What Is the Kingdom of God

 New Lessons About the Kingdom

Book of Matthew Chapter 13

We now get to listen in as the Lord Jesus Christ preached in a new way.

The Lord Jesus loved to use parables.

We may not know as much as we like to about the Kingdom of Heaven, but because of King Jesus and His preaching, we know much more of those things that were once mysteries to those who were gathered, to hear the Lord Jesus preach.

The Lord Jesus uses these parables to describe the principles of the Kingdom of Heaven.

So what is a parable?

A parable is a representation of something that is real in life or in nature from which a certain thing is drawn for instruction.

A parable is a mode of speaking for us to learn spiritual things.

A parable is an earthly truth that expresses a Heavenly truth!

A parable is an earthly comparison to a Spiritual truth!

Let us listen to the Lord Jesus:

*****Mat 13:1  The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. 

Mat 13:2  And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 

Mat 13:3  And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; 

Jesus had just preached a sermon and He had healed some who had faith but remember Jesus found not much faith in Capernaum.

Mat 11:23  And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

Since the Lord Jesus had begun His ministry, He had no time to rest so, after a tiring day Jesus just went out to the Sea of Galilee to enjoy a moment of tranquility but it did not last long so, Jesus began to teach some truths of the Kingdom of Heaven.

We should understand that a parable is not a fable.

A fable is just a fictitious story or some legend that may or may not have existed.

A parable was a means of teaching the truth in a fashion that could be easily understood.

We first meet the sower. In the next parable we find this sower is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

These first two parables set the standard for all the remaining parables.

A sower would sow seed. Today we would say broadcast, casting seed out by hand.

Most time the seed of a crop would be cast upon plowed ground, but this was not always the case.

In some soils the seed was cast before the plowing.

In some wet soils the seed would be trodden down by animals.

Isa 32:20  Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass. 

The one thing we should clearly understand is that the seed of the Christian is the precious Word of God, the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is the Gospel Seed that will bring great results when presented the right way!

Pro 11:18  The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward. 

Psa 126:1  When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. 

Psa 126:2  Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them. 

Psa 126:3  The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad. 

Psa 126:4  Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south. 

Psa 126:5  They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 

Psa 126:6  He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. 

Now let us hear this great parable of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We must be careful where we sow the "Gospel Seed"!

*****Mat 13:4  And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: 

The first danger in sowing the "Gospel Seed" is to sow it upon prepared ground. If the seed is not placed where it can be covered then the birds will come and devour the seed.

I know birds have keen sight but as one who loves to feed the birds, they must have another sense that directs them to seed.

There was always a foot path to divide one field from another and seed that dropped on that foot path just could not grow into a useful plant.

On the day, this parable was taught, this sower was the Lord Jesus Himself.

He as our example, is teaching some who might become future sowers of the Word of God.

The ground that is plowed with the "Gospel Plow" (Grace) is ready to receive the "Gospel Seed"(Word of God).

What we should know is that these "fowl" represent that "wicked thing" we know of as Satan.

*****Mat 13:5  Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 

Mat 13:6  And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 

There are many today who claim to have received the truth of the Lord, but their hearts are so hardened by their sin they just cannot accept it as the complete truth.

It is like seed that lands on stony ground where there is not enough soil to provide the nourishment to the seed. That soil will dry and become nothing, but dust and that seed will never produce.

Stony ground is cold like a cold heart. These people have no spiritual warmth because the Holy Spirit has not moved in.

What did God say?

Eze 11:19  And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: 

Eze 11:20  That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 

This is exactly what happened to Israel, their hearts turned to stone!

Zec 7:12  Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts. 

Zec 7:13  Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts: 

Zec 7:14  But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate. 

Remember we serve an unchanging God and stony hearts cannot receive the rainfall from Heaven and they cannot get into Heaven!

Rev 21:6  And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

They will be scorched by the Sun without having received the Son!

They have no root in themselves.

When we find a Bible believing Church, the Lord teaches us "to put our roots in" so we can grow in Christ.

When we have no root then we cannot grow, we must endure!

Mat 10:22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. 

Just hearing the Word of God preached and taught will not get you to Heaven, you must receive the Word of God as the truth.

*****Mat 13:7  And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: 

Thorny ground is deceptive ground. When we see growth in bare ground, where weeds grow, we think well "anything" can grow in that place, but this is never true.

Any growth from that seed will soon be choked out.

Thorny ground represents those who receive the Word of God but just want to add it to their lives as they exist and not repent of their sinful ways.

This is the theme of the queer and lesbian and the cross-gender movement today and many other sinners. 

They say God made them the way they are, and we just need to accept them for who they are, but God teaches us all that we must be "Born Again".

God forgave me of my sin, but He told me to go and sin no more. It is called to repent!

The Lord Jesus Christ did not come to die just so I could hold on to my sin!

The Bible says:

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. 

Those thorns are the cares of this world!

They prick and stick the Word of God, until what God says is meaningless to them. 

Those with their minds on this world do not have their minds upon the Lord Jesus Christ!

This world will hinder, irritate, aggravate and trouble a person from pursuing the truth of God!

The deceitfulness of riches is also thorns, that keep us from the truth of God!

When we become self-confident or self-dependent, we have rejected the truth of God who says we need Him!

Joh 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

We cannot change the truth of God or it would no longer be the truth!

2Co 13:8  For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.

Some people see wealth as a blessing from God, but this is rarely the case.

God would never put us in a place where we would feel that we do not need Him!

Then there are some seed that lands on good fertile soil that has been prepared by the Holy Spirit.

*****Mat 13:8  But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. 

Mat 13:9  Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. 

The tender heart that has been plowed with the "Gospel Plow" will reproduce the "Gospel Seed"!

The Gospel is not hard to understand.

That Seed is not just the Word of God, but it is the Gospel Seed of the Lord Jesus Christ, the "Good News"!

1Co 15:1  Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 

1Co 15:2  By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 

1Co 15:3  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 

1Co 15:4  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 

Not every believer is the same:

Eph 4:6  One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 

Eph 4:7  But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 

Eph 4:8  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 

Eph 4:9  (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 

Eph 4:11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 

Eph 4:12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 

Not all believers are equal.

