Lesson 1518

(Lesson 1518)(11-30-15) Matthew 7:21-29

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes."

In today' lesson, Jesus makes it perfectly clear that none of those who wrongly teach His word nor any of those who wrongly act upon His true doctrine will be a part of His heavenly kingdom.

We know that today there are hundreds of religious "faiths" who present themselves as the preachers of the gospel. We also know that that there are hundreds of those who preach distorted heresy in the name of Christianity.

It behooves the bible student to make note that there is ONLY ONE true gospel of Jesus Christ and that all of those who follow some distorted heresy will be locked out of the kingdom of God, just as Jesus said; "I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

Mankind was made imperfect by the disobedience of Adam, and remains imperfect yet today. The only means by which mankind can achieve the perfect righteousness that is required to again be restored to the presence of God is to have the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed into him/her through absolute faith in His soul redeeming life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension.~

Lesson 1517

(Lesson 1517)(11-29-15) Matthew 7:15-20

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."

This is one of the simplest lessons in the entire New Testament yet one of the most commonly disregarded by so many who call themselves Christians.

The rules of Christianity are so simple that any child can understand them, yet today there are many so called Christian denominations who have totally ignored this lesson and allowed the teachers of heresy to take over and distort the simple gospel of Jesus Christ. It is actually difficult to find a "church" that still teaches only the pure gospel of Jesus Christ.

As Jesus so plainly said in today's quote, "by their fruits ye shall know them". Therefore we, as the true children of God, should shun the practices of those who preach outrageous fallacies and seek out those who advocate for the pure gospel of Jesus Christ. That pure and simple gospel is, in essence, that the lost should put their faith in the soul redeeming sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ for remission of all sin, and then should obey the two "great" commandments that were given to us straight from the mouth of our savior. We should love our God with all that we are and we should treat all mankind as we would have them treat us.

If we teach this simple plan and if we do the simple things that are herein laid out, we will have met the demands of our God and therefore through the righteousness that is imputed into us through Jesus Christ, all our fruits will be seen as "good" fruits.

~

Lesson 1516

(Lesson 1516)(11-28-15) Matthew 7:13-14

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

Today's lesson is a simple one that is often misunderstood. Jesus said "Enter ye in at the strait gate" causing many to contend that a person is to live a perfect, sin free life in order to enter into heaven. That is not what this instruction means at all. To enter in at the "strait" gate is simply to enter through Jesus Christ, He is the "strait gate". We human individuals, without the righteousness that is imputed into us through faith in Jesus Christ, are incapable of living without sin. That fact was acknowledged by Jesus Himself in Matthew 19:17; "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." The commandments that apply to us today are the ones Jesus explicitly left for us; "And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And 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 12:29-31)~

Lesson 1515

(Lesson 1515)(11-27-15) Matthew 7:12

"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets."

Today's is a perfect example of what Christianity is all about. After a lost soul has accepted the soul saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, all that is required of that Christian is to teach the gospel of Christ and to treat those around him/her as we would have he/she treat us.~

Lesson 1514

(Lesson 1514)(11-26-15) Matthew 7:7-11

"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. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"

In today's quote Jesus promised those of us whom have accepted He loving grace, that whatever we ask of God, he will provide. Jesus compared the love of God has for His children with the love we have for our own kids. We, of course, will give our children anything they need and likewise God will provide all things for His own.~

Our American society has set aside this one day to give thanks for the year's bountiful harvest as well as the many other blessings from God's grace. I believe we should be thankful to God for all things every hour or every day.

Lesson 1513

(Lesson 1513)(11-25-15) Matthew 7:1-5

"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."

I don't think there is a lesson in the bible that more desperately needs to be taught among today's "Christians" than this one.

Herein, Jesus clearly instructed His followers (Christians) not to judge the actions of others. We must simply set an example that reflects a more perfect Christian light toward a lost world, yet today, everywhere you look there is some so called Christian group loudly condemning the actions of their neighbors while their own actions, in reality, are far more despicable before God than the actions of those they accuse.

In Romans 2:1, Paul reaffirms what Jesus said to those who condemn the actions of others; "Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things."

