Our Lord and Savior Is Immanuel … God With Us!
John 1:1 KJV – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
Christmas Themed Lessons and Devotionals
Bible Lessons / Small Group Studies:
Miscellaneous Subjects Concerning Christmas:
Christ Or Santa Claus? Man Am I Confused!
Should Christians Participate In The Christmas Celebration?
Tis The Season To Deny The Existence Of God
He Hath Sent Christ” (Why The Father Sent Christ To Sinful Man)
“A Christian’s Guide To Having A Merry Christmas”
The Christmas Story:
The Christmas Story In Matthew Part #1
The Christmas Story In Matthew Part #2
The Christmas Story In Luke Part #1
The Christmas Story In Luke Part #2
The Christmas Story In Luke Part #3
The Christmas Story In Luke Part #4
The Christmas Story In Chronological Order
–
–
Devotionals:
Think On These Things Devotional Luke 2:10-11 Part #1
John 1:1 – “The Word Was God”
(2015 SIH Christmas 18-Part Devotional Series)
INTRODUCTION TO OUR SERIES:
Throughout this series we will be looking at a Biblical character described as “the Word”.
Who was “the Word”?
This is a title given to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We can clearly see this by taking a look at just a few of the verses we will be covering in this series:
In these verses, we are told that “the Word”…
John 1:1 – “was God” (Matthew 1:23)
John 1:2 – “was in the beginning with God” (Colossians 1:17)
John 1:3 – “all things were made by Him” (Hebrews 1:2)
John 1:4 – “in Him was life” (John 3:16) John 1:10 – “the world knew Him not” (Isaiah 53:2-3)
John 1:11 – “came unto His own” (Philippians 2:5-8)
John 1:12 – “as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (Galatians 3:26)
John 1:13 – “was made flesh and dwelt among us” “was full of grace and truth” (John 1:17)
Etc. etc.
We can easily see from these quotes from our devotional text, and the corresponding references from other parts of the Bible, clearly, without any doubt, our Lord Jesus is the One that is given the title “the Word” in this devotional text.
Why was Jesus given the title “the Word”?
The Greek word for “word” is the word “logos” – one of the definitions of this Greek word is “an expression” or “something that is said”.
In other words, Christ expresses God to man. Through Christ we have God revealed to us. this is much like words reveal our thoughts and intents to others. This is the basic reason why Christ is described as “the Word”.
This truth is brought out in the text of our devotional series as well as throughout the remaining portions of God’s Word…
John 1:18 KJV – “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.”
Hebrews 1:1-3 KJV – “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high…”
TODAY’S TEXT:
John 1:1 KJV – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL:
In the beginning was the Word,
Before the world began, before the act of creation had started our Lord Jesus Christ existed. This is one of the many proofs we have that Jesus is God. He eternally existed from eternity past and was present at the very beginning of all the created world.
Hebrews 13:8 KJV – “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”
and the Word was with God,
Before the world began, and during the course of the history of this world, we find that Christ was, and is, in the very presence of God the Father.
This truth separates Christ from all God’s created beings. From the very beginning, immediately prior to creation, Christ existed as a distinct being, different from God the Father.
John 16:28 KJV – ”I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.”
and the Word was God.
Not only did Christ exist eternally, and a companion of God the Father, but He was God Himself.
In this verse, the mystery of the Trinity is clearly presented to us. We are told that Christ “was with God” and also “was God”.
Christ, while He is God, is a separate person from the Father… He is God the Son.
1 John 5:7 KJV – “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”
John 10:28-33 KJV – “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.”
John 17:11 KJV – “And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.”
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
in this beginning verse of our devotional series, we see Christ clearly presented as a part of the Godhead. He existed eternally, as a person separate from His Father, yet, a full part of the divine Godhead. What a wonderful glorious Lord that we serve.
He is not only our Savior and our Lord, but He is truly our God as well. May we all bow down and worship Jesus Christ as our God… the One who deserves all of our allegiance.
Revelation 5:12-14 KJV – “Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.”
This same Lord is the One that was born into this world to a virgin named Mary and became the Savior of His people…. God with us!
Matthew 1:18-25 KJV – “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.”
Homepage… http://www.settledinheaven.org
Text Blog… http://www.settledinheaven.wordpress.com
Video Blog… http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven
Email… settledinheaven@gmail.com
“A Christian’s Guide To Having A Merry Christmas”
(Or, Three Steps To Have A Blessed, Satisfying, Christmas Season)
Have you ever had an empty feeling on December 26th? You know, after Christmas Day has passed and you look back at all the planning that had taken place… all the work that had been done, and all the money that had been spent… you realize that the day had flown by without any lasting results. Now all you have left is an empty feeling, weariness, and a half years’ worth of debt.
We can all understand why in many cases, this is the lot of a lost and dying world. For those who have never experienced God’s grace in their lives, not recognizing Jesus as their Lord and Savior, it only makes sense that the Christmas holidays are like any holiday for them. Christmas is simply another opportunity for them to become anxious, frustrated and wasteful, looking for fleshly satisfaction. It is no wonder their holiday is empty and void of true happiness while filled with frustration, weariness, anxiety and debt.
But things should be different for us as Christians. The Christmas holiday is a time set apart by the world to celebrate the coming of our Lord and Savior. The Christmas holiday reminds us of the greatest display of God’s love being shown to mankind… the sending of His Son to this world to live, and be sacrificed, for our sake.
Christmas is not only a time for Christians to joyously recall God’s wondrous love, but also it holds many opportunities to reach others for Christ. The world is much more receptive to the message of Christ and his work during the Christmas season than any other time of the year… what a wonderful opportunity for each of God’s people to reach others for Christ through their words, deeds and lifestyle!
