I am repeating this Bible study because it is one of my favorites. I ran across it looking for another study, and thought to bring it forward.

I would give anything to be able to show you my next notes as a video. If it ever gets on In His Name’s Ministry site as a video I will definitely let you know. No amount of notes will show you the passion, heart, and love with which this next part of the sermon was taught. I firmly believe that no one walked out of the church believing that we can doubt the Red Letters.

THE RED LETTERS.

Pastor Don answered his wife’s question about John 17. Remember that yesterday I mentioned that Pastor Don’s wife sat in on a class at a conference that was taught by the keynote speaker, pastor/teacher, well-known personage who stated that we can’t be sure that the Red Letters (meaning those statements the Bible says were spoken by Jesus) were really spoken by Jesus. That John 17 was prayed by Jesus when He was alone in the Garden, so how can John know what Jesus prayed?

John 20: 24-25 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

Some will hear the word and believe, but Thomas needed more proof.

To come to a point of mental assent that Jesus was risen, he needed to agree with the information – and for Thomas that was to stick his finger into the nail print and his hand into Jesus’ side, then Thomas would be able to open his heart to believe.

We all have different criterion for belief. Often our unbelieving part says that there needs to be some action, then I can believe.

The criterion that Thomas picked to determine whether he believed was not based on truth. The TRUTH was that Jesus was risen from the dead. This truth was in existence even if Jesus chose not to let Thomas feel his hands and side. The TRUTH is the TRUTH, no matter what lists we have in our minds about what it will take for us to believe.

The TRUTH is that the Red Letters in the New Testament ARE the words that HE (Jesus) said. The truth of them is not determined by what feels good in our spirit, what irritates our spirit. Those feelings are not the correct answer for the truth of the Word.

Pastor Don said that the fact that the Red Letters are the truth can be seen in the same way as in his relationship with his wife. He has been married over 20 years, and in that time she has not lied to him. When she reported this pastor’s words, showing him that she wrote it down so she would remember them, then to hear similar words from the pastor’s mouth assured him that the words his wife reported were true. It is the same with the red letters. The disciples spoke the truth, and wrote down the words Jesus spoke, so we can trust them to be the true words of Jesus.

Pastor Don pointed out that when we meet a famous person, someone who is important to our lives, we are going to try and get their words accurate, to correctly quote them. Don’t you think that the disciples, after they experienced Jesus, saw His miracles, saw Him die, saw Him raised up from the dead, would want to report Jesus’ Words accurately?

JESUS SAID WHAT THEY SAY HE SAID.

John 20:26-27 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.

We need to watch what unbelieving things we say or think because Jesus is here, supernaturally, and knows our unbelieving thoughts. He hears our doubt and unbelief. He wants us to believe and does judge our unbelief. Far better to be like the father with the demon possessed son and say, “Lord I believe, help thou my unbelief.”

John 20:28-29 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

We often trust our intellect and our ability to understand, and that can lead us to doubt. When we are in a group that is teaching doubt and unbelief, our intellect may give mental assent to those unbelieving thoughts. We need to pray that Jesus opens the eyes of our understanding.

DON’T DOUBT THE RED LETTERS, for that is doubting the witness of Christ Himself. Blessed are believers and those who do not doubt the RED LETTERS.

I would rather be a believer and not a doubter. God is willing to give proof to you to be a believer if you are willing to open your mind and heart to Him. As we walk in faith we will see the truth of what we believe, but he wants us to open our minds and hearts to believe, and we are blessed if we do this without having to have physical proof.

John 20:30-31 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

It is through believing that we have life in His name. The disciples saw what Jesus did, and believed. But this is also for us because Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” We haven’t seen with our eyes, and yet we are believers – this line was written for us.

How do we know the RED LETTERS are true?

1. We can test what was said to see if it happened. For example, Mark 16:9-18  Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either. Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned, and these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues, they will take up serpents, and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

It is human nature that when we are around a great person, we want to listen to what they say and write it down.

Pastor Don said that he vividly remembers words his father, also a pastor, told him during specific times in his life. For example when Pastor Don was wondering what to do when he had to pick between two things, his father would tell him, “Life is a mystery to be lived out, not a problem to be solved.” or “If you have a feeling or thought that you shouldn’t do something, don’t do it. It is better to err on the side of inactivity than to err on the side of action.”

Key people in our lives speak words that are indelibly printed on our minds. When a life-changer speaks, we remember their words.

After his death, when He appeared to His disciples, Jesus did not just stand there like a statue. He wasn’t silent. He taught His disciples, shared with them, answered their questions, and prepared them for their next step out in faith. Don’t you think the disciples didn’t ask him a million questions about His death and resurrection? They saw Jesus go heavy hearted into that garden, saw the signs of blood around his head, saw him come out and face those guards with courage. They once before asked Him to teach them how to pray, don’t you think they would ask Him what He prayed in the garden that wrought such changes in Him? And knowing Jesus, He answered. The disciples would have hung on every word, and written it down. Wouldn’t you if someone you knew had died, rose from the dead? Wouldn’t you if you had spent three years in relationship with miracle worker? Wouldn’ t the disciples?

The disciples were witnesses, and they told the truth, we can believe their witness and we can believe the RED LETTERS. Not only did the disciples write Jesus’ words, but they gave their lives for those RED LETTERS. They died for the truth of the RED LETTERS. They gave their all to give us the RED LETTERS.

Jesus told them to go out and share the gospel, preach the gospel. And the gospel bore fruit. We are to take the RED LETTERS into the world and apply them.

Pastor Don told us of a trip to Florida to a Christian theme park where he saw a Bible that had rust colored stains on it. When he asked, he found out that that was a Bible being copied by someone, who was then killed in the midst of copying the Bible and the rust colored stains were the person’s blood. People do not die for lies, we can trust the RED LETTERS.

Mark 16:19-20 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.

The disciples obeyed the RED LETTERS and did what Jesus commanded them to do, and then God confirmed their actions with signs. His RED LETTERS bring fruit.

Luke 24:36-45 Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.” But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?” So they gave Him a piece of broiled fish and some honeycomb. And He took it and ate in their presence. Then He said to them, “These are my words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me. And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the scriptures.”

Just like on the road to Emmaus, Jesus opened up the scriptures to His disciples. What were the scriptures then? The Old Testament – the Prophets, the Law of Moses and the Psalms. Jesus showed the disciples where he was depicted in the Scriptures. Jesus ate with the disciples. Did he eat in silence? No. Did he just sit in the room like a statue? No. He spoke with them, taught them, showed them the Scriptures. Wouldn’t they eagerly record his words, the revelation from one who rose from the dead?

Acts 10:39-43 And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.

Acts 13:26-33 Men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you the word of this salvation has been sent. For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning Him. And though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate that He should be put to death. Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead. He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people. And we declare to you glad tidings–that promise which was made to the fathers. God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: “You are My Son, today I have begotten You.”

I Corinthinans 15:5-8 “…and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me (Paul) also, as by one born out of due time.

Jesus was seen by many witnesses, and He interacted with them. During the forty days he talked, preached, answered questions, so these witnesses could write down the RED LETTERS.

