at the Second Coming of Christ it will be too late and Christ could return at any moment!

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

Mat 25:41  Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Mat 25:46  And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

If you doubt the words of Jesus Christ, then you will find yourself unable to get into God's Kingdom because the door, the gate, the entrance will be closed!

Jer 8:20  The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.

It is then that God will hear all sorts of excuses to no avail.

*****Luk 13:26  Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.

There will be a great many who will come up short on the day that salvation is redeemed!

They will have given up everything except that one thing that will keep them out of God's Heaven.

They were "almost" believers.

They were "almost" through the gate.

They were "almost" guests at the marriage supper of the Lamb.

When your name is not in the Lamb's Book of Life, Jesus will utter those terrible words "I never knew you".

They may have attended church.

They may have fellowshipped with God's people.

They had heard the Word of God, as it was taught.

They had actually been close enough to see the work of God.

They may have actually passed out some tracts.

They may have lived in places where they could witness for the Lord without breaking any law.

They may have freely allowed anyone to speak of Jesus Christ.

HOWEVER, they were only professing believers, they were not genuine believers!

They had accepted all the privileges of the Gospel but they had never "strived" to have a close and personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are to strive to have a close and a very personal relationship with our God!

Mat 7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

*****Luk 13:27  But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.
Luk 13:28  There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.

The first thing that will happen after "Judgement" is that there will be "an absence from God".

No matter where you are located on this earth or what circumstances surround you, God does have His eyes on your situation.

After "Judgement" that will not be the case.

They may think they can just run away feeling relief that God will no longer be seeing their sinful lives but this is also a false belief.

The truth is, they will stand without the power of motion, awe-struck and chilled at the doom that they face.

To depart from God is to be doomed to a place where there is no escape!

And God says there is no one who does not know of Him.

There is no such thing as an Athiest!

Rom 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Rom 1:21  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Rom 1:22  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

On the day of "Judgement" it is God who will say He does not know those who have rejected Him!

To be without God is to be in a place of extreme sorrow!

Left behind are all things that are perfect, all things of beauty, all things of peace and tranquility and they will be replaced with all things of fear, and lonesomeness.

They will find that Christianity was not a bondage to God, but evilness and suffering will then become the bondage of those who are told to depart.

This person will feel the sting of a life time of sin upon himself, he will be helpless at that time, and be hopeless for all eternity future!

The truth is:

Rom 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

To refuse the "gift of God" is to require payment for all that sin, which is death!

There will be much weeping!

There will be the  gnashing of teeth!

They will actually get to see those that they have known personally, living in Heaven's glory, while they have been shut out!

The one thing they failed was to "strive" in seeking the Lord!

They will now be filled with rage, fury, and despair from which there is no escape!

Even on this day, God will look one more time to make sure that their name is not in the Book.

Rev 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

BUT, they will see all those to whom the gate will be opened!

*****Luk 13:29  And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.

God could have allowed all of us die in our sin but we see that there is no one who cannot be saved!

There is no where on the face of this earth that the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ cannot reach!

Those that are saved and enter into God's Kingdom will come from all nations!

**Those that will enter into God's Kingdom will come from all cultures and all societies but we also know that not many will have been rich in material things.

There may still be a great Gentile revival and conversion one day.

It could happen before the rapture of the church but it could also happen during the 7 year tribulation period.

It could be that we are already near the end of this great revival today!

The truth is, that the Lord Jesus died for the sin of the whole world!

The truth is, that Jesus Christ provides the only means of entering into God's Kingdom!

It is God who is the ultimate ruler of His entire created world!

It is only by "faith", and by striving that we can enter into God's Kingdom, but this is not working your way into Heaven.

This "striving" is seeking the face of God and not the arm of God!

Isa 45:22  Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

**It is only the saved who will sit down in the Kingdom of God!

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

**God is no respecter of persons, the saved will come from all classes of people!

Gal 2:6  But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: "God accepteth no man's person":) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me:

There is nothing about us that makes us beautiful before God but "our faith in the promises of Jesus Christ"!

We are to never over-rate nor under-rate the difficulties which lie in our way to Heaven.

We must view them exactly as they are!