In Romans 2:2-3, Paul tells us who is to do the judging and what will happen to those who take it upon themselves to accuse others; "But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?"

Therefore, it behooves us to spend much more of our time cleaning up our own spiritual act while keeping ourselves out of the business of those around us.

We are to be gospel teachers, NOT gospel enforcers.~

Lesson 1512

(Lesson 1512)(11-24-15) Matthew 6:22-24

"The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

I overlooked this part of yesterday's lesson and I apologize for that. In this quote, Jesus said, in essence, that the image we project is what we truly are. If our eyes are set on evil then it is pursuant that we ourselves, will project that same evil. And, if our eyes are set only on good and desirable things, likewise, our image will project that goodness.

As Jesus said, we cannot serve to masters, we either see and do only good, through the righteousness imputed in us by Jesus Christ, or we are without the righteousness of Jesus Christ and therefore a servant evil and "mammon", Satan.

Therefore it behooves us to keep our heads up and our eyes on the glory of God through our Lord, Jesus Christ.~

Lesson 1511

(Lesson 1511)(11-23-15) Matthew 6:22-34

"The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."

Today's lesson is pretty much a continuation of yesterday's in that within it Jesus instructed us to place our faith in God and rely on Him for all the things we need.

The essence of the lesson is that if we truly believe in God we will never have need of anything else. He will provide for those of us who believe under every circumstance.~

Lesson 1510

(Lesson 1510)(11-22-15) Matthew 6:19-21

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

This lesson is aimed directly at those who strive to save up great fortunes. In this quote, Jesus made it very clear that we are not to store our wealth such that it is no benefit to anyone.

We are far better served both spiritually and physically to spread our excess wealth around so that it benefits everyone.

God has promised His people that they will want for nothing so long as they have faith enough to ask Him to provide their needs. "your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him." (Matthew 6:8 in part) "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you." (John 16:23 in part) With that promise in hand, there is never a need for a Christian to save up for that "rainy day".~

Lesson 1509

(Lesson 1509)(11-21-15) Matthew 6:16-18

"Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly."

Today's lesson tells us that if we fast or deprive ourselves for the Lord's sake, we are to do it secretly. Allowing others to know about our suffering would draw attention to ourselves and would negate the desired affect of the fast. ~

Lesson 1508

(Lesson 1508)(11-20-15) Matthew 6:14-15

"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

Today's lesson is another very short one but is nonetheless very important. As is made clear in this quote, If Christian people expect God to forgive us, we should always be faithful to forgive those who would spitefully use us or those who would do us harm.

To hold a grudge against another person allows that person to have permanent control over a part of the life of the one harboring the grudge. Therefore, it is in the best interest of all of us to, first obey the instructions of Jesus to obtain the God's forgiveness, but then also to forgive those who offend us for our own personal benefit

Lesson 1507

(Lesson 1507)(11-19-15) Matthew 6:5-13

"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. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."

Today's lesson contains another one of the most misunderstood and abused passages of scripture that is to be found anywhere in the New Testament. In today's quote, Jesus makes it glaringly clear that we are NOT to pray in public, yet in every denomination, type, or form of "church" I've ever heard of, public prayer is a part of the "worship" program. As this lesson so clearly demonstrates, to rise in the midst of a crowd and "lead" prayer stands in blatant contradiction to what Jesus directly instructed His followers to do.

The practice of public prayer gains no more for the one offering the prayer, or for those for whom the prayer is offered, than does a correctly offered private prayer. Public prayer can only draw undue attention to the person "leading" the prayer just as Jesus warned against; "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."

"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." as stated in James 5:16 in part, should be our motivation to pray only in the manner that Jesus authorized and so clearly instructed us to do in today's lesson.~

Lesson 1506

(Lesson 1506)(11-18-15) Matthew 6:1-4

"Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly."

This fourth chapter of Matthew contains some of the most misunderstood and abused lessons that are to be found anywhere in the New Testament.

Today's quote teaches us how we are to correctly do our charitable giving. It very clearly demands that any time we extend the helping hand of giving to someone in need, we are to do it is such a way that assures no one else will ever know about it.