Some will work harder than others, but we must also realize the location where Christians do that work.

Remember Moses preached 120 years and only his family went with him on the Ark.

So yes, some may produce 30-fold and others 100-fold, but the object is still to be busy about the work of the Lord once we are saved.

The production of the Gospel Seed lies in the hands of our Savior!

As my Pastor says: "the Holy Spirit was not given to us for our enjoyment, He was given to us for our employment" and this is true.

The Holy Spirit gave us all the Word of God and Jesus says we need to listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying!

Now Jesus teaches these parables to His disciples!

*****Mat 13:18  Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. 

Mat 13:19  When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. 

We see immediately that the key to salvation and the work given us by the Lord is understanding the Word of God.

What is the "word of the kingdom"? It can be none other than the "Gospel"!

The "Gospel" is the Words of Salvation saved for us by the Holy Spirit!

The Gospel is pure as Jesus is pure and it is the truth of a Holy God!

Jesus teaches these disciples to hear these parables according to the privileges given to them.

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

Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 

Mat 13:17  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. 

You see it is a privilege to be called of God and then be presented the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ!

It is these soon to be Apostles who were given the privilege first to deliver the "Gospel" to the world!

We must understand that when we present the "Gospel" to some lost soul who has been called of God, then Satan will immediately come to that person to discredit the Gospel in some way.

The Devil will snatch away the truth of the "Gospel"!

The Devil hates the Lord Jesus Christ and will do his best to keep everyone out of Heaven.

He cannot go himself and he does not want anyone else to get there.

It is easier to understand when we understand the truth of the Devil.

*****Mat 13:20  But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 

Mat 13:21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. 

Rocky ground has not much soil, but it will grow seed until the Sun rises and draws out all the moisture and that seed will die.

In many a person there is an enthusiastic receiving of the truth of God. 

Oh how they welcome the truth at least until the real truth sets in.

As Christians we live in an evil and wicked world where we are hated.

Persecution is real folks.

That old heart that was never broken by the "Gospel Plow" has no real life within it.

They have a form of "godliness, but they know not the reality of God's power and the power of everlasting life.

The Lord says to stay away from these people.

2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 

The Lord says they are ever learning but never able to grasp the truth of Jesus.

2Ti 3:7  Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 

We must understand that being a Christian will draw Satan's crowd near to us to cause persecution.

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

This is the place where many so-called Christians go back to their old lives of sin!

But there are still others.

*****Mat 13:22  He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. 

We all know that the love of money is the root behind all the evil in this world!

1Ti_6:10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

The deceit of riches does hinder, the growth of the Word of God within us!

In our world today sinful so-called pleasures go unhindered. Free to roam this world to cause destruction.

Plagues such as we have just gone through, will make things even worse.

People will become more dependent upon government, which by the way was probably more involved in the cause than we want to admit.

The cares of this world will come to the forefront.

Anxiety and future uncertainty will rule lives that are not dependent upon God.

The Word of God will be choked out by fear of what tomorrow might bring, because they refuse to believe the God who holds tomorrow in His hands.

There will be a great falling away which we see today!

2Th_2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

God has already told us of all these things.

1) We see that the Devil snatches up and devours.

2) We see the Flesh attempts and fails.

3) We see the World surrounds and chokes.

Only the Lord Jesus Christ could have spoken such a simple parable with such a deep and far-reaching meaning.

But there will always be that true believer!

*****Mat 13:23  But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 

There will always be some who hear the truth and cling to the truth for evermore!

What did the Lord our God say?

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

1) There is hearing.

2) There is understanding.

3) There is "faith".

Without "faith" there is no reproduction!

Through "faith" there is fruit bearing and producing!

These things come by a receptive, teachable heart that is prepared by "Grace"!

Amen

Are You Just Ignorant of Jesus

 The King Fulfilled Prophecy

Book of Matthew Chapter 12

We should understand that there will always be some who reject the message of Christ Jesus because they reject the person of Christ Jesus!

There will be opposition to Christianity because it does not fit into the themes of this world.

The religious world in the day of Jesus were in a position in which they might have known much about the Messiah.

It is Christ Jesus who made this world we live in!

Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, "and for him":

It is the Lord Jesus Christ who has preserved this world.

What is the greatest of all sin? The greatest of all sin is to be ignorant of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is a sin where there is no excuse.

We have our creation written down and described to us.

We have a God who continuously preserves our world up to this point.

We have a Savior who has revealed Himself according to His written Word.

As we begin this chapter in the Book of Matthew where we will witness the religious crowd of Israel begin to show their hatred for their own Scriptures and the truth of them.

Everything Jesus has done so far has proved that He was the promised Messiah, but hatred enters where belief should have been.

The blind saw.

Lepers were cleansed.

Demons were driven out.

People were raised from the dead.

There could be only one explanation for this, for only God could have done these things.

The Old Testament prophecies were being fulfilled before their eyes.

There could be only one explanation for this, the Messiah had come just as the Word of God had said.

These people just refused to believe what their eyes saw!

They remained cold and indifferent to the truth that was before them.

They had no heart for the truth of the Scriptures they so acknowledged came from Jehovah God.

We will witness as Jesus begins to break His relationship with these Jews and begin His turn to all the world which was also prophesied.

*****Mat 12:1 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.

Mat 12:2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.

The meaning of Sabbath is to rest from labor.

The Sabbath is the seventh day and is something essentially Jewish.

The keeping of it, is one of the laws given to the Jews by Jehovah.

Exo 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Exo 20:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

Exo 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

The Sabbath was not a day that was given to the Church, even though the Lord does still teach us we need to rest at least one day of the week.

The Church observes the Lord's Day. The Lord came out of that tomb on Sunday, known as the Lord's Day.

Rev 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

The Church was given no specific day to worship, because we are to worship the Lord every day!

There is no law written to the Church about when to worship the Lord!

It was not the 613 commandments given to the Jews that got the Lord in trouble with His opposition, especially the Pharisees.

It was the "oral laws", "man's laws" that had been added, claiming to be the Word of God!

As our Creator and the same One who gave us the Word of God, then we should accept that Jesus knew all the Word of God better than anyone.

To be clear then, if the Jesus is the Lord of my life, then He is Lord of the Sabbath and Lord of everyday that I exist!

