Lesson 769

(Lesson 769)(09-30-13)Today's lesson is from Matthew 8:18-23;

"Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side. And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead. And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him."

This is a very short lesson but it too is a very important one. In verse 20, Jesus explained to the scribe that to follow Him would not be easy. In my opinion, Jesus said those things to make the man aware of what he was (probably unknowingly) getting himself into.

When one of Jesus' disciples said he would follow as soon as he had buried a kinsman, Jesus responded, "let the dead bury the dead".

That statement might be a bit hard to understand. I believe it means that we, as Christians, are to go about preaching the gospel of Christ, doing the things we are bound by our faith to do, and leave the things of this world to those who don't believe or to those who for whatever reason, are unable to go and teach.

The essence of the lesson is that we, as Christians, are obligated to sort out our spiritual duties from the everyday routine of life and to make those spiritual obligations a priority.

Just as Jesus promised us, if we trust him to take care of the little things of life, they will get done, leaving us open and available to do the work He has called us to do.~

Lesson 768

(Lesson 768)(09-29-13) Our lesson for today comes from Matthew 8:14-17;

"And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever. And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them. When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses."

There is something very unique about today's lesson I have never heard discussed before. It pertains to the reason Jesus healed some of these people and cast devils out of others.

In every scriptural incidence of healing there is a reason given for that healing. In the case of the leper and the servant to the centurion, previously mentioned, Jesus healed them because of the faith they had demonstrated. In today's example, Jesus healed Peter's wife, and the sick among the multitude, to fulfill a prophesy made by Isaiah.

This, in my opinion, was done to demonstrate that Jesus has the power to do what ever He chooses, whenever He chooses to do it.

He also did these things because He cared for those who were suffering. His set the perfect example of how we are to treat the weak among us. We should NEVER reject the opportunity to reach out and help those in need.
The core of the gospel of Jesus Christ is based on the two explicit commandments found in Matthew 22:37-39, "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."

By spontaneously casting out devils and healing the sick Jesus set the example for those or us who make up His Church.~

Lesson 767

(Lesson 767)(09-28-13) Our lesson today is yet another demonstration of what happens when one puts their faith in Jesus. This lesson comes from Matthew 8:5-13;

"And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour."

This lesson is very important on many levels. First, the "centurion" was a Roman soldier and the majority of Roman citizens despised Jesus and all that He stood for. Second, the faith the man expressed was even more absolute than that of the leper in yesterday's lesson. That is true in that the centurion didn't simply believe, he KNEW that all Jesus had to do was to will the healing of his servant and it would be so. Jesus said, "Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." Even God's chosen people did not have the faith that was demonstrated by the centurion.

After praising the faith of that centurion, Jesus went on to foretell the end of the Law and the "chosen" status of the Jewish people because of their lack of faith. "And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. BUT THE CHILDREN OF THE KINGDOM SHALL BE CAST INTO OUTER DARKNESS: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." It is clear that the Jews of that day had more faith in themselves as Jews than they did in God.

This lesson makes it very clear that faith in God to provide through Jesus Christ, is the answer to all our problems. From determining the destiny or our eternal souls to figuring out how to make the car payment, Faith in Jesus is ALWAYS the correct answer.

We should be as the centurion mentioned in today's lesson, we should never wonder where to find the answer, our first thought should always be, Jesus will provide.

NOTE: As these lessons progress, we will find that everything Jesus did, and promised to do, during His entire ministry, was to be accomplished by grace through faith alone.~

Lesson 766

(Lesson 766)(09-27-13) Today's lesson begins the eighth chapter of Matthew and includes verses 1-4;

"When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them."

This quote continues the lessons on the fruits of faith and how, through faith in Jesus Christ, anything can be accomplished.

It might serve us well to note that Jesus instructed the leper to follow through with his obligations under the law, "go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them." Jesus instructed the leper to do this because the Law would not be fulfilled until He had finished His sacrificial ordeal, and had ascended to the Father. The leper, spoken of in this passage, expressed his total faith in Jesus when he said, "Lord, if thou wilt, thou CANST make me clean." He didn't ask Jesus to try and see if he could heal the leprosy, he clearly said "thous canst" (you can) heal it. The action of the leper is a definite expression of that man's faith in Jesus.

This same example can be applied to Jesus' ability to remit the sins of anyone who has faith in Him that He is able.

Jesus' actions in this passage were not recorded only to demonstrate that He had the power to heal leprosy. The lesson has a twofold intent. The first is, of course, that Jesus can heal any illness and that He did indeed heal the leper. The second, and most important, is that if, as the leper demonstrated, we have FAITH in Jesus Christ, He will not only cleanse our bodies of disease, He will, because of that FAITH, also cleanse our souls of sin.

As we progress through these lessons, it will become vividly clear that all one need do to receive eternal life and to live forever in the presence of God, is to have faith in the actions of His Son that He took the sins of all those who will only believe in Him.~

Lesson 765

(Lesson 765)(09-26-13) Our lesson reference today finishes the seventh chapter of Matthew. Matthew 7:24-29;

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."

It would serve us well to remember that all the things Jesus taught in the seventh chapter of Matthew, while He was still teaching in person, was addressed explicitly to a Jewish audience. However, since the "chosen" status, that had thus far been granted exclusively to the Jews, was soon (After Jesus completed His sacrificial ordeal and ascension.) to include the believing Gentiles also, it is safe to assume that these same rules would apply to anyone who might become a part of His Church. Including those of us who make up His Church today.

I said all that because much of what Jesus taught was aimed directly at the Jewish nation, and has no bearing on the Gentiles or those of us who are under the new law of grace through faith. We will confront some of this as we continue these lessons.

