Lesson 1021

(Lesson 1021)(06-30-14) Luke 19:29-48

"And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither. And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him.

And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them. And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt? And they said, The Lord hath need of him. And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon.

And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way. And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves. And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him, And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him."

Today's lesson demonstrates Jesus' glorious entry into Jerusalem as was predicted by the prophet Zechariah; "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass." (Zechariah 9:9)

The middle part of today's quote foretells the utter destruction that would befall Jerusalem at the hands of the Romans, just as Jesus herein predicted.

In the final part of today's quote, Jesus chased the money changers out of the temple and began teaching there daily inciting more hatred of Him among the Scribes and chief priests who were conspiring to have Him killed.~

Lesson 1020

(Lesson 1020)(06-29-14) Luke 19:11-28

"And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities. And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury? And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him. But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me. And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem."

Today's lesson appears, to some, to be complicated and hard to understand. However, when it is studied in it's proper context, it is a pretty simple lesson concerning the faith and commitment of the children of God and the rewards that will be offered, or denied them, through life and when Jesus returns to claim His Church.

From the parable Jesus applied, the "nobleman" represents Jesus as the ruling authority over His Church. The "ten servants" represent all the members of the Church both past and present.

Just as were the original members of the Church, each of us who make up it's membership today are given an equal obligation to do the will of God, just as each of the "ten servants" were given the responsibility of a "pound".

That servant who had caused the most increase in the value of his "pound", received the greatest reward, while that servant who did a mediocre job, received half as much. Those who did nothing to increase the value of their "pound", were given nothing and what little authority they had was taken away. Those who rejected the authority of the "nobleman" were condemned to death.

If we work hard in the service of our Lord, and teach the word of God as we are commanded, we are assured a position of authority in heaven. We will gain rewards equal to the amount of work we do; "Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward." (1 Corinthians 3:8 and 14)

As is made so clear in today's lesson, if we are saved and do nothing more, to spread knowledge of the saving grace of God, than occupy the same pew in the "church house" two or three times a week, we will not only gain nothing, we will lose all we have.

Finally, if like those who rejected the authority of the "nobleman", one rejects Jesus Christ and His divine authority, that one will face eternal condemnation and the fiery wrath of God.~

Lesson 1019

(Lesson 1019)(06-28-14) Luke 19:1-10

"And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."

Today's lesson, just like most, could be directly aimed at modern "Christianity", since the behavior of most modern "Christians' exactly mimics the behavior of those claiming to be God's people who were present with Jesus as He approached Zaccheaus.

Publicans, or tax collectors, were hated among the common Jews and were considered to be among the vilest of sinners.

Zaccheaus was a publican and therefore his Jewish countrymen would not associate with him, and as is noted in today's quote, became angry when Jesus said He would join Zaccheaus for supper.

Today, if someone who professes to be a Christian is seen in the company of "sinners", instead of being praised for his/her effort, it is immediately assumed that he/she is participating in, or condoning sin.

The example Jesus set in today's quote, as well as during His entire ministry, demonstrates to us that we should go among sinners to teach the gospel. As Jesus said; "They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Mark 2:17 in part.)

There is not much to gain by preaching to those who are already saved. The good news of God's saving grace, through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, should be taken directly to those who are lost, the "sinners", wherever they are.

We, as TRUE Christian people, should never sit and wait for the lost to appear at our doorstep or in the pew next to us, we are to "go" and preach the gospel.

We must never forget that those of us whom have accepted the saving grace of God, by placing our faith in Jesus Christ, are immune to sin; "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." (1 John 3:9).

Whatever we might do, that to others appear to be sin, is "Justified"; "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."

Therefore, as we travel through this very short life, it behooves us to GO WHEREVER THE "SINNERS ARE and teach the word of God to all who are willing to listen. That is exactly what Jesus did when He dined with Zaccheaus, and it should most certainly be the way we do it as well~.

Lesson 1018

(Lesson 1018)(06-27-14) Luke 18:35-43

"And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging: And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God."

Today's lesson is the perfect example of how easy it is for one to receive eternal redemption from, and justification for, all sin.

Just as the blind man called out to Jesus to restore his sight, the lost can cry out to God through Jesus and have their eternal souls saved.

There are three qualifications for receiving eternal salvation; One must first realize that without the saving grace of God, he/she is born a sinner and is doomed to everlasting condemnation. Second, one must call out to Jesus and ask Him to intercede for his/her sins. Third, one must demonstrate absolute faith that Jesus is capable and will indeed maintain that salvation by never doubting His promise.

Once these three simple requirements are accomplished, one can live out this physical life free from the bondage of sin, and confident of everlasting life in the presence of God.