But sadly, in spite of all these reasons for joy and happiness, Christmas can end up being a time of sadness, frustration and emptiness for Christians as well as the lost. These things should not be so. Hence, the Word gives us the three keys to finding true joy, peace and spiritual satisfaction…
THE SCRIPTURE:
Luk 2:14 KJV – “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
THE STUDY:
In our text for this Bible study (Luke 2:14), it is very important that we understand its context. Our text contains a portion of the very first angelic message that was given by God following the birth of His Son, Jesus Christ, in Bethlehem (Luke 2:7-12). Also, please notice our text is a message delivered by “a multitude of heavenly hosts” whose intent was to bring praise to the Only True God (Luke 2:13).
Within the message of these heavenly host… Luke 2:14 KJV – “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men”… we find three basic principles that are given to all of God’s people. Within these three principles, we find the very purpose and foundation of Christ’s ministry, as well as the keys to Christian’s celebrating Christ’s birth in a God-honoring way.
The three principles are:
- “Glory to God in the highest” – God being appreciated, glorified and served in everything that is done.
- “on earth peace” – Harmony, quietness, rest between God and men.
- “good will toward men”– Unselfish desires for prosperity and blessing for others.
Folks, with the coming of Christ to the earth, God was not only glorifying Himself, but He was also opening up the pathway for men to receive these blessings of peace and goodwill. This pathway would be revealed through the teachings of Christ, and would be secured through the work of Christ on the cross.
—-
Christ, Himself, during His life on earth accomplished all three of these goals perfectly…
- God’s glory was revealed in Christ’s life –
Joh 17:4 KJV – “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.”
- Peace between God and Man was secured through Christ’s work –
Eph 2:14 KJV – “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;”
- Unselfish desires for the good of others was shown by The Father’s giving of Christ to the world –
John 3:16 KJV – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
God the Father’s goals in sending Christ was perfectly accomplished… He was glorified, His way of peace was given, and His goodwill was shown to man. Christ, during His life accomplished these goals, and in doing so, set the perfect example for each one of us to follow.
—-
When we understand that these were the three goals that God had in mind when He sent Christ to this earth, it only makes sense that these should be the same goals for us, as Christians as we celebrate Christ’s coming. This allows God’s people to actively participate in accomplishing what God intended to take place at Christ’s first coming.
If this is the case, by us striving to fulfill these three goals during our Christmas celebration, we are actively fulfilling God’s will for our lives, and accomplishing much for the cause of Christ. We are glorifying Him while helping others to come to Christ and grow in God’s grace, reaping eternal rewards for ourselves. What a wonderful legacy and spiritual accomplishment for each one of us to leave behind, as each Christmas holiday comes and goes and our lifetime passes as “a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14 KJV).
—-
So how do we fulfill these three principles during our Christmas celebrations?
- God’s glory revealed – We are to judge everything we do during the Christmas holiday through the lens of God’s glory.
As we make our plans and proceed through our holiday may we always ask these two simple questions…
“Does this plan, or activity, bring honor and glory to my Lord?”
“How can my words, or actions, during this activity be used of the Lord to bring honor and glory to His name?”
We are then to proceed with our activities motivated by a singleness of heart to glorify God in our lives…
1 Cor 10:31 KJV – “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
- Peace secured between God and Man – During this holiday season, may we be particularly aware of the opportunities open to us to share the gospel message with the lost around us. In doing so, we are giving them the opportunity to accept Christ as their Savior which works peace between God and the lost.
But also, during this time of year we need to be working towards peace between ourselves and others around us. Are we holding any grudges? Have we harmed someone with apologizing to them? Have we somehow caused friction to take place between others? Is anyone at enmity with us not due to anything we have done?
If so, it is during this time of year that we should be working towards mending those fences. Many times, simply an apology will do, in other cases, or actively seeking to make amends of a situation or forgiveness on our part will be necessary to bring a healing to these wounds. If we truly desire to honor the Father’s goal in sending Christ to the earth, we are to do whatever is necessary, when possible, to work reconciliation between ourselves and those with who we suffer division.
Ephesians 4:32 – “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
- Unselfish desires for good of others above self – Finally, during this season, we will be blessed with many opportunities to help others by humbling ourselves and, at our personal expense, to meet their needs. The basis of our help should not be limited to those who “deserve” our help, those who “appreciate” our help, nor those who we are “responsible” to help. Our giving of sacrificial help towards others should be a reflection of our Lord’s sacrifice of himself for us who gave himself for those who did not deserve it, nor did they appreciate it.
Luk 20:13-15 KJV – “Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him. But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours. So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them?”
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
Folks, by seeking to do the will of God, and use the first coming of Christ in the way that God has desired, we cannot help but feel as if we have accomplished much during the holiday season. Glorifying God, working peace with those who are estranged from us, and sacrificially helping others who are in need, and setting a Godly example for our family and friends, are great accomplishments in deed. All of these not only result in temporal gain, but more important they hold great spiritual rewards for God’s people in the world that is to come.
When we are graced by God, allowed to accomplish these goals this holiday season, and Christmas comes to a close, we will be able to look back and see that we have accomplished great things in His name. Suddenly all the gifts, decorations, social gatherings and other things of this world will take a new, much less significant meaning in our lives. There will be no reason for frustrations, emptiness, and sadness, for we can know that we have sought to bring about God’s purposes for Christ’s coming… His eternal glory, peace on earth, and goodwill towards all men.
Come to think about it, why not celebrate the first coming of Christ during every day of the year? We can do this by seeking to fulfill these 3 goals everyday of our lives!
http://www.settledinheaven.org
Happy Thanksgiving!
May The Lord Bless Us With Appreciation For All He Has Done For Us!
Are We Sharing With Others The Need To Be Thankful For The Blessings Of God?
