To Have the Compassion of Jesus Part 1
This is from a 5 part series that J and L Ministries taught on a few years ago, but I think it will touch someone as we bring it back again. We want to thank all those who are here in the J and L Ministries room here on Paltalk and for those reading, listening and watching on all the social sites. We encourage you to take notes as we dig into scriptures. What should we as Christians be doing in this day and age to mirror Jesus in His time in the 1st century? What are the keys to sharing Jesus Christ today? What kind of mindset or perspective do we need? That's what we're going to look into today. The first step is to adjust our perspective, to see the world as Jesus saw it. One of the things we want to do today is see how Jesus views the world around us, because the way Jesus views the world is exactly the same way we want to view the world. The world view that we have is really the way we see the world around us and the lenses through which we view everything that happens in the world. If you take a look at how people view the world today, their lens is really different. A friend sent me what I'm about to read and I think it fits with this message, although I doctored it up a bit. Here are examples: How do politicians see the world? It depends on what their frame of reference is. It depends on what country they come from. For example: If a man had two cows, a socialist would say, "Give one of those cows to the neighbor who has none." That's the way he views the world. A Communist would say, "Give milk from the cows to a neighbor; keep the cows yourself." A Nazi would say, "Kill one of the cows. Use the money to buy a guard to watch over the other cow." A Fascist would say, "Kill both cows; take the money and run." A Capitalist would say, "Sell one cow and buy a bull." It's the way you view the world that determines how you're going to get along in the world. That's true in religion too. Just think about the way various religions view the world around them. A Hindu sees the world as us all being a part of God's creation. Everything is sacred. Don't step on a bug, because it's a part of God's creation. A Humanist would say, "No, no, no. We're all products of evolution, and no one is any more special than anyone else." A Muslim would say, "It's part of our responsibility to be true to Allah, the one faithful god. Infidels must die because they're not true to the one god." That's a world view. New Age people would say, "Now, there is no one true god. I am the one true god. I, myself, am the sum total of all that the world is." Hollywood would look at the world and say, "Well, all we need to do is be entertained." But how does Jesus view the world? That's the question I want to address today. I think Matthew 10:16 will show us the answer to that. Matthew 10:16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. (17) But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; (18) And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for My sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. Let me stop here, because I think that's sufficient for us to understand that the view Jesus has of the world is not looking through rose-colored glasses. Jesus doesn't look out at the world and say, "You know what? This is a beautiful world. My Father did such a wonderful job in creating this world and it's just such a wonderful place to live." You can almost hear Jesus singing with Louie Armstrong about how wonderful this world is. It is a wonderful world. But Jesus was not naive in the way He approached this world. So He says to His disciples, "I'm going to send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves." His take on the world was that the world was filled with wolves and you and I are sheep. And you say, "How could a loving God send you out as sheep among the wolves?" The answer to that is: He goes with us as the Shepherd among the wolves. Praise Jesus. So how did Jesus view the world? First of all, He did not view it as a wonderful place in which to live in which there are no problems. He didn't look at this world through rose-colored glasses. He recognizes that the world is made up of wolves. But isn't it interesting that He says that you, as sheep, have to be as wise as a serpent and as harmless as a dove? You have to be smart in the way you approach the world. You have to have insight in the way you see taking your message of salvation to the world around you. And at the same time, I think you have to be pure. You have to be guileless. You have to be like the dove, harmless. And when you and I do that, we find ourselves talking to a world that isn't all that happy about the message of Jesus and salvation. But we can take it, because that’s the world for which Jesus died for. So here's the key word. When you think about Jesus going out to the world, you think about Jesus taking the message to a world filled with wolves, but He does it because of His significant compassion for the world. This is the thing I want us to think about as we study this passage. The key word here is compassion. Jesus has compassion on the world, and that's why He sends us out into the world. It would be so easy for you and me, once we come to know the Lord as Savior, just to hang out with others who know the Lord, spend time in the aquarium with the other fish, and be fed by our pastor week after week as he drops a few flakes into our aquarium. But the Bible says that Jesus had such compassion for those who were outside of the aquarium, He told us we need to leave our comfort zones and go out to them. But when we go, don't be misled into the fact that everything will be fine for you. Church, everything won't be fine. This world is filled with wolves. But compassion is the key. You even have to love wolves. You have to love those who don't love you, and that's a hard thing to do. Amen, someone? According to Webster's Dictionary, the word compassion means "to suffer with." Compassion "with suffering, to suffer with." So basically, if I'm going to have compassion for the world around me, I'm going to see their needs and suffer with them in their needs. Their needs are going to become my needs, and my answer is going to become the answer to their needs. And brothers and sisters in Christ, that only happens though, if I'm willing to go out into this world and to suffer with them. In a Bible study that brother Jeff did here a few weeks ago here on Paltalk in A Far From Normal Faith Ministry, we discussed learning about those that we share God's truth with. Learn their lives and what they suffer from. Some people are naturally compassionate. Brother Peter Stanway is the first that comes to mind. Peter and his wife Nancy have a ministry in Scotland called The Way Christian Ministries. Peter stayed with us for a few weeks a few years ago and the love of Jesus poured off this man. He's a man of such compassion for those in this dying world. As we talk about compassion, I think it's something that we can develop. I do think there are some people who are more compassionate than others by their very nature. Perhaps they just have a softer heart. But the more we allow the Spirit of God to work through us, the more we are vessels in God's hand. The more comfort and consolation we're able to bring to those who are hurting, I think the more compassionate we become. So can we develop more compassion? Yes. The way we do that is not to stay aloof from people who need us. We should ask God to use us as His conduit of compassion. The more that happens, the more we come to crave opportunities to become compassionate. Here's where many of us struggle. I spoke earlier about getting "out there" to engage the world. But for some of us, that world is right where we live each day. We have family members who don't yet know or understand what Jesus came to offer. You can always begin; in fact, you should always begin with the closest people in your life. Leading a small group on witnessing many years ago, I found that everyone had issues on sharing their faith with others. Since then, I've seen some who attended become much bolder. Praise the Lord. Just ask Jesus to give you eyes to see the hurt and then to show compassion to whoever you see and to give you the words. It's that easy. As we grow in the Lord, we find that things that we used to do important to us, or that should be the case. We find ourselves with Christian brothers and sisters in Christ and the things that we should be doing. Now in saying that, should we stay away from those who are non-believers? No! We shouldn't shun neighbors or co-workers, people in class with us, or people wherever we find them. Perhaps they need to see the compassion of Christ even more than our church family does. So we're to show compassion, to see the world as Jesus saw it. But if we want to see things the way He did, we have to be as realistic as Jesus was. Our key verse this morning in this study is Matthew 10:16. Jesus says to His disciples, "Behold I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves." Don't think of these as literal wolves wandering around the neighborhood about to eat you up. Jesus is talking about the world as it is. And Satan has a great deal of influence on the world as it is. Let's remember that sin does not come from God. Sin comes from rebellion against God. That's the original sin. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God, that was mankind's original sin. If you want to trace sin, don't trace it back to your grandparents, although they were sinners. Don't trace it back to generations in the past. Trace it back to rebellion against God. That's where sin always originates. In our rebellion against God, suddenly we're paying a hefty penalty for rebelling against God. What you see in the world today that's all messed up, everything that's wrong in the world today. All the evil that we see around us today can be traced not to God and His compassion, but to Satan and his rebellion. Let me give you some examples of the kind of world that you and I will go into. This is a world that's filled with poverty. Many of us experience that poverty in every food cupboard. And Jesus told us to take the Gospel into the entire world, not just our comfortable, suburban, middle-class society. Poverty is on the rise in a lot of places in the world. If we're going to take the Gospel to people, the Gospel in itself has to address some of the issues these people are facing. Poverty is one of those. Beyond that, there's increased population. The more people there are, the more people we have to take the message of the Gospel to. Currently, the world's population is almost seven billion people. And the growth rate is the equivalent of four new babies born every second. This presents believers with an incredible task, and it's getting more and more difficult each day. So we have a world that's filled with poverty. We have a world that's filled with people. You put poverty and people together, you have a world that's filled with crime. We have about an 89% probability here in the United States of being a victim of a crime at some time during our life. In this country someone is murdered every 21 minutes. There's forcible rape every five minutes. Aggravated assault every 28 seconds, motor vehicle theft every 20 seconds. So, the society that's supposed to be wealthy and send people out to regions of the world in order to help them understand the Gospel is a society that's crumbling from within. Jesus said, "Look, I want you to see the world the way I see the world." This world is not a pretty place. It's a very needy place. It's a place in which you and I are charged to take the message of the Gospel. "So brother Jim, how do we change this world? What's the technology we use to change this world? What's my plan for tomorrow to impact the teenagers who live in the community?" Friends, that's having keen insight. It's having shrewdness, or a sharpness. It's not just saying, "Let's just take the Gospel message and throw it out and see where it sticks." We have to be as harmless as a dove; but we have to be as shrewd as a snake. Here's what I want you to notice about the world. I brought up poverty, population and crime. But when you think about this world spiritually, you and I are going out into a world filled with spiritual wolves. What that shows me is this: This world is not only filled with wolves but with cults. They're breeding rapidly in this world. Our task is more difficult today than let’s say 20 years ago. Besides that, non-Christian religions are making roads into Christian places like they never have before. Most of us here in the United States think we're a Christian nation. But after looking in the Encyclopedia of American Religions today, I find that 1600 denominations are listed, of which 44% are non-Christian. So I think it would be foolish for us to say that the world is a wonderful place in which to live, that all we have to do is go out there and everyone's going to accept our message of salvation and they'll be happy that we've told them that they were sinners. It's just not going to happen. That's why Jesus says, "You have to be as wise as a serpent." You have to have the desire to make a difference. But at the same time, and I fail miserably here at times, and if you're honest with yourself, most of you do too. Church, it is a learning process you have to be unadulterated. You have to be pure. You have to be gentle. You have to be compassionate. And everything we know about Jesus, in going to His world of wolves, was that He had keen insight about what the world was. He wasn't fooled at all by this world. But at the same time, He was very, very loving toward them. Jesus’ view of the world was very realistic. He saw the need, the challenge, and that it would be hard. He saw the wolves for what they were. When we look at things that are real, many times our response is fear. We retreat or feel defeated before we even begin and I think the problem is that that's our natural response. We tend to focus on the hugeness of our challenge instead of the hugeness of our God and His ability to help us meet that challenge. But let's face it, our first, our natural response to the world around us is fear. Fear of failure. And that's why it's so important to remember that we do have a secret weapon, something the world doesn't have or doesn't even know about. And that's the power of God's Holy Spirit. My dear friends, never forget, "Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world." And also “you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you”. I've given statistics on the growth of cults and different types of churches in the last few years. How do we handle those without developing a sort of spiritual quarantine to protect our theology or practice? The last thing we want to do is quarantine our faith. Jesus calls us to share our faith, not to seal it up and protect it. That's why it's so important (I think vitally important) that we build a strong faith so we have the strength necessary to handle the cults and the aberrations of true Christianity. That strong faith comes through getting to know God better. Friends, the only way to get to know God better and build your faith is to meaningfully engage Him. Daily engage Him in His Word and in prayer. I can’t stress this enough. I, through every Bible study that I've led and blogs that I write, when teaching how to get to know God better and to see Him work in your life isn't just to tell you what to do. It's the key to living the Christian life successfully. If you asked people what is our greatest need, you'd hear things like better education, good jobs, more money, or maybe an end to poverty or cancer. We're all born with the same need. The need for a Savior. And Jesus is our only Savior. How do we present Jesus as the solution to mankind's greatest need? Our view of the world should match up with Jesus' view. And He certainly saw it as needy. But He also said it would not give us a warm welcome. Instead of treating people as enemies or as adversaries, I think we need to do what Jesus did. We need to have compassion on them. This is a scary world. This is a dangerous world and becoming more and more dangerous by the day. One doesn't have to look far to see this is a needy world. But it's a world we have to take the message to. So let's go back one chapter and today find out how Jesus saw the needs of people in this world. Matthew 9:36-38: But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. :37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; :38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. I want you to put that on the front burner of your mind. Jesus saw the world filled with wolves, and He had compassion for them "because they were weary and scattered like sheep, having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, 'The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.'" Let's see some more scripture in Matthew. I want you to see the compassion of Jesus. Matthew 14:13-14 When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities. (14) And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. What I want you to see here again is the word compassion, and what immediately happened after this, the feeding of the five thousand. Why did Jesus feed these people? Because of His compassion. Matthew 15:30-32 KJV And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them: (31) Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel. (32) Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. There