We already know that in the lifetime of our Savior, He did not sin, so it is evident He obeyed all those 613 laws written in the Word of God.

Jesus was not obligated to keep any law that violated His own words, even though He also kept the laws of the government that was in place.

He certainly was not obligated to keep the legalistic oral law of the Pharisee! Or the Sadducee or the Scribes, or any other human being.

We must understand the Word of God in the "context" in which it was written!

These disciples had broken no law as they passed through this corn field and taken enough to satisfy their hunger.

Deu 23:25 When thou comest into the standing corn of thy neighbour, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand; but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbour's standing corn.

They were not harvesting they were only satisfying their hunger!

These Pharisee saw it as their job to enforce these "oral laws" which were no more than traditions that had become outrageous and considered to be of greater influence that the Word of God itself.

Exo 35:2 Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.

No one was expected to go without a meal on the Sabbath!

If you are following the Lord Jesus, you will move when He moved, whether you had eaten or not.

How did the Lord Jesus respond?

*****Mat 12:3 But he said unto them, "Have ye not read" what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;

Mat 12:4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?

Do you know the biggest problem with all those who claim to be God's people? They refuse to read the Word of God themselves!

We need to read what God says!

We need to study what God says!

We need to understand what God says!

2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Jesus asked these hypocrites, "have ye not read".

David was forced to go on the run by Saul, even though David was God's anointed King of Israel.

Be careful or you will miss the typology here.

David was hungry and those with him were hungry just as those who were with the Lord Jesus on that day.

If David, the King anointed by God had been rejected while he was a fugitive, the holy things connected with these ceremonial things given to Israel by Jehovah, would have ceased to be holy!

When King Jesus is rejected, then all the things of the Church are then common and no longer holy.

1Sa 21:5 And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, "and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel".

There is nothing holy with a so-called Church where the Lord Jesus Christ is rejected!

There is no part of that so-called church that is holy.

They may say, "we do not reject Jesus", yet when they reject the teachings of the Word of God, they have rejected our Savior and everything He stands for and stands against!

These Pharisee had rejected the Lord Jesus Christ and what He stood for!

It is ridiculous to speak of Sabbath keeping, when the Lord of the Sabbath is rejected!

It is ridiculous to speak of a personal relationship with the Lord when you reject the truth of the Word of God or you try to twist the Word of God in an attempt to change its meaning!

How did Jesus feel about these super religious men?

Mat 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Mat 23:24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

That "shewbread" symbolized the presence of God who is the "Bread of Life". Twelve loaves of bread were brought to the House of God as a symbolized offering to God.

It was a thanksgiving offering!

Those loaves symbolized an everlasting covenant between God and His people: that God would see to it that His people had whatever food was necessary to sustain His people.

They were changed every week the old loaves given to the priests.

King David had a legitimate need.

The Lord Jesus Christ promises to meet our needs!

Hypocrites will always insist on their own observations without having understood the truth of the Bible!

Again Jesus asks "have ye not read".

*****Mat 12:5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?

We should understand the Lord Jesus here.

We have the perfectly written Word of God, but we must accept these words in the context they were written!

According to their interpret ion of the Sabbath by these hypocritical Pharisees, even the priests at the Temple should be stoned to death for doing what the priests were given to do according to the same Word of God.

We must never go against the Word of God!

Doing good according to the Word of God, is never a sin under any circumstances!

The worship of the Lord is a necessary thing!

It does not matter what the government says!

It was necessary for the Jews to worship according to the laws given to them which included animal sacrifices.

Remember their sin was only forgiven for one year, if they did what God had said to do in those three feasts that were required by God.

Today we know the Lord Jesus Christ put an end to animal sacrifice by sacrificing Himself which upon your "faith" forgiveness is eternal.

Heb 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us

Then Jesus told them it was not the Temple that was important, it is the One who paid our sin debt that is the most important!

Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath because He is the Lord of life!

*****Mat 12:6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.

Mat 12:7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

Mat 12:8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.

As long as the Church exists there will be some who think their learning has surpassed the Word of God, and the things said by the Lord Jesus Christ, and they will become adversaries unto Christ Jesus and His disciples!

For the super religious in Jerusalem and all of Israel, the Temple was the most important place in all the world.

Many today feel like Rome is the most important place in all Christianity!

What did Jesus teach? Jesus said, "It is not in a building"!

The Lord Jesus Christ is what Christianity is all about!

You cannot remove the Lord Jesus and still have Christianity!

You cannot remove the importance of the disciples of Jesus Christ and still say you are a Church!

Buildings are just places for the people of God to gather to worship the One True God and fellowship with other disciples of Jesus Christ!

If the priests including the High priest, did not have to obey the laws of the Sabbath, then why would the Lord of the Sabbath have to observe some man-made law?

The Sabbath was set aside for the descendants of Israel, the ones to whom many promises were made to spend time with Jehovah.

Laws and ceremonies have no place in the House of God.

It is the Word of God that must reign supreme, and it is the Word of God that teaches us about the Messiah, who physically stood before those hypocrites that day we read about in chapter 12.

Jesus Christ, the Messiah is the true High Priest.

Jesus Christ, the Messiah is the true and only sacrifice that is acceptable to God the Father!

Jesus Christ, the Messiah is the Lord of everyday to the true believer.

There is no day greater than any other day to worship the Almighty Living God!

What we should notice is, the mercy of the Messiah to tolerate our foolishness!

Any place of worship only possesses the symbolic presence of God, now He may show up in power and strength, but only because He resides in the believer.

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

The Lord Jesus Christ possesses all the fullness of the Godhead bodily!

Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Col 2:9 "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily".

Col 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

Col 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

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

If we cannot understand what these things mean, then how can we say we have come to worship.

They Lord Jesus Christ must be the Lord of our lives every day and every moment of every day!

*****Mat 12:9 And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:

Mat 12:10 And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.

This man with the withered hand was not allowed to go into the Temple to worship or even to visit.

Nor was any other person who had some infirmity.

The Temple was no more than a worldly showcase for the world to go to visit.

Jesus Himself said it had become no more than a den of thieves and He was not talking just about the moneychangers and those who bought and sold.

