Lesson 826

(Lesson 826)(11-30-13) Today's lesson is taken from Matthew 20:1-16;

"For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen."

Today's lesson demonstrates that the fairness of Jesus Christ is totally different from what mankind considers fair. We are in no position to challenge what might or might not be fair in the sight of God.

Using the parable, Jesus demonstrated that no matter what amount of effort a child of God makes or does not make, or how long he/she has been in that effort, if the reward is the same for both, then we should accept it.

As Christians, we should always be thankful for the blessings received by those around us, no matter what our own condition might be.

The overriding lesson we should take form the example of Jesus is to, first place our faith in Him, and do all we can lift up the weak, and accept the chips as they fall.~

Lesson 825

(Lesson 825)(11-29-13) Today's lesson is a continuation of yesterday's and come from Matthew 19:16-30;

It is the common mistake of many bible students to confuse the rules that applied to the Jews under the law, with those rules that today apply to Christian people whom have been saved by grace through faith.

We must know that when Jesus came, was crucified, buried and rose again to ascend to the Father, the requirements to attain eternal life completely changed. No longer was a lost soul, who placed his/her faith in Jesus, separated from God because of the sin that is inherent in the flesh. Jesus fulfilled every aspect of the Law of Moses for those of us whom have believed in Him.

We, the saved, through our faith in the soul saving sacrifice of Jesus Christ, have taken on His perfect righteousness and are only seen through that righteousness by God, no matter what sin we might commit in the flesh. In simple terms, we are made perfect by the perfection of Jesus Christ.

Paul explains this far better than I can in Romans 4:4-8, "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin."

This all applies to today's lesson in that the instructions Jesus gave to the "rich young ruler", were given according to the rules of the law. If that same question were to be asked of Jesus today, the answer would be, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." (John 5:24)

The plan of salvation cannot be explained in any simpler terms.~

Lesson 824

(Lesson 824)(11-28-13) Today's lesson is taken from Matthew 19:16-30;

"And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? 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. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first."

In the above quote, the young man asked Jesus, straight out, "what good THING shall I do, that I may have eternal life?" Remember, the Jews, including the "rich young ruler", were still bound by the Law of Moses, and salvation by grace through faith could not be understood, much the less taught, until Jesus had fulfilled His divine purpose (His death, burial, resurrection and ascension.)

Jesus told the young man that he must obey all the articles of the Law and went on to tell the man that in order to be perfect, he must go and sell everything he owned and distribute the money amongst the poor. Jesus, knowing, that to perfectly fulfill the law as a mortal man, was impossible. He obviously knew the young man would never do all that was required of him under the Law and therefore presented the young man with an impossible situation.

Jesus went even further to say that (under the law) it would be impossible for a rich man to receive eternal salvation.

There are many today who propose that in order to attain and/or keep eternal salvation, we are still bound to obey the letter of the Law by living a perfect life, without sin. That contention is totally unfounded and causes millions of lost souls to remain lost because they don't understand that, unless a lost soul takes on the perfection of Jesus Christ crucified, through absolute faith in Him, there is not now, nor will there EVER be, such thing as perfection in the flesh of mankind.

This lesson will be expanded tomorrow.~

Lesson 823

(Lesson 823)(11-27-13) Today's lesson comes from Matthew 19:13-15;

"Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven."

Today's lesson, although it appears to be a short and simple one, is very important in that it paints a picture of what Christianity should reflect.

Jesus said, "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me". Then he made this, very defining statement, "for OF such is the kingdom of heaven." Jesus was saying, in essence, that His Church would be made up of those who could be as receptive and trusting as a child.This simple statement explains that the conduct of those who claim Christianity should reflect the non-judgmental innocence of children.

The Church should not reflect the biases and self-conceived attitudes that are seen among those who are outside God's amazing grace. Rather, the Church members should be as open minded and quick to forgive as a child.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are to always be innocent, forgiving and above all, charitable toward others.~

Lesson 822

(Lesson 822)(11-26-13) Our lesson for today comes from Matthew 19:9-12;

"And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery. His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it."