And in verse 8 above, he was seen by all of us. We too, today have been born out of due time. We all have our Damascas Road experience. We all have our blind areas that He heals, and after we see him, we can claim, 1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly then they all, yet not I , but the grace of God which was with me.

1 Corinthians 15:19-20 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

We can trust the RED LETTERS. They are the TRUE WORDS of Jesus. Do not let anyone try to convince you otherwise. Our inner witness will be tweaked when someone speaks an untruth or tries to cast doubt on the truth of Jesus’ words. Jesus told us that in the last days many would come who would preach a different gospel, who would try to discredit Jesus, we are not to believe them.

In these last days we need to pray his prayer for unity in the Body of Christ, and that will cause us to come out of our comfort zones. Pastor Don pointed out that, for example, different churches celebrate communion different ways. If they celebrate a way different from your tradition, look beyond the outward aspects to the COMMUNION. We are to be ONE as He and the Father are ONE. This may take us out of our comfort zones.

Pastor Don said that he hoped that as we walk out of church today that we have full confidence in the RED LETTERS.

Hoping you have a blessed day.

Heather

Pastor Don compiled these verses for his recent Bible studies and gave them to us as a handout. I thought I would share the handout with you.

END TIMES SCRIPTURES FOR JESUS’ COMING & THE BLESSED HOPE

Below are passages, that in the light of current events and the greater revelation that God has permitted us to now see the grand scheme  that God has planned for His creation.   To understand these events, we must accept the truth that God permits many things to occur in order to accomplish His ultimate goals.  We can hasten the coming of the Lord, as Peter says, by completing our work and looking forward to the coming of the Lord.  As you study these Scriptures, let your heart cry out, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus!”

Sleep – changed

Matt. 17:2 – “and He was transfigured before them.  His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.”

Mark 5:39 – “Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping.”

John 11:11 – “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him.”

John 11:12 – “Lord if he sleeps,”, 13 – “taking rest in sleep,” 14 – “Jesus said, Lazarus is dead.”

Luke 8:52 – “Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, “Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping.”

Luke 20:34-38 – “Jesus answered and said unto them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage.  But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.  But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.  For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live in Him.”

Romans 8:23 – “Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.”

1 Corinthians 15:42-54 – “So also is the resurrection of the dead.  The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.  It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory.  It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.  It is sown a natural body, it raised a spiritual body.  There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.  And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.”  The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.  However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.  The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven.  As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man. So also are those who are heavenly.  And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.  Behold, I tell you a mystery:  We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed – in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.  So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.””

1 John 3:2 – “Beloved, no we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”

Note… there are two wraths and two tribulations – that of satan and that of God.   And sleep refers to death of the physical body, not of the spirit.  Some hidden hints of the Rapture and the 2nd Coming – as the days of Noah, the deliverance of Lot, the wedding ceremony, the good Samaritan, the third day of Hosea,  Enoch, Joseph’s bones, and 6,000 year lease. 

Daniel 12:2,3 – “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.  Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament , and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.”

He comes like a thief but in glory, (changed as we will be) – He comes in wrath and brings the blessed hope.

Thief

1 Thess. 5:2&3 – “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.  For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman.  And they shall not escape.”

Rev. 16:15 – “Behold, I am coming as a thief.  Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”

Luke 21:36 – “ Watch therefore, and pray that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Matt. 25:31 – 34… Comes in glory… nations are divided into goats and sheep… come and inherit the Kingdom.

Philippians 3:20 -  “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ”

1 Corinthians 1:7 – “so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,”

Hebrews 9:28 – “so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.  To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”

1 Peter 1:6,7 – “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ”

1 Thessalonians 1:9, 10 – “For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”

Blessed Hope

Titus 2:13 – “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,”

Revelation 12:12 – “Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them!  Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea!  For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

Matthew 24:21 – “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no nor ever shall be.”

Revelation 1:7 – “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him.  And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him.  Even so, Amen.”

1 Thess. 4:14 – “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.”

1 Thess. 3:13 – “so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.”

Bridegroom – Bride

Matt. 25:1-13 – “The kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.  Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.  And at midnight a cry was heard:  ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!  Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said to the wise, ’Give up some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’  But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.‘  and while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.  Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’  But he answered and said,  ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’  Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” 

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Matt. 25:31, 32 -  “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.”

2 Thess. 2:7, 8 – “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.  And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.”

Matthew 24:23-27 – “Then if anyone  says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, ’Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ’Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it.  For as lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”

Clouds of Glory

Matthew 24:30 – “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

1 Thess. 4:16, 17 – “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

Exodus 19:9 – “And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever.”  So Moses told the words of the people to the Lord.”

Exodus 34:5 – “Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord.”

Psalm 97:1, 2 – “The Lord reigns; Let the earth rejoice; Let the multitude of isles be glad!  Clouds and darkness surround Him; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.”

Matt. 17:5 – “While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  Hear Him!”

Psalm 104:3 – “He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind,”

Isaiah 19:1 – “Behold, the Lord rides on a swift cloud, and will come into Egypt; the idols of Egypt will totter at His presence, and the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst.”

Mark 8:38 – “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

Luke 21:27 – “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”

Earthquakes and Disasters on the Increase

Matthew 24:21 – “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no nor ever shall be.”

Zechariah 14:12 – “And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem:  Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, and their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths.”

Luke 21:26 – “men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”

MalachI 4:1 – “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble.  And the day which is coming shall burn them up,” says the Lord of hosts, “That will leave them neither root nor branch.”

Isaiah 60:1, 2 – “Arise, shine; for your light has come!  And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.  For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you.” 

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Sealed

Daniel 12:8, 9 – “Although I heard, I did not understand.  Then I said, “My lord, what shall be the end of these things?”  And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.”

1,000 years is as a day

2 Peter 3:1-8 – “Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of a reminder), that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming?  For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”  For this they willfully forget:  that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water.  But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.  But beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as one day.”

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Zechariah 14:1, 2 – “Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst.  For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished.  Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.”

Luke 14:16-24 – “Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’  but they all with one accord began to make excuses……….  So the servant came and reported these things to his master.  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 here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’  And the servant said, ‘Master. It is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’  Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.  For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’ ”

Jesus Returns and the end of Tribulation

Revelation 19:11-21 – “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse.  And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.  His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns.  He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.  He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.  And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.  Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations.  And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.  And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:  KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.  Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.”  And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.  Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beat and those who worshiped his image.  These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.  And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse.  And all the birds were filled their flesh.”

1st Born

Colossians 1:18 – “And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.”

Colossians 1:21-23 – “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, blameless, and above reproach in His sight- if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.”

Revelation 1:5 – “and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.  To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,”

Romans 8:10, 11 – “And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.  But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

Blessed Hope – Glorious Appearing

Colossians 1:25-27 – “of which I  became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God , the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.  To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles:  which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Colossians 3:2-4 – “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.  For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”

*1 Thessalonians 2:19, 20 – “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing?  Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?  For you are our glory and joy.”

1 Thessalonians 4:13 – “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.”

Titus 2:11 – “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,”

Day of the Lord

Zephaniah 1:14, 15 – “The great day of the lord is near; It is near and hastens quickly.  The noise of the day of the Lord is bitter; there the mighty men shall cry out.  That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of devastation and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,”

Acts 2:20 – “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.”

