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“Come And See What God Hath Done”
“Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.” – (Psalms 66:5 ESV)
In the context of Psalms 66:, the Psalmist invites all of us to see the great things God hath done as He delivered the children of Israel from the bondage of the Egyptians. Folks, some of the Lord’s greatest displays of His power and mercy were on display as He brought the ten plagues upon the Egyptians which resulted in Israel’s release.
However, this was not the greatest display of His power and mercy found in the Bible. In a small city in Israel, Bethlehem, God the Son willingly came to the earth to live among sinners in the face of temptation, abuse and mockery. And then, motivated by love, He chose to willingly die to redeem those sinners.
In my mind, this is the greatest display of power and mercy that we find recorded in the Bible:
- His power was on display as He defeated death, sin, Satan and the powers of darkness during His life and through His death.
- His mercy was displayed as He humbled Himself, came to the earth as a babe and then faced mockery and abuse all His life, culminating in His greatest act of love and mercy, His death on the cross for sinners.
Folks this wondrous act of willingly coming to the earth, humbly, as a babe, is the reason why we celebrate the Christmas holiday season. It is simply a time set apart by man to remember this great event that took place in history… the coming of God to the earth as a man to redeem His people from their sins!
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). – Matt 1:23 (ESV)
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” – Luke 2:11 (ESV)
May we all have a very blessed Christmas season as we take time out from our regular schedules to remember the birth of God the son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the perfect gift of love given to us by our Heavenly Father…
Let us all “Come and See What He Hath Done”!
https://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/2016/12/18/may-you-all-have-a-blessed-christmas-from-sih
“Jesus Is The Anointed Prophet Priest and King”
(Identifying Jesus as the Anointed One During His First Coming)
INTRODUCTION:
Many times in the New Testament Jesus is given the title of “Christ”. The title “Christ” holds the same meaning as the Old Testament title “Messiah”. Both of these titles possess a similar meaning, “one that is anointed”.
Why are these two titles for Jesus so important? It is based on the Old Testament practice of the anointing prophets (1 Kings 19:16), priests (Nums 3:3), and kings (1 Kings 19:16). The public anointing of these office holders revealed that they have been given God’s authority and enabling to hold their perspective offices.
Based upon this Old Testament practice, understanding that Jesus was “the Anointed One” reveals to us that Jesus has received God’s authority to hold the offices of “Prophet”, “Priest” and “King”.
In this study, we will be making a quick search for proofs that Christ exercised this divine authority as Our Prophet, Our Priest, and Our King, thus proving that He truly was anointed by God.
TODAY’S TEXT:
Isa 61:1-3
(1) The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; (2) To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; (3) To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
Mat 16:13-16
(13) When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? (14) And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. (15) He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? (16) And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Mat 16:20
(20) Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.
Act 10:37-38
(37) That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; (38) How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
Heb 1:8-9
(8) But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. 9) Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
TODAY’S LESSON:
In the Old Testament, there are many texts which speak of the Messiah, or “the Anointed One”. These texts describe the individual who will be anointed by God to perform many different earthly, and heavenly ministries…
Isa 61:1-3 – “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.”
Heb 1:8-9 – “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”
Jesus was anointed by his Heavenly Father with the Holy Spirit as the Spirit came down upon Him at His baptism…
Act 10:37-38 – “That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”
So in Matthew 16:13-20 the Lord was not only emphasizing His position before the Father as “the Christ” (“the Anointed One”), but also he was emphasizing the ministries he was performing at His first coming as God’s Prophet, Priest and King.
Mat 16:13-20 – “When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.”
While on earth, and immediately afterward, Christ fulfilled all three roles that His Father had given to Him…
- Prophet – During Christ’s ministry on earth, He delivered the Father’s message to the people…
Joh 12:49 – “For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.”
Joh 14:10 – “Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.”
- Priest – During Christ’s ministry on earth, He acted as Priest making intercession and sacrifice for His people…
Joh 17:9 -16 – “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. 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. 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. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world…”
Joh 10:11-15 – “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
- King – immediately following His ascension Christ was seated at His Father’s right hand and began His reign as King of King and Lord of Lords…
Mar 16:19 – “So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.”
Act 2:32-35 – “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool.”