it is again—"compassion." Only this time Jesus is feeding the four thousand, different from the feeding of the five thousand. Let's look at 1 more. Matthew 20:29-34: "And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, 'Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!' The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, 'Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!' And stopping, Jesus called them and said, 'What do you want me to do for you?' They said to him, 'Lord, let our eyes be opened.' And Jesus in pity [with compassion] touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed Him." Again, notice that before Jesus did any of these things (Things that helped people in general), there is this note about His motivation. And His motivation is always compassion. The motivation for you and me to share our faith with our neighbors and our family and our friends is always compassion. But let's make sure we understand what compassion is. Compassion isn't something people are born with. Compassion is something that's generated when we see a need and we fill our heart with the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me just define what compassion is and compare it to something else. If you see a person who has a need and you help that person, it may be because that person is one you just simply have pity for. You see a stray dog. You take that dog in. That's not necessarily compassion. That's pity. I'm going to show you an example of this in the Bible. Remember the story of Pharaoh's daughter when she found Moses in the bull rushes? Exodus 2:6 says that she had compassion on the baby Moses. But the word that's used there is the word for pity, not for compassion. So the reason she took the baby out was not because she loved the baby. She took the baby out because she pitied this poor little child. Jehovah God always has more than pity on us. He has compassion on us. Psalm 78:38, He was full of compassion for He forgave Israel's iniquities and did not destroy them. God didn't pity Israel because Israel was so frequently in God's face and doing things that disturbed God. He forgave their iniquities because He had compassion on them. He loved them. So compassion is more than pity, first of all. Just feeling sorry for someone is not compassion. You don't take the message of salvation to a neighbor because you feel sorry for them. You take that message because you feel compassion for them. Secondly, compassion is more than feelings anyway. We have a tendency to relate compassion with the love songs that we've heard or the love letters that we get. Second Kings 13:23 describes God's feelings toward Israel: 2 Kings 13:23 KJV And the LORD was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet. Graciousness and compassion in this verse have nothing to do with His feelings. It has to do with His relationship with them. In fact, Lamentations 3:32, says of God, Lamentations 3:32 KJV But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. Rather than say, "Oh, you poor thing, I'm going to share the Gospel with you," you may bring grief to your neighbor in telling your neighbor that he's doing something wrong, that he's displeasing to God. But you're doing that because of your intense love for that neighbor, your great compassion for that neighbor. Compassion arises more from unfailing commitment to people than it does for feelings for people. Number one, compassion isn't just pity; it's a lot more than pity. Number two, it's more commitment. I'm going to be compassionate. It's more commitment than it is feeling. Then here's a third thing that I think distinguishes compassion and pity. Compassion arises more from our character than it does from our concern. Why are some people more compassionate than others? If we factor out the pity factor (that is to say, some people appear to be compassionate because they have more pity), some actually do have compassion because of their character. It has nothing to do their upbringing. It has nothing to do with their station in life. Luke 10:30-36: "Then Jesus answered and said, 'A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. [Here's the Good Samaritan—ready for this?] But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you. [Jesus asks] So which of these three do you think was a neighbor to him who fell among thieves?'" What we have here are two religious leaders who passed by on the other side of the road because they don't care at all about this poor beaten man. Then, we have a Samaritan, who was not privileged in life, but he is the Good Samaritan because he had a character that said to him, "I cannot go on without helping this person." He had compassion on him. Are we learning the heart of Jesus here? Compassion arises more out of character than it does out of the fluttering of the heart. So when we want to be like Jesus, we're not looking at feeling like Jesus. We're looking at having the character that Jesus had in which He saw the world as filled with wolves, and yet loved them and was willing to die for them. Should we have compassion for just those who are sick or poor? I don't think it's wise to categorize or prioritize need. Need is need, and it's wherever we find it. One day our compassion may be needed for a neighbor who has lost his or her job. They need a basket of groceries. The day after that it may be for a woman who's been abused by her husband. She's in need of encouragement, maybe even direction to help her cope appropriately with her situation. It may be need to lay hands and pray for a brother that has an injury. The gospel is the answer to all of our needs. It's the answer to our physical needs, emotional needs and spiritual needs. Everything. And Who is the Word? Matthew 28, the last chapter in Matthew. Let me just read half a dozen verses. Matthew 28:1-6 KJV In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. (2) And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. (3) His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: (4) And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. (5) And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. (6) He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. Church, don't you find it interesting that this angel is so careful of his grammar when he speaks to these women? I don't see angels going to grammar school. It's just not the kind of image I have of angels. But when he talks to these women about the Lord Jesus, he says, "I know why you are here. You are here to seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here for He is risen." In light of this; in light of what Jesus has taught (and these women were around to hear it); in light of what Jesus has done (and these women were around to see it—died for our sins on the cross); in light of that, what's the challenge given to these women that ultimately is the challenge to you and me in the this day? It's twofold, and here it is, very plain, verse 6, the challenge is this: First, "Come, see the place where the Lord lay." I think it's important, if you and I are going to share our faith with others, we need to spend significant time in God's Word, absorbing the whole message of the Gospel, so that when we tell the message of the Gospel, we're so familiar with it, it just kind of rolls off the tongue. It's a part of who we are. Also for all of us to be prayer warriors, and used to being in communication with God the Father. So he says to the women, "First of all, I want you to come and look into this tomb, look into this grave. I want you to see first that Jesus is not there." And that's the most important thing for you and me when we're testifying of our faith to others. We're absolutely convinced that Jesus is alive today. He's not in some Palestinian grave somewhere. We need to look into that tomb and be convinced so when the cultists come to our door, or when other religions challenge our faith in Jesus Christ, we're not saying, "Um, I’m not sure." We are sure, because we've been in God's Word. So he says, first of all, "Come and look into this tomb. Come and see for yourself." That's the challenge of the soul, getting our soul ready to witness. That's number one. Look at example number two, verse 7, “And go quickly and tell His disciples.” You and I cannot be effective going to tell others of the Lord Jesus until we've first come to see for ourselves. We need to be full of Him ourselves before we go and tell others. However, coming and seeing doesn't get the job done either. You can't hang out around the tomb. You have to leave the tomb, like you have to leave church, like you have to leave your Bible study group. You have to leave that at some point and go out and