When the sins of a lost person are covered, the Holy Spirit seals our salvation through eternity. That promise is verified in Ephesians 4:30-32, "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby YE ARE SEALED UNTIL THE DAY OF REDEMPTION. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

There latter part of this quote instructs the newly saved as to how they are to conduct their selves for the rest of their carnal lives.~

Lesson 1017

(Lesson 1017)(06-26-14) Luke 18:31-34

"Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken."

In today's lesson Jesus forecasts His, soon to come torture and eventual soul saving, death, burial and resurrection.

Herein Jesus said that all the prophesies concerning to coming of the Messiah were soon to be fulfilled; "all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished."

As is apparent in the last part of the quote, the Apostles, even then, still did not understand what was about to happen. They could not possibly understand because the mystery of salvation by grace, through faith, could not be accomplished until Jesus had paid, in full, the price for remittance of all sin.

We must always remember that the old law remained in full affect for the Jewish people until Jesus had fully completed His sacrificial ordeal and ascended back to the Father in heaven. By and through the completion of His ordeal, Jesus fulfilled all the requirements of the law for all who will accept His grace.

"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved; And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 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." (Ephesians 2:4-9)~

Lesson 1016

(Lesson 1016)(06-25-14) Luke 18:18-30

"And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved? And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee. And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting."

Although it appears that today's lesson is about how being rich affects the chances of a persons salvation, actually it is not. This lesson is about faith in Jesus Christ and the benefits of that faith as it concerns both the material and spiritual wealth of those who believe.

After telling the "ruler" that he must give up all he owned in order to inherit eternal life, Jesus said; "it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."

Jesus knew the ruler, as well as most "rich" people, had more faith in his on material wealth than he did in God and would probably never give up that wealth fearing he would never get it back.

In the latter part of this lesson, after Peter said he and the others had left all and devoted themselves entirely to Him, Jesus said; "Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting."

Jesus promised that all who devoted themselves to Him, as Peter and the other Apostles had by abandoning all else while having absolute faith in God to provide, that they would have material wealth "manifold" or multiple times what they enjoyed before they surrendered themselves to Christ, and, they would have the assurance of eternal life.

The problem the "ruler" had was that he had no faith in God to restore the wealth he would have necessarily abandoned to follow Christ.

That same problem exists among many "rich" people today. Even knowing that Jesus promised to return their wealth many times over, they do not have faith enough to let go and do His will.

Jesus promised those of us who are saved, including the materially rich, that He would give us what ever we asked, so long as we ask in faith.

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." (Matthew 7:7-8)~

Lesson 1015

(Lesson 1015)(06-24-14) Luke 18:15-17

"And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein."

Todays lesson is a subtle one that is very profound in it's meaning and often misinterpreted.

When some of the people brought their children to Jesus for His blessing, the Apostles were offended that they would seemingly waste Jesus' time by bringing children when all things religious were discussed only by adult men.

Jesus, seeing an opportunity to teach a very important lesson, scolded them and said; "Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God." This meant the the Church would be made up of people who were young in the knowledge of the saving power of Jesus Christ, or the spiritually young. The actual children were only examples of the youth of His Church.

This lesson is not so much about children, in the literal sense, as it is about the ignorance of those early Christian adults concerning the new law of grace. Jesus was telling them they would have to learn the whole plan from the very beginning as a child learns about life with every step he/she takes.

The ignorance of those first members of the Church is very easily understood since the full plan of salvation could not possibly be understood until Jesus had completed His sacrificial ordeal and ascended back to heaven.Those who brought the children to Jesus were simply following Jewish the tradition of having their children blessed by a rabbi at a certain age. Jesus took advantage of the situation to teach today's lesson.

The final sentence in today's quote says; "Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein." This means that anyone attempting to mix any other religion with Christianity would be barred for entry into Christ's Church. A person must put away all other religious beliefs and isms and allow the spirit of the inner being to be as innocent as a Child as he/she accepts God's amazing grace through Jesus Christ.

Sadly, the vast majority of today's "Christianity" is a mixture of all manner of religions, including and most specifically, Roman Paganism, Hellenism and ancient Judaism.

The Catholic tradition of worshiping Mary as a coequal with Jesus and the requirement of water baptism as necessary to salvation come directly from the mixture of Judaism, Hellenism and Roman Paganism.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is the ONLY guide to eternal salvation and entry into the Church and it must be approached with the open mind of a child.~

Lesson 1014

(Lesson 1014)(06-23-14) Luke 18:9-14

"And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

In today's quote, Jesus used another parable to expose the self righteousness and hypocrisy of the Pharisees and others like them. The parable also relates how we, today's Christians, are to pray. We are to remain Humble before God in prayer just as we are to remain humble in our daily dealings with one another.