Jesus was talking about those ran the Temple.

It was the synagogue where these who had infirmities could worship and the super religious hypocrites did not like this either.

We should understand that no one would hire a man with a crippled hand and this man would end up being nothing but a beggar.

This man did not know Jesus would stop by on this day, he had simply come to worship Jehovah and to hear someone read the Word of God.

Copies of the Bible were too expensive for regular people to get one and those who could afford them did not ever read them.

Jesus loved to preach in the synagogues, because there would be other like this man with this withered hand and Jesus would show compassion to them.

What a question to ask, is it lawful according to the Word of God to heal on the Jewish Sabbath days?

Jesus was hated so much by this religious crowd they would use anything against Him!

The Lord Jesus never showed fear to these adversaries!

Yes, the religious crowd were the greatest adversaries of the Lord!

When we go to the house of the Lord, we are to go to worship!

Everyone went to worship except these who claimed to obey all the Word of God!

They went to find fault in the people of God!

We should clearly understand this evil, wicked, religious crowd knew that Jesus had the power to heal. They acknowledged that they knew it.

These same men would drop what they were doing and go home to save one of their animals, even on a Sabbath.

Yet here stood a man who had damaged his hand in some fashion and was no longer able to provide for himself nor for his family in the House God to worship Jehovah showing his great faith.

This had gotten the attention of our Savior!

How could anyone believe that God had to keep Himself from doing good on any day, much less a day He had set aside for rest and worship.

Jesus showed no fear, and He answered this foolish question with action.

*****Mat 12:11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?

Mat 12:12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.

Mat 12:13 Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.

Jesus spoke to this crowd and said, by your own actions, you prove that it is lawful to do good on a Sabbath!

It is "faith" that is the answer to the Word of God!

We must understand that so-called religion is nothing without believers.

Jesus explained to this religious crowd that they would break their own rules to save a sheep that had fallen into a pit, no matter what day it was.

Is not a man better than a sheep? If you have the love of God in you, that answer is simple.

We should listen as Jesus preaches to these men. He took one point, to build upon it.

Jesus then said, if you are so willing to help an animal in jeopardy of their life, then the answer to your question is "it is lawful to do well on a Sabbath"!

For which, the animal or is it mankind that God shows the greatest love?

How much do we oppose God by twisting and turning His Holy Word to say what it does not say?

This thing takes place in many a Church today!

It is irresponsible to treat the Word of God in this fashion!

There are animal owners today who put the life of humans at risk, just to keep their animals safe.

There are people all over the world starving to death, some because of religious beliefs about animals.

Rituals and rules that jeopardize the lives of people, have no place in the House of God!

Jesus knew what was in the hearts of these men, and they had no compassion on this man with the withered hand, but their goal all along was to destroy Jesus.

The world today would rather destroy the only means of salvation and keep the world lost in its foolishness!

It does not take good eyes to see that this world is dying!

There are no true atheists!

Even an atheist worships himself or herself and they will fight you over their belief!

An atheist says, “I am my own god above all others”!

They do not want to hear anything that goes against their beliefs.

These Pharisee had become blind to the truth by using man-made rules to push the truth of God away.

In fact, in typology it was Israel at this time that is represented by this withered hand.

Israel was withered spiritually in this day of Jesus and refused to change.

The Lord Jesus had come to restore Israel to Jehovah and because of religion, they chose to remain cripples and are crippled even today!

Here stood the Living God with the power to heal, the power to cast out devils, the power to feed great multitudes, the power to restore sight to the blind and the power to heal lepers and these puny human beings thought they could destroy this man named Jesus, which would be impossible!

*****Mat 12:14 Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.

Mat 12:15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;

Mat 12:16 And charged them that they should not make him known:

Mat 12:17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,

Mat 12:18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.

The Lord Jesus Christ did not withdraw Himself because of fright!

The Lord Jesus the Messiah withdrew Himself to make sure everything happened just as written down in the Word of God and to fulfill all prophesies.

He did not come to "Judge" at this time, but He will return to Judge all those who reject Him.

We should never allow anger to rule our decisions at any time!

Jesus came to show His Mercy and His truth the first time He came!

Psa 85:10 Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

Psa 85:11 Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.

He will "Judge" according to the same Word of God we have today when He returns!

He asked those who He had healed to not make Him known.

Jesus wished to avoid confrontation with this super religious crowd until it was time to do so!

Jesus did not want the public to push Him forward as their King at this time.

These things will come later.

Jesus had not fulfilled the ministry He came to teach.

The plan of salvation by the Gospel was much more important than these other things!

We must humble ourselves before the Lord, and Jesus is our example of a humble servant during this first time He came!

One lesson Jesus was teaching which is still in place today is, "when they persecute you in one place then move to another place".

Eventually enough believers will be gathered together to take a stand on the Word of God.

This is what frightens the world governments today.

Guess what, it is going to happen when King Jesus returns in "judgment"!

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

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

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

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

Jesus came to do the will of the Heavenly Father, and it included His physical death, but God is Spirit, and He cannot die!

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

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

As Christians, we do not have to be concerned what God is going to do, He spells it out for us!

What we have to concern ourselves with is, are we going to be obedient Christians?

Both these things are explained precisely in the same Word of God!

Our Heavenly Father by the will of His Son, places the same Holy Spirit into everyone that He chooses, so we can have no fear of death!

It is the Holy Spirit who makes the changes necessary to become a Christian, being like Jesus Christ!

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

Amen

Open Your Ears to the Truth

 Jesus Confirmed His Kingdom

Book of Matthew Chapter 11

What is the truth, there is more effort necessary to be saved by grace than by works!

A life of faith is a life of self-denial! It is not easy, though God’s grace will prevent it being too difficult.

All the eager and enthusiastic followers of Jesus Christ must seize the kingdom and must win it as a prize of war.

In this sense, the Lord Jesus announced Himself as the Redeemer, who had come to save the world, to destroy the works of the devil, to annihilate the powers of evil, and to bring men from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light.

He reconciled men to God, gave them access to God, united them to Him as His dear children, and made His people one with God as He Himself is One with His Father.

We cannot therefore think we can just walk into Heaven without facing obstacles!