Leviticus 23:44 (KJV) – “And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD.”
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
Leviticus 23:44 – “And Moses Declared”
(2015 SIH Thanksgiving 12-Part Devotional Series)
INTRODUCTION TO OUR SERIES:
Leviticus 23:33-44 gives us a condensed version of God’s instructions about the Jewish “Feast of Booths” (also referred to as “The Feast Of Tabernacles”). This wonderful Jewish feast will be the subject for this Thanksgiving devotional series.
You might be wondering why this feast is a good subject for a Thanksgiving series. It is because the two main goals of this feast are the exact same goals that every Christian should strive to attain during their Thanksgiving Day celebration…
1. To cause a remembrance of the Lord’s gracious workings.
2. To develop an attitude of appreciation in these workings.
By our Lord’s grace, during the course of this study our hearts will be pointed towards accomplishing both of these goals during this Thanksgiving holiday series.
(Please note: If you are interested in a fuller study of this feast, refer to Numbers 29:12-38 for more details. For this devotional series, due to its length, we will only be looking at the shorter text on this subject found in Leviticus 23:33-44)
TODAY’S TEXT:
Leviticus 23:44 (KJV) – “And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD.”
Leviticus 23:44 (ESV) – “Thus Moses declared to the people of Israel the appointed feasts of the LORD.”
TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL:
And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD
Following Moses sharing with the Jews the regulations concerning the Feast of Tabernacles, he then continued by sharing the other feasts with them as well.
Please keep in mind, at this point in time, none of the complied OT or NT scriptures were in existence. The Jews had to rely upon men who were called of God to deliver God’s message to them. Oh, how important were these prophets to the people of Israel.
Although in today’s time, we have the full, completed, perfect, Word of God, there are still great responsibilities that fall upon the shoulders of mankind. Men are still called of God to proclaim the Word of God that has already been revealed in the Scriptures. This would include those who translate the Scriptures, print the Scriptures, proclaim the Scriptures, explain the Scriptures and live the Scriptures in the sight of all who are around them.
Folks, do we take the time to be thankful for these men of God?
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
Based upon our appreciation of the Lord, His manifold blessings to us, and His messengers that have shared His Word with us…
1. Do we recognize our responsibility to take the message of the Bible to a lost and dying world?
2. Do we recognize the need to lead our families, churches and government according to the dictates of the Word of God?
3. Do we recognize the great opportunities we have been given to display our thankfulness by simply taking the Word and sharing it with others?
This is what really appreciating the Lord and His workings are all about…. Allowing our appreciation of Him motivate us to be more faithful servants for Christ.
May we all use this holiday season to grow in grace and knowledge of His goodness to us and then mature in our faith and become more faithful to our Lord, Jesus Christ…
Psalms 40:1-3 KJV – “To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.”
Homepage… http://www.settledinheaven.org
Text Blog… http://www.settledinheaven.wordpress.com
Video Blog… http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven
Email… settledinheaven@gmail.com
The Blessings Of God Teach Us About His Identity… He Is The Lord Our God!
Leviticus 23:43 (KJV) – “That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I [am] the LORD your God.”
For the SIH Devotional on this subject:
Leviticus 23:43 – “That Your Generations May Know”
(2015 SIH Thanksgiving 12-Part Devotional Series)
INTRODUCTION TO OUR SERIES:
Leviticus 23:33-44 gives us a condensed version of God’s instructions about the Jewish “Feast of Booths” (also referred to as “The Feast Of Tabernacles”). This wonderful Jewish feast will be the subject for this Thanksgiving devotional series.
You might be wondering why this feast is a good subject for a Thanksgiving series. It is because the two main goals of this feast are the exact same goals that every Christian should strive to attain during their Thanksgiving Day celebration…
1. To cause a remembrance of the Lord’s gracious workings.
2. To develop an attitude of appreciation in these workings.
By our Lord’s grace, during the course of this study our hearts will be pointed towards accomplishing both of these goals during this Thanksgiving holiday series.
(Please note: If you are interested in a fuller study of this feast, refer to Numbers 29:12-38 for more details. For this devotional series, due to its length, we will only be looking at the shorter text on this subject found in Leviticus 23:33-44)
TODAY’S TEXT:
Leviticus 23:43 (KJV) – “That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I [am] the LORD your God.”
Leviticus 23:43 (ESV) – “that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.””
TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL:
That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt:
Why were the Jews commanded to live in booths (vs 42) during this festival? Or, from a wider view, why were the Jews commended to keep the Feast of Tabernacles?
It was so that, from generation to generation, the Jews would remember their heritage which included:
1. their ancestors being released from Egyptian captivity,
2. dwelling in booths as they journeyed through the wilderness,
3. leading them to entrance into the Promised Land they had been given by their God.
Keep in mind, all these historical events not only taught the Jews (and us as well) WHAT the Lord had done for them, but it also taught them (and us) truths about WHO the Lord is.
This is the context of the Lord’s very next statement, when He emphasizes, to Jew and Gentile alike, what these great events teach us about His person…
I [am] the LORD your God.
The account of the Jews release from the Egyptian captivity, the events of their wilderness wanderings, and their receipt of the Promised Land, all point to these attributes of the God of the Jews…
1. The Hebrew title “LORD” is the word “Jehovah” which means “the Eternally Existing One”
2. The Hebrew title “God” is the word “Elohim” which carries with it the ideas of “supremacy”, “strength”, and “authority to judge and rule”.
In other words, our Lord describes Himself as “the eternally existing, supreme, One that possesses strength and the authority to judge and rule.”
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
Folks, as we take time to remember WHAT the Lord has done for us this holiday season, do we also reflect on His greatness and glory?