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
Folks, every time we speak of “Jesus Christ, the Messiah” we are affirming that Jesus is the promised King, Prophet, and Priest sent from God to rule, intercede for, and sacrifice Himself for God’s people.
Do we believe, with a God-given faith, that Jesus is our Christ? Has He died for us? Does He intervene for us? Does He rule over our hearts and lives?
If we can answer “yes” to all of these questions, we have been delivered from our sins and are eternally secure in Him. If we cannot say “yes” to these questions then we have to question our standing before God.
May we all come to a saving faith in Him, placing all of our trust in Him as the Prophet, Priest and King of our lives.
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“Sins Of The Eyes And Heart”
There is a clear relationship between what we see with our eyes, what we sinfully desire in our hearts, and the fallen outward actions that we commit. Our Lord, Himself, addressed this relationship in Matthew 5:27-28 when He said…
“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
This is a very important issue that we need to understand clearly. In this study we will seek to come to an understanding of the Lord’s teachings (and other related verses) on the relationship of our eyes, heart (desires) and the acts of sin we commit.
THE SCRIPTURES:
Job 31:1-8
(1) I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?
(2) For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
(3) Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?
(4) Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?
(5) If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;
(6) Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.
(7) If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands;
(8) Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.
Pro 23:7
(7) For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
Mat 5:27-28
(27) Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
(28) But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Jas 1:13-16
(13) Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
(14) But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
(15) Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
(16) Do not err, my beloved brethren.
THE STUDY:
Mat 5:27-28 – Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
In our Lord’s teachings found in Matt 5:27-28, we are taught that sin can occur within the heart (desires) of a man. Please notice that “lusting after her” is counted as committing the sin of adultery “in his heart”. In other words, possessing sinful lusts is one type of sin that can be committed by man.
This also helps us to understand that there are two different ways that any sin can be committed:
- First of all, sin can be committed in the heart when we hold burning desires to perform an act of sin. In the case of Jesus’ teaching, the desire to commit the act of adultery, is, in and of itself, counted as a sin.
- Secondly, sin can involve the outward act of the sin. In Christ’s teaching this would be the physical act of adultery being committed with the woman after whom the inward lust is being committed.
Please note that both the sin of the heart and the actual commission of that sin are recognized as two separate sins. To lust in the heart is sinful, to go farther and actually commit the physical sin of adultery is recognized as a second commission of sin. We should never think that if we commit sin in our hearts we had “might as well do the act”. This is a lie that comes from Satan himself, being told to us in an effort to increase our guilt and the sin that abides in our lives.
Jas 1:13-16 – Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren.
In the above verse, James explains to us the steps that produce acts of sin in our lives. James teachings helps us to better understand the relationship between our eyes, heart and the outward performance of sin.
Every commission of sin begins as a temptation. These temptations are wholly based upon the desires that we hold within us. Notice what James says… “Every man is tempted when he is drawn away OF HIS OWN LUST and enticed.” Folks, anytime an opportunity to sin arises, but we have no desire to commit that sin, it is not a temptation to us.
A very simple example is a person who is on a diet and HATES vanilla ice cream. I can offer that person vanilla ice cream over and over again and they will never be “tempted” to eat it and break their diet. Why? Because they have no desire to eat the vanilla ice cream. However, if the same person LOVES chocolate ice cream, the moment I offer it to them, the offer becomes a “temptation” to them to break their diet. Because they desire it, the opportunity to partake of it becomes a temptation to them.
James then goes further and explains that when the person recognizes the opportunity to sin is open to them (they are enticed by it), the sinful lust in their heart then gives birth to the outward act of sin which leads to their death.
WOW! What a horrible chain of events that leads to all men’s downfall, reminds us of a fish that is caught by a fisherman…
- The bait is seen by the fish (using its eyes)
- The bait attracts the fish because it is hungry (its desires)
- The bait is taken by the fish (the outward act of taking that which is sinfully desired)
- The fish is killed by the fisherman (death occurs as the direct result of sin)
The commission of sin takes place in the same way…
- We see an opportunity to sin (we place our eyes on it)
- We then take advantage of that opportunity (because we desire to commit that sin)
- The natural result of the commission of that sin is physical and spiritual death.