In spite of the instructions Jesus left in today's quote, as well as in other lessons from the New Testament, the vast majority of modern "Christians" still approach prayer in a manner that is totally contrary to Jesus' instructions.

The best example of how Christian people are to pray is demonstrated by Matthew's account of this same event, Matthew 6:4-7; "And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking."

In this quote, Jesus very clearly says that we are NOT to pray in public, He very directly said we are to pray in secret; "But THOU, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret" (Matthew 6:4-7).

Nothing could be made more clear than this instruction yet in every "church" I have ever attended, or heard of, someone invariable stands to "lead" public prayer in direct violation of the way Jesus told His disciples to pray.

Another admonition from the Matthew quote was that we are NOT to pray repetitiously. We are to pray for what we want ONCE, having absolute faith that God will ALWAYS hear our prayers and having absolute faith that He will hear them, so long as the answer is within His will.~

Lesson 1013

(Lesson 1013)(06-22-14) Luke 18:1-8

"And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?"

Today's lesson is about the importance of prayer and how faith plays a very important role in the outcome of prayer.

In the first part of the quoth, Jesus said; "men ought always to pray, and not to faint'. The lesson was that we should always pray for the things we need.

The parable Jesus related how a judge, who was not a believer in God, dealt with the widow who was continually badgering him to hear her case. The judge finally relented just so the widow would go away and leave him alone.

Jesus then said; "Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?" This assures us that God will always hear the prayers of His children, and that with Him, there is no need to pray over and over for the same outcome. This is confirmed by the question Jesus asked in the last sentence of the quote; "Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find FAITH on the earth?"

What is to be gleaned from the lesson is that when a child of God prays, he/she should demonstrate his/her faith by asking only once, and relying on the promise of God until our prayer is granted.

Praying over and over for the same thing demonstrates a lack of faith in God to hear our prayer, and a lack of faith that He will answer our prayer when He hears it.

God ALWAYS hears our prayers the first time, He will NEVER forget to answer them, and if the answer to our prayers are within His will, we will ALWAYS get what we pray for. "

And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you." (Luke 17:6) ~

Lesson 1012

(Lesson 1012)(06-21-14) Luke 17:26-37

"And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot's wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together."

This lesson is in reference to the circumstances that will foretell the second coming of Christ. In today's quote, Jesus gives an overall explanation of societal conditions that will be established before the time of His return. He compared the time of His return to the days of Noah when the world had become totally corrupt and sinful and had turned so far away from God so as to not be worthy of rescue.

Those same corrupt and sinful conditions caused the total destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

In today's lesson, Jesus gives us, the children of God, a forewarning of what to look for when trying to figure out the approximate time of His return.

Much of today's societal condition can be compared to those ancient days of evil, during the times of both Noah and Lot.

The very distinct outward good will intent, that is the characterization of what are true Christian people, is almost totally buried by selfishness, greed, avarice and the eternal drive to keep up with the neighbors not matter what they may be doing.

Today, it seems that immorality is the driving force behind almost everything our society does. The biblical institution of marriage has been virtually destroyed, and if the course continues will be totally destroyed within the next twenty or thirty years. Dealings between neighbors have become purely dog eat dog, with each party always doing everything he/she can to get the advantage over the other party. Even sales ads have become morally vile beyond even the typical historical sales pitch lies.

In my opinion, if ever there was a time that all the signs point to the conditions signaling the return of our Saviour, that time is today.

Therefore, it behooves those of us who are charged with the message of Jesus Christ, to redouble our efforts and teach, teach, teach! Our time is clearly short and the lost are drifting farther and farther away from us.

God provided the means by which Noah, Lot, and their families were all saved. He offers that same salvation to everyone today, all one need do is have total faith in Jesus Christ, the virgin born Son of God, the redeemer, the remitter of all sin.

Be prepared, and make sure everyone you know has the chance to prepare before it's eternally too late.~

Lesson 1011

(Lesson 1011)(06-20-14) Luke 17:20-25

"And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them. For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation."

In today's lesson, Jesus was asked when His kingdom (His Church) would come, in response, Jesus made two distinct statements, He said; "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:" and "the kingdom of God is within you."

The first statement said, in essence, the origin of His Church was not something that could be physically observed. This means that when a soul is saved, or when a person becomes a child of God, there will be no outward signs. In other words, one cannot determine whether or not a person is a child of God simply by looking at him or her.

The second statement clearly says the the "kingdom of God" is "IN YOU", referring, of course, to those who had devoted their spiritual selves to Him.

This means that one's true devotion to God, through Jesus Christ, can only be made known by the person who is a Child of God.

The bodies of the saved are the temples of God, just as Paul said in his letter to the Church at Corinth; "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (Corinthians 3:16)

Although there are many "Christian" denominations today who contend that the "Church" was not established until Pentecost, today's lesson clarifies that Christ's Church began when the first Apostle, (Peter) believed that Jesus was the Son of God and accepted Him as saviour.