The act of giving is a spiritually fulfilling experience for which God has promised great rewards that will also be given in secret. However, if giving is done in such a way as to publicly demonstrate the "goodness" of the giver, purely for the sake of one's own ego, in the eyes of God it is not considered giving at all.

True Christian giving should never be made known until such a time as the one who has the need might choose to reveal it.~

Lesson 1505

(Lesson 1505)(11-17-15) Matthew 5:38-48

"Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."

The first part of today's quote relates how Old Testament law required equally fitting the punishment to the crime, "eye for an eye" etc. The demands Jesus makes in the new law of faith, require even more of us than that. He said we are to replace punishments of vengeance, "eye for and eye" etc, with love and forgiveness, even in the most extreme of circumstances.

The new method is much harder for mankind to accomplish than was the old because of the inherent sin nature of humanity.

If we have been wronged, or offended, instead of lashing out at our offenders as would be the natural human way to respond, we are to give our opressors whatever they want, always treating them with the same love and respect that we desire of them.

In the last sentence of today's quote, Jesus placed a seemingly impossible demand on His followers, He said; "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."

You should make note that I said it is a "seemingly" impossible demand. It is, in fact, a very easy demand to obey. All one need do to be "perfect" before God is to accept the perfection of Jesus Christ through absolute faith in His soul cleansing sacrifice by receiving the perfect righteousness that is imputed into those of us whom have placed our faith in Him.~

Lesson 1504

(Lesson 1504)(11-16-15) Matthew 5:33-37

"Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil."

The best lesson that can be taken from today's short quote is that we are to always be honest and humble in our conversation, never swearing an oath upon God or anything else in heaven or earth. ~

Lesson 1503

(Lesson 1503)(11-15-15) Matthew 5:31-32

"It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery."

Today's lesson is a short and simple one, it establishes that there is only one reason for a married couple to be granted a divorce in the sight of God. A married couple can divorce ONLY if one or the other in a marriage union commits adultery.

In order to establish what constitutes adultery, we should think back to the earlier lesson wherein Jesus said that if we look upon someone other than our husband or wife with lust in our hearts, we are equally guilty of adultery as if we had actually made physical, sexual contact with another person. That reality very clearly relates, given the inherent sin nature of mankind, the impossibility of staying absolutely faithful to a marriage partner as faithfulness is defined in this lesson.

Again, I believe the purpose Jesus established by proposing this lesson is to demonstrate that we (All of mankind) cannot abide by the actual letter and intent of Old Testament law. I believe Jesus, by proposing this series of lessons, was demonstrating the need for His perfection which can be imputed into us all through faith in Him.~

Lesson 1502

(Lesson 1502)(11-14-15) Matthew 5:27-30

"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut if off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell."

Today's quote, much more than simply definines what constitutes adultery, it demonstrates how impossible it is for an inherently sinful human race to live up to the standards established in Old Testament law.

Today, there are many who believe that in order to commit adultery one must actually engage in sexual contact with someone other than one's own husband or wife. As we see in today's quote, that is not at all true. If anyone, with lust in his/her heart, merely looks at someone other than husband or wife, that one is just as guilty of the sin of adultery as is one who actually has physical, sexual contact.

"Thou shalt not commit adultery" is another one of the specific Ten Commandments that were given to Moses by the hand of God.

I believe that in this series of lessons, Jesus intended to demonstrate how utterly impossible it is for inherently sinful mankind to be eternally saved by obeying the letter of the Old Testament law.

I believe Jesus intended to demonstrate the need for a one-time-fits-all redeemer who could stand as an unblemished, perfect intercessor, or sacrifice, between the sinful nature of mankind and a loving, forgiving God.~

Lesson 1501

(Lesson 1501)(11-13-15) Matthew 5:21-22

"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire."

In today's quote Jesus compares the Old Testament commandment, "thou shalt not kill" to His two "great" commandments that are stated in Matthew 22:37-40; "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. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.".

The comparison determines that one who harbors anger toward his/her "brother", cannot possibly love that "neighbour" as he/she loves him/herself and therefore is equally as guilty before God as one who commits murder.