Job 31:1-8 – I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid? For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high? Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity? Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps? If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit; Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity. If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands; Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.
Job understood the two types of sin when he said… “If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes”.
- Job described the outward acts of sin as “If my step turned out of the way”
- Job described the role of inward sinful desires as “mine heart walked after mine eyes”.
Job also understood how sin develops in our lives:
- He was describing his sinful desires being fulfilled following the seeing an opportunity to sin… “mine heart walked after mine eyes”:
- This results in the outward commission of that sin “If my step hath turned out of the way”.
Because of Job’s knowledge of these truths, he was able to successfully avoid sin in his life. This is why he was able to boldly ask the Lord to look at his life and see that his life was dedicated to pleasing Him. So what is the secret to Job’s success?…
“I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?”
He saw the need to control what his eyes looked upon to avoid these times of temptation that so easily come upon all mankind. he understood that, due to our fallen, sinful natures we all possess sinful desires. The one of the most effective ways to avoid cultivating and fulfilling those desires was by controlling his eyes…
“I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?”
In other words, if Job avoided the opportunity to sin, he would not be feeding his sinful desires nor would he be bringing them to fruition. What a very important lesson for us all. By controlling what our eyes look upon we can keep our sinful desires at bay and not “live them out” in our actions!
Job said that the result of this covenant he made with his eyes, he was able to sincerely invite the Lord to examine his life without guilt or hesitation… “Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity”
CONCLUSION:
Do we attempt to control our eyes and avoid temptations whenever we possibly can? The answer to this question speaks volumes about our character, the person we are within.
King Solomon understood this principle when he wrote in Proverbs 23:7 … “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he;”
In response to Solomon’s writing, lets close by asking ourselves this simple question … “Who are we?” The answer can be found in our attempts to rule over our eyes and the desires that dwell in our hearts.
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“The Events That Accompanied Christ’s Death ”
In this small text from the book of Matthew, we find three very interesting happenings occurred at the same instant that our Lord died on the cross…
“And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom”
- “and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;”
- “And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.”
Do we appreciate the importance and miraculous nature of these occurrences? What can we learn about Christ and His work from them?
In this lesson we will be attempting to come to a partial understanding of these things realizing that we, as sinful mankind, can never come to a complete understanding of them this side of heaven.
THE SCRIPTURES:
Mat 27:50-54 –
(50) Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
(51) And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
(52) And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
(53) And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
(54) Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.”
THE STUDY:
In Matthew chapter 27, we find three very interesting happenings occurred at the same instant that our Lord died on the cross…
- “And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom”
- “and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;”
- “And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.”
To understand some of the lessons we can learn from these three great occurrences, it is important we include verse 54 in our study of verses 50-53…
“Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.”
From this verse, we can see that these events brought glory and honor to Jesus to the eyes and mind of the Roman military leader (centurion). After seeing these things, he said “Truly this was the Son of God”, referring to Christ’s claims about His relationship with His heavenly Father.
By using this title, the Centurion was recognizing that these three events had accredited Christ’s claims of origin and divinity ….
Christ found His origin in heaven…
Joh 6:38 – “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.”
Christ was God Himself…
Joh 10:30-31 – “I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.”
The centurion had come to understand that this Jesus “Truly was the Son of God”, just as Christ had claimed…
Mat 16:15-17 – “He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.”
But, for the Christian, the lessons that can be learned from these three events go much farther. In these miracles, we can see the purpose and results of Christ’s death on the cross.
The first of these miracles was the veil of the temple being torn in two from top to bottom, for the first time ever, giving Jews unfettered access to the very presence of God (signified by the mercy seat in the holy of holies in the temple building).
- “And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom” – This speaks of Christ’s death giving sinful mankind access to God. The lost mankind, due to their sin, alienates them from a holy God. The shed blood of Christ on the cross, when a lost man comes to faith in Christ, covers their sin and gives eternal access to God. This is symbolically proclaimed when the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom
- “and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;” – An earthquake accompanies the Lord at many of His appearances to man on earth (Exo 19:18, Nahum 1:5, Isa 29:6). Why is this? Because when the great Lord visits sinful creation all the earth trembles at His presence (Psa 97:4). These principles help us to understand the truth behind the earthquake that took place at Christ’s death. It was at that point in time that God’s presence is clearly seen. As Christ completed His work on the cross, we saw both the wrath of God and the love of God being clearly brought into view. His wrath, as it took the life of Christ and His love, as Christ died for us.
