The Kingdom

The Kingdom 

From the beginning of His ministry, Jesus spoke of His kingdom.

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

Jesus taught that to enter His kingdom we must be born of water and of the Spirit.

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." - John 3:5 KJV

Jesus gave the keys to His kingdom to Peter.

"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." - Matthew 16:19 KJV

On the Day of Pentecost, Peter preached the keys to the kingdom of how to be born of water and of the Spirit.

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." - Acts 2:38 KJV

Philip preached of the kingdom. 

"But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women." - Acts 8:12 KJV

Paul preached of the kingdom.

"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 

“And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." - 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 KJV

"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." - Romans 14:17 KJV

Devices of satan

Devices of satan - Unforgiveness 

The Bible talks about satan’s “devices,” in the plural, so we know that he has more than one evil scheme. The Bible also talks about “the wiles of the devil,” also plural (“schemes, tactics, strategies"). 

“Devices” is defined as:

Vine’s Expository Dictionary of NT Words: Device: “denotes "thought, that which is thought out" (cp. noeo, "to understand"); hence, "a purpose, device;" translated "devices" in 2Corinthians 2:11.” Thayer’s Greek Lexicon: “a mental perception, thought (specifically) an evil purpose…”

One device is unforgiveness.

"To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; lest Satan should get an advantage of us [outsmart us]: for we are not ignorant of his devices [evil schemes]." - 2 Corinthians 2:10-11 KJV

Jesus made it very clear that we must forgive if we want to go to heaven. (Matthew 18:23-35)

He told a story of a servant that was forgiven a great debt by his master the king. When a fellow servant begged forgiveness of his very small debt, the servant threw his fellow servant into prison until he should pay the debt. When the king found out what happened he was wroth. The king then took the unforgiving servant (the “wicked servant”), and delivered him to the tormentors, until he should pay all that was due him. 

We can see this scenario in our lives. When we turned to Jesus, King of the universe, we begged Him forgiveness of the overwhelming debt of our sins that we could never pay. He had mercy on us, and forgave our whole debt. We repented of our sins, we had them all washed away by water baptism “in JESUS name,” and were graciously given Life by the infilling of His Holy Spirit. Are there people in our lives that have sinned against us that we are holding accountable? 

Jesus concluded the story with this:

"And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses." - Matthew 18:34-35 KJV

We must be careful to not let satan outsmart us with his evil schemes. Unforgiveness is one of these devices.

The Lamb

There is one throne in heaven.

"And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne." - Revelation 4:2 

The Lamb sits in the midst of the throne.

"For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters..." - Revelation 7:17 

Who is the Lamb? Jesus.

"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." - John 1:29 

Jesus, the Lamb, is Lord of lords, and King of kings.

"These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful." - Revelation 17:14 

Jesus, as the Lamb of God, shed His own blood for our sins to redeem us back to Himself.

"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:" - 1 Peter 1:18-19 

The invisible Spirit of God was in the visible body of Christ. God was manifest in the flesh.

"To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." - 2 Corinthians 5:19 

This wonderful message of reconciliation was preached by Peter on the Day of Pentecost.

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." - Acts 2:38-39 

Jesus - Name Above Every Name

"Jesus" is the Father's name that is above every name because by His name “Jesus” God reconciled all of humanity back to Himself. (Philippians 2:8-11).

"To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them..." - 2 Corinthians 5:19 KJV

Our Heavenly Father humbled Himself, putting on human flesh and dying on a cross. He came in His name of salvation - “Jesus.” (Acts 2:38).

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." - Acts 4:12 KJV

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." - Acts 2:38 KJV

One day every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord – the Father manifest in flesh, Savior of the world. (Philippians 2:8-11, Colossians 1:19-23, Isaiah 45:21, Isaiah 43:11, Colossians 1:15, Acts 20:28).

Isaiah prophesied that every knee shall bow to God.

"I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear." - Isaiah 45:23 KJV

Jesus is the image of the invisible God.

"Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:" - Colossians 1:15 KJV

Every eye shall see Jesus – the image of the invisible God – seated on the throne as the Lamb of God – and all will bow before Him. 

At the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:10-11).

Preachers, Preach the Word!

Preachers, preach the word! 

People, bring your mind into captivity, keep it from wandering, and hear the word of God!