*****Mat 11:1  And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.

We know that Jesus had sent the 12 chosen disciples out to preach that the Kingdom of God is at hand.

They were to go to the Jews only at this time.

What did the Lord Jesus do at this time? He went and preached in their cities.

What was the key to the messages of the Lord?

Isa 61:1  The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 

Isa 61:2  To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 

Isa 61:3  To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. 

We know that John the Baptist was locked up in prison because he preached the truth to the government of Israel. 

To King Herod he said, it is unlawful by the Books of Moses for him to marry his brother's wife with whom he had committed adultery.

Herod had committed that sin and he locked away John the Baptist to shut his mouth.

This tactic is still in use today in many places.

What did the laws of Moses say?

Lev 18:16  Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife: it is thy brother's nakedness.

Lev 20:21  And if a man shall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing: he hath uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless.

John was locked up and later beheaded in a trap setup by a wicked woman.

The disciples of John were a bit confused because John himself was dealing with some doubts.

*****Mat 11:2  Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, 

Mat 11:3  And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? 

Most of us will go through periods of doubt so we need to keep the truth of the Scriptures close to our heart.

We could say our doubts are wavering faith, which is dangerous if allowed to continue.

John had predicted the coming of Christ just as the Old Testament Prophets had foretold so John preached.

Mat 3:11  I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 

Mat 3:12  Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

The Lord Jesus had just begun His ministry, but what our Lord was providing was a means of salvation for the entire world and most of the Jews had a real problem with this.

They wanted a king that was like the Old Testament King David and who would free them from the tyranny of Rome.

Judgment would come later, but we can also say "Judgment" begins the moment people reject the truth of God, just as eternal life begins the moment, we accept the Lord Jesus Christ.

John was seeking a more visible proof that the Lord Jesus is the Messiah.

John wanted the Lord Jesus to proclaim that He was the Messiah and the things the Lord had already done were according to the Old Testament prophets.

The message of the Lord Jesus is still salvation at this time!

Psa 118:25  Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. 

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. 

Psa 118:27  God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. 

So Jesus began to answer them.

*****Mat 11:4  Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John "again" those things which ye do hear and see: 

Mat 11:5  The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

Jesus said, go show John what you have seen and what you have heard.

We should notice that word "again". It looks like John had ask for proof more than one time.

The healing miracles that Jesus had done were impossible for man to accomplish!

The sermons that Jesus had preached, He preached with authority like no one that had come before Him in the name of the Lord.

His birth place was known by most of them!

The virgin Mary was not accepted by many of the super religious but only by true believers.

Joh 8:41  Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.

The many prophecies that had already been fulfilled by His life.

There was no doubt that Jesus was the Messiah, but none of the Jews had seen, that Jesus first came to save, and He would later return in "Judgment".

Luk 4:32  And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power. 

Joh 8:51  Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. 

Joh 12:45  And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. 

Joh 12:46  I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. 

Joh 12:47  And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 

Joh 12:48  He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. 

Joh 12:49  For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. 

Joh 12:50  And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak. 

We either accept that the Word of God is true, or we will believe the lies of this world.

The biggest problem the world has, is that word "Gospel", they just do not want to understand it.

The word gospel means, "good news" or "good tidings"!

The "Good News" of salvation.

Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 

The world simply loves "bad news". This is why most news channels are accepted because they give nothing but bad news!

The Lord Jesus Christ was fulfilling Scripture just as it was written!

People just do not want to accept the Word of God as it is written and many of those call themselves believers!

So what do they believe?

Who are those who are blessed today?

*****Mat 11:6  And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. 

All the things that the Lord Jesus had done from the time He was a babe in Bethlehem, prove that He is the Messiah!

The Lord Jesus did not just profess to be the Messiah, He proved that He is the Messiah.

Some of the Apostles struggled in their faith also, but they soon believed when the Lord Jesus walked out of that tomb as prophesied!

Joh 14:8  Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 

Joh 14:9  Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? 

Joh 14:10  Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 

Joh 14:11  Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. 

Joh 14:12  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 

The one thing, that many miss is that they struggled to believe that the Lord Jesus is the Messiah, but many more did affirm that there is truly a sovereign God.

Many today deny there is a Holy God, all the time bragging on their personal god!!!!!

Mother Earth, Earth Day, Allah, Buddha and much too many to name them all.

The Lord Jesus is exactly who He claims to be, and it would be a much better world if more people believed this fact!

I am not looking for a Messiah to come, I am looking for the Lord Jesus Christ to come again!

Joh 10:32  Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?

Why did wicked people want to murder a man that never did anything bad?

Who can figure that one out?

Jesus said take the time to read the Bible and you will see!

Joh 5:39  Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. 

Joh 5:40  And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. 

Joh 5:41  I receive not honour from men. 

Joh 5:42  But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.

If you take the time to study the Word of God, you will see that there could be no Messiah if it is not the Lord Jesus Christ.

People are waiting on a fairy tale while the truth stares them in the face!

Jesus then says, what were you looking for when you saw John the Baptist?

People were looking for the Messiah and John said it is not me, but many insisted that John could have been the Messiah.

*****Mat 11:7  And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? 

Mat 11:8  But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. 

Some people thought that John was wavering in his faith, but this is really not true.

John wanted to be sure that Jesus was the Messiah, if not then he still had much work to do.

When the Lord gives us a task to do, we are not finished with it until the Lord says we are finished with it!

John was not a wavering reed, but he was a man solid in his convictions!

John was not a man that dressed in fine clothes to impress the people, John was a man of discipline and self-denial.

John was the voice that said the true King is Coming.

John was the greatest of natural men, but not as great as the least of true believers.

John the Baptist was the last of the Prophets of days of the Law.

John came in the power of Elijah to proclaim the Lord Jesus Christ.

John was not afraid of Herod or of what Herod could do to him.

John did not preach for the applause of men nor did he weaken his sermon before the doubters.

John preached the message given to him by the Lord and he did not stop until he was beheaded and then his legacy continued as Jesus said.

John did not sway with every breeze of change as we see today in the modern church.

John stood firm on the Word of God.

John the Baptist was much more than a prophet!

John was the last of the priest in the line of Aaron and He passed that priesthood over to the Lord Jesus Christ!

*****Mat 11:9  But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. 

Mat 11:10  For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. 