- “And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.” – This speaks of the new life that Christ’s death has graciously supplied to sinful mankind. When the lost person comes to a saving faith in Christ, they begin to live a new earthly life in Christ and inherit eternal spiritual life to be enjoyed in this world and the one to come.
CONCLUSION:
The tearing of the veil, the earthquake and the resurrection of the dead, glorify and honor Jesus, showing us that He is the true Son of God. But we also have two of the great blessings of Christ’s work given to us… access to God and the new life we enjoy now and in eternity.
May we all bring honor to Christ, knowing that He was God Himself, who came from heaven to earth to on our behalf. May we understand that, as He hung on the cross, He was giving His life for us, and He was graciously bearing God’s wrath against our sins. In doing so, He was giving us permanent access to God and a new life to enjoy on earth and throughout eternity.
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“The Kingdom Of Christ, Of God, Of Heaven” – Displays Of His Ruling Authority Throughout Time
To begin our study we need to understand what the Bible means when it speaks of a “kingdom”. The word translated Kingdom in the NT is the Greek word “basileia”. This word has two basic ideas behind it:
- The first idea is the AUTHORITY to rule that a King possesses (Luke 1:33, Luke 17:20-21, Matt 12:28 etc)
- The second idea is the REALM that is ruled over by a King. WhenBasileia is used in this way it can speak of either:
- the land area and physical possessions that a King rules over (Mat 4:8, Mark 6:23, Heb 11:33 etc)
- the group of people over which a king rules. (Rev 1:9, Col 1:13, 2 Pet 1:11, etc)
Based upon the above Scriptures we can see that these three titles are describing the same event and will be used as such in this study.
Although we cannot visibly see His authority, we certainly can see His authority at work in the world around us. By His grace, He has displayed for us His authority, throughout the Scriptures, in many different ways.
Let’s take a look and see the God’s authority to rule displayed for all to see throughout the Bible…
THE SCRIPTURES:
The Kingdom of Christ:
Eph 5:5,
The Kingdom of God:
Matt 6:33, 12:28, 19:24, 21:31, 21:43;
Mark 1:14, 1:15, 4:11, 4:26, 4:30, 9:1, 9:47, 10:14, 10:15, 10:23, 10:24, 10:25, 12:34, 14:25, 15:43;
Luke 4:43, 6:20, 7:28, 8:1, 8:10, 9:2, 9:11, 9:27, 9:60, 9:62, 10:9, 10:11, 10:20, 12:31, 13:18, 13:20, 13:28, 13:29, 14:15, 16:16, 17:20, 17:21, 18:16, 18:17, 18:24, 18:25, 18:29, 19:11, 21:31, 22:16, 22:18, 23:51;
John 3:3, 3:5;
Acts 1:3, 8:12, 14:22, 19:8, 20:25, 28:23, 28:31;
Roms 14:17;
1 Cor 4:20, 6:9, 6:10, 15:50;
Gal 5:21;
Col 4:11;
2 Thess 1:5.
The Kingdom of Heaven:
Matt 3:2, 4:17, 5:3, 5:10, 5:19, 5:20, 7:21, 8:11, 10:7, 11:11, 11:12, 13:11, 13:24, 13:31, 13:33, 13:44, 13:45, 13:47, 13:52, 16:19, 18:1, 18:3, 18:4, 18:23, 19:12, 19:14, 19:23, 20:1, 22:2, 23:13, 25:1, 25:14
In the NT the Bible describes the Kingdom of the Lord using three different descriptive phrases, “The Kingdom of Christ”, “the Kingdom Of God”, and “the Kingdom of Heaven”. All three of these titles are describing the same Kingdom.
