I often wonder about the many people over the years who have not obeyed the gospel of Christ. I know that mostly, it is due to two things. First, most have a “Christian View” that is based upon what they have been taught by the plethora of false teachers, who only teach what they’ve been taught, that is to say, too few people actually are truly taught by God thus haven’t heard and learned from the Father, thus they can’t come in truth to Jesus (John 6:45). Secondly, this results in not having accurate (Acts 18:24-26) knowledge of Jesus and the many “gifts” one can receive through Him, and most importantly, through faith and obedience to His teaching, and I quote, “nothing else”. In this lesson we’ll consider three truths about the Lord that if people could receive, they would certainly obey Him. What are the gifts? “The World”, “The Word”, and “The Power to become children of God / Salvation”…

First coined by the philosopher Aristotle, “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. This phrase is aptly defined the modern concept of Synergy. Definition: “the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.” What does this mean to us brethren? “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor” (Eccl. 4:9). Better because together we can produce much more for the kingdom working together than separately. What great things the Lord’s church can accomplish as a family, working together in His kingdom.

When Abraham’s son Isaac asked, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the [a]lamb for a burnt offering?” (Gen.22:7). Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering” (Gen. 22:8). Truth is, God has been providing for all His creation since it came into being. He “sees”, from the beginning to the end of all things, therefore He knows of all your needs. Often times God provides for us in such small ways that we don’t even see it. But, this is true, that if God didn’t provide, we would all cease to exist.  The most important of all God’s provisions is Jesus Christ His Son. Jesus is our “Ram in the Thicket”, our Lamb, our sacrifice and our way out of troubles, our way out of certain and eternal spiritual death. 

We sing a song titled, “Won’t it be wonderful there” which listed three amazing thoughts about what it will be like in eternity with God and our Lord Jesus. To be with “the Savior we enter the glory-land”, and  “walking and talking with Christ the Supernal One”. “There where the tempest will never be sweeping us”, won’t it be wonderful there? In this lesson we look at two things. First, to apply scripture and give light to all three of these wonderful thoughts.  Secondly, we’ll look at “Four Last Things”, that must take place before anyone can be in that wonderful place. They are, “Death”, “Judgement”, “Hell” for some, and “Heaven” for the few.

Paul in no stranger to prayer, saying pray without ceasing, I pray for you always, I thank my God in prayer for you all, and “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be…” (Col. 1:9a). We all should pray often, and we all can learn from the apostles prayer some things that we may be.

How often do we actually STOP and consider where we are in life, what we’ve accumulated and who is ultimately behind us? God, who created everything including man, did so because of His unfathomable love for us. God, who can created anything from nothing, doesn’t need anything. But He does want something. He wants you! Considering the earth and all of creation David writes, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him?” (Psalm 8:4). Fact is I am nothing (Isaiah 64:6), and that makes it all the amazing that God wants me. Let’s explore in this lesson a little about why we should be grateful for God’s immense love, for the gift of family, and the church, the family of God.

As recorded in Jeremiah chapter 36  verses 20 through 23 we see king Jehoiakim hearing the word of the Lord, and not liking what was read to him, he took “scribe’s knife and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth” (v.23). Many today are guilty of this very same thing. Not that they physically cut portions of their Bibles pages and burn them, but that they deny what is written, refuse to teach the “whole counsel of God”  (Acts 20:27). Today many are guilty of cutting portions of God’s word out of their teaching and religious practice. Now because this is a sacred text we shouldn’t tamper with it, yet the truth is that vast majorities of honest, caring, loving people tamper with God’s Word all the time.

Is Grace working for you is a good question we should be asking. Paul in his letter to Titus instructed Titus that grace does work in all believers. Now remember the only true standard of right and wrong comes from God alone, as recorded in your Bible. In this context Paul from inspiration teaches brethren that Grace is teaching us two things: (1) Deny “ungodliness and worldly lusts” and (2) Grace is teaching us we should live, “soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age” In this lesson we’ll seek to understand more about grace and how to learn from grace concerning these things.