What ever difficulties we have in obtaining the "faith" necessary to enter in God's Heaven, God's Kingdom will be well worth the "striving" it takes.

If we knock, it will be opened to us!

But we can wait too late to knock!

We must not trust in Church privileges because there are none. There is only the "Grace" of God which shows us His love and His compassion for us.

It is still God's plan and we must follow God's plan!

There will never be some man-made plan to enter into Heaven!

No matter the time or the season of the Lord, we are the disciples who have become the fishers of men at this time, and we are to be busy about the work the Lord has given us to do but this work only comes after He has saved us!

The truth of the Word of God is "that we will reap what we sow"!

No one on this earth can stop the plan of God!

*****Luk 13:31  The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee.
Luk 13:32  And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.

The truth is, the Lord Jesus Christ has always been rejected and opposed by the majority of people.

He was opposed by the the religionist and we can see also by the rulers.

There is not one single class of people that flock to Jesus in true belief of Him!

Most of the world just ignores the Lord Jesus Christ!

Many try to stop those who witness for Jesus.

Many just ridicule and abuse those that try to follow the Word of God.

But there are still those who persecute and kill those who know the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior.

There were a few Pharisees who were not hostile toward Jesus and they warned Him of Herod's plot to kill Him.

But many just wanted Jesus to leave the area and go preach His message somewhere else.

Herod at one time had been fascinated with John the Baptist and wanted to meet Jesus but the politics had changed and he had changed with them.

Many of those that did not recognize Jesus as the Savior still recognized Him as a good man and they knew to murder Him was still sin.

In either case we can see Jesus was not concerned about plots to kill Him!

Jesus was actually in the area ruled by Herod at that time, which was Galilee and we know that thousands were following Jesus from place to place as He preached "the Kingdom of God".

The whole area was aroused by the Messiah!

There had been many before that had claimed to be the Messiah but none of those spoke with the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In any case when the subject of the Messiah arose, those in power would begin to tremble.

In many cases the subject of the Jewish Messiah would cause an uproar of the people.

We can be sure that even Rome was paying attention to what was happening around Jesus Christ!

The governments of all people have a dread and a fear of all people who give their loyalty to God instead of the state!

The truth is, that the Kingdom of Christ is not of this earth and God instructs all those trust Him in "faith" to be subjects of their government "unless those governments go against the Word of God".

If that government is truly subject to the people's needs there should never be an uprising by the people!

The truth is, righteousness, justice, and love are not at the top of the list of what most governments truly want!

Most governments are so caught up in spending money for frivolous things that they find their resources in the taxes that sin generates!

Jesus said Herod was a "fox".

What are the attributes of a fox?

Foxes are sly and crafty and sometimes treacherous.

Most people who attack Christianity are sly, crafty, and sometimes treacherous.

Why?

What are the attributes of the Devil?

Joh 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

The Devil is sly, crafty, and always treacherous!

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

1Pe 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Jesus said nothing could happen to Him until His ministry had been "perfected"!

The Greek word "teleoo" means completed or accomplished.

The pure fact is, that the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ cannot be stopped by any man!

The witness of Jesus in His person did stop but not before what He came to accomplish was finished!

Notice it was not the cross that completed the ministry of Jesus, it was His resurrection!

It was Jesus rising from the dead, having conquered death, that completed the work for man's salvation!

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:

Rom 4:24  But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
Rom 4:25  Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Nevertheless the ministry of Jesus will continue because it is not in the power of man to stop the will of God!

*****Luk 13:33  Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.

That word "must" means that the work Jesus was sent to accomplish "must" take place before He could be killed!

Jesus had to die in Jerusalem and Herod had no jurisdiction there!

Jerusalem was and still is the center of the Jewish nation.

Jerusalem was and is recognized by all Jews the capitol city of Israel.

The Temple stood in Jerusalem.

The Sanhedrin Court was in Jerusalem.

If a prophet of God was to die, that decision would be made in Jerusalem.

Jesus was saying, when people kill God's Son, it would be done under the circumstances that God had set forth in His Written Word.

Jesus was to die in Jerusalem but He was to die for the benefit of all mankind!

Many today still do not understand the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ but they all will one day!