This lesson defines the ONLY reason given for divorce between those whom have been united in Christian marriage.

In today's quote, Jesus makes it very clear, that unless one or the other participant in a Christian marriage commits adultery, that marriage CANNOT be scripturally terminated.

There might be some who would say that because this quote specifically speaks of men divorcing women, that this rule applies only to adulterous women, and that a woman is not, under any circumstance, scripturally authorized to divorce a man. That contention is proven to be invalid by what Paul said concerning that possible distinction among Christians. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is NEITHER MALE NOR FEMALE: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."(Galatians 3:28)

Therefore, as it concerns Church sanctioned marriages, if either partner commits adultery, the other is authorized to terminate that marriage under the circumstances provided in today's quote.

In the latter portion of today's lesson, Jesus provides that there may be some who are incapable of marriage in the literal sense, seeing that, "there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake."

In essence, Jesus said that some would choose not to marry simply because they might choose not to, and that some, for whatever reason, might not be able to consummate a Christian marriage.

There will be more to learn about the rules of Christian marriage as these lessons continue.~

Lesson 821

(Lesson 821)(11-25-13) Today's lesson begins the nineteenth chapter of Matthew, verses 1-8;

"And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan; And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there. The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so."

This lesson explains several issues that confront Christian married couples today. In the beginning of today's quote, Jesus defines marriage and what it actually means to the man and woman who commit to it. The two are no longer separate people, they, through marriage, actually become one entity, in essence, they become one person. Therefore, the actions of the husband are charged also to the wife, and equally, the actions of the wife directly apply to the husband also. For example, if the man commits adultery, he has caused his wife to be an adulteress. Married couples are identified as one person before God.

The term "marriage" defines a sacred union between one man and one woman and cannot scripturally be applied to a union involving two people of the same sex.

That fact is very easily verifiable by what Jesus said in the above quote.

Herein, Jesus makes it clear that marriage is not something to be taken lightly, it is to be honored, respected and cherished among Christian people.

There is much more written about Christian marriage, and we will learn more about it as these lessons progress.~

Lesson 820

(Lesson 820)(11-24-13) Our lesson today comes from Matthew 18:21-35;

"Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses."

This lesson is a simple one. We, as Christians, are demanded to forgive over and over again.

If we are incapable of forgiving others, we cannot expect to be forgiven, either by our fellow man/woman, or by God the Father.

This lesson falls under the second of the "great" commandments. "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. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." (Matt. 22-37-37)

If we truly treat others as we expect to be treated, we will always be forgiving and ultimately forgiven.~

Lesson 819

(Lesson 819)(11-23-13) Our lesson for today comes from Matthew 18:18-20;

"Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

In this lesson, Jesus is again speaking expressly to, and about, His Church. He promised herein that whatever we do on behalf of His Church, if its done correctly, will be sanctioned before God, "Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven."

By making that statement, Jesus granted His Church authority over anything they might need to further His divine purpose.

There are some who contend that this quote grants divine authority to certain individuals, even the authority to forgive sin, (Catholic popes, bishops, priests, et al). Nothing could be further from the truth! In the first place, there is only one remitter of sin, that is the Son of God crucified. By applying the term "they" in the quote, Jesus made it very clear that in order to qualify for the divine authority to act concerning His Church, there must be at the least, two members in agreement. He said, "if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.". That means that there must be at least two members in agreement before the promise was made valid. That requirement totally nullifies the notion that any one man/woman might be authorized to act on behalf of the Church.

There is another lesson that must be taken from the above quote. Most of the worlds religions make the claim that their members are required, by some divine authority, to perpetually assemble themselves together two or three times per week.