Matt. 24:29, 30 – “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

Like Him

1 John 3:2, 3 – “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.  And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies Himself, just as He is pure.”

Ephesians 1:20-23 –  “which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age but also in that which is to come.  And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”

John 17:20-24 – “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all ay be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world my believe that You sent Me.  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:  I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.  Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”

Romans 8:14, 15 – “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.  For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

Romans 8:16-25 – “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.  For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.  For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.  Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body, For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.”

Creature = flesh

1 Corinthians 15:50-54 – “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.  Behold, I tell you a mystery:  We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed- in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.  So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written:  “Death is swallowed up in victory.””

Saved – hope

1 Thessalonians 5:9 – “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Trumpet of the 7th angel

Revelation 11:15 – “Then the seventh angel sounded:  And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”

The Last Trumpet @ Feast of Tabernacles

1 Corinthians 15:52 – “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

1 Thess. 4:16 – “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ will rise first.”

1 Thess. 5: 1, 2 – “But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you.  For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.”

I will get a Bible study up tomorrow, it has been one hectic day today, so I thought a smile would be in order. Hoping you had a blessed Sunday.

Heather

Last Sunday night I was hurting emotionally and knew that I needed to be sitting somewhere under God’s anointing. I remembered, after attending a Woman’s Luncheon at Glory Oasis Fellowship, 1903 Route 44, Pleasant Valley, New York that they had an evening service at 7PM on Sunday led by Carol Njenga. I was blessed to be able to attend and hear a teaching by Carol Njenga and got her permission to share my notes with you. I actually bought a book because of the reading that she opened up with, so I am going to share the reading in full. All Bible passages are from NASB version which is what Carol used.

From: Come Away My Beloved by Frances J. Roberts

This reading is based on Luke 12:40 “You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.”

“Be Much with Me

     For My people, saith the Lord, set watch in the nighttime; yea, rise and pray, and let not that hour come upon the unaware.
     For the time is short, yea, the storm is gathering fast. Ye see clouds in the sky, and ye say rain is approaching.
     Can ye not discern the events that are currently shaping up in the affairs of men, and be as keen to observe their import and know that disaster and holocaust are in the making?
     But thou art prone to fall into the same snare as others–to presume that prosperity and peace will continue, simply because ye wish so strongly that it might be so. Ye are not ignorant concerning the prophecies of My Word as some are, and yet ye allow the feelings and attitudes that are abroad in the land to invade your own personal life.
     Be more with Me, and let My Spirit pervade thy spirit, and then thou shalt be more influenced by Me than by the world around you. But be prepared for the fact that ye will then be of a different mind and attitude than those around you, and be willing to accept the difference and be able to ignore misunderstanding.
     For many will not accept a message of warning, because they have set their own personal ambitions against the will of God, and they are so intent upon their own pursuits that they refuse to tolerate the thought of possible interference of any kind.
     But you, beloved, be much with Me, for there is a great and heavy burden on My heart. For God taketh no pleasure in the death of the wicked. My long-suffering and grace have continued because I deeply desire that all men should come to repentance. But the grapes of wickedness are full, and the vats of the wine-presses are already beginning to receive the juice, and ere long they shall be running full.
     For the times of the Gentiles are drawing to a close, and I come. Yea, be thou ready, for I come quickly.”

***

Carol told us to be influenced by Jesus, not the world around us. God did not call you to fit into every group, but rather He knew we would go against the grain. We need to discern what God wants us to keep in our lives and what He wants us to leave. God will only take away enemies from us. What God is chopping off is what isn’t good for us. He sees the end from the beginning.

People set goals for themselves, but they don’t identify whose goals they are. Even Jesus prayed, “Not my will, but Thy will.”  This should be our cry also. Our goal should be to please the Lord. It is important to remember that it isn’t how we start that matters, but how we end. God has forgotten our past when we asked His forgiveness, and He is more interested in how we are today and what we are becoming. Remember Paul talked about running the good race.

There are many fish to catch and we need to go out and get them. Carol said that we need to speed up our efforts in evangelism. The Great Commission is the Great Omission in the Body of Christ, we need to go out and testify of Jesus. God does not delight in the death of the unsaved, we need to reach out. Go out and share the Gospel. If someone doesn’t receive it, just like the disciples, shake off the dust, and keep on moving to someone else.

We need to get ourselves matured in the Word so that we can discern and know what the Lord has need of in us. God wants us to rescue as many as we can.

What foundation are you building yourself on? We need to evaluate our Christian walk, to make sure it is accurate to His Word, if not, we need to make corrections in our walk. Let the Word correct you, instruct you, encourage you. The Bible is our manual. Many things we have heard over the years, accumulated traditions, need to go, for they do not accurately reflect the Word. These traditions are toxic to our walk.

Matthew 16:13-18  Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”

Peter-Petros (in Greek) means a detached stone. Petra (upon this Rock I will build My church) is bedrock. Christ built His church on the bedrock.

Four revelations.
1. Christ is the anointed one.
2. Built on those who will have Peter’s confession of faith in Jesus as Christ, the Son of the Living God.
3. Christ’s teachings
4. The Apostles and Prophets and the Acts 2 church was birthed.

Some places water down the Gospel, others make the Gospel so complicated. It is our duty to know what we are taking in, to test the teachings we receive. If they are garbage, they will contaminate us and we stand a chance of falling back to what we once were before saved.

We can’t get in the battle until we are prepared. From training for spiritual battle we can go anywhere. We are to fight the good fight of faith. To be solid in Christ.

Ephesians 2:20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone

Even with the teachings of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone. Are your foundations strong enough to stand with what is thrown at you daily? Many men and women of God are standing on shaky ground, if they are not looking at Jesus. Jesus is tested, found worthy, and approved. He is the strong cornerstone.

1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

I belong to God. Whatever I am allowed to build our have built belongs to God. God owns all of it, what I built must be tested against Jesus’ Word. Every foundation we build will be tested through the fire. Is our house built on solid rock or shifting sand?

1 Corinthians 3:10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it.

We have to know who is building on our life. Are they polluted, teaching something that is not from God? We have to put our guards up, to test our teachings. If they do not bear witness to Christ, throw them out or put on the shelf until God brings revelation. Do not fall into deception. If it is not truth do not accept it. When you get to a crossroad, depart from confusion and mess. The preacher is responsible to God to preach the truth. Yet, at the same time what you take in ultimately is your responsibility, not the preacher’s. What we want is teachings based on Jesus Christ, not wood, hay or stubble. We want teachings that will survive the fire of truth. The foundation preached must be Jesus Christ, and Him Crucified and Resurrected. The purity of the Word of God is what we are seeking. The Pure Word of God acts as a laundress’s soap, to cleanse us and bring correction, instruction, edification. The Pure Word of God will cause us to grow up. If we have taken something in that is tainted, The Pure Word of God will bring it to our understanding. Sometimes something that is not the true Word of God will taste sweet to our mouths, but be bitter when we swallow.

Isaiah 55:11 So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

The Word of God gives correction, and is life itself. Empty words may sound good to our ears, but they will produce no fruit in our lives. Empty words are like a drug that gets you high, but then you drop down quickly and fast. These are not easy times, and some of the things we deal with are hard. It is going to get darker and darker in this world, so our life needs to bear more light. A little light will cause the darkness to flee.