Jesus told Peter; "That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."(Matthew 16:18) This also clarifies that Peter was the first member of the Church, and that Christ's Church was built from that point forward with the souls of all who would come to believe that Jesus was the Son of God and the only remitter of sin.~

Lesson 1010

(Lesson 1010)(06-19-14) Luke 17:11-19

"And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole."

Today's lesson demonstrates the extreme gratitude that was expressed by the one Samaritan after Jesus had cleansed he and his nine companions. It also demonstrates how the other nine didn't even take the time to thank Jesus for the healing.

I guess its human nature to take the good things in life for granted, I know I have been guilty. Those nine lepers, who did not turn back to thank Jesus, demonstrated the natural human arrogance toward God.

Because of the faith of our ancestors, we today are blessed to live in a nation where God has poured out more blessings than anywhere else on earth.Yet, just like the nine who ungratefully walked away from Jesus, so many demonstrate the same arrogance as those nine, and turn away from God every time the wind changes.

We should always be joyously thankful to our glorious God for every breath we breathe every minute of every hour of every day of our lives. We should be eternally grateful for the healing grace of God that has been kept sacred and brought down to us by the forbearance of the true Church and its devotion to the pure gospel of Jesus Christ.

True Christian people are the ones who are responsible to mirror the goodness of God by our constant efforts to broaden the harvest and healing of lost souls by spreading the good news of His eternal salvation.

Praise and glory be to God always for the saving and healing blood of the Lamb.~

Lesson 1009

(Lesson 1009)(06-18-14) Luke 17:5-10

"And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.

But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?

Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do."

Today's lesson is a powerful one and often ignored by modern "Christianity".

In the first part of this lesson Jesus reassured His Apostles that if they only had the faith of a grain of seed, they could do anything. Some often mistakenly accept the faith of a grain of mustard seed to be a small amount of faith. To believe that the faith of a mustard seed is small is horribly wrong. The faith of a mustard seed is an excellent example of the ultimate faith. A mustard seed can make no decisions about what happens to it. It must accept its fate by TOTAL FAITH, relying totally on God for its ability to grow into a mustard plant, or to live at all. So you see, the faith of a grain of mustard seed is no small faith.

In the last part of today's lesson Jesus warned His Apostles, and thereby us, that just doing the things that are expected of us does not justify our receiving any special attention or some kind of an award. In order to be gain favor with God, we are to go the extra mile, always reaching out to take every opportunity to do something special in our work of the Lord.

Its sad that today the vast majority of "Christians" act as if they have accomplished some great and significant work just by driving luxury cars to air conditioned "church" buildings to sit on ultra padded seats once or twice a week.

Again, I firmly believe that every child of God should be an active member in their local Church, however, there is much, much, more to being an obedient child of God than simply doing nothing but abstaining from the obviously bad.

I know I've quoted this scripture many times during the course of these lessons, but it seems to apply exactly to modern "Christians" and to the premise of this lesson.

"These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.' (Revelation 3:14-22 in part.)

When you are at work, at play, or just out about with others, just mention the loving grace of God. There are millions of people who are eager to talk about it. One need not preach, just promote the thought and let folks ask questions yourself being fully prepared to answer them.~

　

Lesson 1008

(Lesson 1008)(6-17-14) Luke 17:1-4

"Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him."

Today's is another short one. It relates to the members of Christ's Church how they are to interact with one another.

In the first part of the lesson, Jesus warns that we are to be careful not to prevent children from seeking out the gospel of Christ. We should encourage them as we would an adult.

If our brothers and sisters in Christ do harm to us, we are to approach them about it, but so long as they repent the harm and ask forgiveness we are to be faithful to ALWAYS forgive.

One of the greatest failures of our society is the inability to forgive and forget.

If someone wrongs you and you harbor a grudge toward them, so long as you hold the grudge, that person controls a part of your mind and thereby a part of your life. That spite robs one of valuable time that could be spent encouraging and teaching teaching the lost.

It is always best to do as Jesus said here in today's lesson; "Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him."~

Lesson 1007

(Lesson 1007)(06-16-14) Luke 16:19-31

"There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."

Today's lesson very clearly warns that once this life is over, as it most assuredly some day will be for all of us, there will be no second chance for the redemption of the eternal soul.

It is imperative that we recognize the urgency of reaching out to those who are lost and want to hear and accept God's saving grace through Jesus Christ.

Salvation from eternal damnation is as simple as this; "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)

"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."(Ephesians 2:8-9)

The message is an easy one. We should be preaching it to every lost soul who will listen, not just in "church" pews, but wherever they are to be found.