It is true that Hebrews 10:23-25 says, "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

However, that is not a command to regularly in the same place, to the contrary, it is a command that we simply not forsake "the assembling" of ourselves together. By coming together in the same place two or three times per week, we take time away from our own divine purpose, which is to SPREAD the news of God's amazing grace through Jesus Christ crucified. That is not to preach it in the exact same spot over and over.

Jesus promised, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." We need not all be gathered together in one place to minister the gospel, if there are, even as few as two, the Lord's message can be preached. We need only to continually encourage each other and remain ever mindful of our own divine purpose.~

Lesson 818

(Lesson 818)(11-22-13) Today's lesson comes from Matthew 18:15-17;

"Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican."

This lesson is directed specifically to the members of the Church. It addresses and, if obeyed, settles, one of the most outstanding failures that can be found within today's "Christian" community.

Today, just as did the Pharisees and Sadducees of Jesus day, the vast majority of those who claim "Christianity", instead of simply teaching the amazing grace of God through Jesus Christ crucified, continually rail out against the horrible "sins of the world". Folks, the "sins of the world" are not the problem of Christian people! The "sins of the world" are God's problem! We are not responsible to change what "the world" does or does not do. We don't even have the capacity, nor the authority to even recognize whether or not much of what we condemn is truly "sin". We are to simply live our lives in a manner that is obedient to the two "great" commandments. "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.This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." (Matt. 22:37-39)

From every instruction I've been able to find within the pages of the New Testament, Christian people are to ignore the "sins" of those around us (Except within the Church) and simply separate ourselves from them.

Jesus said, "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day."(John 6:44)

We are not here to force the lost to come to Christ. We are absolutely and positively unable to "draw" the lost to Christ! Getting the lost to Christ is the job of the Father, as is clearly stated in John 6:44!

Now, getting to what today's lesson actually instructs Church members to do when they are personally offended by another member of the Church. Remember, Jesus said, "if THY BROTHER shall trespass against thee", He did not say if ANYONE trespasses against you. This lesson applies ONLY to those within the Church.

Lesson 817

(Lesson 817)(11-21-13) Today's lesson comes from Matthew 18:7-14;

"Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish."

The things Jesus said in this quote, were not directed toward the disciples of Christ, these remarks were directed toward the mass of people who had followed Him.

Jesus starts this lesson by declaring that the world is condemned because of sin, "Woe unto the world because of offences!". He then goes on the say, "woe to that MAN by whom the offence cometh!"

These first two statements are obviously in reference to Adam, and his disobedience, since sin came upon the entire world through Adam's disobedience.

In the next portion of the quote, Jesus begins talking about the danger to one who is disobedient to God and outside His saving grace, "Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire."

Jesus then makes it vividly clear that HIS "sheep" are protected by the angels in heaven, "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven."

Jesus then defines the purpose for His coming, "For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost." In this statement, Jesus makes it clear that He has come to redeem those whom are condemned by inherent sin.

The last portion of this lesson explains that a good shepherd will abandon his entire herd to save just one of his sheep that might stray away. Jesus is that "good shepherd" He gave His life for every one of us, individually, so that none would be lost. However unlike the sheep in this analogy, we have the choice to remain lost by rejecting the sacrifice that "Good Shepherd" has made for us.

The last portion of this lesson says, "Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish."

"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 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." (John 3:17-18)~

Lesson 816

(Lesson 816)(11-20-13) Our lesson for today comes from Matthew 18:1-6;

"At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea."

This lesson is very often misunderstood, distorted, and therefore, wrongfully taught.

Even though Jesus sat a child upon His knee and drew an analogy to him/her, His lesson was not about very young people, it was about adults who might seek recognition within His kingdom. Remember, the lesson started with this question," Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"(The Church) Note also that Jesus said, "be converted, and become AS little children". Jesus did NOT say that children, in the literal sense, would be the "greatest" in heaven, He was clearly referring to adults who must BECOME AS, or LIKE children in the sense that their minds should be made clear as if they had never learned of the old law and tradition.