Every blessing the Lord gives to us not only displays His love, grace and mercy on our behalf, but it also displays His greatness… His strength, His authority, and His supremacy over all things.
Do we share His greatness and glory with those in the preceding and following generations to us? Do we hand down the Lord’s workings in our personal life as a means of perpetuating our faith to our younger generations?
By God’s grace, may we remember His greatness and share those truths with other generations!
Homepage… http://www.settledinheaven.org
Text Blog… http://www.settledinheaven.wordpress.com
Video Blog… http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven
Email… settledinheaven@gmail.com
We Should Be Thankful For All The Blessings God Has Given To Us As Individuals, Our Family, and Our Nation
Leviticus 23:42 (KJV) – “Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:”
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
Leviticus 23:42 – “Ye Shall Dwell In Booths”
(2015 SIH Thanksgiving 12-Part Devotional Series)
INTRODUCTION TO OUR SERIES:
Leviticus 23:33-44 gives us a condensed version of God’s instructions about the Jewish “Feast of Booths” (also referred to as “The Feast Of Tabernacles”). This wonderful Jewish feast will be the subject for this Thanksgiving devotional series.
You might be wondering why this feast is a good subject for a Thanksgiving series. It is because the two main goals of this feast are the exact same goals that every Christian should strive to attain during their Thanksgiving Day celebration…
1. To cause a remembrance of the Lord’s gracious workings.
2. To develop an attitude of appreciation in these workings.
By our Lord’s grace, during the course of this study our hearts will be pointed towards accomplishing both of these goals during this Thanksgiving holiday series.
(Please note: If you are interested in a fuller study of this feast, refer to Numbers 29:12-38 for more details. For this devotional series, due to its length, we will only be looking at the shorter text on this subject found in Leviticus 23:33-44)
TODAY’S TEXT:
Leviticus 23:42 (KJV) – “Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:”
Leviticus 23:42 (ESV) – “You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths,”
TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL:
“Ye shall dwell in booths seven days;
During all seven days of this feast, the Jews were to sit down and abide under the booths they had made from the boughs, branches and willows (vs 40). They were to do this to remind them of their ancestors dwelling in booths during the wilderness wanderings (vs 43).
all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:”
Only the Jews were to dwell in booths. This was because it was their ancestors that dwelled in booths during their wanderings. It was their heritage, the Lord was reminding them of blessings upon their nation.
Folks, when we are blessed of the Lord it is our personal responsibility to recognize, appreciate and praise Him for these blessings. It was the Jews responsibility to observe this Feast of Tabernacles because their nation was the recipient of the blessings that led to possession of the Promised Land.
Psalms 107:1-3 KJV – “O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.”
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
Although the observance of the Feast of Tabernacles was reserved for the physical Jewish nation, as Gentiles we can use this celebration to help us appreciate very important blessings that the Lord has given to all of His saints (both Jew and Gentile).
The Jews dwelling in booths reminds us that, as God’s people, we are strangers, pilgrims and wanderers in this earth. We have been delivered from this sinful world and given entrance into the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are now as pilgrims, traveling in this world awaiting our final deliverance and entrance into the heavenly country God has prepared for us…
Hebrews 11:13-16 KJV – “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.”
May we all, as recipients of God’s gracious blessing of salvation, appreciate and honor Him through dedicated service to Him!
Homepage… http://www.settledinheaven.org
Text Blog… http://www.settledinheaven.wordpress.com
Video Blog… http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven
Email… settledinheaven@gmail.com
May We Thank The Lord FOREVER For All He Has Done for Us!
Leviticus 23:41 (KJV) – “And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. [It shall be] a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.”
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
Leviticus 23:41 – “A Statute Forever”
(2015 SIH Thanksgiving 12-Part Devotional Series)
INTRODUCTION TO OUR SERIES:
Leviticus 23:33-44 gives us a condensed version of God’s instructions about the Jewish “Feast of Booths” (also referred to as “The Feast Of Tabernacles”). This wonderful Jewish feast will be the subject for this Thanksgiving devotional series.
You might be wondering why this feast is a good subject for a Thanksgiving series. It is because the two main goals of this feast are the exact same goals that every Christian should strive to attain during their Thanksgiving Day celebration…
1. To cause a remembrance of the Lord’s gracious workings.
2. To develop an attitude of appreciation in these workings.
By our Lord’s grace, during the course of this study our hearts will be pointed towards accomplishing both of these goals during this Thanksgiving holiday series.
(Please note: If you are interested in a fuller study of this feast, refer to Numbers 29:12-38 for more details. For this devotional series, due to its length, we will only be looking at the shorter text on this subject found in Leviticus 23:33-44)
TODAY’S TEXT:
Leviticus 23:41 (KJV) – “And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. [It shall be] a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.”
Leviticus 23:41 (ESV) – “You shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month.”
TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL:
And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year.
This feast of Tabernacles would be a seven-day celebration.
[It shall be] a statute for ever in your generations:
God had appointed that the Jews will continue to observe this feast “forever in your generations”.
In other words, each new generation of physical Jews was to observe this feast. The celebration of this feast was only to come to an end when there were no more new Jewish generations produced. This will only take place following the Lord’s second coming and the beginning of eternity when all human reproduction will cease.
ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.
This feast was set to be observed the seventh month of every year.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
Folks, our appreciation of all the Lord has done for us should extend far beyond the Thanksgiving holiday season. May we always take time out to remember His past, and present, blessings and then share His wonderful works with others.
Psalms 77:11-12 KJV – “I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.”
Psalms 103:17-18 KJV – “But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children; To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.”
Homepage… http://www.settledinheaven.org
Text Blog… http://www.settledinheaven.wordpress.com
Video Blog… http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven
Email… settledinheaven@gmail.com
Do We Rejoice Before The Lord For All His Blessings To Us?