tell the friends that you have what Jesus has done for you. So if coming and seeing is the challenge of the soul, going and telling is also the challenge of the soul. It's walking away from where you're comfortable and going and telling people about the Lord Jesus. Getting out of that comfort zone - rebuking that spirit of fear. Come and see; then go and tell. That's our challenge in sharing Gospel. How do we make sure that we cover both sides of the mission? Because some of us are really good at knowing the Word, getting into the Word, but to leave the study part and go and tell is really scary. Or there are others who are fine with talking to people but they haven't really got a foundation beyond the few things they know. Church, we have to take both sides of this equation equally seriously. We can't just memorize a few scriptures and then just charge out into the world ready to win it for the Savior. That just doesn't work. It's also a source of a great deal of discouragement and disappointment for people who try to do it that way. We my friends, need to fill our lives with Christ first. Not so much with answers, but with the mind of Christ. And then we'll be ready to tackle the world. On the other hand, we can't marry ourselves to our quiet time, in prayer and never leave our sanctuary, because the world doesn't live in our sanctuary. The challenge here is for us to see the world as Jesus sees it and to handle it with compassion. I like this saying. “But the one option Jesus doesn't give us as Christians is to ignore the need or to stick our heads in the sand and do nothing. Heads in the sand only get grains in the ears. They don't get light to the world.” So we need to adopt Jesus' strategies for engaging the world in a way that enables us to meet them at the point of their need with the compassion of the Savior and the salvation of God. Amen? My brothers and sisters, do you want to see God really work in your life? Dig into your Bibles daily. Pray daily. Share the Gospel daily. Learn to love those that you've had a hard time to be around. Learn how to honestly walk, talk and through our actions, act as Jesus did. Let us learn to have the mind of Christ. Let us learn how to let the Holy Spirit guide us in all we do. Amen? Thank you all who've joined us here in the J and L Ministries room here on Paltalk. We love you and it blesses my heart to see people hungry for more of God. We also thank My Look Online, A Far From Normal Faith Ministry and Lokey Sisters for allowing these messages on their sites. Also we praise God for all the ones that He's drawn to Cross Roads Fellowship to view these messages and all the other friends we have on the various social networks. We love you and do hope you spend this week seeking God and learn to have that compassion for others that I believe Jesus wants you to have.
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Good morning friends and family. Leanna and I would like to welcome each of you who've joined us here at the J and L Ministries room on Paltalk, and for those who may be reading, watching or listening on any of the networks that this sermon message may be posted.
Today's message is titled: "What Truth Are We Holding On To?" and we'll be basing much of it from the book of Jude, though we'll be also looking at some other scriptures that you and I also need to fully understand, like the first two scriptures of this study. Please turn to John 13:34-35. Praise the Lord Leanna and I can share another message this week with you. I've had so many prayer requests come in from those who have been under attack from Satan. Now I say that, though I know that many things that some are going through come from choices people are making. We can't be living in this world and doing what the world is doing and expect to be protected. Amen? That may sound harsh to some, but when we read His Word, and we read scriptures like this one, our hearts should change. John 13:34-35 KJV A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. (35) By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. I hear from many and I've had to go through the same issues. We slam our neighbors or say words that aren't kind, and in the next breath we ask God to help us in circumstances that we're going through. Did that just speak to someone? There are those who think we can hit the bars on the weekends and come to church and say, “Sorry God, I shouldn’t have done that,” then do it again the next week. There are those who've admitted that they have a problem with porn. I can remember a young man living in England who responded to a video that I made about 8 or 9 years ago. That video hit him really hard, and he spilled his guts out. The last I knew, about 5 years ago, after he laid these issues at the feet of Jesus, he was still porn free. Praise God!! What are some things that you're dealing with? Is there a person that just gets under your skin? Every time he or she is near you just have to hide or start throwing insults at them? Maybe that person just brings out the worst in you. Maybe there's an addiction you're going through. Maybe you have problems using alcohol or drugs, swearing, lying, cheating or something else that might be a downfall that you have. Maybe you have an issue like one that I have to keep in check all the time; having patience with people, situations or things. These are all heart issues that we need to keep under control. What about your faith? Most would say, “I have plenty of faith. There's nothing wrong with my faith. Is there?” Every attack the enemy throws at you, you immediately rebuke it in the name of Jesus. Do you praise God during an attack and then remember to praise Him during the awesome times in your life? We've talked about faith many times. We've talked about our tongue. I've delivered messages about God hearing our prayers. Friends, all these things have to do with our walk with God. We'll be held accountable for every….I said every idle word we speak. We can't be drugging, tipping up the bottle, cursing, staying mad at our neighbor and so on and so on and expect God to be working in our lives. Whatever preacher told you that it's okay is so blindsided to the word of God. Saints, this is one of the reasons you have so many denominations and so many branches off of each denomination. Our God is an awesome God. He knows what’s best for your life and mine. He didn’t give us the Ten Commandments to make our lives miserable. Anyone want to share what they are? 1) Thou shalt not have any god’s before me. 2) Thou shalt not make any graven images. 3) Though shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. 4) Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 5) Honor thy mother and father. 6) Thy shalt not kill. 7) Thou shalt not commit adultery. 8) Thou shalt not steal. 9) Though shalt not bear false witness. 10) Thou shalt not covet. Friends, I've had this discussion many times with many different people. We say we want all God has in our lives. Do we really? Do you truly understand what that means? Do you really want God to do a work in you? To break you completely? Has anyone asked God for that? My hand is raised. We say, “Lord, I'll do whatever You ask of me. Jesus, I surrender my life to You”. Anyone? Has anyone asked that from God? That means a total life change. It means things we used to do need to stop. We can't ask God to be Lord of our lives and then go out and do and say bad things and hang with those who have no clue what living for Jesus is all about. I’m not speaking of being with them to be a witness, but to enjoy doing the things of the world with them. Brothers and sisters, Jesus wants you and me to develop compassion toward others. I can list many times where we're commanded to love our brothers and sisters. Love our spouses. Love our neighbors. Love our enemies. Turn the other cheek. Do unto others as you would like done unto yourself. Please turn to the book of Jude. While everyone's turning to this very short book I want to ask a question. How many of you have heard that truth is whatever you make of it? So why hold on to God's truth when everyone else is throwing it away? In the last couple weeks we've looked at how some extra ideas started creeping into the church. Sound familiar within many churches today? How can we cling to God’s Word in a world that's denying truth everywhere we turn? I hope from today’s message from the book of Jude we can find out. Reading the book of Jude last Friday I thought, how many people realize that Jude is the full brother to James and half brother to Jesus? Yet, look at the first verse of Jude. Jude 1:1 KJV Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called: He identifies himself as the brother of James, but not the brother of