Now to get to the essence of today's lesson: Jesus said the lives (houses) of those who learn His gospel and obey it, will last forever. He goes on to say that the lives (houses) of those who learn His gospel and choose to ignore it, will ultimately fail.

Did Jesus demand therefore, that we live our lives to perfection and in absolute compliance with all the rules He laid out here in Matthew chapter seven? The answer is and emphatic and lour YES!!

You might ask; Does that not contradict the idea that grace alone saves? Don't your assertion establish that the works of man/woman will indeed be the determining factor that decides his/her eternal destiny? The answer to that question is an emphatic and loud NO!!

OK then, how do we make salvation by grace fit into what Jesus taught in Matthew seven? How can a person sin and still be perfect in the eyes of God? The answer is an easy one and is explicitly explained by the Apostle Paul in Romans 4:2-8, "For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin."

Paul addressed this issue with a reference to Abraham because it was NOT the fact that Abraham started to sacrifice his son that demonstrated his love for God, it WAS the fact that Abraham had enough FAITH in God to be willing to kill his own son knowing, that no matter what he did, God would make it right in the end. Therefore, for those of us who have faith in God, that faith accomplishes all the requirements that Jesus laid out in Matthew seven. That faith also "justifies" ANY action of which a believer might be found guilty.

Being a sinner, as I am, it is a great comfort to know that those sins I commit daily are JUSTIFIED by my faith in my Lord Jesus Christ, and that those sins will NOT be charged against my eternal soul, before God.~

Lesson 764

(Lesson 764)(09-25-13) Today's lesson is taken from Matthew 7:21-23;

"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."

This lesson should be taken as a continuum of yesterday's, and should answer some of the questions that were raised by that lesson.
In my opinion, those to whom Jesus is referring in this passage, are the very souls who occupy most of the world's padded pews on Sundays.
"Christianity" (the "Church" today) for the greater part, has become an empty facade and is no longer even close to being representative of what Jesus intended.

Today's "Church" has come to be exactly what the Church of the Laodiceans had become, as Jesus so plainly describes, in Revelation 3:15-16, "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."
Sadly, today there is far more emphasis placed, and time spent, on occupying padded pews in an air conditioned building, than there is actually trying to get the good news of God's grace to the lost. Who, by the way, seldom ever show up in "church" on Sundays and Wednesdays.

There is a very distinct warning in the latter portion of today's lesson, it says, "I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

Attention should be paid to whom it is that qualifies as "ye that work eniquity". Is Jesus referring to those who use profanity? Is He talking to those who miss "church" on Sundays and Wednesdays? Is He talking to those who wake up in a bad mood and yell at their friends and family? Is He referring to those who drink alcohol? The answer is a loud and emphatic NO!! Jesus is very clearly speaking to those who imagine themselves to be model "church" members. Those whom have "prophesied" in His name! Those whom have "cast out devils" in His name! In other words, He is speaking to those who imagine themselves as having done "good works" and borne "good fruit".

It's way past time that today's Christians have a spiritual revival and rededicate ourselves to the task that Jesus laid before us. It's time that EVERY soul who proclaims to be a child of God take up the cause of Christ and loudly preach it to every soul who wants to hear it, NO MATTER where they may be found. The gospel goes nowhere when it is preached over and over to the same pairs of ears.~

Lesson 763

(Lesson 763)(09-24-13) Our lesson today comes from 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."

Let's start this lesson by defining what the term "fruits" means in this context. Strong's definition in part, (the part that most aptly applies in this context), is:

"fruit: The fruit of the trees, vines, of the fields. The fruit of one's loins, i.e. his progeny, his posterity. *That which originates or comes from something, an effect, result, work, act, deed."

The latter portion of this definition is most descriptive of the "fruit" that is referenced in today's lesson. "Fruit", as it is applied herein, refers to how an individual treats others as opposed to themselves.

The most descriptive of the above definitions is marked with an asterisk. Having said all that, it now needs to be explained what one must do in order to bear good "fruit". The answer is a simple one. In Matthew 22:26-39, when asked, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" 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."

This passage, very clearly, tells us that to be in obedience with the entire Law of Moses, (the standard of "goodness" that is generally applied today) we must only obey these two simple commandments.

What Jesus meant by this is that if we love God unconditionally, and we do every thing we do as if the affect would land squarely on our own shoulders, we would only produce good "fruit".

I don't want to mislead anyone by my reference to the Law of Moses. That law has no bearing on Christianity today, other than as an accepted standard, in that Jesus fulfilled it for those of us who have accepted God's grace, and place all our faith in Him.

Now, to get down to the crux of the lesson. It is very easy to identify the true children of God by how they interact with their fellow man/woman.

If one never drinks alcohol, never curses, never kicks the cat nor raises his/her voice, and attends church every time the doors swing, yet shows total disregard for the suffering of others that goes on around him/her, that one, according to what Jesus said, is producing evil fruit. Because, all those "good" things that one does by the standard of the law, is for that one's own gratification. His/her actions benefit no one other than themselves.

However, if one loves God above all else, curses, drinks alcohol, swats the cat occasionally, goes fishing on Sunday mornings, yet is always the first to arrive when there is someone in need, is always there when a favor is needed, and never asks for anything in return, that one is a producer of good "fruit", according to what Jesus said.

Sadly, our modern religious society has this lesson all upside down. If we, (and I say "we" because I'm also guilty of respecting people by the standards of man, and not the standards laid down by Jesus Himself,) would simply abide by the two simple rules Jesus laid out for us, what a wonderful world we would live in, and how much easier would it be to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who so desperately need to hear it.~