"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" - 2 Corinthians 10:5 KJV

As Hosea said,

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge …" - Hosea 4:6 KJV

God ordained that preachers sent by Him would proclaim His gospel that people might receive it, obey it, and be saved. [Note below: ‘calling on the name of the Lord’ is connected with putting the name of the Lord on a person, which takes place when a person obeys the gospel, having the name of Jesus called upon him in water baptism in the name of Jesus. (Acts 22:16)] 

"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!" - Romans 10:13-15 KJV

We need to not only HEAR the word, but also OBEY the word.

As the rest of Romans 10 says, 

"But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias [Isaiah] saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?" - Romans 10:16 KJV [Isaiah 53:1]

Obey the gospel today! Turn to Jesus and be baptized calling on the name of JESUS! 

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." - Acts 2:38 KJV

"And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." - Acts 22:16 KJV

Everything

Jesus works things out for us in every situation when we ask Him to help us. When we go one step further, and pray in the Holy Ghost, we find the peace of God, which passes understanding. 

We find confidence that Jesus is taking care of the problems in our life that we are turning over to Him, situations that were too big for us to handle, too stressful, seemingly impossible to deal with. 

Through His Spirit, He guards our mind and thoughts from fear and doubt, keeping our confidence in Him and His power to take care of our situations. 

There is nothing too big or too small to ask Jesus for help. His faithfulness and all that He does for us, His ever present help, is a reason for every request to be made with thanksgiving.

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7 KJV

The Birth of the Church

Chart From: Exploring God's Word Bible Study

Give Thanks!

At Thanksgiving, we give thanks to Jesus for our family and friends, for food, and for all He provides for us. 

We especially thank Jesus for the salvation He has given us – the forgiveness of our sins through His name, and the greatest gift of all, to be filled with His Spirit! 

We truly have so much to be thankful for.

Yet, this is a reminder that we should CONTINUALLY offer praise and thanksgiving to God.

"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." - Hebrews 13:15 KJV

"I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth." - Psalm 34:1 KJV

"Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified." - Psalm 70:4 KJV

Praying With Thanksgiving

We know to pray about everything. 

Something we might leave out when we pray, however, is thanksgiving!

We try to remember to thank Jesus when He answers our prayers, but what about giving thanks WHEN we pray? This is what the Bible says! It says to pray WITH THANKSGIVING!

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." - Philippians 4:6 KJV

When we make our requests to God, we show COMPLETE faith when we give thanks WHEN we pray.

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:7 KJV

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." - Isaiah 26:3 KJV

In Everything Give Thanks

In EVERYTHING give thanks!

When things are going good, it is easy to give thanks to Jesus. What about when things are going not so good?

There is a story about a certain Rabbi (From: Jewishhistory.org):

“Rabbi Akiva’s favorite maxim was, “All that God does He does for the good.” Once, after he was unable to find any place to sleep in a certain city, he passed the night alone in the forest and repeated his maxim calmly, “All that God does is for the good.” Then, one after another, a lion devoured his donkey, a cat killed his rooster and the wind extinguished his candle. Each time he said, “All that God does is for the good.” When dawn arrived he discovered that a band of robbers had fallen upon the city and carried its inhabitants into captivity. Only he had escaped because his donkey and rooster were not around to make any noises and his extinguished candle did not give away his location (Berachos 60b).”

If we think about it, we can remember events in our life that appeared bad at the time, but later worked out to be a blessing! Some of these events were financial. Some of these events were spiritual. People that have turned their back on God, their life going in a bad direction, can experience a catastrophe in their life that turns them back to God and saves their life and soul from destruction. God has a purpose, and ALL things work together for our good.

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28 KJV

This is why we can and should give thanks in everything! God is working things out in our life for a purpose and for our good.

"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV

What was Paul saying?

When Paul said,

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." - Ephesians 2:8-9 

Paul was speaking of being saved by the gospel and our obedience to the gospel - by repentance, baptism in the name of Jesus, and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Romans 6:1-4, Acts 2:38, Mark 16:15-16, 2Thessalonians 1:8).

The works Paul is speaking of is the WORKS OF THE LAW (NOT baptism in the name of Jesus).

"But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law..." - Romans 9:31-32 

"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ...." - Galatians 2:16 

"This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" - Galatians 3:2 

(Also Galatians 3:5, Galatians 3:10).

The Jews claim their righteousness as coming from their keeping of the law, thus boasting of their own righteousness. 

"Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:" - Philippians 3:8-9 

Paul was reminding the believers that they were saved by the GOSPEL and their obedience of the gospel; they were NOT saved by keeping the works of the law of Moses. Their righteousness is of God by faith, not their own righteousness which is of the law. 

Who is Paul speaking to? He is speaking to the church that had already repented of their sins, had been baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of their sins, and had received the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

Church!

How in the Bible were they added to the church?

On the Day of Pentecost, when the church began, Peter preached the gospel.

"Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it." - Acts 2:22-24 

Peter preached to them the gospel of Jesus, of His death, burial, and resurrection.

"Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." - Acts 2:36 

They responded with repentant hearts.

"Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" - Acts 2:37 

Peter told them how to obey the gospel.

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." - Acts 2:38 

Peter told them of the promise of the Holy Ghost.

"For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." - Acts 2:39 

He urged them to obey the gospel.

"And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation." - Acts 2:40 

They then received the gospel and obeyed it. (Mark 16:15-16).

"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." - Acts 2:41 

This is how they were added to the church.

"And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. ... praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." - Acts 2:42, 47

Jesus Is "I AM"

"Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me." - John 12:44-45 KJV

"I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he [I AM], ye shall die in your sins." - John 8:24 KJV

"And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." - Exodus 3:14 KJV

"Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. [I AM]" - John 8:58 KJV

What Should We Pray For?

What should we pray for?

The Lord is soon coming. There are many that have not heard the gospel of Jesus Christ that are unprepared. Jesus told His disciples that the harvest out there of souls is truly great, but there are few labourers that are bringing them the gospel.

"Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest." - Matthew 9:3

Living in these last days, we are in perilous times. There are many temptations. Evil men and seducers are growing worse and worse. Those of us who are living for God need one another’s prayers. Praying in the Spirit is powerful praying. We should stay alert to pray for everyone and everything that Jesus puts on our minds.

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;" - Ephesians 6:18

With the turmoil that is going on today in the political arena, we must remember to pray for all those that are in authority.

"I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty." - 1 Timothy 2:1-2

By keeping an attitude of prayer and being sensitive to all that is going on around us, we can be used by the Lord to accomplish His will on earth. Knowing the Lord is working through us, the cares and worries that those in the world are weighed down with are for us replaced with God’s peace. We can trust that Jesus is working everything out according to His purpose. Our part is in everything to pray.

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7

Prayer of a Righteous Man

The Bible says, 

"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." - James 5:16b 

How can we be righteous? 

"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" - Romans 3:10 

It is by the gospel - the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus - and our obedience to the gospel that we can become righteous. (1Corinthians 15:1-4, Acts 2:38).

"For he hath made him to be sin for us [to be the offering for our sin], who knew no sin [who never sinned]; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." - 2 Corinthians 5:21

When we repent by turning from sin, have our sins washed away by baptism in the name of Jesus, and receive His Spirit in us, through Jesus we are made righteous. We have crucified and buried our old sinful nature and put on Christ. (Acts 2:38, Romans 6:3-6, Romans 14:17).

"For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." - Galatians 3:27 

Through Christ, our fervent prayers are powerful.

For example,

"And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness." - Acts 4:31 (Acts 4:29-31).

"Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him." - Acts 12:5 

Peter was miraculously delivered from prison (to the surprise of the praying church). (Acts 12:6-17).

"And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them." - Acts 16:25 

Paul and Silas were miraculously delivered from prison. (Acts 16:16-40).

A disciple named Tabitha (Dorcas) was sick and died. Peter prayed for her, and she rose from the dead. (Acts 9:36-42).

"But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up." - Acts 9:40  

"And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him." - Acts 28:8 (Acts 28:7-9).

The Gospel

What is the Gospel and How do we Obey the Gospel?

The Bible says the gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain." - 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 

"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:" - 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 

The Bible says we obey the gospel when we become dead to sin by repentance, we are buried by water baptism in the name of Jesus, and we are resurrected by the baptism of the Holy Ghost, as in Acts 2:38.

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." - Acts 2:38 

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father [the Holy Ghost], even so we also should walk in newness of life." - Romans 6:1-4 

The Bible tells us we must not only BELIEVE the gospel to be saved, we must also OBEY the gospel by being baptized (by water and by the Spirit). (2 Thessalonians 1:8, 1 Peter 4:17, John 3:5, Acts 2:38).