We must understand that the Old Testament pointed to the coming of Jesus Christ, the true Messiah. Christ and Messiah are the same word when it comes to the Lord Jesus.

John the Baptist said: "He is here". John prophesied of the salvation that comes by accepting that the Lord Jesus is truly that Messiah.

Joh 1:29  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Joh 1:36  And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

What are we looking forward to?

Rev 22:3  And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

You see John the Baptist was himself a fulfillment of Prophecy with the job of preparing the way for the Lord and after he had done so, his ministry was complete and the world destroyed him as they did most all prophets of God, but not before they had preached the message of God!

Then the Lord Jesus bragged on John just a little bit.

***** Mat 11:11  Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a

greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 

Mat 11:12  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. 

Jesus said the John was the greatest of all-natural men, but true greatness comes only to those who are

"Born Again" into the family of God.

All those Old Testament Saints were at one time inferior to anyone who of God's saints by the work of Jesus Christ.

Gal 2:16  Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

John was perfect by the works of the Law and there were others like him and none as great as those "justified" (already Judged) by the faith in Christ Jesus.

All those who insists upon justification by the Law are still under the curse from the time of Adam!

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

These things are not so hard to understand!

The preaching of John the Baptist was the signal for all mankind to press for the mark as Paul put it.

Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Far too many reject this truth!

Jesus Christ is still calling today, but He will not continue to do so for very much longer or He will have lied to His Church!

God does not lie!

As Christians we need to take this time to seize the Kingdom of God and it is prepared for us to do so with "faith" in the works of Christ!

John preached to repent, and this part of his preaching is true today! We must repent of our evil ways and Jesus Christ is the tool of that repentance and our example to follow!

John could not preach the cross because it had not happened.

John could not preach the resurrection because it had not taken place in his lifetime.

Today it is our privilege to know the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

All the called, of God are to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, no other message has the importance of this message!

John was the last of the true prophets of God!

We now have the completed Word of God which has replaced all prophets of God.

We do not need prophets anymore!

*****Mat 11:13  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 

Mat 11:14  And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. 

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

Again the Lord Jesus says that John the Baptist was an end of an Age. The Age of the Law!

John was the bridge that connected prophecy to the fulfillment of prophecy when it comes to the Messiah!

Jesus Christ is that true Messiah, there is no other!

Heb 9:15  And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

John was that promised man that came in the power of Elijah, not Elijah but he was like Elijah.

Joh 1:21  And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. 

Joh 1:22  Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? 

Joh 1:23  He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. 

Some believe John was the resurrected Elijah, but I believe Elijah has not returned as of yet, but will be one of the two witnesses of the 7-year Tribulation Period.

John did resemble Elijah in many ways, but he says so himself that he was not Elijah.

We know that all Scripture is given to us by the Holy Spirit.

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

2Pe 1:21  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Jesus completes this passage by saying if our ears are working, we need to listen to what the Holy Spirit has to say, and this is said many more times.

If God says it one time, then it is enough, but when God repeats Himself then we had surely pay attention!

*****Mat 11:28  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 

Here is a personal invitation from the Lord Jesus Christ, the God of the Bible.

Christ pleads with those who have no other steps to take and who fill their journey is unbearable and over.

Christ pleads with those who are about to explode and cannot take any more of this world.

Christ does not mention what causes these things, because He has personally felt this kind of pressure.

Heb_4:15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Christ knows what we are going through!

You see it does not matter what we are going through, Jesus Christ is the answer to that thing!

This is a simple invitation that opens the door to great things and things that will last throughout eternity.

The solution Christ offers is rest. We can rest our weary soul when we know the Lord.

We see that Christ offers this rest only to those who want to learn from Him!

We must put some effort into knowing the Lord Jesus Christ!

We become over-burdened in this world.

We see that worldliness and carnality do not bring much pleasure and is not a lasting pleasure.

We must choose:

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

We get tired of the power of sin in our lives.

We see that earthly possessions do not last.

We see that fame is just emptiness.

We see that power is just loneliness.

We see that religion is not what it is made out to be and just full of rituals that are meaningless.

We see rules and regulations that do nothing more than rob us of our freedoms.

Life in this world causes exhaustion.

Searching for the truth, but never coming to the truth leaves us empty.

Only the Lord Jesus and help us with these things in this life and He promises a great life that will last throughout eternity.

Isa 1:18  Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 

Let us just take on the yoke of Jesus.

*****Mat 11:29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 

Mat 11:30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 

When Christ was upon this earth, He was meek and lowly, but He was not lacking in power.

God cares for those who love Him!

All the traits of God are perfect!

Yes, Jesus was meek and yes Jesus was lowly but He did not lack in power!

Jesus was perfect in in His understanding.

Jesus is perfect in His patience. (I Know this is true because He saved me!)

1Pe 5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Jesus will always offer encouragement and we must too!

Jesus, custom fits His yoke upon us, to match our problems and gives us the answer and help we truly need!

God made us so He knows how to custom fit our yoke!

To find the rest that God promises we just need to learn and labor under the leadership of our Savior and our Master!

Jesus is not a taskmaster He only requires obedience. After that, it is all downhill until we reach the Highest Hill of Heaven!

1Jn 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 

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

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

Amen

Chosen and Sent

 Jesus Sent Men on a Mission

Book of Matthew Chapter 10

Who is a disciple of Jesus Christ? 

1) They will believe His doctrine.

2) They rest upon the sacrificial works of the Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation.

3) They are full of the Holy Spirit the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

4) They will follow according to His example.

You cannot be a disciple of Jesus Christ if you reject any of these things!

There were many who followed Jesus at the first, but Jesus chose 12 specific men for His own reasons.

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

We can say that Jesus chose twelve men because there were 12 Tribes of Israel. 

At the time of Jesus the separation of the tribes of Israel did not exist in the fashion as determined by Moses.

It is the Church who will "Judge" the twelve tribes of Israel during the 1000-year reign of the Lord Jesus.

Mat 19:28  And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 

Notice men have no power before they are given power by the Lord Jesus Christ.

These men were given only the same powers that Jesus had already shown to the world!

Mat 9:35  And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Jesus considered all humans as spiritual sheep:

Mat 9:36  But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. 