1 Corinthians 3:11For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

The foundation is already laid – JESUS CHRIST is our foundation. From there we build on it. If it is based on truth, the building will stand, if not it will fall. Ask any builder and you will learn that the foundation is the most important part of the building. FOUNDATION IS KEY. We are the Living stones, and God is shaping us so that we can be part of what He is building on the foundation of Jesus. Oil and water do not mix. It is only a matter of time when we meet a situation where the false words will not sustain us. All our works, our building, our ministries, will be revealed by fire – only what is true and pure will last. When Jesus comes back everyone will be judged with fire to see what is lasting.

1 Corinthians 3:12-15Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

We do not want to come to Christ for judgment and come away with only a narrow escape of salvation. Salvation is crucial, but we want also to reap rewards for what we have done this side of Heaven. God will reward our diligence. He promises to recognize us with rewards. Don’t shortchange yourself. No one enters a race to come in last. We want durable works that will stand the test of time. When the judgment by fire comes, we want our works to line up with the pure Word of God, the living Word of God.

People get caught up in the things they do. But it is more important to believe Him, and to do the works that please Him. This is not the case with sinners, who are not concerned with God. It isn’t the number of Good Works, or the magnitude of the Good Work. What matters to God is that we BELIEVE HIM, and that we OBEY HIM.

The flesh is sustained by the flesh. A definition of insanity is that you do the same thing over and over, but expect a different result. We need to change our ways to get a change. God wants us to enter into His rest, to recognize who we are, and know that the Cross did the work for us. God’s major concern with our life is our OBEDIENCE.

If you are His, keep seeking to know Him, to hear His voice. When you study His Word or sit under a teaching come with the attitude that God will say something to me. Wait until He speaks. Worship and listen. If a preacher speaks out something that God is dealing with in your life it is a confirmation. The same Spirit that resided in Jesus resides in me. We need to fine tune our reception of what the Spirit is saying to us. It is like trying to listen to a radio which isn’t fully tuned into a channel, we need to adjust our dials until we are hearing clearly. We live in a corrupt world, and so we need to listen hard for God’s direction.

Amos 3:11 Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, ”An enemy, even one surrounding the land, will pull down your strength from you and your citadels will be looted.”

God does nothing that He doesn’t reveal beforehand. He gave warning through Amos of what would happen to the nation of Israel. We need to let the Spirit of God in so that He can direct our paths. God will not force Himself on us, it is our choice to let Him in or not. Even Jesus prayed, “Not my will…but thine.”

We tend to be creatures of habit and we need to crucify our self. The self is self-resurrecting. We need to kill it today, and then kill it again tomorrow. To daily do it until a complete change is made. The only way we win is if our self is totally subjected to the Will of God.

Carol talked about the parable of the 10 virgins – all were virgins, 5 were wise and 5 were foolish We are in the end days, and in this time we need to be wise virgins, totally prepared for His coming, totally submitted to God. We need to work daily doing His work.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

The Word of God cuts through the bone and marrow. God will judge our thoughts and the intentions of our heart. The Word of God is powerful, and it has to change us. We want to walk with a God Conscience in our life, and in our day to day activities. We need to remind ourselves who we belong to and don’t get caught up in the things that are not good for us. We need to daily evaluate ourselves through the Word of God. To do that, we must READ scripture, and meditate on it, letting it get into our being and draw life from it.

Revelation 22:18-19 I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.

We are not to add to the Word of God, or take from the Word of God. We are to read it as it is, to read it in context to glean the truth. We often read the Bible with a Western mindset when it was written from an Eastern mindset. When the Gospels were written there was not an Old Testament or a New Testament – but the Word of God. When Moses was instructed to build the first tabernacle, God gave specific instructions about colors, places for the tools to be placed, measurements. Because we are the Temple of God, God is just as much interested about what is inside of us.

Go inside and unlock those places where we have kept the closed doors, the hurts and stuff that we haven’t yet asked God into, and let Him help us in all areas of our life. God wants to touch all of our lives. Every little place within. He wants to give us a blood transfusion (shed blood of Christ) that touches every part of our being. By faith we can receive this transfusion. And we also need the infilling of the Spirit of God, for as we walk through our day to day lives we do leak. It is a daily deal, not a one time a week deal.

I hope this teaching blessed you, it touched on many areas that God has been dealing with me about, and is also in line with what Pastor Don has been teaching this week.

Hoping your weekend is great. Tomorrow I go to cheer my daughter on for her team made field hockey sectionals.

Have a blessed day!

Heather

Last Saturday was our Women’s Luncheon and one of the members of our church, Ann Williams, shared with us.

Ann started out by telling us to fear not, for God is with us, and He will uphold us with His righteous right hand. She told us that she has walked with the Lord 30 years, and recently found that she was having some feelings of dissatisfaction, and wanted to find out why. She said that she had some victories and some defeats. But God had a higher vision for her, a place for her to go in Him. God’s vision for her had changed, increased. Until she was walking in God’s vision for herself, she remained dissatisfied.

God wants to take us to higher levels, to see us fulfill our purpose and divine destiny. The Fire of the Holy Ghost burns within and settles in you. What He has given you in your heart, set out and realize. But how will you ever get there? God brought you to this point. Trust the Lord with your life, cry out in the Spirit for His Manifest Presence, and pray.

Psalm 20 May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble; may the name of the God of Jacob defend you; may He send you help from the sanctuary, and strengthen you out of Zion; may He remember all your offerings, and accept your burnt sacrifice.  Selah  May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your purpose. We will rejoice in your salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners!  May the LORD fulfill all your petitions. Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. They have bowed down and fallen; but we have risen and stand upright. Save, LORD! May the King answer us when we call.

He surely will answer us and deliver us from all of our fears. We can count on Him. He is faithful and will bring it to pass. We have a fervent cry for God’s manifested presence, a great need for Christ, and praying for the unsaved. We have Christ, and He is the Hope of our Glory, but the unsaved need Him so badly. God wants the Church to move out in the strength of His Glory. Not in His omnipresence but His manifest presence. God has been present throughout the ages, on the scene to help fulfill His divine destiny, to help out in impossible situations. We need God to get us out of ourselves, out of “me” and out in Jesus’ name to reach others.

Exodus 13:21-22 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.

Exodus 40: 38 For the cloud of the LORD was above the tabernacle by day, and the fire was over it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

God brought the people out of captivity, and His glory protected the Israelites. They were brought out by God’s hand. God’s glory was also available in the New Testament and is available today.

Luke 1:35 AMP Then the angel said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you [like a shining cloud]; and so the holy (pure, sinless) Thing (Offspring) which shall be born of you will be called the Son of God.

The Glory is the Holy Son of God. We see His glory revealed on the Mt. of Transfiguration, with Jesus in the cloud of Glory. Jesus was met by Moses and Elijah who gave Him strength to complete His work – this was seen by Peter, James and John.

Matthew 17:5 AMP While he was still speaking, behold, a shining cloud [composed of light] overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, This is My Son, My Beloved, with Whom I am [and have always been] delighted. Listen to Him!

Acts 1:9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and  a cloud received Him out of their sight.