"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." - Mark 16:15-1

"That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;" - Colossians 1:10 

The Right Hand of God is Power

When the Bible speaks of sitting on the right hand of God, it is not speaking of a physical location next to God. Because God is Spirit, He doesn't have a right and left hand.  Rather, sitting on the right hand of God is speaking about being in the place of authority, honour, and power.

"And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." - Mark 14:62 (Also: Matthew 26:64).

“The right hand in Hebrew, same as in Greek, is connected with the idea of success, and thus denotes prosperity…” (Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon). 

"Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God." - Luke 22:69 

When Stephen, the first martyr, looked up to heaven, he saw the body of Jesus, the image of the invisible God. Jesus was not standing next to another god, for Jesus is God. The Bible refers to the right hand of God as the power of God. Stephen saw Jesus standing in His power and glory. 

"But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God." - Acts 7:55-56 

Stephen recognized that Jesus is God.

"And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." - Acts 7:59 

"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." - Hebrews 12:2

We see that the right hand is His power and authority, for Jesus, the Lamb of God, is in the midst of the throne. 

"For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." - Revelation 7:17 

God did a greater work than creating the universe: He humbled Himself and became a man to pay the price of our sins on a tree and save us. He is the Lamb of God that sits in the throne. He is King of kings, Lord of lords, the all-powerful God Jesus Christ.

The Right Hand of God is Power

God relates to man – The Hand of God - A Metaphor for God’s Power

It appears that the hand of God is a metaphor for God’s power. Just as there is power in a man’s arm, by extension, there is power in a man’s hand, particularly a man’s right hand.

"And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go." - Exodus 3:20 KJV

"O Lord GOD, thou hast begun to shew thy servant thy greatness, and thy mighty hand: for what God is there in heaven or in earth, that can do according to thy works, and according to thy might?" - Deuteronomy 3:24 KJV

"But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them." - Exodus 7:4-5 KJV

"That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever." - Joshua 4:24 KJV

"And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man." - 2 Samuel 24:14 KJV

"And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel." - 1 Kings 18:46 KJV

"And hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellors, and before all the king's mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me." - Ezra 7:28 KJV

"The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly. The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly." - Psalm 118:15-16 KJV

Church!

Church!

"A Psalm of praise. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands." - Psalm 100:1 KJV

"Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing." - Psalm 100:2 KJV

"Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture." - Psalm 100:3 KJV

"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name." - Psalm 100:4 KJV

"For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." - Psalm 100:5 KJV

Arm of the Lord - Strength, Salvation, and the Power to Redeem

God relates to man – The Arm of the Lord – Strength, Salvation, and the Power to Redeem

It appears that the arm of the Lord is a metaphor of God’s strength, salvation, and power to redeem.

"Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:" - Exodus 6:6 

"Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased." - Exodus 15:16 

"And the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders:" - Deuteronomy 26:8 

"But the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm, him shall ye fear, and him shall ye worship, and to him shall ye do sacrifice." - 2 Kings 17:36 

"Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah." - Psalm 77:15 

"And hast brought forth thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, and with a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with great terror;" - Jeremiah 32:21 

"For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them." - Psalm 44:3 

Looking Upon His Face In His Mercy

God relates to man – Looking Upon His Face in His Mercy

It appears that God’s face is a metaphor of God’s mercy. When a person looks upon God’s face, he is in God’s mercy.

"And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved." - Genesis 32:30 

"And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou LORD art among this people, that thou LORD art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them…" - Numbers 14:14 

"And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend." - Exodus 33:11  (Also: Deuteronomy 5:4, 34:10).

"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." - 1 Corinthians 13:12 

The priestly blessing included, "The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:" - Numbers 6:25 (See: Daniel 9:17)

If God’s face is turned from us, hid from us, or set against us, we are in God’s judgment.

"In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer." - Isaiah 54:8 (Also: Deuteronomy 31:17-18, 32:20, Micah 3:4, Leviticus 17:10, 20:3, 5, 6, 26:17).

"For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil." - 1 Peter 3:12 

Those that are part of the church – that have repented of their sins, have been baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of their sins, and have received the gift of the Holy Ghost, living a holy life, look forward to “look upon His face, there to sing forever of His saving grace!”

"For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." - 2 Corinthians 4:6 

"And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads." - Revelation 22:4 

The Gospel of the Kingdom

The Gospel of the Kingdom

Jesus came, the Father manifest in flesh, to establish His kingdom on Earth. 