Jesus also said many more would become disciples if there were enough laborers with His message:

Mat 9:37  Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; 

Mat 9:38  Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest. 

These powers were amazing powers to be given to men. 

At this time they could only preach the same message as John the Baptist except to say the Messiah had come.

1) They had power to heal all manner of sickness and disease.

2) They had power to cast out evil spirits.

If you do not have the Holy Spirit living in you, then you have an evil spirit living in you!

Then we see the names of these 12 disciples who are now called apostles.

The 12 Apostles were men specifically chosen by the Lord Jesus Christ.

We know that the traitor Judas is in this first group, but he is later replaced by the Apostle Paul, still because every Apostle had to be specifically chosen by the Lord Jesus Christ.

We know Paul, then Saul, was chosen as he traveled the Damascus Road.

There were no other apostles then nor can there ever be.

The Church is the one and only group chosen to spread the Word of God throughout the world today!

Their names:

*****Mat 10:2  Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 

Mat 10:3  Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; 

Mat 10:4  Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. 

We must understand that when the Lord Jesus allocates power to individuals, it is not about ranking it is only about His ministry.

It is not about position, it is not about wealth, it is not about fame, it is not about earthly dominion.

Those given the power of Jesus Christ are given that power to reach and help people.

The soul of man is the most important commodity to the Lord.

The power of God is to be always directed against the evilness and wickedness in this world.

It is not the power to judge, the Lord holds that power to Himself.

Jesus Christ in the flesh could only be in so many places.

The Lord Jesus taught men to carry on His work after He completed that work and returned to Heaven in all His glory.

These 12 men were not administrators, they were always just ministers.

The Church has only one Head and that Head is the Lord Jesus Christ!

It is not the Pope or any other religious leader.

Eph 5:23  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

The Church is that "body", the Body of Christ.

Israel was first called the people of God, but they rejected the Lord.

Remember, the Lord Jesus will not force Himself upon anyone. When you say leave He will leave as Jews insisted before Pilate.

Mat 27:22  Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. 

Mat 27:23  And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. 

Mat 27:24  When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. 

Mat 27:25  Then answered all the people, and said, “His blood be on us, and on our children”. 

Mat 27:26  Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. 

Why would they still believe they are God's people?

The Church is now God's chosen people!

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

It is these Apostles who taught the message given to them by the Lord Jesus, how can we reject their message?

Jer 3:15  And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. 

An apostle belongs to the One who sent them.

An apostle is commissioned to be sent out.

An apostle possesses the authority and the power of the One who sent them.

These powers were given to these 12 men and to Paul and no others.

Because these men died, then their apostleship died out.

At first these men went only to the Jews, but we must also remember, the Lord Jesus is all-knowing, and He already knew what would happen, Jesus came to die for all sinners in every land!

*****Mat 10:5  These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 

Mat 10:6  But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 

These disciples were undergoing a training program that they did not really even understand at this point.

This was a temporary mission. 

They were to go only to certain places. 

They had a specific message.

They had a specific manner in which they were to conduct themselves.

They had specific powers given under the authority of the Lord Jesus.

We should completely understand that no one is given the power to preach the Word of God unless they are called and then sent by the Almighty Living God.

Much of the problems in the Church today is because of so-called men of God were not truly called of God.

The message to the Jews was a message of repentance as John the Baptist preached. 

The difference being John preached Jesus was coming.

These 12 would preach that Jesus the Messiah was now here.

These 12 after the death of Christ and after the Holy Spirit gave them full power would preach, Jesus is coming again and their message would be to all people, in every nation, Jew, Gentile, and Samaritan alike.

Every human being will fall into one of these categories!

There were at this time many others who were following the Lord but most of them followed Him because of the miracles He had shown.

You see a ministry for the Lord is not a profession with retirement plans and salaries and all such things.

A ministry for the Lord is a commission!

Without the power of a calling to serve, you would have to serve in your own strength.

Without the power of a calling, you will try to serve with your own ideas of God's plan.

Without the power of a calling, you will always come up short in proclaiming the Gospel.

Without the power of a calling, you will always wonder if you are doing any good at all.

We find these problems in many a house of God today.

These 12 went only to Israel at this time and not to the lost world.

Only after the death of Christ and the Holy Ghost came down to these disciples at Pentecost, would their message be a true salvation message!

Rom 9:30  What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. 

Rom 9:31  But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. 

Rom 9:32  Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; 

Rom 9:33  As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 

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

We must understand that Israel will always hold a special place in God plans.

God made certain promises to Israel and He will keep those promises.

If we truly understand the plan of God for our salvation, then we should also understand once we are saved our first priority is to reach out to our family. 

These Jewish disciples were reaching out first to Jews a lesson to them for the future and a lesson for us once we come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as our own personal Savior.

We also see that those who are lost are as sheep. Sheep have to have a Shepherd to survive!

What was their message?

*****Mat 10:7  And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

They were not sent to “discuss” the Kingdom of Heaven, they were sent to preach!

They were to proclaim the Kingdom of God is at hand.

They were to preach the message that the Lord Jesus gave to them, not some message of their own.

What did God tell Jonah?

Jon 3:2  Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, "and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee".

This is another problem in the modern church. The modern Church has forgotten "to preach the message of Jesus Christ".

This is the message given to the Apostles after Pentecost when they were filled with the Holy Spirit and sent out to the World!

We are never to preach or teach our own ideas about the Gospel, we are simply to preach and teach the Gospel of salvation and then all the Word of God as it is written.

2Pe 1:20  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

These disciples preached repentance and this repentance message is forgotten today!

We have to stop our sinful ways and turn toward Jesus Christ and His ways.

We cannot say God made me the way I am and refuse to repent, this is what the meaning of being "Born Again" is all about!

We must turn from our old ways and turn to the ways of Jesus Christ!

These disciples were given other powers that are not given to the workers of Christ today.

The Jews always had to have proof.

Mat 12:39  But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

This same sign that was shown to the Jews was shown to the world!

Mat 12:40  For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 

The Lord Jesus Christ remained in a borrowed tomb for three days and three nights just as He said!

*****Mat 10:8  Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. 

These disciples were given great powers from the Lord, these powers do not exist on this world today.