And Jesus said:

*****Luk 13:34  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!

The truth is, that the sinners of that day and the sinners of our day and the sinners in the days to come cannot destroy the willingness of Jesus Christ to save them!

The soul is a precious thing to God!

When Jesus looked ahead to Jerusalem He wept!

Not for the things He was sent to accomplish but because He would be rejected.

Jesus would have saved them all but "they would not be saved".

Today our world is filled with many who just will not be saved!

They and their homes will be forsaken by the Lord!

*****Luk 13:35  Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

That house can be just a house but it can also be a church, a local group, a city, or a nation if they reject the work of the Lord Jesus Christ to save them, they will be forsaken and God will leave them alone.

They will spend eternity away from the presence of God.

Rom 1:24  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Rom 1:25  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
Rom 1:26  For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
Rom 1:27  And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

All we have to do is look and see what is happening in our world today, to know that these words are true!

God is giving up on our world!

Pro 1:28  Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
Pro 1:29  For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
Pro 1:30  They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
Pro 1:31  Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
Pro 1:32  For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

Has God reached this point, only He knows but the evidence is growing that He has.

*****Luk 13:35  Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

There is still the day that the Lord will return to complete the promises He made to Israel.

The Lord will return and He will rule supremely.

Psa 118:26  Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.

The truth is that everyone who has rejected the Lord Jesus Christ will see the Lord return and it will be too late to accept Him at that time!

Those who foolishly believe that they can come to Christ at any time need to listen to what is said here.

There is a day to each of us when we will no longer see the Christ as the Savior that He is and it is too late for salvation.

God definitely has a deadline that once it has been reached none will be able to see Him until He returns and at that time all will bow the knee to the Lord of His creation!

1Co 15:25  For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

Here again it would be hard to say that most of the world has not reached this point already!

Still the fact remains that we who know the Lord must remain busy spreading the "Gospel" up until the very moment that Christ returns!

There is never a good time to quit on God!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

The Teaching Of Jesus Christ

The Certainty Of Christ's Parables

Book of Luke 12


We already know that the Lord Jesus used many parables in His teaching.

A parable can be best described as a story of something in our earthly life or in nature, that we can compare to the truth of God's Word, a Heavenly truth.

It is a fact that both the Created world of God and all the things in Heaven develop according to the same laws.

For instance in the spring we see the resurrection of this natural world from the dead of Winter to the new life of Spring which should remind us that to be resurrected is to be raised from death to eternal life.

Nature is a witness of the Spiritual world to come.

It could be said that a parable is the clearest illustration of God's truth!

We can be certain that the parables that Jesus taught will clearly show us the meaning of God's Word.

Everything that Jesus taught was in perfect harmony with the Message of His Father.

We should remember that a parable will never contradict the truth of the Scriptures, but will only point to the truth of God!

*****Luk 12:13  And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.

Here we see one of the followers of Christ asked that He be the judge between he and his brother. This man was in a dispute with his own brother over the inheritance of his fathers estate.

We already know that by the laws of Moses the elder brother would get two thirds of the estate compared to his younger brother's one third.

We do not know if this is the problem with this man or not.

This man felt that he deserved an equal share of all the things his father had possessed.

The truth is, we never see where Jesus will ever interfere in secular matters!

At this time it was not His purpose because He came to seek and to save those who are lost!

At this time is was a common practice in the life of the Jews for the Rabbi to settle local legal disputes.

What do we know?

**This man had been listening to the Preaching message of Jesus sermons.

**This man was seeking material wealth of this world.

BUT, Jesus will never deal in matters of selfishness!

*****Luk 12:14  And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?

Jesus Christ refused this man very sternly.

This gives us an idea how the Lord would respond to any request for the material things of this world for our own use.

This man exposed a serious flaw in the spiritual life he should have been seeking.

In verses 1-12 Jesus was teaching all those who would listen to beware of the teaching of the Pharisees.

Most of the Pharisees were hypocrites who taught the Laws of Moses but they themselves lived outside those Laws.

This is something we see in our own government today. Men and women who make the laws refuse to abide by those laws.

The truth is, the disciples of the Lord are to never live in this manner and are always to be aware of hypocrisy.

We are never to get caught up in this way of thinking!

Luk 12:2  For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.