As is so clearly stated in the parable from today's lesson, there will be NO second chances after this life is over.~

Lesson 1006

(Lesson 1006)(06-15-14) Luke 16:18

"Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery."

Today's lesson is a very short one. Herein, Jesus relates that there are NO conditions, other than the death of the man or woman, under which a marriage can be terminated without committing adultery.

Although it is not specifically noted here, I assume the lesson is directed at both men and women.

The conditions are pretty simple and there's nothing I can add that would make them any clearer.

This lesson also appears in Matthew, and Mark.~

Lesson 1005

(Lesson 1005)(06-14-14) Luke 16:1-17

"And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore. And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail."

In today's lesson, Jesus uses another parable to define the Jewish leadership. The Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes and lawyers became, what we would refer to today, as organized crime preying on the devotion of God's chosen people.

The true commitment of those Pharisees was to the betterment of each other far more than it was to the obedience of God's commandments.

This lesson also relates to today's Christianity in that far more importance is placed on the outward appearance of the "Church" than it is on actually spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to every lost soul who wishes to hear it.

Spreading word of the saving grace of God is not, and never was, about putting on our Sunday best, every time the "church" doors swing, just to go and sit down in the same comfortably padded seat in an air conditioned building while doing the exact same things we did the last time we met a few days before.

As was stated in yesterday's lesson, real service to the purpose of Jesus Christ requires much more than that. We are to get up off our collective rear ends and actually DO something.

The "Church" has now also become, I'm sure just as the temple was in Jesus' day, a political forum where political candidates are judged according to the number of times a week they show up. It doesn't seem to really matter what the candidate actually believes, just as long as he/she don't miss a meeting.

Its beyond time that the good old gospel spirit is allowed to reenter those of us who claim to be on God's side.

Its time for us, as Jesus demanded in yesterday's quote, to put ALL worldly concerns aside and let it be widely known that we are in it to win it and that every one of us, individually, are active in the service of our Lord and devoted to the expansion and purpose of His one true Church.~

Lesson 1004

(Lesson 1004)(06-13-14) Luke Chapter 15

"Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. And he spake this parable unto them, saying, What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found."

Today's quote is the entire fifteenth chapter of Luke, and from it there is only one major lesson to be taken. That lesson demonstrates how God celebrates so much more when just one lost soul is saved, no matter where it is, than He does when hundreds of thousands of pew fillers show up every Sunday morning, following the same ritual, and hearing the same words they have heard countless times before.

Today's "Christians" are perfectly characterized by the older bother in the parable of the prodigal son.

They honestly seem to think, and have probably been taught, that doing nothing more than occupying a pew and saying a few prayers is the end of their obligation to the gospel of Christ. How sadly wrong that is.

This lesson very clearly tells us that if some effort we've made, no matter where it occurs, brings just one lost soul to repentance, God will celebrate and reward it far more than he will years of pew sitting.

"GO YE therefore, and teach all nations". One does not "Go ye" while sitting in a pew.~

Lesson 1003

(Lesson 1003)(06-12-14) Luke 14:25-35

"And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

Today's lesson is a harsh one for those who would be disciples of Christ. Jesus made it very clear that if any should decide to follow Him, they should abandon all else and devote themselves whole heartedly to the task.

There is some disagreement as to whether this lesson applies to every potential child of God, or only those who preachers of word. So far as we are capable of obeying this lesson, I believe it applies to every one of us. We should put our duty to God first in all things while being faithful to teach the gospel of Christ to every person willing to listen.

We, as "Christian" people, have strayed far away from almost every aspect of today's lesson. I fear that the warning to the angel of the Church at Laodicea is also a warning directed at today's Christianity as well. "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see." (Revelation 3:15-18)~

Lesson 1002

(Lesson 1002)(06-11-14) Luke 14:15-24

"And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper."

In today's lesson Jesus again rebuked the Jewish people and gave them warning that their chosen status had been taken away from them and granted to Gentiles.

In the parable, the "certain man" represents God, the "invited" guests represent the Jewish people, and all the last invited to the feast represented the Gentiles. (A Gentile is anyone who is not a Jew)

A thorough study of the Old Testament tells of the many times God offered forgiveness to the people of Israel for their continual disobedience. Through the pleadings of the prophets, the Israelites were given many chances to return to God's grace. Instead of begging forgiveness and returning to God they turned their back on Him just as had been prophesied from the beginning.

By applying the parable in today's lesson, Jesus told the chief of the Pharisees that His Church, after His sacrificial ordeal, would be taken from the Jews and given to all who would come to believe in Him, both Jew and Gentile.

In spite of what some would have us believe, today the Jewish people hold no special favor from God. He took away their chosen status when Jesus fulfilled the Law of Moses and instilled the new law of grace through faith.