These things cannot be done without the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ!

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

We should understand all powers for the ministries of Christ come by Christ!

Notice the differences in the powers given to the Church and the powers given to these disciples who were to go strictly to the Jews.

1Co 12:28  And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. 

1Co 12:29  Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? 

1Co 12:30  Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? 

1Co 12:31  But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way. 

The greatest trait we can be given from the Lord is a giving love!

1Co 13:3  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, "and have not charity", it profiteth me nothing. 

The message of Jesus Christ is nothing without "love"!

These disciples had to go to the house of Israel based upon their faith in Jesus Christ!

*****Mat 10:9  Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, 

Mat 10:10  Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.

If we place our faith in any of these things, then we cannot say we have true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Most missionaries today do not go to the field until they have established a fund of support for themselves and their families, but the Lord Jesus did not allow these 12 disciples who would become the 12 Apostles, after Paul joined them, to carry these things with them.

The only thing they had, was their faith that Jesus was the Messiah, and the Kingdom of God was surely at hand.

These disciples were not allowed to accumulate great estates through their ministry, and they were not allowed to spend their own money on the ministries of the Lord.

1) Their minds and their hearts had to be centered on the Gospel and ministering to the people. Not buying, selling, or accumulating.

2) They were to trust God to meet their needs and teach dependence upon the Lord.

3) They were to depend upon God's people to provide.

4) They were to allow God's people to be a part of the Lord's ministry by the act of giving to that ministry!

The true servant of God is worthy of our support!

These Apostles were to give full time to the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, and they could not do this without support from God's people!

*****Mat 10:11  And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. 

Mat 10:12  And when ye come into an house, salute it. 

Mat 10:13  And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. 

A worthy house would be a hospitable house. A person who was willing to entertain strangers. 

There was most always someone like this in every town, city, or village, it was in the Jewish culture.

These people would have good reputations for their hospitality to strangers and have good morals according to the Word of God.

These disciples were to stay in this home until their work was done in this area.

A worthy host would normally not be the rich nor the leading citizens of a city.

In many cases, the worthy host may not have the best accommodations, but this was not important.

God's people are never to seek more comfort and luxury over a Godfearing home!

All these things were to test the sincerity of these soon to be Apostles.

Once established they were to go house to house with the words of Christ.

Pro 18:24  A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Col 4:6  Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. 

If they were accepted into the home, then they were to share the peace of God.

If they were not accepted, then their salutation would be enough, and they would go elsewhere.

They were to say nothing else at all.

It is called being courteous no matter what that person did to you.

We are not ambassadors for Christ to make enemies!

If they reject the message of Christ, then they have rejected Christ!

These were all Jews but no matter what was served at mealtime was not to be rejected!

They were to be content with their accommodations!

If the house be worthy of it, God shall give them the peace you wish them. If not, He shall give you what they refuse. 

The same will be the case when we pray for them that are not worthy.

*****Mat 10:14  And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. 

Mat 10:15  Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. 

What is discernment? 

Mal 3:18  Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. 

As witnesses of the Lord Jesus we must discern and make "righteous" judgment, of the people we witness to.

We are not their personal judge, but we can judge according to the Word of God!

Jas 2:18  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

1Pe 2:12  Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

1) Are they kind and gracious or cold and hard?

2) Are they just shy and bashful or really not interested?

3) Are they truly receptive or just kind and gracious to everyone?

4) Are they spiritually sensitive or just interested in religious questions?

In reality, we are not to waste our time on those who will never trust the Lord.

1Th 4:8  He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit. 

How did the Apostle Paul react to these things?

Act 20:26  Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. 

Act 20:27  For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. 

Jesus put things a little harsher!

When we are rejected as witnesses for the Lord, just trying to tell someone about Jesus, the Lord Jesus says Hell will be hotter for those people.

If we consider the people of Sodom and Gomorrah to be some of the worst of all sinners, then we are thinking wrong.

Gen 13:13  But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly. 

We see many living in this lifestyle today and they will suffer in a like manner of Sodom and Gomorrah but those who have rejected the simple witness of the child of God, will find the "Judgment" of God to be even more severe!

Jud 1:7  Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. 

Sodom and Gomorrah rejected the truth of God!

Lam 4:6  For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her. 

Today those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ, reject the "Grace" of God who sent His only begotten Son to die for them.

All sin brings death of the soul and eternal damnation and eternal separation from a loving God, but to reject the Son of God brings with it an even harsher judgment!

At this time, these 12 men were witnessing to the Jews, but it will be the same for all those who reject God's Son!

The witness for Christ is just the messenger as is every true Pastor and Preacher.

Those that reject the messenger also reject the message, and that message is the salvation plan for this world.

This rejection brings the condemnation of God!

Jud 1:14  And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 

Jud 1:15  To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and "of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him".

As the messengers of God we are God's sheep, and our Shepherd is the Lord Jesus Christ.

*****Mat 10:16  Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. 

The Lord Jesus has told us we would face persecution for becoming His sheep.

Joh 15:20  Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

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

It is only the Lord Jesus Christ who can send true messengers of Heaven.

We as disciples are commissioned by the Lord Jesus Christ, and we should have great comfort in this fact because we go forth with the power of God.

The Lord Jesus is fully aware of the persecution we will face!

Persecution teaches us about God's care for us.

Persecution matures us as believers.

God sometimes uses persecution to touch the hearts of the persecutors.

We must also consider that if we are persecuted to our death, we will be in Heaven before our dead body hits the ground.

Death holds no power over God's children!

We must not be caught off guard when persecution comes.

It is almost impossible to walk upon a snake, they can feel your presence as you walk.

A snake will get out of your sight as quickly as possible.

A snake is very quiet!

A snake does not expose itself needlessly.

A snake always seeks to preserve itself.

A dove is mild and meek.

A dove bears no ill or hurt.

A dove is innocent and inoffensive.

A dove is a symbol of peace and not war.

When we have the love of God, we will act like we have the love of God!

1Co 13:4  Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 

1Co 13:5  Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 

1Co 13:6  Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 

1Co 13:7  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 

1Co 13:8  Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 

1Co 13:9  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 

1Co 13:10  But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 

There is much more to be being a witness for Jesus Christ than just walking around with a Bible in your hands!

Amen