In essence, one who wishes recognition in the Church, should devote themselves entirely to Jesus Christ. They must totally abandon all other restrictions or concepts.

This lesson leaves no space for the false doctrines of water "baptisms" or "good works". One seeking recognition in the kingdom of God must devote themselves wholly to the doctrine of Jesus Christ crucified, period.

In the last portion of this lesson, Jesus turned His to the child on His knee and said, "But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea."

It is clear that Jesus had reverted His attention to the literal child sitting on His knee, when He made that last statement because He used the term "these" clearly identifying literal children as the subject of the last statement.~

Lesson 815

(Lesson 815)(11-18-13) Our lesson for today comes from Matthew 17:22-27;

"And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry. And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee."

In the first part of the quote, Jesus explains, to His Apostles, how He must be taken into the hands to the Jewish authority and be eventually crucified, fulfilling His sacrificial promise.

When Jesus came to Capernaum, His own land, a place where He was well known. He was asked to pay tribute (taxes) as if He were a stranger.

After explaining to Peter why they shouldn't be required to pay taxes, Jesus, to keep from offending the the people of Capernaum, ordered Peter to take a coin from a fishes mouth and pay the taxes on their behalf.
This lesson is yet another example of how the people who should have loved Jesus the most, The ones whom had witnessed all manner of miracles performed by Jesus, rejected Him altogether and counted Him as a stranger among them.

Although Jesus is one of the few most widely known men to have ever lived, there are billions who still reject Him.~

Lesson 814

(Lesson 814)(11-17-13) Today's lesson comes from Matthew 17:14-21;

"And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting."

In the first part of this lesson, Jesus scolds His Apostles for their lack of faith because they had failed to cleanse the child of his demon.

Jesus then went on to say, "If ye have faith AS a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."

Take note, Jesus did not say, if you have faith the SIZE of a mustard seed, He said if you have the faith AS, or OF a grain of mustard seed.

I did for years, and there are many who do still, wrongfully believe Jesus was saying that we can accomplish anything with just a tiny bit of faith. That is absolutely untrue, and is the WRONG lesson to take away from this statement.

The mustard seed has absolutely nothing to do with its destiny, therefore, the faith of a grain of mustard seed is the ultimate faith. In order for us to move a mountain, or accomplish anything by faith, that faith must indeed be absolute and infinite just AS the faith of the mustard seed.

We must exercise that same absolute faith before our sins will be eternally remitted! We must abandon all responsibility for any part in our salvation, and absolutely believe that the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the ONLY thing that saves us.

We can not place any tiny part of our faith in some "good" works we might eventually do, or on a water immersion (baptism). We must be ABSOLUTELY reliant on what Jesus did as He crucified as a sacrificed for our sins. Jesus paid the ENTIRE price, if we BELIEVE in Him, there is NOTHING left to owed.

So, YES! If we have the faith AS a grain of mustard seed, and command a mountain to move, it will move!

We should all pray that God will grant us that faith, and then we should exercise it.~

Lesson 813

(Lesson 813)(11-16-13) Our lesson today comes from Matthew 17:1-13;

"And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead. And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist."

In this lesson, Jesus meets with Elias (Elijah) and Moses on the mountain, and was again confirmed by God, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased ".

Elijah, Moses and John the Baptist, were three of the most prominent and devout followers of God to be found in anywhere in bible history. When John the Baptist came, he was believed to be Elias returned from the dead.

What we should take away from this lesson is the fact that God again confirmed Jesus as His Son, and also confirmed that everything Jesus had done was pleasing to Him. This recognition qualified Jesus as the promised Messiah, the savior and redeemer of all who will place their faith in Him.

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10-9)

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 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." (John 3:14-18)

It's pretty simple, if you realize that you're lost without God, simply "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." (Acts 16:31 in part)

Lesson 812

(Lesson 812)(11-15-13) Today's lesson comes from Matthew 16:24-28;

"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom."

In this lesson, Jesus relates to His disciples the things that will be required of those among them who would choose to take on the duties of an Apostle.