"What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."(Romans 9:30-33)~

Lesson 1001

(Lesson 1001)(06-10-14) Luke 14:1-14

"And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him. And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go; And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? And they could not answer him again to these things. And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them, When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

Jesus, in today's quote, teaches the merits of humility to those who would be His disciples.

The penalty for the lack of humility and the reward for remaining humble are verified in the last sentence of today's quote: "For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

Sadly, there are few among today's "Christians" who take this lesson to heart. In almost every aspect of our lives, the rule seems to be that, whoever arrives first with the most gets the biggest and sweetest piece of the pie.

We have become a greedy, self indulged, people who have almost totally abandoned the very fundamental Christian principle of humility toward the weaker among us.

In many ways we have become far worse than the chief priests of the Pharisees in that we are not restricted by the laws of Moses such as they were. Whereas they were subject to some scrutiny by the law, we today are under no such scrutiny.

We should study this lesson over and over until we are assured that we fully understand it. Making sure that in every thing we do, we ALWAYS take the least possible amount from the pie of life so as to assure that there will be plenty left for those who are weaker and more in need than we.

As is promised in the very last part of today's quote: "he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

Not only does this promise apply to our lives here on earth, it equally applies to our lives throughout eternity.

Our societal position in this very short life matters very little compared to eternity. Knowing that, it behooves us all to lay the proper groundwork for that part of eternity that comes after this short life on earth, so that we may be "exhalted" in all of eternity with God in Heaven.

Before considering any of this, we should make certain that the most important groundwork of all is laid. We should make sure that our sins have been forgiven and that we are back in the presence of God through Jesus Christ. One should place his/her faith in the soul saving sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the remittance of sin, thereby assuring his/her own everlasting life. It is as simple as this; "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)

"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." (Ephesians 2:8-9)~

Lesson 1000

(Lesson 1000)(06-09-14) Luke 13:31-35

"The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee. And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."

In this quote, Jesus is warned that Herod is out to kill Him. But, instead of running away, Jesus sent a message back to Herod which in essence said, when the time should come for Him to die, it would be under God's control, just as was foretold by the prophets.

Jesus went further to mourn the many times Jerusalem and the Jewish people had turned their backs on God when He had given them so many chances for redemption.

In the final part of this lesson, Jesus again warned the Jews that, because of their blatant disobedience, God would erase their chosen standing and cause them to be on equal terms with the Gentiles; "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."

Most of "Christianity" today asserts that the Jews are still the chosen people of God, whether or the things they do are in accordance with gospel principles. New Testament text makes it vividly clear that this contention is unfounded. Paul, the Jesus' own chosen Apostle to the Gentiles, very boldly informed the Jewish leadership that their privileged days were gone, when he said: "It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles." (Acts 13:56)

Just as in today's lesson, Jesus warned the Jews many times that because of their denial and disobedience, He had come to extend the family of Abraham to include all of humanity.~

Lesson 999

(Lesson 999)(06-08-14) Luke 13:22-30

"And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last."

Today's lesson is another admonishment from Jesus to those of us who consider ourselves Children of God and members of His Church.

Jesus said; "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." The essence of this quote is that one cannot be a halfway follower of Jesus, one either goes all in, or gets out. There is NO middle ground.

Jesus demonstrated this when He, speaking of the end time, said; "Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity." This quote tells us that just knowing Jesus existed is not all that is required of those who seek His eternal salvation. Every lost soul must put away all other religious superstitions and beliefs and turn their faith totally toward Jesus Christ and His soul saving, sin remitting, sacrifice on the cross.

Jesus, in His infinite wisdom, knew that when that final judgment comes and the door to eternal heaven is closed, there will be those hypocrites, both past and present, who will make all manner of empty excuses for not taking the time to properly learn and practice His divine truth. Jesus will say to them; "depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth".

Today's lesson, as well as yesterday's, should drive home the importance of learning the truth of God's holy word. These lessons should also demonstrate the importance of actually and actively taking part in the ongoing teaching of the pure doctrine of Jesus Christ just as we were commanded to do. All the while maintaining a charitable and loving heart toward all those around us.~

Lesson 998

(Lesson 998)(06-07-14) Luke 13:18-21

"Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it. And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened."

In today's lesson, Jesus explained how His Church, beginning with that tiny group of disciples,would grow to become active worldwide.

Even though today there are many different "religious" organizations all of which claim to be the one true Church while teaching wildly differing and erroneous doctrines, most of which are in total contrast to the pure gospel of Christ, there are, all over the earth, still small groups who truly represent the pure purpose of Jesus Christ and His divine gospel.

It is the sole responsibility of each individual child of God, just as it was in Jesus' day, to make sure that the organization ("Church") to which they associate themselves is representative of the ultimate will of God. His will being, as stated by Jesus, to preach the pure undistorted gospel of Jesus Christ to every lost soul who is willing to listen, and to maintain the purity of the gospel straight from the pages of His divine word so that those who are spiritually weak can easily understand it.