Jesus. He calls himself a bond-servant of Jesus Christ. That one verse amazes me. A chance that most people would have tried to get into the spotlight, yet Jude is humble. Jude 1:3-6 KJV Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. (4) For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. (5) I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. (6) And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Jude discusses our common salvation, but there was a need in the church for a confrontation with those who had kind of sneaked into the church. I've witnessed many times this happening. In fact, one gentleman I've seen go to other churches and has tried to steer people to go to a false religion. I've seen him do this with three different churches. I see some on different Christian social networks try to convince people into believing crazy stuff, yet there are those who seem to have ears perked up when this new-age garbage is introduced that goes way against what the Bible says. Sometimes it almost sounds scriptural, but something just seems to be wrong. Please turn if you will to 2 Peter 3:16. In this day and age there are religions that are popping up all over. There are those called doctors, or those that have taken onto themselves to show people, or should I say teach people how they think they should live, yet are unstable in their faith walk. 2 Peter 3:16-18 KJV As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Church, catch what we just read. They were unlearned and unstable. And they what? Wrest, or pervert also the other scriptures unto their own destruction. Sound like ones we want to follow? I think not. Lets continue. (17) Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. Let me stop right there. Notice Paul's speaking to true believers. He says, "Seeing you know these things." They know the scriptures and then he says. "Beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness." Do we see this, friends? I know in the last few months I've brought you to these verses, but there's a reason. Jesus warned about false messiah's. He warned us about false prophecy. People so full of pride that they would come to do what they could to fulfill their own lusts. Take a few minutes to look at the Mormon beliefs, or the Jehovah Witness beliefs, and if you're lead by the Holy Spirit, you'll have such a stirring inside of you. (18) But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. Getting back to Jude. These people Jude is talking about have some of their own experience, they have some of their own understanding, they've read from this person and that person and they haven't spent sufficient time in God's Word to know what the truth is, but they're spreading their own brand of understanding. And Jude says, "You've got to watch those people because they're like clouds without rain." In other words, they make a big splash but there's no substance to what they do. Same as what we just read from from Paul to Timothy. If were to read on through this Book of Jude, we'd see what happens when sexual sin runs rampant like we see happening now in the US, and from what I've read that is soon to be voted into law, including bestiality and pedophile rights. He describes what's happened to certain people in the church who've followed the way of Cain, or the error of Balaam, or have gone the way of the rebellion of Korah. Please go to verse 17. I persistently urge all who hear my voice every Sunday here on line, or for those who faithfully have been reading online to be in the Word daily and be in prayer. Amen? I've said that we grow our faith when we're in our Bibles. We find God's heart and we learn decrement. This is what Jude is doing. Jude 1:17-19 KJV But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; (18) How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. (19) These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. Jude says, "But you brethren, you beloved. You're not like these who have drifted away from the truth. Remember the words, which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. How they told you that there would be mockers in the last time that would walk according to their own ungodly lusts." He's saying, “I want you to remember the words that were spoken by the apostles”. Jude is also saying to them and to us, “Read and check out what God has to say”. He shares that the apostles told them and us that there would be mockers in the last days, people who mock the Lord, people who mock His Word, people who see no reason for you to spend any time reading God's Word. In fact, the last couple of weeks we've seen where Apostle Paul was one of the people who warned that there would be mockers. Church, there are so many false prophets out there. Some have been easy to pick out, like the ones who tell you a certain date and time that the world will end. Same as there are false preachers teaching a twisted word. Friends, God’s word is incorruptible seed and there are those who have twisted and perverted it. Example, there are those who say that those who don’t speak in tongues are going to hell. Wrong. Unscriptural. I heard this for the first time about 10 years ago and then within the past 5 or 6 weeks I've heard it again, and often. Even in sanctuaries. Standing within 15 feet from me. I've heard the opposite. Those who do speak in tongues are going to hell. I tell you, it’s man’s dumb religion that comes up with that stuff. Where's the scripture that proves either way? Friends, I've become very critical about this. I'll not purposely teach you wrong. I study very hard putting these messages together so that you and I know the truth. There may be a time that I misinterpret scripture. I may say it in a way that you might not get what I'm trying to get across, and if either happen, please, please let me know. Jude 1:19 KJV These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. In addition to remembering what the apostles taught us, we have to identify the habits of those who slip in subtly, who have very little knowledge of the Bible and certainly haven't had a Calvary experience so we know who we have to minister to. Friends, that also means in the church leadership. Here are the habits. These are sensual persons and they cause divisions in the church and it's evident that they're not taught by the Holy Spirit. Now notice that they are, first of all, sensual persons. The word that's used here for sensual is only used twice in the Bible. It's the Greek word psuchikos. The only other time it's used is in James 3:15. What James describes is that wisdom that does not come from above is earthly. It's sensual. It's demonic even. And what he means by that is that kind of wisdom appeals to the senses. Man, is that a big thing in so many churches today! Jude is warning us to be careful of these sensual people. They get their kicks out of things that appeal to the flesh. Also he says, “These are people who cause divisions in the church”. Sometimes causing division in the church isn't a bad thing. I know some churches that need some division. I think there are those churches that chastised. Did I say that? Yes I did and Olsten and Warren and many others are among that bunch. I think also what Jude is saying is that these people who come in and have no scriptural knowledge, possibly unsaved, and those not led by the Holy Spirit, the church gets split wide open. And you see people go in all directions. Leanna and I have experienced that in two churches, and I believe that there's another close by ready to also go down the same path. It seems like the leadership that came in aren't being led by the Holy Spirit, but by their own fleshly lusts. We must be true to the truth. We can't sacrifice truth for the sake of avoiding conflict. That's compromise. Here's what I think we ought to do. First there needs to be true repentance. Godly sorrow, not being sorry because you got caught. We commit everything to God in prayer. We ask Him to help correct what needs to be corrected. And then we ask the Holy Spirit of God to guide our words and actions so they both please God and benefit people in the church. We pray for those who have drifted from the truth. And after we've done all of those things, to ensure success, we compassionately confront them about what they're saying or doing that's contrary to God's Word, something that's causing division in the church. We do all the right things first before we try to confront. Jude is a man given to talking about those who have fallen from the truth, but he's writing to those who have not. He's writing to you and me as well. And when you get to the end of this tiny little epistle, he tells you what to do so you don't fall from the truth like the others he's had to write about. Jude 