This was a man who had heard the message of Jesus but he was to preoccupied in his own worldliness to listen to what Jesus had really said.

The Bible says:

Jas 4:8  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

It is obvious that this man had his mind on the things of this earth and not on Heavenly things!

There many people who sit before God's preachers but they still refuse to hear the message he has preached.

The Bible says:

Mat 11:15  He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

This man had a strong desire for the things of this world and that is a sign of cold-hearted worldliness!

AND, Covetousness will lead to all manner of sin!

*****Luk 12:15  And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

Each of the Ten Commandments is centered on covetousness!

The Tenth Commandment says "Thou shalt not covet".

To covet is to have an inordinate desire to possess what belongs to someone else!

In fact as the Bible describes covetousness, it means an ungoverned and selfish desire that threatens the basic rights of others.

To covet can also mean self exertion and the Tenth Commandment forbids such a thing.

This is exactly what is being pushed on the American public by the gay movement, the students that want everything to be free, those who want to take away the rights of Christians, and those who think differently from the Democratic Party and the secular society of today.

Free speech to these people means that you can say what you want to say as long as you do not disagree with what they have to say!

They should remember the Word of God:

Eph 5:5  For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Eph 5:6  Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

To be covetous is to not be rich toward God!

To be covetous is to deny faith and scorn the values of God!

Just as Jesus says "life does not consists of the things of this world that we have in our possession".

Jesus says to "take heed", "to beware".

It was not being wronged by his brother that drove this man, it was simply greed!

This was the sin of this man and the great sin of this world we live in!

This is the sin of covetousness!

This is the sin of Socialism!

This is the sin of Communism!

These people become aggressively self-centered and this is what we see in America today!

So Jesus teaches with a parable.

*****Luk 12:16  And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
Luk 12:17  And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
Luk 12:18  And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
Luk 12:19  And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
Luk 12:20  But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

In this parable we have a man who is already a rich land owner.

The crops that were planted on his lands brought forth greater than average crops, so much so he did not have room to store the abundance.

He uses the word "I" six times and the word "my" five times in these passages, because we see that he could only think of himself.

The one thing we can be sure of, is that if we have anything it is something that God has provided to us for a reason.

We are all prone to take credit for the things that we have acquired when the truth is, success comes only from God!

The sin of covetousness is a craving and a desire for more.

Covetousness is the sin that is hardest to overcome!

Covetousness causes greediness.

Covetousness causes dissatisfaction with what is enough.

Covetousness causes our cravings to influence our fleshy behavior!

It is not so "much a want to have" as a "got to have" and a will to try to obtain no matter the cost.

Covetousness puts material things in the place of God!

When this man had a great opportunity to help others in need, he chose only to store it in newly built barns.

This man had become self-centered that only his perceived needs were real ti him.

And what did God say to him? "You are a fool".

God says those that continuously lay up treasure for themselves and are not rich toward the ways of God are fools.

We already know that Jesus warned us for calling anyone a fool using the Greek word "moros" which means stupid.

But here the Holy Spirit uses a much stronger word meaning "insane".

Covetousness is a very serious sin in the eyes of God and goes all the way back to the very first commandment.

Notice, God knew the thoughts of this man.

Notice, God knew this man would die that very night.

The soul of this man was going to cease because the soul returns to the God who gave it.

The soul simply does not cease existing when the flesh dies!

The soul returns to the spiritual world.

2Pe 2:17  These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.

This man will never know who ended up with his riches after his death.

Psa 39:6  Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

Pro 5:21  For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.
Pro 5:22  His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.
Pro 5:23  He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

What did Jesus say before He began this parable?

Luk 12:15  And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

True life is not about the material things of this world we live in!

True life is about what happens after the death of this flesh we live in. It is the soul that has eternal life!

*****Luk 12:21  So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

Psa 49:6  They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;
Psa 49:7  None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:
Psa 49:8  (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)
Psa 49:9  That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.
Psa 49:10  For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.

Wealth is not a permanent possession!

Someone else will always get your wealth that you leave behind and many times not those you would prefer to have it.

The ownership of material things is really never ours to begin with, all things belong to God.

1) The riches of God are true life:

Psa 30:5  For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

2) The riches of God come from a life of faith:

Jas 2:5  Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

3) The riches of God in this life are from our good works after our salvation.