The cloud protects, guards, gives direction and prepares us. God’s glory helps us to fulfill God’s divine destiny in our life, to fulfill it in HIS POWER. God’s glory protects God’s people. Can we expect His glory now? Yes! We need manifestation of His power. In His presence everything changes. We are covered, chosen, distinguished.

Exodus 33:15-16 AMP And Moses said to the Lord, If Your Presence does not go with me, do not carry us up from here! For by what shall it be known that I and Your people have found favor in Your sight? Is it not in Your going with us so that we are distinguished, I and Your people, from all the other people upon the face of the earth?

We need God to fulfill His service and show His glory, to fulfill our destiny.

Glory in Hebrew is 3519 Kabod which, besides meaning glory, also implies weight, and we see God’s Glory coming down in the Temple, so that the priests could not stand under the glory. To serve God we have to be sanctified and set apart, washed by His blood and the Word.

Ephesians 5:26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

God wants us to grow from glory to glory. We are not there yet, but we are being changed. Don’t grow discouraged, press forward and keep growing, line upon line, precept upon precept.

The priests experienced so much of the Glory of God that they could not stand to minister.

2 Chronicles 5:13-14 AMP  And when the trumpeters and singers were joined in unison, making one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and other instruments for song and praised the Lord, saying, For He is good, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever, then the house of the Lord was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

This is our God who is for us, who wants to help us fulfill our destiny. We will never be satisfied until we are manifesting His best for us, don’t settle for less. Don’t take beggarly elements. We are His Chosen, set apart.

Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

The glory manifested in fire and wind, and with the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. We are not to look back and say, we wish we were there in the Upper Room back then. We are here and HE HAS equipped us, and given us His glory, so that we can do His will.

We need to walk in His Righteousness. Ananias and Sapphira lied to the church and died for their lie. We have to remember that the Holy Spirit is there with us all the time and knows what we are doing, saying, and thinking. We have to be honest with God.

The Church is enabled to fulfill the great commission, to continue to speak the Word of God with boldness, freedom and courage. When we step out in faith, God will meet us. The same power that was manifest in the early Church is available to us now.

Acts 5:11-16 So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things. And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch. Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

Why aren’t we seeing these miracles in the Body today?  Unbelief. We have limited how we think about God. Many feel God has abandoned us, or they take God for granted. They are casual in their conversation with God. They no longer make a bold witness, they have a form of Godliness, but deny the power of His Word. They look like good Christians on the outside – not smoking, drinking, taking drugs, but what about laying hands on the sick? They don’t do that, or they don’t think that God does that anymore. They have filled their minds with lust, porn, idols and thoughts of unbelief.

Is our heart stirred up enough to pray for God’s Glory? It will take the fervent prayer of a passionate heart, and the desire to really want to be in His Presence. We need to be sensitive to the prophesying of the Holy Spirit, to listen to His guidance, and obey. Sometimes it may take us outside of our comfort zones. We need to believe that God’s manifested Presence will show up. We cannot do it on our own, we have to do it through Him. As the Body of Christ, we all do it together, there can’t be any Lone Rangers, and if we get into one accord the glory of God will be greater than even Solomon’s Temple.

We need to stir ourselves up with fervent prayer. If we don’t know what to pray for or how to pray, we can still pray, discuss it with Him, share all our desires. He will help us to sort out what is important, and the rest will fade away. Take it to His Word and take it to prayer.

Ephesians 2:21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

We are the Temple of the Lord, dedicated, consecrated and sacred. Not all will seek the Glory of God and the refining of our lives. Will you be one of His? It’s your choice. There is so much more to our walk in Christ than to be saved and go to Heaven. We will not truly be satisfied in our life until we can answer the master, until we obey His perfect will for our lives.

Ann suggested that we do more Bible study on the Glory of the Lord and His presence. We closed with the following verses.

2 Corinthians 3:9-11 AMP For if the service that condemns [the ministration of doom] had glory, how infinitely more abounding in splendor and glory must be the service that makes righteous [the ministry that produces and fosters righteous living and right standing with God]! Indeed, in view of this fact, what once had splendor [the glory of the Law in the face of Moses] has come to have no splendor at all, because of the overwhelming glory that exceeds and excels it [the glory of the Gospel in the face of Jesus Christ]. For if that which was but passing and fading away came with splendor, how much more must that which remains and is permanent abide in glory and splendor!

Have a blessed day! May we see more of His Manifest Presence and Glory!

Heather

I love it when there is a God Stop – as Beth Moore calls it in my life. Savoring The Observable Presence of God. On Friday driving to church for Bible study a bunch of worries came up in my mind and I was banishing them, telling myself that God had not given me a spirit of fear. I proceeded to hand them over to God, and tell myself that I was not going to be sidetracked by worry. I get to Bible study and Pastor Don, who had already prepared a handout in preparation for teaching us stuff from Revelation, told us that first he was going to deal with something that came up in his spirit, something he had just talked with our church secretary about – WORRY. Well, the whole Bible study was on this. Not only did God help me with my worries, but it pleases me no end to know that my pastor is willing to give up his planned study to go where God leads him to teach. I am so very, very blessed!

Pastor Don pointed out that in this day and age the number of things to be concerned about has multiplied. There is so much turmoil, gang violence (even in our neck of the woods), depression of the dollar, the removal of our power as a nation, the increase in natural disasters, and a general spirit of lawlessness. It is increasingly hard for families to survive on one income, and Middle America does not exist anymore. We can see evidence at the gas pump of how our economy is faring. The devil is waging an onslaught against family and marriage. Commitment does not have the same meaning as it had, for now people are committed as long as it pleases them, it is not for life. What does Jesus say about worry?

Matthew 6:25-34 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble”

Pastor Don told us that Jesus is the one who tells us not to worry- we have to assume that Jesus will not ask us to do something we cannot do. So many give an excuse for worrying like, “I can’t help it.” or “It’s just the way I am.” God, Jesus, the Father of Life will not tell us to do something that we really can’t do. We can assume that if God has told us to do something, it is something that He created us to be able to do. With a mandate from God to not worry, we can assume that it is possible not to worry.

Don’t believe our excuses, obey the command of the Lord.

How do we not worry?

Pastor Don said something that he said might sound harsh to us. But in reality, so often the things we pick to worry about are insignificant to some of the real concerns of people around us. One of our members is in the hospital facing another brain operation for an aneurism, and has been given 48 hours to see if there is a chance for recovery. When we compare ourselves to a situation like that, are our worries as big? If we look we will find that there are people who have far worse situations than we have, and also people who are worried about things that seem far less troublesome than our concerns. We need to begin to formulate a wider perspective. When we do, we will be better able to deal with our stress.

Verse 25 includes all the things that we can be concerned about with our life, what we will eat, drink, put on. Jesus assured us that the birds of the air did not plant, reap, or sow, but God took care of them. The birds did not have an IRA account. Pastor Don is not saying that we don’t work, plan for the future, or prepare, but we do have to trust that God will take care of us and not get stressed out. God is not wanting us to lose sleep, bite our nails, or make emotionally charged contingency plans for things that worry us.

We are all guilty of worry. That being said, God is not saying to not be concerned or plan, just don’t be worried. Worrying won’t change a thing, the only way change will come is if we do something about what we are worrying about.