1:20-23 KJV But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, (21) Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. (22) And of some have compassion, making a difference: (23) And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. What's he saying here? But you, beloved. See they operate this way, "But you beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making a distinction." Well, there it is. What do you do to keep from falling from the truth? What's one way that I mention every week to help keep you in check? You read the Bible, one book at a time. You read God's Word every day. You spend some significant time in God's Word, just you and the Lord, and let the Spirit of God teach you because, I have to tell you, the best teacher I have is the Holy Spirit of God. Amen? I should hear Amen’s sounding like a choir. Come on, Saints. Amen? In verse 20, he says, "Build yourself up." He says, "Pray in the Holy Spirit." Hmmm, yet being filled with the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues, some say will send you to hell. Really? In verse 21, he says, "Keep yourselves in the love of God." In other words, keep yourself lovable to God. Now, the good thing is, God loves you. But He may not always like you. Sound familiar? My wife will say, at times, “I love you, but right now I don’t really like you." God loves me, but when I'm not close to Him, I'm not sure how much He likes me. What I need to do is keep myself to be in a position to be loved by God. Always. And friends, that's not always easy for me. What about you? You know, when the flesh gets in the way. When events happen and you're chomping at the bit to lash out. Or a bill comes in and you didn't order that. I can think of all kinds of examples, but do you catch what I'm saying? And then finally he says, "Look for the mercy of Christ returned." Be kind to some people because you'll make a difference in the lives of those people. There are some back sliders who simply need you to show them a little compassion. There are some unsaved that say, “No one ever told me about Jesus”. Some have heard about Christ, yet didn’t know how to be saved. Church, some of these people have sat in a congregation. It boggles my mind what's being taught in some churches. It frustrates me that people are too darn lazy to search on their own what the Bible says. You know, not everyone who backslides is a heretic. In fact, most people are not heretics, they're just untaught. They're like the vast majority of people in churches today. They just don't know God's Word well enough. We're plagued with Bible illiteracy in the Church of Jesus Christ. Is that sad? Yes, indeed it is sad and that's where you and I have to be, to steer them in the right direction to God’s saving grace. Praise God!!! Jude says, "Some of those who turned from the truth, they're out there dabbling in some of this strange business, and some of the occult and the readings of people that are probably not very helpful for them. You have compassion on them and you make a distinction in them and you drag them right back in here again and you help them." Amen? Jude is talking to us. God is talking to you and me right at this moment. You know people like this. I know people like this. Friends, I know I've said this before, when God puts someone on your heart, you’d better deal with it. You'd best deal with that tug on your heart. You may be the last chance they have. Jude 1:23 KJV And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. We read here "others". You can't help but notice the contrast here. Some of them you simply show a little kindness, and by showing a little kindness, you separate them. You make a distinction, you separate them from the rest of the group, and you draw them back into the fellowship. Others however, save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. You may be thinking, “Brother Jim, what on earth does that mean?” Here's what I think. Jude is suggesting that we make a distinction here. The distinction is, some have drifted a little ways away from the truth and they can be saved through your compassion. Amen? You can go out and get a brother-in-law who is reading from or listening to some wacko today and getting a little bit away from the truth. You can go out and you can love that brother-in-law back to the center of the truth, or a co-worker. Whoever. Now, you may have a son or a daughter in college who's renounced the faith because of a godless university professor. You may have a son or a daughter who's living a lifestyle that's absolutely contrary to God's Word. You've shown compassion to them and nothing has changed. What do you do then? It maybe a Pastor, assistant pastor, worship leader. Jude 1:22-25 KJV And of some have compassion, making a difference: (23) And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. (24) Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, (25) To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. Here he says there are those who have the compassion of Christ and wanting to see souls saved and living by the truth that the Bible says, yet they do it in love. I hope you see that in me. That's how I see my teaching. I may say some convicting things that really touch your heart on things you may, or may not be doing. That's God. That's the Holy Spirit tugging at your heart. I always try to teach in a loving way but as of late, I need to raise my voice. Friends, I feel the time here for us having the freedom to share God's Word openly like this is coming to a halt. You and I need to have a full understanding of this. He says in verse 23, Others snatch them with fear, pulling them out of the fire. Some you have to hand over to God. As I say often, God knows their hearts. He knows what needs to be done. It might not be pretty, but sometimes it means they need to hit rock bottom before they see the light. For those that I have sent the yellow book Praying Effectively For The Lost, there are many examples used. There are some that we need to let go of and let God deal with them. God wishes that no man perish. There are some who are so brainwashed. There are those who are so stubborn. There are those who the enemy has his slimy paws hooked so deeply into, who think that God will never forgive them, so what’s the use. God loves them all, just like He loved you and saved you and me. Christ died for all men and women, but we have to make that choice to give our hearts to Him and follow Him. We can accept Him or deny Him. Simple choice, but both have an ending place. Heaven or hell. This is a short epistle, but wow, how powerful. Friends, in closing I want you to catch some important things at the end of what Jude has to say. Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God [who just happens to be] our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen. Church, again I have to urge you all to stay in your Bibles. God is the same today, yesterday and forever. He is not a respecter of persons. God does not lie. He cannot lie. At the end of all these tough issues, Jude ends by focusing on Christ. He ends by focusing on the blessing of Christ. The same Jesus can keep us from stumbling today if we pay attention to what He's taught us and what He's shown us through His Word. It's the Bible that can teach us how not to fall away from the truth, but it's the focus on Jesus that brings us joy from reading our Bibles. The Holy Spirit instructs us. Friends, there are many teachers out there teaching their brand of spirituality at us, but who's telling the truth and who's telling a lie? That's what discernment is all about and that's why you stay in God’s Word. Another thing that I mention often when witnessing to someone, pray. Ask God to give you the words. Lean on His strength. With some people when you're witnessing, if we show them a little compassion we bring them closer to the truth. Some, however, require a little more drastic action, and the only way for us to deal with that is to tell them exactly what's wrong. And that can be a difficult situation, and for me, I need to lean on the Holy Spirit, because I tend to be more of the gentle type when witnessing. You know that they're blinded by the sensual. They don't operate in the Spirit of God. They've heard some of the Bible, but are blinded by feelings. They hear the truth, but they're unstable in their walk. Sometimes, you might have to just tell them you're concerned about them. Some of them you just have to snatch out of the fire and save. Others you just want to edge them away from the crowd that they may be hanging with and just love on them. Praise the Lord! I do hope this message helped someone today. Leanna and I thank all those who have joined us here on Paltalk. Those reading, watching, or listening on Cross Roads Fellowship or J and L Ministries on the Weebly platform. Also a shout to those who view these messages on Lokey Sisters, A Far From Normal Faith Ministry, Mylook Online and all the other social networks that they may be on. We love you, and please let us know if these have been a blessing to you. Till next week. Continue seeking Heavenly places. Good morning my friends. Today’s message is going to touch on many topics. For those who follow the news, you've probably noticed that there seems to be more trouble in every part of the world, including here in the United States. Before we get started, I want to remind everyone that God still sits on His throne and He's still in control and does what He pleases. Those who've been with us for a while should remember the verses where we found this.