Please note:
The Kingdom of Christ is only used in Ephesians 5:5 and is clearly speaking of the perfect reign of Christ that will take place throughout eternity. In this text, it is equated with the Kingdom of God because both Christ and the Father will be reigning throughout eternity. (Rev 22:3-5; see also Rev 21:7-8, Rev 21:24-27)
Also “the Kingdom of God” and “the Kingdom of Heaven” are equated as well. Please note the following references which show that, in many cases, these titles are used synonymously…
Matt 4:17 – Mark 1:15;
Matt 5:3,10- Luke 6:20-22; Matt 8:11-Luke 13:28;
Matt 10:7-Luke 9:60;
Matt 11:11-Luke 7:28;
Matt 11:12-Luke 16:16;
Matt 13:11-Mark 4:11;
Matt 13:31-Mark 4:30-31; Matt 13:33 – Luke 13:20-21; Matt 19:14-Mark 10:14;
Matt 19:23-Mark 10:23;
Matt 25:14-Luke 19:11-13.
THE STUDY:
It is important for us to understand that the Lord displays His authority to rule in different ways that will vary throughout time.
In the Old Testament, some of the major ways He displayed His authority to rule was in:
- His sovereign rulership over creation (including mankind)…
“And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion [is] an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom [is] from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth [are] reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and [among] the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?” (Daniel 4:34-35)
- His rulership over the fledgling nation of physical Israel during the times of the judges…
“Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.
And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.” (1 Samuel 8:4-9)
- His rulership over the unified and divided nation of physical Israel during the times of the Kings…
“Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed [be] thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever.
Thine, O LORD, [is] the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all [that is] in the heaven and in the earth [is thine]; thine [is] the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour [come] of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand [is] power and might; and in thine hand [it is] to make great, and to give strength unto all.
Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.” (1 Chronicles 29:10-13)
- His rulership in the heart of the Old Testament saints, which included both Jews and Gentiles (the spiritual nation of Israel)…
“I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law [is] within my heart.” (Psalms 40:8)
“Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD.” (Haggai 1:12)
In New Testament times, He displayed His authority to rule in very similar ways….
- His sovereign rulership over His creation (including mankind)…
“God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.” (Acts 17:24-28)
- His rulership in the heart of the lives of the New Testament saints, which included both Jews and Gentiles (the spiritual nation of Israel)…
“For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
[Whereof] the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This [is] the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
Now where remission of these [is, there is] no more offering for sin.” (Hebrews 10:14-18)
- His rule over His local assemblies…
“Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated [us] into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, [even] the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all [things] he might have the preeminence.
For it pleased [the Father] that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, [I say], whether [they be] things in earth, or things in heaven.” (Colossians 1:13-20)
Into eternity future, the Lord’s ruling authority will be shown. The following is an incomplete list of His sovereignty on display during the end-time events…
- His taking of His saints…
“For since by man [came] death, by man [came] also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. Then [cometh] the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy [that] shall be destroyed [is] death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under [him, it is] manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.” (1 Corinthians 15:21-28)
- His punishment of the powers of darkness of this world…
“And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all [men, both] free and bond, both small and great.
And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which [sword] proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” (Revelation 19:17-21)
- His millennial reign (the first part of His eternal reign)…
“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:4)
- The final judgment…
“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:12-15)
- His rulership throughout eternity…
“In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, [was there] the tree of life, which bare twelve [manner of] fruits, [and] yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree [were] for the healing of the nations.
And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name [shall be] in their foreheads.
And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.” (Revelation 22:2-5)
As you can see, throughout history from eternity past and proceeding into eternity present, we find the Lord consistently revealing to mankind…
“The LORD shall reign for ever and ever.” (Exodus 15:18)
In the NT the Bible describes the Kingdom of the Lord using three different descriptive phrases, The Kingdom of Christ, the Kingdom Of God, and the Kingdom of Heaven. All three of these titles are describing the same Kingdom.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
What a wonderful blessing it is to be able to know that our Lord truly reigns over all things. Without His wondrous displays of sovereignty, we would live in doubt about His control over all, but because of His many displays of rulership we can say as the Psalmist…
“But our God [is] in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.” (Psalms 115:3)
Because of this, there is no reason for worry or fright… no matter what may take place in this life, OUR GOD IS IN CONTROL! And we have a consistent source of proofs that this is so!