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.

4) The riches of God come from the wisdom of God:

Pro 8:11  For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.

Those that lay up their own treasures in this world are not rich in the things of God that last forever!

*****Luk 12:22  And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.

Discipleship training has lost it's importance in the modern day church.

We should be clear, Jesus is teaching His disciples here. If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ then you need some training for the tasks that He has for us all!

This message is not for the world, those that reject Jesus Christ!

Taking thought, is worrying.

Taking thought, is being overly concerned.

God says for us to not worry about the necessities of life!

King David said: Psa 37:25  I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

Jesus said "I have come that you might have life".

In other words, life is not about this life we live in the flesh that only last such a short time!

*****Luk 12:23  The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.

The biggest problem this world has today is that it does not believe in an ultimate provider.

In reality there are no such things as the laws of nature!

God did not create a world in which only the strong survive!

Psa 145:15  The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.
Psa 145:16  Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.

Sure there are those that are starving in this world but if looked you would see that most people starve because some man or some men have interfered with the food process!

The truth is, that it is only those who are strong in Christ that will survive.

The life that Christ Jesus supplies is eternal!

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?

Our faith is the key to true life, if that faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ!

Who would choose a meal over such a life?

Who would choose a new wardrobe over such a life?

These things are just covetousness which leads to most all sin!

The greatest sin besides, rejecting the Lord Jesus, is the desire of mankind for bigger and better things of this world.

Life and our bodies mean much more that the food we eat and the clothes we wear, or the place we live, or the things we think we own!

We already know that a healthy lifestyle will extend our life in this world and a life in Christ will extend that life to a life eternal in the actual presence of God.

Jesus did not say we are not to think or to plan for the necessities of life, Jesus said we are not to worry about these things.

Life takes some thought and some planning but we are never to covet to the point of worrying!

We should just truly consider the ways of God!

*****Luk 12:24  Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?

Jesus says just consider all the birds, they are fed by God Himself.

As far as I know, the only birds who die of starvation are those who have been captured by some person and kept as pets.

Birds do not sow or reap their food, they just go to the location where food is available.

Many animals store up food for the times when it is not available but not the birds, God provides for them day by day.

Birds are willing to go to wherever their needs are met!

God says that those who have accepted His Son Jesus as their personal Savior are of much more value than the birds.

Faith that God will provide our needs comes from the faith that we have a Savior and a Redeemer.

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.

Jesus is teaching all His disciples, which includes all who have faith in Him, not to worry or be anxious in this world over food and clothing.

BUT, we should also remember that God does not put up with laziness, or a lack of initiative, and effort on our part.

God made plans ahead of time for our salvation.

Jesus planned ahead for His own funeral.

Joh 12:6  This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.
Joh 12:7  Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.

Jesus preached and taught for us all to be industrious believers.

Luk 16:8  And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

Jesus said we are to be more industrious than this unjust steward.

The Bible is very clear about us being faithful workers and even working to have extra that we can give to those that do not have.

Eph 4:28  Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

Our faith means that we are trusting in God to meet all our needs because God says He will never forsake us.

God does not ever say that we will not suffer in this life in fact He says we will!

It is that suffering that will increase our faith!

God truly cares for those who love Him!

1Pe 5:6  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
1Pe 5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Worrying about these things of God is then senseless!

*****Luk 12:25  And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?

The Greek word used for stature in this verse is "helikia".

Helikia can mean age as well as size.

So this verse could read either "who can add one cubit which is about 18 inches to his stature" or it could read "who could add one minute to his life span".

The answer to both is that none of us can do either of these things.

No two of us are alike but we are all sinners!

This world is corrupt and imperfect just as we all are.

Our only hope is in the Almighty God through the Lord Jesus Christ who makes these promises to us.

2Pe 1:2  Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
2Pe 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
2Pe 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

*****Luk 12:26  If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?

It is to our benefit to think that there are many things that we simply cannot do!

There are some simple things that man simply cannot do.

It would seem reasonable that we are in control of our own destiny but the truth is we are not in control at all!

God does not cause accidents yet they still happen and our lives our over before we know it.

The big thing today is climate change and with all the power of man and all the knowledge of the world's greatest minds, it is God who controls these things and the climate has always changed.