Verse 28 does not apply so much to us here in this country, for everyone has access to clothes – even if it is good will or a shelter’s handing out of clothes. But in Jesus’ time people did not have a ton of clothes in their closets, just a few outfits. Pastor Don told us that in third world countries there are people where this is a real concern. He talked about India where people would come to church in their one good outfit.

Pastor Don also told us that if we would just apply a little faith to what we are worried about, we wouldn’t need to worry. We need faith to believe, and faith is applicable when we are struggling with things we don’t believe will happen. Have faith for a good marriage when your marriage is tested. Have faith that God will provide when your income says otherwise.

Notice in Verse 31 it says, “Do not worry SAYING”. The problem is that at times we think of the things we are worrying about, and then end up speaking what we are worried about. The key is to not SAY what you are worrying about, to not SPEAK it into existence. What you say gives life to what you are saying. It makes the worry more real for you. Puts you behind the eight ball. It is ok to be worried, for we do deal in realities, but we have to stop and be constructive in how we speak about our worry. Don’t go on and on and on and on about the problem. Speak the solution.

Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Not only does faith come by hearing, but so does doubt and unbelief. The difference is we excuse the negative. We validate as real only one aspect of reality, what we can see. But we need to realize that there is a reality that is far greater than what we can perceive with our senses. Everything God made was made from the unseen – He caused the unseen to become seen. So what we see is not greater than what we don’t see. If we permit unabated whining we would all be in bad shape. After you state what is going on in your life, if you keep complaining then you are whining. State the reality, but then watch what you speak after that. State the reality but then add, BUT GOD….

We are creatures of habit, we have bad habits. When you say something over and over you multiply your worry. Most people who worry don’t realize that they are worrying. They do not stop and ask themselves what they are feeling and saying. They just do it. They put themselves in torment month after month, not discerning that they are doing so, they are just in automatic worry mode.

Sometimes we just do not discern who we are, we are just in park or neutral. We say to ourselves things that put us into a stressful situation. Eventually we get used to that stressful situation and think it is normal. Sort of like putting a frog into cool water, and turning the heat on – the frog will not discern the gradual increase of temperature until it is too late.

Every decision you make has pressure. It impacts your life in many areas. If you perceive yourself being stuck in circumstances, trust the people close to you to give you input. Ask them, “am I worried?” “am I blowing this out of proportion?” Get out of denial. There is nothing wrong with admitting that you are under worry or stress, just don’t do anything terminal. Do an evaluation, find out what category your worry or stress is. Is it fifth stage cancer or what am I going to wear to a function? Get your problem into perspective.

When King David lost a child, beforehand he mourned, fasted, prayed, cried. After the child died, he knew that he couldn’t bring his child to life, so he left his mourning clothes sure in the knowledge that he would go to the child in the future, but that he had to pick up and deal with other problems.

Sometimes worry is a way of focusing attention to yourself, a prideful thing, or selfishness. If you want attention, you talk about what is worrying you. Pride implies that what you are going through no one else can understand or handle.

We get fearful when life seems to be overpowering us, and we get afraid, thinking that much talk will solve the problems. Sometimes we can get constructive help talking with others, other times the responses serve to dig us deeper into the problem. Pride can also keep us from getting help when we really need help. But if we seek someone to help us, we have to discern who we are asking to help us. Are they at a point where they can help us?

We also need to ask ourselves, how much will this problem matter 100 years from now. Pastor Don calls this REDUCTION – reducing our problems to their proper level. 1 Peter tells us to cast our cares upon the Lord, for He cares about us.

We need to look at our situation through the eyes of the Father. What can faith say about this problem? What are my possibilities? Come up with plans and solutions. Never plan to stay exactly where you are. A bad prayer would be to ask God to help you have the strength to stay where you are. Pray for change, your change, the people around you to change, your circumstances to change. Throw the problem on Jesus and ask Him to help you solve it.

Once you cast your care upon the Lord, don’t reel it back in, throw it over and leave it. If it comes back to you, cast it further away to the Lord. Keep throwing it until it doesn’t come back.

James 4:7-8 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Blessed be the Lord who daily bears our burdens.

Hoping your day is blessed.

Heather

I was watching Pastor Don on TBN, if you are in the New York area, you may be able to catch his program Tuesday Morning 3 AM and Thursday at 12:30 PM. You can also see some of his sermons online if you go to the links I have posted, under “In His Name Ministry” you will on the left side if you scroll down see a link to “Say AMEN” and under that link you can actually see a few of Pastor Don’s sermons.

He is teaching the book of Revelation to us. One thing we need to watch is that we do not fall prey to false teachings in any church, denomination or cult. Here are seven points to judge teachings by.

1. Does the teaching depart from the Word of God as the foundation? When a person presents dreams, visions, revelations, ideas, or show signs, wonders, or charisma do they line up with the Word of God?

2. Exclusiveness. Does the person preach that they have a SPECIAL WORD from God, and that only those who are specially appointed by God will be able to receive it. If you get what they are saying, you are special. If you don’t then you aren’t.

3. New Definitions. The Bible is its own dictionary. God said that He sets His word above Himself, and has bound Himself to His Word. When people come up with new definitions for the words of God, then they change God’s meaning.

4. New Divisions – The Spirit and the Word MUST agree. False teachers divide the congregation. If they are teaching solely from the Spirit without judging what the Spirit says against the Word, their teachings can be divisive and unbalanced. The same is true if the person only teaches from the Word – for they can become like the pharisees and keep the letter of the law, but not the Spirit of the law.

5. Switching of the goal and emphasis. To switch from making God first in our lives, the false teachers will state that they understand God, that they understand His commands for our lives. They think that they can figure God out. Don’t think that we can figure God out, what we do with our lives has to come from God, obeying His instructions. We need to obey His word.

6. Fruit. There are three aspects of fruit that we need to watch out for, good works, peace and the revelation of a sound mind. True disciples of God do not have a rebellious spirit or act like a lone ranger, it isn’t me and mine or you and yours. There is not a spirit of strife or tension – false teachings will cause tension within us as our Spirit reacts to the false teachings.

7 Make sure that what is taught is JESUS CENTERED.

Hope this is a blessing. I know that as the end times approach we really do have to discern truth from lies.

Have a blessed Sunday,

Heather

Janet gathered her scriptures and sorted out what the problems were, then she began to pray harder, realizing that she couldn’t deal with these issues herself, she needed God to help her have compassion for others, for her marriage to be stronger, to love her husband better, and to get herself out of the way so that the Lord could move.

Janet told us that the Lord stirred up her nest.

Deuteronomy 32:10-12 He found him in a desert land and in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye. As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings, so the LORD alone led him, and there was no foreign god with him.

Janet shared a few facts about Eagles with us that she learned from Christian Working Woman.

*The Father eagle can soar faster than the eaglet can fall.
*We are born to soar, the Father was teaching Janet to soar like an eagle and trust Him by        stirring up her nest.
* Eagles have two sets of eyelids, one to fly directly into the sun to make their predators lose track of them-this is like us flying to the Son of God to have victory over our enemies!
*Father eagle will never let his eaglets be dashed to the rocks, and so with our father!
*God gave us wings, teaches us to fly, and helps us to soar!
*! Thessalonians 5:24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

Janet told us that the trip to Israel helped her to find an amazing intimacy with Jesus.