The Seven Seals Compared To Matthew 24:
The visions of the seven seals given to John in Revelation, and the teachings of Christ concerning the signs of His second coming found in the gospels correspond perfectly with one another. In order to emphasize the meaning of the seven seals of Revelation, I would like us to come to an understanding of the perfect alignment that is found in these two Scripture texts.
THE SCRIPTURES:
Matthew 24:1-51
Mark 13:1-37
Luke 21:5-36
Revelation 6:1-17, 8:1-9:21, 11:15-19, 16:1-21
THE STUDY:
First, the lesson taught by Christ concerning the signs of His coming can be found in three of the gospels. Each account is parallel in nature, the Bible is recording this one lesson from three different perspectives. Keep in mind, these three texts record a SINGULAR LESSON that is taught by Christ Himself…
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From this table, it is very easy to see the parallel nature of the accounts of this event found in Matt, Mark and Luke. Matthew’s seems to be the most detailed. This makes sense because Matthew is the only author of the three that personally accompanied Christ during His earthly ministry. Both Mark and Luke wrote their accounts from second hand sources.
In the other portion of our lesson, I would like us to examine the seven seals presented by John in Revelation with the above accounts of Christ’s teaching on the same subject… the signs that will take place before His second coming to the earth.
Because the account of Christ’s teaching in Matthew is the most detailed, we will use the Matthew text in this comparison. However, it would be possible to use any (or all) of the three gospel accounts in comparison with the seven seals of Revelation…
Seal # | Descript | Revelation TextRev 6:1-17 | Affects WorldMatt 24:4-8Matt 24:29-31 | Affects ChristiansMatt 24:9-14 | Affects Jewish NationMatt 24:15-28 |
1 | Anti-Christs& False Teachers | 6:1-2 | 24:4-5 | 24:11-13 | 24:23-28 |
(1) And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.(2) And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. | (4) And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.(5) For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. | (11) And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.(12) And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.(13) But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. | (23) Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.(24) For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.(25) Behold, I have told you before.(26) Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.(27) For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.(28) For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. | ||
2 | Wars & Rumours Of Wars | 6:3-4 | 24:6-7a | 24:15-21 | |
(3) And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.(4) And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. | (6) And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.(7) For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. | (15) When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)(16) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:(17) Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:(18) Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.(19) And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!(20) But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:(21) For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. | |||
3 | Famines & Shortage | 6:5-6 | 24:7b | ||
(5) And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.(6) And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. | (7) For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. | ||||
4 | Horrific Deaths | 6:7-8 | 24:7c-8 | 24:22a | |
(7) And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.(8) And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. | (7) For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.(8) All these are the beginning of sorrows. | (22) And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. | |||
5 | Persecution Christians | 6:9-11 | 24:9-10 | 24:22b | |
(9) And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:(10) And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?(11) And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. | (9) Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.(10) And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. | (22) And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. | |||
Six | Darkness In Heavens | 6:12-17 | 24:29 | ||
(12) And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;(13) And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.(14) And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.(15) And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;(16) And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:(17) For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? | 29) Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: | ||||
InterLude | Protecting God’s People /Prelude To His Coming | Revelation 7:1-17 | Matthew 24:30-31 | ||
Text Omitted Due To Length(Please refer to Bible for these passages) | (30) And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.(31) And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. | ||||
7 | God’s Wrath At The 2nd Coming | 8:1-13; 16:1-21; 19:11-21 | |||
Text Omitted Due To Length(Please refer to Bible for these passages) | |||||
As you can see from the above, chart the very same events that are described in Christ’s teachings on the signs of His coming are identical to the seven seals of the scroll of Revelation.
This is important for us to understand, because it is another proof that the seven six represent the events that must take place before Christ’s 2nd coming. The seventh seal reveals the wrath of God that falls at His 2nd coming.
May the Lord bless you as you seek His truth.
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May the Lord bless your study of His Word. Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”
To Love As Jesus Loved: “Charity Endureth All Things”
“And though I bestow all my goods to feed [the poor], and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
Charity suffereth long, [and] is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away…
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity.
(1 Corinthians 13:3-8, 13)
The Lord’s great love moved Him to willingly accept horrible false accusations, abuse and even death.