I've found where many non-believers and some who claim to be Christians say that if there truly was a God that He wouldn't have allowed the murders of the Marines to happen just days ago. Shootings all over the world wouldn't have happened if there was really a God who loves us. Have you heard these things? It is hard to explain these things to those who don’t believe in Christ. What about the Christians that are being killed? Where was their God? It’s hard to explain to some who don’t believe in Christ. We do have choices, and you don’t have to look very hard to find that this country has made many wrong choices against God’s will. Yes? Also, the Bible tells us that we'll be persecuted. I had a dear friend on one of the sites that Leanna and I own post a discussion about an earthquake that was prophesied to be horrible here in the US this summer and though I know she knows this, I reminded her that there are going to be horrific things I believe that we'll see and go through but to not lose site of Heavenly places. John 15:18-21 KJV If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. (19) If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. (20) Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. (21) But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me. Today, we're going to look at some of the things that Jesus said would come in the last days. Please turn in your Bibles to John 16 and we're going to start with verses 1-16. We read in chapter 15 where Jesus warns us about being a follower of Him. The hatred of the world. “If the world hates you, you must realize that it hated me before it hated you”. When we're saved, we are then called to live in a way that is much different than that of society. Get this church! We're told not to live like the world, but that can be a very hard thing to do when we're right smack dab in the middle of it. We're to look toward Heavenly things and be the reflection of Jesus in the things we say and do. Jesus said in Matthew 16:24-25 KJV Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. (25) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it. I think of the rich man who asked Jesus what must he do to be saved and after Jesus said to obey all the commandments which this man claimed he had done. Then he was told to sell all he had and give to the poor and he walked away sad. This is why when a Christian is very much praised by the power of this world and is exalted as a model by all mass-media, it many times is not a good turnout. Jesus said, “If you belong to the world, the world will love you as its own; but because you do not belong to the world, because my choice of you has drawn you out of the world, that is why the world hates you”. We have two choices: the world or the Gospel. Which of these two will you choose? John 16:1-16 KJV These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. (2) They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. (3) And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. (4) But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you. (5) But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? (6) But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. (7) Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. (8) And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: (9) Of sin, because they believe not on me; (10) Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; (11) Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. (12) I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. (13) Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. (14) He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. (15) All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. (16) A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. When we look through these verses and then look through the history of the church, we find that believers have been persecuted all along. The first disciples of Jesus were persecuted. Doesn’t it seem strange that through all these centuries people would hate people who love God and who are to share their love and their God with the world? It does, until you think about the Gospel message. A true Christian is loving, peaceful, forgiving and caring. Those who obey Jesus’ words are self-sacrificing, meek and kind. In fact, let's turn to Galatians 5:14 so you can see where I get this from. I want you to see these are not my words, but those of Apostle Paul, led by the Holy Spirit to the church of Galatia. Galatians 5:14-26 KJV For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (15) But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. (16) This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. (17) For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. (18) But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. (19) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, (20) Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, (21) Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (24) And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. (25) If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (26) Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. Now, common wisdom tells us it’s not natural to hate those who love you, bless you and pray for you. Rather, people hate only those who abuse, rob and curse them. So why are Christians so hated? John 15:18-20 KJV If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. (19) If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. (20) Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. The church, and every minister and believer in it, is hated by the world because of its mission. What is our mission? Our mission is much more than telling lost people, “Jesus loves you.” It’s more than trying to accommodate and appease people and I think that's where many churches have failed. Did I say that? Yes I did, and here's why. You may draw back in surprise when I remind you of what our mission is. Church, to me this is simply put. Our mission as Christians is to take back from the ungodly what's most precious to them: self-righteousness. It is to translate them into a freedom they think is slavery. It is to separate them from damning sins, a blessing they see as only ending in boredom and sadness. The most precious thing to a worldly person is his self-righteousness. Think about what I just said. Let me repeat that, because my friends we need to get this. The most precious thing to a worldly person is his self-righteousness. He or she has spent his or her whole life forming a good opinion of themselves. Think about yourself before you were saved, or born again. They've built an idol to their good works. He praises himself that he’s really good at heart and kind to others. Simply put, he’s built his own Tower of Babel, a monument to his own goodness. He's sure that he’s good enough for heaven, and too good for hell. That's how so many men and women feel. This ungodly man has spent years beating down his conscience and searing it. He's taught himself to still every voice of conviction that comes to him. And now he enjoys a false peace. He has become so deceived, he actually believes God admires him! And now, just when he has shut down the voice of his conscience, you, a Christian, come along. And the truth you bring speaks more loudly than his dead conscience: “Unless you’re born again, you can’t enter the kingdom of heaven.” And then friends, you've suddenly become a threat in this person's mind. You’re someone who wants to 'deprive him of his assurance that all is well with his soul. All this time, he's thought he's okay. But now you’re telling him that all his good works are as filthy rags. And sadly, this speaks to many that fill the churches here in America. Ouch, that tuned someone out. My dear friends, I know this is a hard message for some to hear, but I love you and I want you to hear the truth. I tell you, this man doesn’t see you as