We are to teach the gospel that has NOT been "interpreted" for the convenience of those who don't want to keep it in the form in which it was originally delivered by Jesus Himself.

In order to do that, we must rely on the power and presence of the Holy Spirit for understanding and guidance. Beyond that, we are to apply common sense as we carefully maintain the context of each individual bible lesson.

The Church Jesus Christ founded over two thousand years ago is still alive and thriving, just as He said it would. The charge is ours to see to it that the rest of the world can truly identify it.~

Lesson 997

(Lesson 997)(06-06-14) Luke 13:10-17

"And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him."

This lesson is a short one, but again, one that relates directly to the way today's "Christianity" is administered.
The "ruler of the synagogue", from today's quote, got angry because Jesus dared heal the infirm woman on the sabbath day. The "ruler" was far more interested in outward appearance, and maintaining the absoluteness of ritual, than he was in the welfare of his flock.

Jesus, in His infinite wisdom, quickly put the man in his place and explained why his heart was in the wrong place.

This lesson relates to today's "Christianity" in that many congregations praise only those who keep up appearances by faithfully occupying the pews every time the doors swing. I hope unwittingly, they too, just like the "ruler", are ignoring the needs of the lost souls who languish on the underbelly of society. Some of which reside within a stones throw of the "Church".

It seems today that all one need do to maintain a proper "Christian" status, is to show up for "Church" every time the doors swing and flop a few dollars in the collection plate.

I've studied the New Testament extensively and have found NO scriptural foundation for the contention that Christian people are to meet two or three times a week. As a matter of fact, there is only one passage of scripture that mentions assembling together at all; "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."(Hebrews 10:23-25) In this quote, Paul was urging the saved people of Corinth, to stay in contact with each other so as to stay motivated to go and do the footwork for the gospel. He did say that the Corinthians should stay in touch more often as the day of our Lord neared.

It is not my intention to discourage "Church" attendance, it is my Christian duty, as well as it is the duty of ALL Christians, to spread the word of God as far and wide as we can possibly spread it. I assure you, we will come in contact with far more lost souls by going where the "sinners" are, than we ever will sitting on a pew.

Just as the "ruler of the synagogue" was more about appearance than he was substance, we today are guilty of basically the exact same sin.

The following scripture is a warning, I believe, directly aimed at today's Church. "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." (Revelation 3:15-16)~

Lesson 996

(Lesson 996)(06-05-14) Luke 14:1-9

"There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down."

Today's lesson demonstrates that there are no degrees of sin, one is either guilty of sin or he/she has placed his/her faith in Jesus Christ and been eternally redeemed from it. There is no middle ground, no halfway sinner, as some today would have us believe.

Jesus made some comparisons to the people of Galilee saying, "think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." No matter how small we might consider the sin, the penalty for those without Christ is eternal death. We are all guilty of disobedience through Adam, and until that sin is atoned through acceptance of the sacrifice provided freely to us by Jesus Christ, mankind is doomed to die the eternal death.

In the latter portion of this lesson Jesus gave an example of Himself, and those He came to save, in a parable. The lost are represented by the unproductive fig tree, Jesus is the "dresser" who came to offer a way to stay alive to the doomed tree.

Until we accept God's ultimate plan of salvation, his "operations", we are all doomed to die the death. Thank God that through His grace He provided us a way out. "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) ~

Lesson 995

(Lesson 995)(06-04) Luke 12:51-58

"Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is. And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass. Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time? Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right? When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison. I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite."

In today's quote, Jesus defines the conditions of society during His time on earth as well the conditions of our present society.

There are whole blocs of people, communities and families split apart by speculation about what is the true "interpretation" of the gospel of Jesus Christ, when in truth there can be no "interpretation" of the gospel, it is what it is.

There is ONLY one truth concerning the word of God and that truth CANNOT be mis"interpreted". It can, however, be deliberately distorted and twisted so as to fool the scripturally ignorant. One might say; Who would deliberately distort the word of God and cause some lost soul to lose their eternity? The answer is Satan! He is alive today and seems to be winning over more and more souls every day.

We have a tendency, as weak sinners and because of the power of Satan, to twist God's divine word to comport with whatever best suits our on life's agenda, "interpreting"(twisting) it to mean whatever best suits our lifestyle.

One purpose of our approach through theses individual lessons is to make sure that the original intent of every detail of the Gospel of Christ is made crystal clear to all who choose to study them.

In the latter portion of today's lesson, Jesus touches on the reason why we should strive constantly to make sure that His word is kept pure for every generation.