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this." - Isaiah 9:6-7 KJV

He was born of the lineage of King David – the “Son of David.” He would be the fulfillment of His promise to David:

"And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever." - 2 Samuel 7:16 KJV (2Samuel 7:8-17).

"And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary." - Luke 1:26-27 KJV

The angel told Mary that the son she would give birth to will reign forever, and His kingdom will never end.

"And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." - Luke 1:31-33 KJV

From the beginning of His ministry, Jesus began preaching and teaching the gospel of His kingdom.

"And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom…" - Matthew 4:23 KJV

What is an "idle word"

 Jesus spoke about "every idle word."

What is an "idle" word?

Thayer's Lexicon of Greek words defines "idle" as, 

 "of things from which no profit is derived, although they can and ought to be productive; as of fields, trees, gold and silver"

The second definition is specific to Matthew 12:36: "unprofitable...equivalent to pernicious. 

Pernicious: "having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual Pernicious  or subtle way".

"O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." 

"A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things." 

"But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 

"For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." - Matthew 12:34-37 

"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." 

"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." - Ephesians 4:29, 31-32 

"There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health." - Proverbs 12:18

"Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones." - Proverbs 16:24

"If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain." - James 1:26 

"Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do." - 1Thessalonians 5:11 

"Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be." 

"Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?" Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh." - James 3:9-12 

With Jesus, walking in His Spirit, we can do it. 

 

The Gift of God

The Gift of God – Living Water

"There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink." - John 4:7

"Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans." - John 4:9 KJV

"Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water." - John 4:10 KJV

Jesus said, “If thou knewest the gift of God…”

Jesus has a gift for all humanity. He calls this gift “living water.” Jesus said whoever drinks the water He gives them will never thirst. He said if a person asks Him, He would give them living water. Jesus said this water will be inside them giving them eternal life!

"Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." - John 4:13-14 KJV

What is this gift of living water?

"In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)" - John 7:37-39

This gift of living water is the Spirit – the Holy Ghost.

How does it spring up into everlasting life (give eternal life)?

"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken [“give life to”] your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." - Romans 8:11

The Spirit gives us eternal life when the Spirit dwells in us. The Spirit dwells in us when we have received the gift of the Holy Ghost.

"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus [those dead that are baptized in Jesus name and filled with His Spirit] will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [precede] them which are asleep [those that are dead]. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ [those dead that are believers] shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain [believers] shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord [be forever with the Lord]." - 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17

Those baptized in the name of Jesus for and full of the Holy Ghost when they die (“the dead in Christ”), will rise first. Those baptized in Jesus name and full of the Holy Ghost and living when Jesus returns (“we which are alive and remain”), will join those that rose from the grave, to be caught up together in the clouds, to meet Jesus in the air. The gift of the Holy Ghost, the living water, gives us everlasting life with Jesus.

How do we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost?

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." - Acts 2:38 KJV

"For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." - Acts 2:39 KJV

Life, joy, and pleasures forevermore

 "Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." - Psalm 16:11 KJV

Jesus shows us the path of life.

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." - John 14:6 KJV

It is by the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus – the gospel – that we find the way to life. There is no other gospel, no other religion that can bring us to God. By His name in baptism we apply the blood He shed to remit our sins so we can make peace with Him, receive His Spirit, and live. 

When we obey the gospel of Jesus, we receive the promise of God's Spirit, the Holy Ghost. 

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." - Acts 2:38 KJV

In His presence there is fullness of joy. 

"Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:" - 1 Peter 1:8 KJV

We do not now see the physical body of Jesus (which ascended to heaven and which we will see in the clouds at the rapture), but now we feel the joy of His Spirit when we are filled with His Holy Ghost.

"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." - Romans 14:17 KJV

The pleasures that come from living for Jesus far outweigh what the world has to offer. 

The good choice is to turn away from sin and its path of death and to choose the path of life. 

Jesus gives us a life of pleasure that is no comparison to the sin the world has to offer.

A few of the pleasures the Spirit of God brings into our life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23).

Jesus shows us His gospel is the path of life which leads to heaven. In Jesus there is fullness of joy and pleasures for evermore!

Church!

Church! 