Leviticus 23:40 (KJV) – “And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.”
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
Leviticus 23:40 – “Take You Boughs and Branches”
(2015 SIH Thanksgiving 12-Part Devotional Series)
INTRODUCTION TO OUR SERIES:
Leviticus 23:33-44 gives us a condensed version of God’s instructions about the Jewish “Feast of Booths” (also referred to as “The Feast Of Tabernacles”). This wonderful Jewish feast will be the subject for this Thanksgiving devotional series.
You might be wondering why this feast is a good subject for a Thanksgiving series. It is because the two main goals of this feast are the exact same goals that every Christian should strive to attain during their Thanksgiving Day celebration…
1. To cause a remembrance of the Lord’s gracious workings.
2. To develop an attitude of appreciation in these workings.
By our Lord’s grace, during the course of this study our hearts will be pointed towards accomplishing both of these goals during this Thanksgiving holiday series.
(Please note: If you are interested in a fuller study of this feast, refer to Numbers 29:12-38 for more details. For this devotional series, due to its length, we will only be looking at the shorter text on this subject found in Leviticus 23:33-44)
TODAY’S TEXT:
Leviticus 23:40 (KJV) – “And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.”
Leviticus 23:40 (ESV) – “And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.”
TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL:
And ye shall take you on the first day
During this feast the Jews were to build booths (cottage or hut). These booths were to remind them of the temporary dwellings that the Jews used during the wilderness wanderings.
These booths were to be made of the following types of branches…
the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook;
| Type of branch | Role of branch | Lord’s care during wanderings |
| Boughs of goodly trees (with fruit still on them?) | Fruit trees supply food and juice | Lord meeting their nutritional needs |
| Branches of palm /Boughs of thick trees | Trees to supply shade | Lord giving peace, rest, and protection |
| Willows of brook | Ties branches together | Lord’s unity and strength given to Jews |
The Jews would see these branches each and every day of the feast, as they would dwell in the booths. These would be a constant reminder of the many blessings the Lord gave to the them during their wanderings… from the meeting of their physical needs (food, water, protection from weather and victory over enemies), to the meeting of their emotional / spiritual needs (peace, spiritual rest, protection, unity and strength to continue on).
and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.
With these daily reminders, the Jews would be rejoicing with their thoughts placed upon the past and current blessings of the Lord in their lives.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
Do we consistently keep our thoughts upon the Lord and His wonderful blessings He has bestowed upon us? It should be a part of our daily processes to, on purpose, dwell on the wonderful physical and spiritual blessings He gives to us every day.
Ephesians 5:20-21 KJV – “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”
Colossians 3:17 KJV – “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”
Psalms 34:1 KJV – “…I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
Homepage… http://www.settledinheaven.org
Text Blog… http://www.settledinheaven.wordpress.com
Video Blog… http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven
Email… settledinheaven@gmail.com
Do We Thank Our Lord For Our Bountiful Harvest?
Leviticus 23:39 (KJV) – “Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day [shall be] a sabbath, and on the eighth day [shall be] a sabbath.”
For the SIH Devotional On This Subject:
Leviticus 23:39 – “Following The Fall Harvest”
(2015 SIH Thanksgiving 12-Part Devotional Series)
INTRODUCTION TO OUR SERIES:
Leviticus 23:33-44 gives us a condensed version of God’s instructions about the Jewish “Feast of Booths” (also referred to as “The Feast Of Tabernacles”). This wonderful Jewish feast will be the subject for this Thanksgiving devotional series.
You might be wondering why this feast is a good subject for a Thanksgiving series. It is because the two main goals of this feast are the exact same goals that every Christian should strive to attain during their Thanksgiving Day celebration…
1. To cause a remembrance of the Lord’s gracious workings.
2. To develop an attitude of appreciation in these workings.
By our Lord’s grace, during the course of this study our hearts will be pointed towards accomplishing both of these goals during this Thanksgiving holiday series.
(Please note: If you are interested in a fuller study of this feast, refer to Numbers 29:12-38 for more details. For this devotional series, due to its length, we will only be looking at the shorter text on this subject found in Leviticus 23:33-44)
TODAY’S TEXT:
Leviticus 23:39 (KJV) – “Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day [shall be] a sabbath, and on the eighth day [shall be] a sabbath.”
Leviticus 23:39 (ESV) – “On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the LORD seven days. On the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest.”
TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL:
“Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month,
At the beginning of the Feast of Tabernacles (Booths)…
when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days:
The feast of Tabernacles was to be observed immediately following the fall harvest. This too, was another blessing of which the Feast of Tabernacles reminded the Jews.
In the next verse (Lev 23:40), we are told that they were to use “the boughs of the goodly trees”, along with other types of branches, to finish the booths. These were the boughs of fruit trees that would be a reminder to them of the Lord meeting their physical needs while wandering in the wilderness and also in the harvest they had just finished.
on the first day [shall be] a sabbath, and on the eighth day [shall be] a sabbath.”
The feast of Tabernacles began with a Sabbath observance and, then, immediately after the feast concluded another Sabbath was to be observed.
Perhaps, the first Sabbath observance was to remind them of the rest from their Egyptian captivity…
Deuteronomy 5:12-15 KJV – “Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee. Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.”
While the last Sabbath reminded them of their rest from the wilderness wanderings as they entered the Promised Land…
Hebrews 4:4-6 KJV – “For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:…”
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
Folks, the blessings of the Lord that come upon us are varied and many. In today’s lesson we saw that the Lord used this feast to remind the Jews of both the temporal and eternal blessings that they have received of Him.
The physical blessings of God of which the Jews were reminded included…
1. the past material needs supplied during their wilderness wanderings
2. the current yearly harvest of their crops in their fields
3. their physical deliverance from Egypt
4. and physical entrance in the Promised Land.