He said, in essence, that in every thing they would do, His cause must come first. They would be required to abandon their own lives, altogether, and take up His purpose.
This was, more or less, their last chance to get in, or get out.

Jesus made the promise that some among those disciples would be present when He made His glorious return from the grave to reunite with His Church in the Spirit.

There are some who believe that when Jesus said, "There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.", He meant that some of the Apostles would still be living when Jesus returns to redeem us all to heaven, I disagree with that assessment.

Seeing that only eleven of the original twelve were present when Jesus returned to them as the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, I believe this reference was made because Judas would not be among them when He completed His sacrificial ordeal and again met with them as Himself in the Spirit.

Another concept of this lesson provides that Jesus demands absolute faith from those of us who have trusted Him with our eternal salvation. We must take ourselves completely out of the picture and trust Jesus to present us before God the Father as wholly righteous and perfect in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.~

Lesson 811

(Lesson 811)(11-14-13)For today's lesson, we go to Matthew 16:21-23;

"From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."

This lesson is a partial continuation of yesterday's lesson in that it covers Jesus' response to Peter when Peter challenged His divine mission, His death, burial, and resurrection.

Papal authority, the principal tenet of Roman Catholicism, as well as many of its spinoff sects, is based on what Jesus said to Peter in yesterday's quote, "That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church". That tenet was/is, were it not for the fact that it has caused the condemnation of millions of souls, laughable. Jesus would NEVER have given the "keys to the kingdom" to Peter, then immediately refer to him as "Satan" and tell him, "thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."

No person that Jesus saw as representative of Satan, and who cared more for the principals of mankind than than he did the purpose and principles of God, would have EVER been appointed "The father of the Church"!~

Lesson 810

(Lesson 810)(11-13-13) Todays lesson comes from Matthew 16:13-20;

"When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ."

The essence of today's lesson is that Jesus was identified as the Messiah, the Son of God.

The second portion of this text designates the twelve Apostles as the charter members of the Church. Peter was specifically named as the first of these.

There are millions of people today (The whole of Roman Catholicism, and its many spin-offs.) who contend that Jesus intended that Peter be the head of His Church, the undisputed leader.

That is a horribly distorted view of what Jesus actually said, and intended.

First; Jesus said "thou are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church". That statement simply means that the Church started with Peter as its first member. When Jesus said "upon this rock I will BUILD My Church", he meant that beginning with Peter, the membership would grow (build) in numbers.

Jesus also said, speaking of His Church, "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." This meant that His Church would last forever, and that it would stand eternally against all challenges.

Jesus went further to say "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Again, there are those millions who wrongly believe this statement was made directly to Peter, and gave him ultimate authority over the Church, even the power to forgive sin.

That contention is absolute heresy and easily confirmed as such by what Jesus said to Peter shortly after establishing him as the first member of the Church. When Peter challenged Jesus about His upcoming sacrificial ordeal, "Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."
It is absolutely ludicrous to believe that Jesus would give Peter ultimate authority over His Church and then within minutes, and as a part of the same conversation, refer to him as Satan, "Get thee behind me, Satan:"
Further, after Jesus said, "thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.", to believe He would grant the power to Peter to forgive sin, is a stretch that should be impossible for anyone to comprehend.

It is clear, with just the slightest depth of thought, that the powers mentioned in this lesson, " And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.", were granted to the Church membership as a body, and NOT to any individual within it.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, those who have accepted the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for remission of sin, hold the power to do all manner of miraculous things through prayer, including even the possibility of persuading God to convict the hearts of the lost. But to assume that a mortal man has the power to remit sins denies the very purpose for the coming and soul saving sacrifice of Christ Jesus. ~

Lesson 809

(Lesson 809)(11-12-13) Today's lesson comes from Matthew 16:5-12;

"And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees."

This should be a very powerful lesson to those who claim to be Christians today, yet still hang on to the "leaven" of the Pharisees and Sadducees, who believed that one must strictly adhere to the law to be saved.