Jesus said: "Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time? Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?"
There can be no more clear commandment that this. We are to take it upon ourselves to learn and keep the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are NEVER to rely on someone else's "interpretation" of what it means.

Through constant prayer, relying on the assistance and awesome power of the Holy Spirit of God, all things will be made clear to us, even to the weakest of us.

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

Lesson 994

(Lesson 994)(06-03-14) Luke 12:49-50

"I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I if it be already kindled? But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!

Today's lesson is a continuation of yesterday's.

When Jesus said, "I have a baptism to be baptized with", he was NOT referring to the type of water cleansing ritual as was practiced by John the Baptist. Instead, He was referring to His whole purpose here on earth, , in general, and in particular, His soul saving sacrificial ordeal, His death, burial, resurrection, and eventual ascension.

The above applications of the words baptism, and baptized, are transliterated from the same Greek word "baptizo" as was the word "baptize" that is applied in reference to the ritual washings practiced by John the Baptist; "I indeed baptize you WITH WATER unto"(Toward)" 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:" (Matthew 3:11). This means that the vast majority of times when the word "baptize", or one of it's grammatical variations is applied in the New Testament, is is in reference to something other than water as the medium into which the "baptism" is to occur.

In today's lesson, Jesus was telling His disciples that He was about to become totally cleansed by the true purpose for His coming, which was to be the sacrificial lamb for the sins of the entire world. He was about to be overtaken by death so as to rise again and conquer it as a soul redeeming mechanism for all who will place their faith in Him.

As we continue to study these New Testament lessons, some variation of the word "baptize" will appear many times. We should be very careful in making sure that we understand what is meant by its usage in every instance throughout the New Testament.

We will be careful to analyze its intent in every lesson wherein the word is contained.

Some form of water baptism is honored and practiced by every "Christian" denomination that I have ever known. Most all of them, in many instances, misrepresent the intent of the term, "baptism". ~

Lesson 993

(Lesson 993)(06-02-14) Luke 12:49-50

"I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I if it be already kindled? But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished! "

Every lesson in the New Testament is an important part of the gospel of Jesus Christ and how it is to be administered by those who make up His Church. Some lessons, such as today's, specifically clarify the intent of that gospel and when carefully studied, guarantees the original intent of the gospel of Christ will stand forever, just as He promised it would; "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." (Matthew 24:35, Mark 13:31, Luke 21:33)

Throughout ALL of, what is today considered, "Christianity", there is a common misrepresentation of the term "baptize" and of it's grammatical variations, baptism, baptized, etc.

Our English word "baptize" was transliterated from the Greek word baptizo.

Transliteration is a process by which a word from one language is replaced with a sound alike word in a different language. Transliteration does not, however, replace the original word with a word that provides the original meaning and intent.

"Baptizo" became "baptize" when the Greek 'o' was simply replaced by an English 'e'.

When a word is translated, especially a word that has become so important to New Testament study as has the word "baptize", it should have been replaced with a word, or words, from the English language that has/have the same meaning, or at least, very near the meaning of the original word.

By simply TRANSLITERATING the word "baptizo" to "baptize", a sound alike word, and not TRANSLATING it to an English word, or phrase, having the same specific meaning, those translators, whether intentionally or not, caused the meaning of the original word baptizo to be distorted in its differing intention in almost every separate application throughout the New Testament.

This applies to today's lesson in that Jesus said; "I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!" This statement, although a form of the term "baptize" is applied twice within it, has nothing at all to do with water "baptisms". Why is that important? Because the transliteration of the word baptizo was grossly insufficient to explain what Jesus meant when He applied the word twice in today's lesson. Today's example is just one of many in the New testament where the inability to determine the intent of the term baptize when each time it is applied, is causing a gross distortion of the original intent of the gospel of Jesus Christ.~
NOTE:There will be much more on this topic as these lessons progress.

Lesson 992

(Lesson 992)(06-10-14) Luke 12:41-48

"Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all? And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more."

In today's lesson, Jesus told Peter that the "wise steward" would be blessed with great authority. Jesus asked, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.".
We see, by what Jesus said, that anyone who maintains, teaches, and defends the purity of His gospel qualify as wise stewards.

We should make note that this lesson is directed specifically to those who KNOW the will of God, and also know Jesus is "Lord" of all.

In the final part of this lesson Jesus said; "that servant, which KNEW his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes." Jesus then said, speaking to those who are simply ignorant of the will of God, "he that KNEW NOT, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes."

This means that those who know the will of God, and are aware of His amazing grace, yet refuse to accept Jesus Christ and defend His gospel, will be punished far more than those who never heard it.

It behooves all Christian people to actively and always promote the true and complete gospel of Jesus Christ. To those of us who know Jesus Christ, much has been given, and so too from us, much shall be demanded.

"Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." (James 4:17)~