However the symbolism of the feast goes much farther as it pictures the Lord’s spiritual blessings to us and applies to all Christians…
1. the past material needs supplied during their wilderness wanderings ….
pictures the blessings of God given to us during the course of our lives in this sinful world.
2. the current yearly harvest of their crops in their fields ….
pictures the Lord’s many rewards promised to who labor for Him by sowing the seeds of His truth into the fields of this world that are white unto harvest.
3. their physical deliverance from Egypt pictures ….
removal of the Christian from the bonds of sin.
4. and physical entrance in the Promised Land pictures ….
the Christian’s deliverance from this sinful world and our entrance into eternity with our Lord.
During this Thanksgiving season, let’s be sure to give thought to all the Lord has done to us which includes our:
1. material blessings while here on earth
2. promised rewards for faithfulness in eternity
3. deliverance from sin
4. deliverance from this sinful world as being taken into the very presence of our Lord.
Homepage… http://www.settledinheaven.org
Text Blog… http://www.settledinheaven.wordpress.com
Video Blog… http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven
Email… settledinheaven@gmail.com
After All The Lord Has Done For Us… Do We Give Him Our Best?
Leviticus 23:38 (KJV) – “Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD.”
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
Leviticus 23:38 – “Your Gifts”
(2015 SIH Thanksgiving 12-Part Devotional Series)
INTRODUCTION TO OUR SERIES:
Leviticus 23:33-44 gives us a condensed version of God’s instructions about the Jewish “Feast of Booths” (also referred to as “The Feast Of Tabernacles”). This wonderful Jewish feast will be the subject for this Thanksgiving devotional series.
You might be wondering why this feast is a good subject for a Thanksgiving series. It is because the two main goals of this feast are the exact same goals that every Christian should strive to attain during their Thanksgiving Day celebration…
1. To cause a remembrance of the Lord’s gracious workings.
2. To develop an attitude of appreciation in these workings.
By our Lord’s grace, during the course of this study our hearts will be pointed towards accomplishing both of these goals during this Thanksgiving holiday series.
(Please note: If you are interested in a fuller study of this feast, refer to Numbers 29:12-38 for more details. For this devotional series, due to its length, we will only be looking at the shorter text on this subject found in Leviticus 23:33-44)
TODAY’S TEXT:
Leviticus 23:38 (KJV) – “Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD.”
Leviticus 23:38 (ESV) – “besides the LORD’s Sabbaths and besides your gifts and besides all your vow offerings and besides all your freewill offerings, which you give to the LORD.”
TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL:
“Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD.”
The offerings that were to be given to the Lord during the Feast of Tabernacles celebration was to be in addition to the other acts of self-sacrifice that were done by the people of Israel during the course of their year.
Here, we are given a very basic list of the differing ways that the Israelites gave of themselves to the Lord. Each of these represents different areas of sacrifice that we can give to the Lord as well…
| OT Gift | Description | Type of Self-Sacrifice Involved |
| Sabbaths Of The LORD | Intermission from worldly labors/concerns dedicated to Godly worship/communion | Dedicating time and efforts exclusively for Lord and His service |
| Gifts | A present given in obedience to command | Fulfilling God’s desires for our lives |
| Vows | Fulfillment of a promise | Faithful to our promises to the Lord |
| Freewill Offerings | A gift given out of choice not constraint | Cheerfully desiring to serve the Lord |
The above list are differing ways we can hand over (“give”) our lives to the Lord…
1 Peter 2:4-5 KJV – “To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
Folks, a part of showing our love and appreciation to the Lord for all He has done for us is the giving of ourselves in the Lord’s service. In this text, we saw several ways that we can be living sacrifices for our Lord….
1. Do we dedicate EXCLUSIVELY our time, talents and gifts to the Lord and His glory?
2. Do we seek to fulfill our Lord’s desire for our lives?
3. Do we keep our promises to the Lord?
4. Do we serve our Lord with a willing happy attitude?
These are all signs that we do appreciate our Lord and we are living lives that bring honor and glory to Him exclusively.
May we all think on the Lord’s wonderful blessings to us, appreciate them, and make certain our appreciation is seen in our lives by others who are watching us.
Hebrews 13:15-16 KJV – “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”
Homepage… http://www.settledinheaven.org
Text Blog… http://www.settledinheaven.wordpress.com
Video Blog… http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven
Email… settledinheaven@gmail.com
“The Man Of Sin”
One of the most interesting, and controversial, of all the prophetic scriptures is Paul’s teaching on “the man of sin”. This title is used only once in the entire Bible and is presented by Paul as a topic of utmost importance to all Christians.
May we all approach this subject with a heart submitted to the Lord and the revealed truths of His Word. May we seek to shun all the interpretations and sensationalistic teaching on this subject that has been presented to us by the worldly religious kingdoms of this world.
THE SCRIPTURES:
1) Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and [by] our gathering together unto him,
2) That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
3) Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4) Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
5) Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
6) And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
7) For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [will let], until he be taken out of the way.
8) And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
9) [Even him], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10) And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11) And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12) That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
(2 Thessalonians 2:1-12)
1 John 2:18-24
(18) Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
(19) They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
(20) But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.
(21) I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
(22) Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
(23) Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
(24) Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.
1 John 4:2-4
(2) Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
(3) And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
(4) Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
2 John 1:6-8
(6) And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
(7) For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
(8) Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
11) And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
12) And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13) And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14) And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by [the means of] those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15) And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16) And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17) And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18) Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number [is] Six hundred threescore [and] six.