There are many who refuse to preach the saving grace of God as being free, and in simple form as it was prescribed by Jesus Himself and subsequently preached by His Apostles.

They insist on adding the "leaven" of the Pharisees and Sadducees by placing all manner of unnecessary obstacles in the path to eternal salvation.

To receive the promise of eternal salvation one must ONLY do what Paul so plainly told the prison keeper when asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."
Paul did NOT tell that man to go and confess all his sins to some other sinner! Paul did NOT tell that man to go immerse himself in water! Paul did NOT require the man to never sin again. Paul said "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou SHALT be saved, period!

Jesus said, "Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." (John 10:7-11)

If a lost person simply gives him/herself over to the saving grace of God through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus, the Son of God, he/she IS at that moment saved, and has become one of the sheep for which Christ died. There are NO other requirements.
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Eph. 2:8-9)~

Lesson 808

(Lesson 808)(11-11-13) Today's lesson comes from Matthew 15:39 through Matthew 16:4;

"And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala, The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed."

This is basically the same text that provided the lesson for Oct. 27. Jesus blasted the Pharisees and Sadducees (The leadership of the Jewish sects.), for their lack of faith in Him, then told them that the only sign they would receive was the example of Jonas, wherein Jonah refused to go to and warn the Ninevites, as God had commanded him, and subsequently was punished by his three day ordeal in the belly of a large fish. After the great fish vomited Jonah up on the beach, he traveled to Nineveh and warned them of God's impending wrath, causing some in the city to repent whereby the whole city was spared from total destruction.
Just as Jonas spent three days in the belly of the fish before going to Nineveh, Jesus knew that there could be no understanding of His ministry and Testament until He had fully accomplished it by completing His three day ordeal, His death, burial, and resurrection.

Jesus also called those Pharisees and Sadducees "hypocrites" because they were capable of comprehending the changes in the weather, but were incapable, or better put, unwilling, to accept the great change that would be caused by the coming of the Messiah and the new law of grace through faith.

Just as Jonah warned the Ninevites and Jesus warned the Jews, God's word is warning us today of His impending wrath. The time to act is now.

All that is required to achieve eternal salvation is to accept Jesus Christ as who He really is, The Son of God, and believe that He, through His death, burial, and resurrection, took all sin, including yours and mine, to the grave and left them there. ~

Lesson 807

(Lesson 807)(11-10-13) Today's lesson comes from Matthew 15:29-38;

"And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there. And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them: Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel. Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude? And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children."

This is yet another example of the compassion of Jesus as He tirelessly healed all manner of afflicted people. He also performed another great miracle by feeding thousands of people with only seven loaves of bread and a few small fishes.

As we continue to study the testament of Jesus, we will learn that His entire ministry was founded upon love and compassion for others.

When Jesus was asked which of the commandments was greatest, He said "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." Mark 12:30-31
The second of these greatest commandments is to "LOVE THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF." If we all would obey these two commandments, what a wonderful world this would be.~

Lesson 806

(Lesson 806)(11-09-13) Today's lesson comes from Matthew 15:21-28;

"Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour."

This text demonstrates how Jesus extended His saving grace to the Gentiles.

Jesus told the canaanite woman, in essence, that He was only sent to save the Jews, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." He also said, "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs." (Referring to the Gentiles) However when the woman made the point that there were many among the Gentiles who also believed in Him, ("Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."), Jesus said, "O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt."

Even though the woman was a hated Gentile and considered by the Jews to be unclean, because she openly expressed her faith in Jesus as the Son of God, He had compassion on her and granted her prayer.

Jesus is a savior to all who will call on Him. Acts 2:20-21, "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

No matter who you are, or what you have been, if you call on Jesus and place your faith in Him, and not yourself, you will have a place with Him in heaven.~

Lesson 805

(Lesson 805)(11-08-13) Today's lesson is taken from Matthew 15:1-20;

"Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable. And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man."