I know this may sound ridiculous to some, but it is precisely what meant to demonstrate in today's quote. Those who kill are in danger of "the judgment", equally, those who harbor anger toward a brother or sister, is in danger of "the judgment". Both offenses carry the same penalty before God, according to the words of Jesus Himself.

There are more comparisons that will further establish the truth of this analysis as these lessons progress.~

Lesson 1500

(Lesson 1500)(11-12-15) Matthew 5:21-48

"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut if off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."

Even though there are many individual lessons in today's quote, (We will begin tomorrow covering them on by one.), the full quote has one overriding lesson.

The overall point of what Jesus said herein was to establish the difference between the rules of the old law as compared to the rules of His new law of faith.

As was noted in yesterday's lesson, in order to comply with the entire intent of the old Hebrew law, one must only obey the two commandments laid out by Jesus in Matthew 22:37-40; "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. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

If we give the responsibility of our individual sins over to Jesus Christ and indeed love our neighbors as we love ourselves we will have obeyed the entirety of both the old law AND the new law set forth in today's lesson and in Matthew 22:37-40.

If, and when, a lost soul takes on the righteousness that is imputed into him/her by Jesus Christ through faith in His redeeming sacrifice, he/she presents him/herself as perfectly righteous before God. Faith equals righteousness; "For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness." (Romans 4:3) ~

Lesson 1499

(Lesson 1499)(11-11-15) Matthew 5:17-20

"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."

We should make note that today's quote was directed to the Jews who, like Jesus Himself, were still bound to obey Old testament law until it was completely fulfilled by the life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. It was not addressed to Christian people, nor was it addressed to the Gentiles.

We should also note that Jesus put a time limit on the law when He said, "one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, TILL ALL BE FULFILLED. Jesus said, in essence, that until He had completed His soul saving sacrificial ordeal and thereby fulfilled the entirety of the law, the law would remain in full affect.

This is very important because there are many today who contend that the commandments of the law still remain in effect for Christian people today, which is simply not true. Jesus made it explicitly clear that in Christian law there are only 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. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:37-40)

Again, in essence, Jesus said, for those who would accept Him and later be called Christians, the two commandments were the ONLY commandments within the new law of Christian faith.~

Lesson 1498

(Lesson 1498)(11-10-15) Matthew 5:1-16

"And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

In order to accomplish everything that God requires of us we need only place our absolute faith and trust in Jesus Christ and obey those things He laid out for us in today's quote.

Today's is such a beautiful lesson and was one of my mother's favorites~

Lesson 1497

(Lesson 1497)(11-09-15) Matthew 4:17-25

"From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him. And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan."

Today's quote relates how Jesus began to select His twelve Apostles, beginning with Peter first.It also relates how Jesus began to preach.
We should make note that the message that Jesus preached was; "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.".

Jesus' original message is very important because it is the same message that was preached by John the Baptist; "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 3:1-2). It was also the same message Jesus told His disciples to preach: "And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 10:7). That message, as we will learn in upcoming lessons, was to be preached exclusively to the Jews.

Christianity could not be taught at that time because Jesus had not completed His testament and soul saving sacrificial ordeal.~

Lesson 1496

(Lesson 1496)(11-08-15) Matthew 4:12-16

"Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up."

In today's quote, Jesus fulfilled Esaias' prophecy and presented Himself as a "great light" to all those in the region of Zabulon and Nephthalim.

Jesus offered great hope to the lost then just as he does today. All one need do is accept the cleansing power of His Holy Ghost through faith in Him

Lesson 1495

(Lesson 1495)(11-07-15) Matthew 4:1-11

"Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him."

Today's lesson demonstrates how Jesus refused the temptations that were set before Him by Satan.

There is a very important lesson in the way Jesus responded to Satan when he said "If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread." Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." That means there is much more to a Christian life than just caring for our own existence. It means that we should obey everything that God requires of us, in every way, every day of our lives.