(Revelation 13:11-18)
THE STUDY:
(2 Thessalonians 2:1-12)
1) Now we beseech you, brethren,
Paul is coming before the people humbly, asking them to take his message very seriously, and then carefully apply it, due to its importance.
by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and [by] our gathering together unto him,
The word “by” comes from a Greek word meaning “concerning” or “referring to”. What was this important message going to be referring to? I would be addressing the second coming of Jesus Christ and our gathering together to be with Him for an eternity.
2) That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
Why was Paul delivering this message to them? He wanted to give them assurance, Christ was coming again to take His people to be with Him for an eternity. Paul did not want the believers to be shaken in mind or spirit, or weakened in their faith about His coming.
Paul main concern was them be shaken in their faith by a false teacher claiming to have a vision (“by spirit”), a false teacher delivering an ungodly message (“by word”), or a misunderstanding of one of Paul’s letters (“by a letter from us”). Paul wanted them to rest assured “the day of Christ is at hand”.
3) Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed,
They were not to allow ANYONE mislead them to believe Christ is not coming again. As a matter of fact, they should expect to hear these false teachings, they WILL take place prior to His coming.
Christ will not come again until this apostasy take place. This apostasy will be fueled by the doctrine of false teachers who are actively opposing the truths of Christ. But the Christians were to not lose faith, at the second coming of Christ, those who teach these errors will be uncovered and shown clearly to be the enemy of Christ and receive His wrath upon them.
Falling from the truths of God takes place in every age and every place. They are like “birthpains” that increase in intensity and frequency, as time progresses (Matthew 24:5). In other words, these things will increase as we get closer to the return of Christ.
When the falling away from the truths of the Lord becomes evident, the man of sin that is leading them is revealed to the world. This takes place now, and at the massive falling away that takes place close to Christ’s coming. When Christians see others fall from the truth due to the influence of a false teacher, the Christian then recognizes that teacher as one that opposes Christ and is to be avoided.
“By their fruits ye shall know them”… if the fruits of a person’s ministry is rebellion against the truths of God (leading others to depart from the faith), the Christian can make a clear judgment that this man is a false teacher, one that holds the title “the man of sin”.
Note on the title: “Man of Sin”…
This title does not have to speak of an individual man, but can also be referring to many men who share the same characteristics or position.
For example, in the sentence “the President of the United States is a powerful man”. The title President of the United States can refer to our current president, or it can be referring to the office of President and anyone how has previously held that office. Another example of this is found in the sentence “the elephant is a big animal”. This sentence tells us any animal that is called an elephant is a big animal. Is is not just referring to one specific elephant.
A Biblical example of this same principle is the usage of the singular word “church” in Matthew 16:18 – “Upon this rock I will build my church…”. Although it is singular in number, the word “church” is referring to any assembly that can be classified as a church of the Lord. This verse is stating that any true “church” is built upon the “rock” (the truth of Jesus Christ). There are many churches that are built upon the truths of Christ… the singular word “church” includes each and every one of them.
The title “Man of Sin” is being used in exactly the same way to refer to all the false teachers of the world. They are given this title to describe the sinfulness of their ministries as they actively teach error in direct opposition to Christ and the true teachings, His Word. Paul is emphasizing to the believers the sinfulness of the false teachers and need to refrain from any part of their ministries.
As we continue with the Man of Sin’s description we will clearly see this identity of the man of sin being brought out more clearly….
the son of perdition; 4) Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
The man of sin is now described as:
1. “the son of perdition” – “the son of ruin or destruction”.
Those who lead men away from Christ rightfully hold this title for at least three reasons:
a. They cause ruin and destruction to come upon the lives of others
b. They are to be viewed by Christians as destructive as rightfully ignored.
c. They are headed for eternal judgment (ruin and destruction) as they face the wrath of Almighty God.
Please note only one other place in the Bible do we read of the son of perdition…
John 17:12 – refers to Judas Iscariot as “the son of perdition”. Within his life we find a clear display of the characteristics of a son of perdition…
a. He attempted to bring great harm to the Lord and His cause.
b. The intended consequences of his actions would be to condemn a world to die in their sins, by killing the One sent to save them.
c. Due to His exceeding wickedness, his life was cut short and he now faces a special place of eternal wrath (Acts 1:25).
2. “Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped
False teachers, as they teach errors that oppose God’s word and leads men astray, are placing themselves in opposition to Christ and His ministry.
Although they may not verbally claim that are higher than God…. their teachings imply this. Through their false teachings (as they consistently oppose, deny and correct the Word), they are saying, “I have the truth, Christ is lying to you”, “I have more knowledge, understanding and wisdom than God”, “I know better than Jesus”.
This is clearly exalting themselves above the true God and any other false God whose teachings oppose theirs. With their voice they may say…. “I am a follower of Christ and a worshipper of Jehovah, the true God”, yet found in the content of their teachings a clear denial of Jesus as their Lord and Jehovah as their God.
3. “so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”
False teachers whose teachings oppose the truths of God’s Word are clearly setting Himself up as the true all-knowing God. Through their ministry, as they declare their false teachings publically, they are taking the place of God, usurping His authority and taking His place as the Giver of truth. They may not claim to be God, although many do, but their actions and teachings clearly “shew” themselves to be God.
It is important to note the word translated “temple” (naos) and its usage in the NT scriptures. This word comes from the Greek word for “dwell” and is speaking of “a dwelling place”. It is translated by the words “temple” and “shrine”.
It is used to speak of:
1. the Jewish temple – (Matt 23:35, etc)
2. shrines built for the worship of idols (Acts 19:24)
3. the body of the saints – (1 Cor 3:16-17 etc)
4. the local church – (Eph 2:19-21)
5. the physical body of Christ – (John 2:21)
From these examples, it is important for us to realize that the term “temple” does not have to be limited to the Jewish place of worship. As a matter of fact, nowhere in Paul’s writings do we see him use this word to describe the Jewish place of worship. His writings limit the usage of “temple” to the body of the saints and the local assembly.