Christ’s Life:
The Characteristic of Scriptural Love: Perseveres Under A Heavy Burden
What great patience and perseverance is shown by our Lord as He withstood this abuse. Especially when we keep in mind that, at any time, He could have called legions of angels to come and rescue Him from this great burden of abuse that was placed upon Him…
“Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?
In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me.
But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.” (Matthew 26:52-56)
What was the motivating force behind Christ’s willingness to suffer long under this mistreatment? It was His love for His Heavenly Father and the people that His Father had given to Him:
1. His love for His Father – Christ was driven to fulfill His Father’s will for His life which included facing this horrible abuse.
“But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.” (John 14:31)
Christ declared His love for His Father through His obedience to His Father’s will.
“But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth;And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:7-11)
Christ’s submission to abuse and death did it as an act of obedience to the Father. This same faithful obedience resulted in His exaltation as Lord over all.
“Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;” (Hebrews 5:7-9)
It was through His sufferings that Christ learned of obedience. Likewise, it was through His suffering that He became the Savior of His people.
In Isaiah 53:1-12, we find a prophetic compilation of the many types of suffering that was borne by Christ as an act of love and obedience to His Father.
2. His love for the people given to Him by the Father – Christ’s great love for His people drove Him to willingly bear the horrible abuse, and in doing so, paid the price for their sins.
“And from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 1:5-6)
Our Lesson To Be Learned:
May we be willing to give of ourselves for our Lord and those around us, motivated by the love of Christ in our hearts…
“Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.” (Ephesians 5:1-2)
“That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,May be able to comprehend with all saints what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” (Ephesians 3:16-19)
To Love As Jesus Loved: “Charity Rejoiceth In The Truth”
And though I bestow all my goods to feed [the poor], and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
Charity suffereth long, [and] is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away…
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity.
(1 Corinthians 13:3-8, 13)
As we continue looking at events in the life of Christ that set a wonderful example for us of Scriptural love. In this devotional, we will see Christ’s great desire for sincerity and the proclamation of the truths of God…
Christ’s Life:
The Characteristic of Scriptural Love: Desires Sincerity and The Truths Of God
The need for sincerity in Christian service is very closely related to the need to proclaim the Truths Of God to others. Both are necessary for an effective Christian witness.
A sincere belief motivating the proclamation of error is false teaching.
Insincerity in the proclamation of truth is, simply, hypocrisy.
The only effective, Godly witness involves the proclamation of truth about God that flows from a genuine heart of belief. This is a mark of true love toward the Lord and those around us.
Christ gave us the perfect example of this type of divine witness as He lived His life among us…
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth…For the law was given by Moses, [but] grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared [him].(John 1:14, 17-18)
In this section of Scripture, we see that Christ was the epitome of a perfect, divine witness. He was “full of … truth” (ie perfectly sincere) while living a life that “declared” the truths of God the Father to those around Him.
In other words, Christ was a very genuine, sincere, Revealer of the truths of His heavenly Father. In doing so, He was opening the channel of both grace and truth to a lost and spiritual dead world… “[but] grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”
Christ, in His teachings emphasized the importance of the Word of God as the singular source of revelation for the salvation, sanctification and adoption of those who come to Him in saving faith…
“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;That they all may be one; as thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” (John 17:17-23)
Not only did Christ reveal the importance of truth for the lives of those around Him, but He also clearly revealed His hatred for hypocrisy and insincerity in His address concerning the Pharisees…
“Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest [thine] alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites [are]: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” (Matthew 6:1-8)
Our Lesson To Be Learned:
Folks, Do we love our Lord? If so, let us shun all false teachings and hypocritical attitudes as we honor Him though presenting His Word to others through our words and actions.
Do we love others? If so, we should have a genuine desire to present the truths of God to them, knowing that it is only through a knowledge and faith in these truths that a person can come to salvation, entrance into His family and entrance into eternity in the very presence of God…
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:13-17)
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To Love As Jesus Loved: “Charity Thinketh No Evil”
“And though I bestow all my goods to feed [the poor], and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
Charity suffereth long, [and] is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away…
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity.