Every day we are one step closer to seeing Jesus face to face. It is a day to rejoice and at the same time be sure we are ready. To be ready, we must repent of our sins (being sorrowful for the wrongs we have done and turning our back to sin), be baptized by immersion in water in the name of JESUS for the remission of sins, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (God’s Spirit in us, with the sign of speaking in another tongue/language as we allow God to take control of our words). (Acts 2:4, Acts 2:38) 

We should not simply be ready by obeying the gospel, but also ready by being all that the Lord wants us to be. We should be fruitful by doing good works and shining the love of Jesus to others. We should be fruitful by bringing others into the kingdom of God through the gospel. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Acts 2:38)

In the day we are in, we must be faithful to assemble together by going to the house of God. We need the encouragement, and the exhorting (preaching) from the Word so that we can walk true and steadfast in Jesus. Through prayer and worship we can receive the communion and strength of His Spirit to make it through these end times. 

"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." - Hebrews 10:23-25

The Gospel

Repentance is death to sin. Water baptism in Jesus’ name is burial of old nature. Holy Ghost infilling is resurrection to new life.

Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth,

"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:" - 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 KJV

Paul preached the gospel, the church received the gospel, they stand in the gospel, and they are saved by the gospel, if they kept in memory what he preached to him, or else their belief is in vain. They believed that Christ DIED for their sins, that He was BURIED, and that He ROSE again. Their BELIEF in the gospel would be in vain if they didn’t OBEY the gospel.

Paul wrote to the church in Rome,

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." - Romans 6:1-4 KJV

Paul preached we are DEAD TO SIN by REPENTANCE. We are BURIED with Jesus Christ by BAPTISM. We are RESURRECTED by the HOLY GHOST to walk in new life.

This is how we OBEY the gospel, so that our belief is not “in vain.” (Mark 16:15-16).

On the Day of Pentecost, Apostle Peter preached the gospel – the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When asked, “What shall we do?” he preached how to obey the gospel.

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." - Acts 2:38 KJV

Jesus Has All Power

 Jesus has all power.

"And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all." - Luke 4:14-15

Jesus has power over satan.

“And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.

“And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not." - Luke 4:33-35

Jesus gave power to His disciples.

"After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come... 

"And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." 

"Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

" - Luke 10:1, 17-20 

Because Jesus paid the price of death for our sins on the tree, we are able to have our names written in heaven  by our repentance, our baptism in the name of Jesus for the remission of our sins, and by receiving His gift of His Holy Ghost.

"But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:" - 2 Timothy 1:10

And now He gives US power 

 "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." - Mark 16:17-18 

Teach Your Children

 

Teach your children 

What is the first priority in teaching our children?

Paul wrote to Timothy reminding him that from a child he knew the holy scriptures.

"And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." - 2 Timothy 3:15 KJV

We can teach our children the things to get by in this world, but this world is not our home; there is the reality of heaven beyond this mortal world. We need to prepare our children for a place in heaven.

"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." - 1 Corinthians 2:9 KJV

God impressed on His people how important it is to Him to teach our children His commandments.

"And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." - Deuteronomy 6:7 KJV

Because of Timothy’s knowledge of the Word and his answer to the call of God in his life, he was able to not only save himself, but to teach others of the kingdom of God and how to be saved. (2Timothy 1:5, 1Timothy 4:14).

"Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee." - 1 Timothy 4:16 KJV

Because we love our children and we want the best for them, we teach them about Jesus and His love for them. We teach them the gospel and how to be saved. We give our children the knowledge of the Word as we have been given the knowledge, passing it on to them so they too can have a place not only in heaven, but a place to be used in the kingdom of God here on earth.

All the Fullness of the Godhead is in Christ

We must beware of false doctrines, such as the trinity. The Bible tells us that all the fullness of the Godhead is in Christ. (Colossians 2:8-10).

We are complete in Jesus. It is Jesus, our Heavenly Father that robed Himself in a holy human body, born of a woman, so that He could pay the price of death for OUR sins. (John 14:6-19, 1Peter 1:18-19, John 1:29, Hebrews 2:14-15).

Jesus died, He was buried, and on the third day He rose from the dead. We were dead in our sins, but Jesus gives us Life. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). This is the Gospel.

Jesus gives us Life when we put off the sins of our flesh by repentance, we bury our sins by water baptism in the name of JESUS, (washing them away by the blood that Jesus shed), and we are filled with His Life giving Spirit, the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38, John 6:63).

Colossians 2:8-15  "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

"In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

"And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened [made alive] together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

"And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it."