There is a profound meaning in today's lesson that the casual bible reader may, and many of today's "bible scholars" do, overlook.

Jesus explains that those things we might do that appear to be "sins", to those who would take it upon themselves to judge us, (many of those things that are listed as "don't dos" by today's society), are not sins at all.

Jesus made it clear that unless the "sin" is committed with an evil intent in the heart, there is no sin. Simply put, where there is no harm done, there is no sin.

The disciples eating without washing their hands, meant nothing because it couldn't possibly cause harm to anyone other than the person who was doing the eating.

The Pharisees who gave the appearance of being offended by those disciples, were guilty of the actual sin of hypocrisy by judging those disciples out of an impure heart.

In Matthew 7:3 Jesus said, "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?"

Those Pharisees were guilty of just such a judgment.

Acts 13:38-39 says, "Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses."

Not only are we not to judge those around us, we are to forgive even those things we, ourselves, might perceive as "sin".

Jesus preached "forgiveness", NOT judgment.~

Lesson 804

(Lesson 804)(11-07-13) Our lesson today comes from Matthew 14:22-36;

"And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God. And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret. And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased; And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole."

How we should overcome the problems caused by the weakness of faith apparent in today's Christianity, is perfectly demonstrated by Peter's actions in this lesson.

When Peter stepped down out of that ship, his faith appeared to be great enough to carry him across the water to meet Jesus. However, when the winds came, the weakness of his faith was made apparent, and Peter began to sink. When Peter realized he could not do the thing by himself, he called out to Jesus for help.

Today, when many of those who refer to themselves as Christians, are confronted with challenging circumstances that might hamper their duty to "go ye therefore, and teach" they comfort themselves by deciding that, for whatever reason, they just can't do it and rely on someone else to do it for them.

That is the absolute WRONG way for a Christian to respond to the challenges that confront them. When something happens that might cause us to veer away from our Christian duty, we should cry out for help Just as Peter did. God in His infinite power and through His promise to those of us who place our faith in the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, will ALWAYS extend a helping hand.

The lesson is that, even when our faith weakens, God is still there to help.~

Lesson 803

(Lesson 803)(11-06-13) Today's lesson comes from Matthew 14:14-21;

"And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals. But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. He said, Bring them hither to me. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children."

Today's lesson relates the miracle of the loaves and fishes wherein Jesus took five loaves of bread and two fishes and fed five thousand souls.

This is a great lesson about Christian charity. Although Jesus' disciples had some small amount of compassion for the multitude, and had asked Jesus to send them away so that they might find food, they didn't even consider simply sharing what they had.

Much like the response would be from many today, regarding the needs of those around them, the first thoughts of the Apostles were to send the crowd away to fend for themselves. Jesus, out of a genuinely compassionate and generous heart, told His disciples to give away their own food, knowing, as His disciples should have also known, that God would inevitably provide ample food for everyone.

There are many so-called Christians today, who, for whatever reason, will attempt to justify their own greed and ignore the needs of those around them, by using the excuse that they only have enough for themselves. That lame excuse totally disregards the promise that if one gives of his/her own, out of Christian love and compassion, the gift will be returned to the giver many times over.
We are blessed to live in a country with enough wealth to feed the world ten times over, and have many, many baskets of food left over.~

Lesson 802

(Lesson 802)(11-05-13) Today's lesson comes from Matthew 14:1-13;

"At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus, And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him. For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife. For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her. And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod. Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger. And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her. And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother. And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus. When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities."

When Herod heard of the miracles Jesus had performed, he first thought John the Baptist had come back from the dead.

This lesson relates how, prior to hearing about Jesus, Herod, being overcome by lust, had had John the Baptist be-headed because of a whimsical request from Salome, his brother's daughter.