(1 Corinthians 13:3-8, 13)
As we continue looking at events in the life of Christ that set a wonderful example for us of Scriptural love. In this devotional, we will see Christ’s hatred of sin on display…
Christ’s Life:
The Characteristic of Scriptural Love: Does Not Plan Or Desire Evil
Christ, the perfectly holy One, hated the commission of sin. We can clearly see this in the account of Christ cleansing the temple of those who were using the worship of His Father for personal monetary gain…
14) And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
15) And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables;
16) And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.
17) And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
(John 2:14-17)
What was the sin that was taking place in this account? “found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:” In other words, there were men who were making an unjust profit from the sale of animals to be used as sacrifices to Jehovah and from exchanging foreign money to that which was acceptable as an offering to Jehovah. Both of these “services” were being offered to those who had to travel long distances and in most cases came from outside of Israel.
Please note… Christ was not angered at making the animals and proper currency available to those who arrived to worship. His anger was pointed towards taking advantage of the faithful worshippers of Jehovah by making an unjust gain from these transactions. In other words, they had turned a place for true worship into a “house of merchandise”
How did Christ display His anger? It was through the exercise of physical force as He drove the exchangers out of the temple area… “And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables”
This event had been prophesied in the Old Testament scriptures in Psalms 69:7-11. This Scripture is not only the historical account of the sufferings of King David, but it is also a prophetic Scripture revealing to us truths concerning the ministry of Christ during His first coming…
“Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face.I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children.For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.
When I wept, [and chastened] my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them.” (Psalms 69:7-11)
Our Lesson To Be Learned:
What a tremendous display of Godly anger! Folks, don’t ever think (not even for a moment) that all anger is wrong. We are to consistently hold a Godly anger against the acts of sin that are taking place all around us. Then, we are to allow this anger to motivate us to stay away from these sins and take a stand against them. This is the principle Paul presented to us in Ephesians 4:26… “Be ye angry, and sin not:…”
How is this type of anger a display of love?
1. It shows our love, and respect, towards our Lord as we recognize His attitude towards sin and the harm that sin does to His glory and the cause of Christ.
2. It shows our love for others, as we recognize the harmful effects of sin in the lives of those we love.
This anger should also motivate us to earnestly desire and fervently pray that “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)
What a day that will be, when we are dwelling in New Jerusalem with our Lord on the New Earth and know that sin, and its effects, will be permanently done away.
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To Love As Jesus Loved: “Charity Is Not Puffed Up”
And though I bestow all my goods to feed [the poor], and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
Charity suffereth long, [and] is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away…
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity.
(1 Corinthians 13:3-8, 13)
As we continue looking at events in the life of Christ that set a wonderful example for us of Scriptural love. In this devotional, we will see Christ’s willingness to unhesitatingly, humbly, submit to others as He stoops low to meet their needs…
Christ’s Life:
The Characteristic of Scriptural Love: Is Not Puffed Up (Is Not Proud)
From Christ’s entrance into the world until His exaltation following His ascension, we see Christ (God Himself) ministering to others in the midst of abuse and mistreatment.
Christ’s humility was shown to us in many, many ways as He ministered to fallen mankind…
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
In him was life; and the life was the light of men…
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
He came unto his own, and his own received him not…
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
(John 1:1-4, 10-11, 14)
Christ, the eternal God and Creator of all things, was the source of all physical and spiritual life. It is this same Creator God who humbly came to the earth as a Man to give the world the light of the revelation of His Father. In spite of all He did for fallen mankind, they did not recognize, nor kindly receive Him. Yet, He remained faithful to His people and finished His work on our behalf…
“[Let] nothing [be done] through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:3-8)
This is true humility motivated by love… love for His Father and love for those to whom He came.
Christ summarized this aspect of His ministry as recounted by Matthew…
“But Jesus called them [unto him], and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
(Matthew 20:25-28)
Our Lesson To Be Learned:
Christ set the example for us of ministering to others instead of living a life of of pride, arrogance and rulership over others. During one of the most shocking displays of His humility, He taught all of His followers the need to, with no hesitation, place no limits on our service to others…
“So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for [so] I am.If I then, [your] Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” (John 13:12-17)
Are we willing to serve in ANY WAY to which we are called? Are we willing to stoop low to meet the needs of those who do not merit our aid? This is a genuine mark of our Lord for our Lord and for those around us.
SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org
SIH Text Blog: https://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/
SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/
SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com