LLISTEN, IF YOU WANT TO SEE JESUS—TO THE SAVING OF YOUR SOUL… YOU NEED TO LOOK TO THE CROSS—THAT’S WHAT JESUS WANTS YOU TO DO.
See the Son of man being glorified—see His walk to the cross—see His death – His sacrifice for you on the cross. In John 12:24, Jesus is saying that His death is a necessity, His death is for the whole world and the fruit of our salvation comes only through His death. Death is the victory—death is where salvation will come from. Connect the dots with Philippians 2:8 where we are told Jesus, “humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” (Phil. 2:8).
What Jesus did was submit to the will of the Father—laying down self—setting aside His own desire—“not My will but Your will be done” Live For This Life and Lose The life to Come. Jesus is our perfect example of one who was completely and perfectly willing to set aside His own desires, His own comfort, His own life to be in submission to the Father…
As soon as Paul began his epistle to the Galatians, he expressed concern. Marveling they were turning so soon to a different gospel – (Gal 1:6). Letting themselves be troubled by some perverting the gospel of Christ – (Gal 1:7). It is important to know the difference between the pure gospel and perverted gospels. To PREACH a different gospel is to be accursed – (Gal 1:8-9). To not obey the true gospel is to face condemnation. The Lord will: “in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9). Or, “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17).
Today we need to be just as concerned about “Perversions Of The Gospel”…
Paul wrote to the saints at Colossi (3:1), “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God… then at (3:2)… Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” Now in this lesson we look to verses 18 through 21 Paul gives us this list so that we can know being filled with the Spirit looks like: “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18). Notice that Paul begins here with “AND”. He is connecting this statement with don’t be foolish, walk with wisdom, seek the will of the Lord and make the best use of your time. To the church at Corinth Paul wrote, “9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor [b]homosexuals, nor [c]sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Cor. 6:9-10).
Of all these sins Paul chose to use being drunk here – why? Little doubt that Paul’s words were meant as encouraging Christians here—I mean you really have to “twist the scripture” to do that.
When Paul wrote of his concern to the churches in Galatia he described them as “foolish” – (Gal 3:1, 3), for seeking to be perfected by the flesh – e.g., via circumcision. Paul wondered if they had been “bewitched” – (Gal 3:1). Paul used a word (baskaino) which means “fascinate, bewitch, charmed, overpower” (Strong’s). Led astray by charming misrepresentations. Paul sought to reason with them – (Gal 3:1-5). Was not Christ clearly portrayed to them as crucified, had they not received the Spirit by the hearing of faith rather than by the works of the Law, had not the One who supplied the Spirit done so through the hearing of faith?
Is it possible today, could we face similar dangers today? Might someone “bewitch” us through false teaching? Should we not be led by spiritual reasoning (Rom. 10:17; Rom. 3:4, 4:3), rather than charming, and bewitching claims of men?
We may indeed find ourselves “Bewitched” for the Scriptures reveal there is A CLEAR AND EVER PRESENT DANGER…
The apostle now impresses upon all saints describing more of how we are to imitate God…walk in love…offering ourselves as Living Lights and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
He begins by saying, “Therefore do not be partakers with them.” (Eph. 5:7). Partakers with who? People of this world who walked in the futility of their mind, in darkness and live without God in their lives, alienated from the life of God.
Your Duty to God and Christ is to be light, (Eph. 5:8), you have been given a new identity in Christ—you are light—learn it and live it. Paul does not say that you were “in darkness”, he says you were darkness (v.8). The blood of Jesus removed your darkness and replaced it with light—the blood of Jesus washed you—made you clean—and now you are light in the Lord. Now you have a mission—you are light in the Lord and Paul commands “Walk as children of light”…
The Discipline of the Lord. Discipline as defined by the Oxford Language Dictionary is, “training people to obey rules and orders and punishing them if they do not”. From our text in Hebrews twelve and other passages we will be looking at discipline from a biblical perspective, and Lord willing we will be looking at the different ways to properly respond to God’s discipline and produce the results the please Him.
It is always my hope when I share a message that you receive encouragement and that you go from here and do good works. For over two thousand years Jesus has been standing at the right hand of the Father looking down at His church saying, “They’re looking for Me”, and one day Jesus will be sent back to take His own up to glory. We don’t know when it will be, but, ready or not Jesus is coming back.
This lesson will be about what we do know for sure through the scriptures, and how we should respond to that knowledge. . .
Truly, our God is an Awesome God, and as we consider life and all the amazing’s aspects of it. We thinking of the verse we studied in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, “13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. 14 For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.” Our God has an awesome plan for each and every one of us. We think of Him as He has set in motion the wonderous works and spiritual things.
We will be emphasizing the greatness of God in this lesson beginning in Isaiah chapter two where Isaiah has many things to say about the Messiah and His kingdom. “1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. 3 Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem”” (2:1-3). From this study we’ll hear and be learning more about the different aspects of God’s kingdom…
In this lesson we will begin in Luke chapter 2. My hope is that the things that I teach are true, and that I hold fast to the scriptures that God has provided us and that this less will provide you encouragement to go on about doing good works of Christ.
In Luke 2 41 through 52 we notice that Joseph and Mary took Jesus with them to Jerusalem to observe the Passover Feast and they lost track of Jesus on their way home. They traveled a full days journey before they discovered His absence, spent the second day going back to Jerusalem and on the third day they found Him, in the temple.
This lesson will glean from this event in the life of Joseph, Mary and Jesus…
Our focus is a simple one, yet one that I consider to be of great importance. It is necessary for every Christian’s spiritual health and well-being to possess the ability to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ as Paul wrote. Necessary because this will protect us from the evil one, the devil. Necessary because God’s word clearly teaches that what we think, makes us what we are.
“As a man thinks, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7) What we think about is crucial to who we are. Each and everyday thousands of thoughts come into our minds. Some Good, some bad. Who we are and more importantly who we become is shaped moment by moment by the thoughts we choose to let into our minds. But how can we manage to control the thoughts that enter our mind each day? What do we do with the thoughts that are not pleasing to God, and would tear us down?
As Christians every thought must be made subject, whether it be our own understanding (human reasoning) or impure thoughts. They all must be subject to God’s will for us, via His thought which is better and higher than ours as Isaiah wrote of God saying, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9). Jeremiah wrote, “O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). So, left to our own thoughts and ways, we will surely fall victim to and become captive to the devil…