This text also demonstrates how easily human lust can cause totally irrational behavior. Herod knew that John the baptist was a prophet of God. He knew that the Jewish people held John in very high esteem. He knew also that if and when he had John killed, the Jewish people would probably rise up in anger causing all manner of political problems for him, yet knowing all this, he had John killed to fulfill a silly promise he had made simply out of lust for his own niece.~

Lesson 801

(Lesson 801)(11-04-13) Today's lesson comes from Matthew 13:54-58;

"And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief."

This lesson very clearly reflects one of the ironic realities of human society. Though one of us might go away and do great things, and be recognized all over the rest of the world as an authority in some field, most of the folks back home will still recognize us as just ole Joe or Judy, from down the street and will be unwilling to accept us for the things we might have done.

Those who occupied Jesus' homeland, even after hearing of all the amazing miracles He had performed, refused to accept Him as the Messiah. They denied Him simply because they had known Him and His family, and could only recognize Him as just that kid from down the street.

Within today's quoted text there is a great lesson on faith in that it seems to be far easier for many of today's, so-called, Christians to place their faith in what some bible scholar might determine the bibles says as opposed to what the bible actually says.

If anyone genuinely and prayerfully seeks to fully understand God's word, that person WILL, beyond any shadow of a doubt, understand it. No one needs the input of a "bible scholar" to understand the gospel of Jesus Christ.

To understand the Word of God, you must devote the time to study it. Then if you have problems understanding parts of it, there is nothing better to do than pray for help from the ONLY true authority, the Holy Spirit.~

Lesson 800

(Lesson 800)(11-03-13) Our lesson today comes from Matthew 13:33-53;

"Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old. And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence."

In today's lesson, Jesus explains that He spoke to the crowd in parables so as to fulfill a prophesy. The parable of "the tares" foretold the end of time when Jesus returns to call out those who would reject Him (the tares) and cast them into a "furnace of fire", leaving only the righteous to "shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father." He explains how, in the end, it will be His angels who come to pull up the "tares" from among the "good fruit".

In the latter portion of this lesson, Jesus goes further relating short parables that describe His kingdom. The "treasure in the field" parable describes how when some discover the amazing grace of God, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, they abandon all else and follow the gospel of Christ.

The parable of the "leaven" explains how the work of a very few can influence whole groups.

The parable of the "fishes" explains how their will be many gathered together in the end, but only the good "fishes" (the righteous) will be kept while the unwanted fish will be "cast away".

NOTE: At this point it should be explained how we achieve the "righteousness" that is required to be among those who are left to "shine forth as the sun in the presence of the Father".
Jesus said, "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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 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." John 3:16-18

We can only achieve perfect righteousness by having the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed into us through faith in Him, "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin." Romans 4:4-8~

Lesson 799

(Lesson 799) (11-02-13) Our lesson today, comes from Matthew, 13;31-32;

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

Today's lesson is a very short one, but nonetheless very important. The "mustard seed" spoken of in this parable is represented by Jesus and His twelve Apostles. The seed and root of what would become His Church. By using the parable, Jesus made the point that through this small group of men, His church would blossom into a giant tree whose branches would be represented by thousands of local Churches worldwide.

NOTE: This significance of a mustard seed comparison will appear and be further discussed later in these lessons.

Lesson 798

(Lesson 798)(11-01-13) Today's lesson is taken from Matthew 13:24-30;

"Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn."

Every lesson in the New Testament is very important, however, today's lesson applies more aptly to today's religious situation than most.
By the use of the parable (analogy), Jesus explained how the membership of His Church, "the good fruit", would have to maintain themselves along side members of those claiming to be "churches" but who would teach false doctrines, "the tares" (weeds).

Our country, and indeed a great part of the world, is dotted with groups who claim to be "Christian" Churches yet are guilty of teaching all manner of heretical doctrines that stand in total contrast to the pure gospel of Jesus Christ.s from the good fruit plants.

With this parable, Jesus perfectly pictured the religious landscape today. His Church still exists, but one must be careful to discern the good fruit from the weeds. ~