So when we read that the “man of sin”, the false teacher, is “he as God sitteth in the temple of God”.
Paul is telling us that this false teacher can be found teaching in the midst of the “temple”:
1. amidst the saints (in LOCAL CHURCHES where the worship of Jehovah can be corrupted by error)
2. amidst of the lost (in SHRINES reserved for the worship place of idols where false Gods are worshipped)
3. amidst the Jews (in the JEWISH TEMPLE where a denial of Jesus as the Messiah is clearly proclaimed).
In other words, false teachers, men of sin, can be found in any place where men gather to worship the true God and the gods of men.
5) Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
Paul had previously warned them about false teachers and, apparently, had felt the need to repeat this solemn warning to them.
6) And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
Paul now reminds those in the church at Thessalonica that the Lord is in control. There is no need to lose hope, nor question the existence of false teachers.
The Lord’s sovereign power actively withholds each individual false teacher from teaching error, until the time is right for the false teacher to be revealed to all. It is only then that the false teacher is allowed to minister, gain a following, bear fruits in opposition to Christ and be recognized by all Christians as a false teacher.
Christians should always use this truth to encourage their hearts. Every false minister is under God’s control and only allowed to minister as the Lord allows.
7) For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [will let], until he be taken out of the way.
The same spirit is at work in all the hearts of the false teachers. It is Satan and those under his control (demons) that are at work within the false teacher’s life.
This Satan and his work is described as the “Mystery of Iniquity”. This is because Satan’s workings are done secretly in the life of the false teacher. He empowers the false teachers secretly, the lost world does not recognize that the false teachers have Satanic enabling and authority. Lost men look at false teachers, readily accept them, and eagerly follow them.
These dark forces “doth already work”… they have been at work in the lives of false teachers from the beginning of time until Christ’s coming (Satan in Eden – Second coming).
The Lord will continue to “hold down” this demonic work of Satan in the lives of false teachers until Satan is taken out of the way at the second coming of Christ. It will be at this time that Satan will be defeated and the false religions and heretical teachers will be brought to an end.
Paul is explaining to the church at Thessalonica that the Lord will always restrain false teaching until He comes again. No matter what victories the false teachers seem to gain, no matter how many are led astray, the Lord is allowing it for a reason and will continue to control it until He comes again.
Paul now turns our attention to that great day when Satan is defeated, and those who teach error are brought into great defeat.
10) And then shall that Wicked be revealed,
At the second coming, the false teachers who have led others away from the truths of Christ (“that
Wicked”), will be seen for what they are… those who oppose Christ and misled all mankind and deserving of divine wrath.
whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
The defeat of the wicked will involve the Lord calling down His wrath upon him (pictured by the sharp two-edged sword in Revelation 19). This will take place at the second coming of Christ. The greatness and glory of the Lord will destroy the false religions of the world.
9) [Even him], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,10) And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
“That wicked” the false teachers and religions of the world, are now described as
1. “whose coming is after the working of Satan” – The Mystery of Iniquity, Satan working in their heart
2. “with all power” – Their tools are Satanic abilities and talents.
3. “and signs” – the ability to perform great signs seeming to indicate divine origins.
4. “and lying wonders” – the ability to work miracles that lead men astray
5. “And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish” – They are very misleading, they have many sinful acts and teachings that are effective in the lives of those that are headed for eternal ruin. These remain in their lost state, being misled, because they have never received the love of the truths of God.
11) And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12) That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
The false teachers, that possessed a mental recognition of the truths of God, have willfully chosen to mislead the lost and benefit from their eternal destruction. These same false teachers have become deceived like their followers. This is because God has placed upon them overpowering errors that ensured their continued spiritual blindness, and caused them to believe the same lies they have propagated among the lost. These same false teachers approved and encouraged sinfulness to take place.
1 Timothy 4:1-2 – “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;…”
It is these that were turned over to their spiritual blindness to ensure their divine punishment. The Lord did this to ensure that those false teachers would face the same divine wrath as those they misled.
These are the same type of individuals described in Romans 1:20-32, only in their case, they spread their errors and attempt to selfishly profit from them…
(20) For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (21) Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
(22) Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, (23) And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
(24) Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: (25) Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
(26) For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: (27) And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
(28) And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; (29) Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, (30) Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, (31) Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: (32) Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Other Biblical texts that speak of this “man of sin” include the following texts. Please notice in every text, this man of sin is not described as one individual, but is described as applying to many individuals who have existed throughout time…
1 John 2:18-24
(18) Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
(19) They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
(20) But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.
(21) I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
(22) Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
(23) Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
(24) Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.
1 John 4:2-4
(2) Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
(3) And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
(4) Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
2 John 1:6-8
(6) And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
(7) For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
(8) Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
Revelation 13:11-18
11) And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
12) And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13) And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14) And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by [the means of] those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15) And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16) And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17) And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18) Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number [is] Six hundred threescore [and] six.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
May we all come to understand the destructive nature of the Satanic tool of false teaching. Not only does false teacher harm those who are misled by the teachers, but it also brings far greater judgment upon those who declare these errors to mankind.
May we all make certain that the teachings we accept only come from God’s Word. We do this by making sure any teaching we hear aligns itself with the Word of God.
Acts 17:11 – “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
And then, for those of us who teach God’s Word, may we NEVER, NEVER, present any teaching that we cannot prove is true using God’s Word. That leaves no room for speculation, addition or subtraction from any truth found in God’s Word.
2 Timothy 4:1-5 – “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.”
Please visit the “Settled In Heaven Ministries” homepage – http://www.settledinheaven.org
My Main Blog “Settled In Heaven” (updated twice weekly) – https://settledinheaven.wordpress.com
Settled In Heaven Blog 