She has stood on His word daily, cleaned up her body and has not had anything unclean for months.

But even with all the good, she still struggled with her inner self, and had to give it to God. But what she realized is that the darker it gets in your world, the brighter the light shines. Matthew 5:13-16 You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

A light that is set on high can be seen for miles, and can’t be hidden. Light demands exposure. We are set on a hill to shine as lights (beacons) in the darkness of this world.

This summer, Janet took her daughters out to Disneyland, and to visit her father and stepmother. Her step mom had known that Janet was having some challenges and arranged during this stay for her to see a Christian counselor for three days. She started sharing openly with her father and step mother about some of the issues she was dealing with, and in retrospect realized that this was a mistake. Her parents took all the information, and turned it around, using it against her. Her stepmother wrote a scathing letter and left it in the bathroom. She read it one night and was devastated. Fortunately it brought Janet to her knees in prayer, and then God touched her deeply. She was able the next morning to be civil, nice, and was not upset -although her stepmother was looking for a reaction to the letter. Janet’s father suggested that she return home early from the visit. She told her children they would not be able to visit her brother’s newest baby. The children were upset. Janet realized that there was some time before the flight and called her brother. The Holy Spirit arranged for her to spend the rest of her vacation with her brother, and they grew closer. It made for a good end to an unpleasant situation. But the stepmother was not done with trying to cause trouble. She called and spoke to Janet’s husband and wrote another scathing letter to Janet. But, because Janet took this to God, God turned what was meant for evil to good, and Janet’s relationship with her husband is stronger, they have grown better together as a family. She is still cordial to her father and stepmother, but doesn’t actively seek them out. Apparently Janet was the only one of the siblings who still maintained contact with her father and stepmother.

God gave Janet an amazing grace, so that she could be oozing in love to her father and step mother in spite of the negativity that was thrown into her path.

Psalm 107:14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their chains in pieces.

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.

She called out to God in her need, and God broke the chains of bondage with His bleeding stripes. Paul and Silas prayed and their chains were loosed. She reached out with prayer and praise in her time of need, and God came through mightily. The Grace of the Lord came upon her and she came out of this with a deeper relationship with God.

Isaiah 60:19-22 The sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; but the LORD will be to you an everlasting light, and your God your glory. Your sun shall no longer go down, nor shall your moon withdraw itself; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning shall be ended. Also your people shall all be righteous; they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of My planting,  the work of My hands, that I may be glorified.  A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation. I, the LORD, will hasten it in its time.

The process of healing helped her to get rid of some of her flesh issues and made her much stronger. God is so good. Then we prayed the following benediction before leaving Bible study.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

Hoping you have a blessed day!

Heather

Key verse: Psalm 37:34 Wait on the LORD, and keep His way, and He shall exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off you shall see it.

Janet told us to wait on the Lord and keep His way, and He shall exalt you. To reach for another level of glory. She told us that in the last six months there have been many changes in her life, that God has helped her to break free from things that have been blocking her.

She said that this is a VICTORY BIBLE STUDY. Whether you are a new Christian or a mature Christian you need to reach for another level of Glory. Reach for a higher level. Find a place to get closer to Him and He will bless us. Draw near to Him and He will draw near to us.

Last spring Janet went back to college to complete her degree and that upset her whole household, sacrifices of time and also a strain in her marriage. She did not address the problem right away. In the spring she also went to Israel with our group in May, and it was an amazing 10 days. During this trip God wanted her to line up with Him, for He let her know she was not as close to Him as she could be.

She first prayed that God would remove all of her flesh, and part of that surrender to God included the sin of her mouth, smoking and pride. She wanted to surrender to Him, to get rid of harsh words, stop smoking, drinking coffee, or any alcohol. She was to purify herself and be holy because He is holy.

Leviticus 20:7-8 Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God. And you shall keep my statutes, and perform them; I am the LORD who sanctifies you.

Leviticus 20:24-26 But I have said to you, “You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am the LORD your God, who has separated you from the peoples. You shall therefore distinguish between clean animals and unclean, between unclean birds and clean, and you shall not make yourselves abominable by beast or by bird, or by any kind of living thing that creeps on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean. And you shall be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine.

Two times He has called us to be separated, to be His, to cleanse ourselves.

For Janet that meant also withdrawing from some activities that were causing her stress, for she had taken on far more than God wanted her to take on. She founded and continued to be president of the local PTSF, parent/teacher organization, and God wanted her to get out of it. She had to let go and let God do it. There was pride connected with continuing in the organization, she had held on to the leadership position because no one seemed to step forward to step up. God had it in control, she had to resign FIRST, and then two women stepped up to co-chair.

Another attitude she needed to correct was her perception of her house, which she had seen as little and not as beautiful as it really is. So in two weeks 2 visitors came by, one had lived in her house 30 years ago, and asked to walk on the property which she considered beautiful. The other had lived there 35 years ago, and told Janet that her grandfather had built the house.

God showed Janet that He had provided the house for her, and she was not appreciating what God had given her. She told us that she needed the word of God to help her, and what happened is that He led her to the following verses which she wrote in her prayer journal and prays daily.

Janet told us that yielding to God was hard, because she did not trust people. Her father was a workaholic and an alcoholic, her mom was an alcoholic, so trust did not come easy, but she needed to completely yield to God and needed His thoughts.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love, and of a sound mind.

Ephesians 3:16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man.

Praying in the Spirit edifies us.

Psalm 138:3 In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul.

Mark 6:7 And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.

Zechariah 4:6 So he answered and said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.

We try to do things on our own, but it is by the grace of the Holy Spirit that we are able to change.

Janet also prayed the following faith scriptures:

Matthew 17:20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

Luke 17:6 So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. This scripture was huge to Janet, because it altered her seeing and thinking about her situation. She had to realize that God was going to give to her what she needed, but it may be long term before it manifested. She had to trust that God had her life in His hands and that He planned good for her.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God  must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

As her faith increased she realized that we were overcomers, that we have VICTORY IN HIM!

1 John 2:14, 17 I have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one…And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

We are to study the word so that it is not just in our head, but that it reaches our heart, and we can call it back up.

1 John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

Revelation 3:21 To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

Ephesians 6:16 above all taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

Romans 4:20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God.

Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Psalm 91:1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress. My God, in Him will I trust.

He is the El Shaddai, the Almighty. God is STABLE, He never changes. If we dwell under His wings no one can overcome us.

James 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

When we submit to God, He will cause the devil to flee from us.

We need to get rid of sin for we are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 6:14 And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.

If we realize the Power Jesus had on earth, and remember that we were created in His likeness and before He left, He promised that we could do greater things than Him, how will we express that on earth?

1 Corinthians 6:17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God’s.

He created us, called us as His own, to be one with Him.

Romans 6:13-23 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans talks about dying to the self, getting rid of our self, so that we can be big for God. It is by the grace of the Lord. We are not under the law. Janet got rid of many of the habits that God wanted her to remove from her life, and she said these verses to remind her that it was God’s grace that empowered her to be a better person. She had a peace, she knew that she knew that she knew. God is so good, we cannot fail. Many live their lives waiting for eternal life in heaven, but we, once we are born again, began our eternal lives – and our eternal life begins here on earth.