If we would only look at a Supreme Being and not the foolishness of Evolution we would not get so caught up in these things!

When we are unable to do some of the simplest of things with human power, how could we ever believe we could do these things that foolish men say is possible.

God has promised that no matter what we see or think, God will work out all things for the good to those that truly trust Him!

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

We know God's plan and we may not understand His methods, but we need to just place these things in His hands because He certainly knows what is best for us.

1Co 7:17  But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.

We are challenged to trust God and leave all our worries to Him, or to be so anxious about this life that it robs us of our peace and joy.

We are to consider what God has already done.

*****Luk 12:27  Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Luk 12:28  If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?

When we see the beautiful lilies, do they not always appear contented and happy.

The lilies live on the property of man.

The same air that keeps us alive does not help the growth of the lily, because the lily requires our wasted air.

When we and also the animals breath in all the air we want, it is that air that is exhausted, though poison to us, that is life to the lily.

A lily is not concerned with popularity or of wearing the proper clothing.

A lily is not concerned with style and fashion.

A lily is not concerned with acceptability.

Flowers are grateful for the leftovers of this world and our ingratefulness shows when we simply cannot be happy with what God has provided for us.

As rich as King Solomon was, he could not purchase clothing that could come close to the beauty of the lilies!

God simply says, to get all the good out of the things He has provided before we wish for better things!

A flower has no wings and no feet and must stay exactly where it is planted.

They do not do anything that cannot be done at home.

When the Lord Jesus was asked to do wrong He said "I and my Father are one".

Jesus was saying that this is not what happens in My Father's House!

There are still people who talk to their flowers but flowers never talk back.

Flowers allow their silent beauty do all their talking for them!

Flowers teach us to do good without being asked to do so!

It is a fact that without the systems God has put in place we would not have flowers!

We would not have trees!

We would not have grass!

We not not have the wheat and the corn that feeds us!

God is the Creator of life, not only mankind, and all the animals but life also can be seen in all the plants that grow and many of those plants are grown for our on benefit.

We get food and shelter and many other resources from plants who survive off our waste and even if they had mouths they would never complain!

SO, What this world is suffering the most from, "is a lack of faith" and that faith in God!

*****Luk 12:29  And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
Luk 12:30  For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

When we doubt that God cares enough for us to provide our basic needs, then we become anxious and worry to a point that we become insecure in many other things.

Jas 1:5  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
Jas 1:6  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
Jas 1:7  For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
Jas 1:8  A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Worldliness is being wrapped up in the things of this world and doubting God's care!

These things will consume us if they are allowed to fester!

When life becomes food, drink and possessions, we have forgotten that life is eternal and we have forgotten life is in the soul which never dies.

As the children of God we are to different from those of this world!

God commands us to seek the Kingdom of God and all these other things will be provided.

We must understand that God knows we have personal needs!

If we cannot trust in God's ability to provide our basic needs, how then can we be sure of our own salvation.

A God that cannot provide for His people is not much of a God!

We serve a God that not only provides our needs, but He gets great pleasure in doing so!

*****Luk 12:32  Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

God has great pleasure in giving us treasures that do not age, that do not corrupt, and no one can steal them away from us!

The teaching of the Lord is this: "Once our needs have been met, we do not need more".

We will only waste it or we will store it to deny others from having.

We live in a world that is full of needs and should be willing to help others with any excess that we have.

Not to gain a good reputation but for the purpose of seeking the Kingdom of God!

What advice does God give us?

*****Luk 12:33  Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
Luk 12:34  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

"Gifts" of money and good deeds can never grow old.

The treasures in Heaven are built upon the fruit of the Holy Spirit and Souls led to the Lord.

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Eph 5:9  (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
Eph 5:10  Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

These things never age, never fail, cannot corrupt, and cannot be stolen, as all things of this earth do.

The real treasures are in Heaven!

Our hearts should be centered these things of Heaven.

If we believe our treasure is in this world then our hearts are in this world.

As this world is corrupt, then our hearts are corrupt!

1Jn 2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1Jn 2:17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
We can be certain that the parables of the Lord Jesus Christ teach us Heavenly Truths!

Questions?

Let's Pray!