Lesson 1494

(Lesson 1494)(11-06-15) Matthew 3:13-17

"Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

We should make note in this lesson that until Jesus completed His sacrificial mission on the cross and ascended back to heaven to be with God, the Old Testament laws of the Hebrew people were still in full effect. To violate those laws was considered a sin. Jesus, being a Jew Himself, in order to fulfill all the commandments of God, was bound to obey those laws just as were all the Jews of that day.

As today's quote affirms, Jesus came to John the Baptist for water baptism so as to fulfill the law that required Him to be ritually bathed, or cleansed before He could enter into His ultimate redeeming mission as a perfect sacrifice the sins of the world. Had Jesus not been baptized in water according to Hebrew law, he would have been a sinner because of His disobedience of the law.

Jesus was not baptized in water to become the Son of God, He was baptized in water to confirm that He IS the Son of God. That fact was confirmed when God said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."~

Lesson 1493

(Lesson 1493)(11-05-15) Matthew 3:5-12

"Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

In today's quote, John the Baptist made it vividly clear that no longer was just being a Jew, or one of "God's chosen", going to be sufficient for forgiveness of sins or as repentance before God. John, realizing that the leaders of the Sadducees and Pharisees were only there to spy on him and to hear what he was preaching, required them to actually show something of themselves and there actions that demonstrated if they had indeed brought themselves to repentance.

John said, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire'. In plain speak, John said 'I can wash you with water and clean away the "filth of the flesh" but there is One coming, far, far greater than I, who can wash away the sin that separates you from God.

Note that John clearly said that the water baptism he administered merely prepared his brethren for "repentance". John never implied that water baptism absolved anyone of their sins.

The the baptism of the Holy Ghost is the ONLY means by which the sins of mankind can, and must, be cleansed.

NOTE: In every New Testament mention, before the coming of Christ, water baptism was administered as a part of the preparation for repentance. John baptized "unto repentance" NOT for repentance.~

Lesson 1492

(Lesson 1492)(11-04-15) Matthew 3:1-4

"In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey."

Today's quote relates the coming of John the Baptist, and expresses John's precise duty to God. John was to "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." John the Baptist was simply to lay the groundwork for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, he was preparing his Jewish Kindred for the coming of Christianity.

There are many who believe, because John baptized the Jews in water, the ritual of water baptism is in some way connected to Christianity or the salvation of the eternal soul. In reality, water baptism has nothing to do with either.

Water baptism was a part of a Jewish ritual dating back to Old Testament law and was intended to prepare any Jew for entering a tabernacle or the temple for the purpose of repenting sins, praying and/or offering sacrifices. It had nothing to do with forgiveness or remission of sin.

This will be demonstrated and fully explained as these lessons progress.~

Lesson 1491

(Lesson 1491)(11-03-15) Matthew 2:13-23

"And when they were departed," (The three wise men) "behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life. And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene."

Today's lesson relates how Joseph, after being warned by an angel of God, took Jesus and Mary into Egypt to avoid the wrath of king Herod. That action fulfilled more of the Old Testament prophesies. Herod, because he had been tricked by the "wise men" ordered all the baby boys in and around Bethlehem to be killed in hopes of killing Jesus.

When Jesus, Joseph, and Mary returned to Israel, instead of returning to Bethlehem and in order to fulfill another prophesy, went instead into Galilee.~

Lesson 1490

(Lesson 1490)(11-02-15) Matthew 2:1-12

"Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way."

Today's lesson relates how king Herod began plotting to kill Jesus from the very time He was born.

The three kings of the East were careful to avoid helping Herod by slipping back to their home country by a different route.~

Lesson 1489

(Lesson 1489)(11-01-15) Matthew 1:18-25

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS."

This quote contains one of the most important lessons to be found in the entire bible in that it confirms the virgin birth of our Lord Jesus Christ as was prophesied in the Old Testament.

Had Jesus not been born to a virgin, He would have inherited the sins of Adam and therefore been no different than any other man. However, because God was His Father, he did not inherit sin but rather, was born without the burden of Adam's fall.

This lesson also confirms the coming of a perfect, sinless sacrifice for the sins of the world as was promised. Speaking of the price Jesus would pay, Isaiah said, "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth." (Isaiah 53:7)~