Romans 8:8-17 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

We still have areas of the flesh to conquer, but the Holy Spirit will help us to do this. The Holy Spirit is a powerful force in our lives.

Hebrews 10:22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water

The water is the Word of God, and we need to take in the Word and let it abide in us, and it will help us to live in accord with His will.

Matthew 6: 25, 27, 33-34 Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?…Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?…But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Don’t worry. He will do it.

1 Thessalonians 5:24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

He is completely in control, He never changes, and we need to line ourselves up with Him and He will bless us.

Psalm 25:10 All the paths to the LORD are mercy and truth, to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.

There is still more to this study, but I am going to break it here. What is refreshing to me is that these verses are a good resource for working out areas of challenges in my life. When we pray the scriptures, it helps us to line up with His Word.

Have a blessed night,

Heather

When I told Maria I was going to put up this part of her Bible study, she was quick to assure me that we don’t know if these healings all occurred in one day. I am aware of that, but yet I think she may have a point – whether or not these were the exact healings that occurred on one day, I can imagine that through the course of Jesus’ ministry He had to have done as many or more per day based (Heather’s idea here) on John 21:24-25 This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

So, while this idea of a day in the life of Jesus is metaphoric, it still has an essence of truth about it. And Jesus was not hurried or rushed as He went about doing good.

Matthew 9:1-2 So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. 2 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”

Maria said, here Jesus saw their FAITH.

Matthew 9:3 And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!”

The politicians and the theologians accused Jesus of blaspheme. He went from the healing to deal with their theological perspectives.

Matthew 9:4-8  But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” And he arose and departed to his house. Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.

Jesus demonstrated His answer by the healing, and the people went away not focused on Jesus, but they were GLORIFYING GOD. Jesus was not phased by the politicians and theologians doubt and aspersions, He just went about doing good and healing. The people then Glorified God.

Matthew 9:9 As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.

Here was someone on the political payroll, a guy the Jews would have considered evil for he was a tax collector. There was usually graft connected with tax collectors. Jesus was not afraid of Matthew and his past sins. He saw who Matthew was to become and told Matthew, “Follow Me.” Matthew did.

Matthew 9:10  Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples.

Jesus was not afraid to eat with the sinners. He sat down with them in front of everybody, He wanted to reach out to them, and needed to be in their midst to do that. He loved them. Being aloof and sanctimonious would not have reached these sinners.

Matthew 9:11  And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

The political and theological questioned Jesus’ actions. They would not have lowered themselves to reach out to the lost, they would rather stay aloof and “pure” in their “sinless” state. They were fully loaded and toxic in their assertions

Matthew 9:12  When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

Jesus answered pointing out through His answer that His heart is to help the unsaved. He was not afraid of them who were sick, He desired to heal them.

Matthew 9:13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Jesus would rather have people showing mercy, not the mindless sacrifices they made, or the strict obedience to the laws without the heart of the law being present. He was not impressed with their question, and their assumption that they were not as bad as these sinners. The sinners were receiving the mercy of God, through an all righteous Jesus.

Matthew 9:14  Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?”

He answers another theological question.

Matthew 9:15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

How could the disciples fast when they were hanging out with the Son of God? It was a time to feast and party. The joy of being with the Lord would not permit a fast. But one day, they would fast. Had these men discerned with their Spirit who they were with, they too would have ben partying in great joy.

Matthew 9:16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse.

Jesus does a metaphoric teaching talking about the work that the Holy Spirit does on a life – when the Spirit comes in, the old has to go.

Matthew 9:17  Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

Another metaphoric teaching. (Heather’s note, I heard a teaching on this that the first “new” in this verse holds the classic meaning of new – as in it is new, not old. But the second “new” means renewed, and they would renew old wineskins by washing out the salt from them by placing the wineskins in running water.)

Matthew 9:18  While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.”

A ruler came to Jesus, troubled to the max. He had a big burden that he brought to Jesus.

Matthew 9:19  So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.

Jesus arose, not worried, not concerned. He got up from the dinnertable, and followed the ruler, not worried that the girl was dead.

Matthew 9:20  And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment.

At the same time that Jesus was answering the ruler, following the ruler, the woman with the issue of blood came through the crowd to touch the hem of His garment. She was not concerned about protocol, she had a need. She risked her life, for it was not permitted for a female to be among people when she was bleeding, for she was considered unclean. Jesus was not thrown off course, he stopped and dealt with her, then went on to continue what He was doing.

Matthew 9:21-22 For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.

The woman was instantly healed of this 12 year problem, by her FAITH.

Matthew 9:23  When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing,

Jesus got rid of the noise.

Matthew 9:24  He said to them, “Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him.

He took control of the situation, and was not phased by their ridiculing of Him. It was not a big deal to heal this dead girl for Jesus, but they looking through the eyes of their limited understanding thought that he was ridiculous for asserting that she was just sleeping.

Matthew 9:25 But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.

He put out the people, the unbelieving people, the ones that couldn’t believe that this girl could be restored. But He woke her from the dead.

 26 And the report of this went out into all that land.

You can’t keep the report of this secret, for it is, as Maria said, “Crazy good.”

Matthew 9:27 When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!”

Two blind men were following Him, recognizing who He was and crying out.

Matthew 9:28 And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”

They kept following him home. Maria said that since they were blind, it had to have bee interesting seeing how persistently they pursued him, with their hands out to prevent them from bumping into things, and she felt that the disciples might have been trying to prevent them from bothering their master. Yet they kept pursuing Jesus.

Matthew 9: 29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.”

According to their FAITH they were healed, they had that ATM pin number and took it to God to get the healing for their vision. God was not moved by the blind man’s need, their pleading, their begging, but he was moved by their FAITH. Faith is the access to God, for he knows that life is a vapor, and is not so concerned by the difficulties we may face here on earth, but faith is the currency of eternity, and so He wants faith increased. In the Kingdom system, believing God is important.If we do not have faith, we can ask, “Lord I believe, Help my unbelief.”

Matthew 9:30-31 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one knows it. ” But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country.

How could they not spread this Crazy Good healing?

Matthew 9:32 As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon possessed.

Now he deals with a demon possessed man.

Matthew 9:33 And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, “It was never seen like this in Israel!”

And cast out the demon. Of course this was not accepted by the politicians and theologians for the miracle it was.

Matthew 9:34 But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.”

The Pharisees, concerned more with power and theological situations, blasphemed the work that Jesus did.

Matthew 9:35  Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

The Word of God is trustworthy, everything else flows from the teaching of the gospel of the Kingdom. Note that Jesus went about healing EVERY sickness and EVERY disease, not some, not just choice one, but EVERY.

Matthew 9:36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.

Jesus has compassion – remember He is more concerned about mercy, not sacrifice.

Matthew 9:37-38 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

Jesus is concerned with those sheep who have no shepherd, those who are the harvest, and He asks people to pray for the Harvest of souls.

We need to ask Him in faith for our needs, to target our prayers to Him, and to do His will now. We need to persist in our faith, and trust that God has things in control, nothing is too hard for Him.

Have a blessed day,

Heather