someone who’s bringing good news. No, in his eyes you’re a tormenter, someone who’s out to take away his peaceful sleep at night. Someone that will change his or her plans for this weekend to party it up. Sound familiar before you came to know Jesus as your Savior? Maybe some of you still feel like, "Man I wish I still could do the same things I did before." You might be thinking, "I sure miss the bar scene" or maybe thinking, "I miss the movies I used to watch. Why is it so bad to hang out with drug buddies?" Friends, you need to stay away from these things. When the enemy starts putting these thoughts of one more drink won’t hurt you, one little joint I smoke, or a pill to get high and forget about the problems I'm facing isn’t going to bother you. You’d better not fall for that lie. I say, don't fall for that lie from hell. "I just want to go to one porn site, just this one time." Get it out of your mind, because once you have that thought, you're hooked again. Lust of the flesh. My friends, I've been hooked on almost everything I just mentioned. One more leads to many more. As soon as that thought of any of these things come, turn away. Renounce it in Jesus' name. James 4:4-8 KJV Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. (5) Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? (6) But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. (7) Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (8) Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 1 John 4:2-6 KJV Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: (3) And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. (4) Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. (5) They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. (6) We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. Church, we're to be different than the world and in the name of Jesus, that's what I pray for all who attend these services each week, those who'll be joining in the near future. And for the ones who read and listen to these messages every week, we'll be different. We'll fear God. We'll seek God’s face and want to be all that He has planned for us. We'll be His disciples. We'll be world changers. We'll be His light in this dark and dying world. We'll be the ones who share the Gospel with the world. We'll be the ones who pray for the sick. Now make it personal. I will in the name of Jesus change from the wicked ways that have not pleased God. I will sow GOOD seed into my sons, daughters, grandchildren, husband, wife, nieces, nephews, uncles, Grandparents and friend’s lives who don’t know Jesus as Lord. I'll start from this day to do all things as if I were doing it for the Lord. I'll read my Bible every day, from this day forward because I want to know God, His ways and what He has planned for me. I'll read my Bible because I want to increase my faith….Faith comes from hearing and hearing from the Word of God. I'll read God’s Word and meditate on it so I know how to be a witness to those that God puts on my heart, who don’t know Him. Is God speaking to anyone? I'll read and meditate on it because Proverbs 4:20-23 KJV My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. (21) Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. (22) For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. (23) Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Halleluiah!! Glory to God!! I'll be the prayer warrior that I was called to be. I'll be the husband or wife that the Bible speaks of. I'll be the parent that I was called to be. I'll have the love and compassion of Christ to my neighbor, coworker school mates and everyone that I might have had problems dealing with. I'll be more forgiving to those who have hurt me in words and actions. I can do all these things and more because of Christ in my life who strengthens me. Glory be to God!!! Romans 8:35-39 KJV Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (36) As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. (37) Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. (38) For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, (39) Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Philippians 4:4-8 KJV Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. (5) Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. (6) Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (7) And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (8) Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. These are the things I want for my life and for yours, and we all can have them when we let the Holy Spirit be our guide. Thank You, Jesus! Jesus said to Satan when He was tempted in the desert, and we can do the same thing whenever we're tempted against God’s word. Luke 4:4 KJV And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. Church, the next time your heart fails you with fear, hurt, loss, loneliness, or a wound, apply the medicine of the LORD. It’s only the well-fed heart and soul that are healthy. Amen? John 6:63 KJV It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. God’s word has never been more available than it is today. Friends, you can go to Wal-Mart or most book stores and pick up a Bible. You can get a used one at a salvation Army or thrift store. You can even download Bibles free from many sources on-line. I prefer e-Sword and have had it for years now. Friends, for those who say they don’t have time to spend in God’s Word, you don’t fool me and don’t think for a minute you're fooling God. I was at that place once before. Make time. Soon you'll desire to be in it. Get into God’s Word and God’s Word will get into you and bring His life into your existence and bless you. Jeremiah 15:15-17 KJV O LORD, thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke. (16) Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts. (17) I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand: for thou hast filled me with indignation. If we don’t daily and often ingest His words, we have no one to blame but ourselves for not ingesting them, devouring them, and receiving of their inherent and divine medicinal properties. When we do, healing, joy, rejoicing, restoration, and wholeness will result. Praise God. God’s Word is so powerful and living. I'm amazed at how often scripture that I've read over and over and over teaches me something new. The Bible is alive. Friends as I close today, I urge everyone this week who's hearing this message or reading it at another time on-line, please, please, please, if you haven't been in God’s Word daily, please start today. Don’t let the devil talk you out of it, because he will try. I guarantee it. Satan is the father of lies and he comes to steel, kill and destroy your life. When we get God’s Word in us, we learn how to sense the enemy when he sneaks in and how to get rid of him. Friends, this isn't how I thought this message was going to go. I thought it was going to go in a totally different direction, but God had another plan. There's someone that needed to hear or read this. Maybe many. I would ask, if this touched someone’s heart, please contact me so that Leanna and I can pray with you. We do believe in the power of prayer. We've witnessed many prayers answered in others lives. Salvation, healings, jobs and the list goes on. Praise Jesus!!! Don’t let pride get in the way of asking God for needs in your life, don’t let doubt rob you of a miracle. Acts 20:20-32 KJV And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house, (21) Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. (22) And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: (23) Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. (24) But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. (25) And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. (26) Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. (27) For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. (28) Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. (29) For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. (30) Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. (31) Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. (32) And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. We want to thank each of you here in the JandLMinistries room here on Paltalk for being with us. We want to thank a Far From Normal Faith Ministry, My Look Online, and Lokeys sisters for allowing us to share these messages. We thank you members of both Cross Roads Fellowship sites for being part of this ministry and also for all of you on Google Plus and U-tube for all your support. As I've said before, J and L Ministries receives no monetary support from our followers, but support from being here with us each week and for your comments and prayers. We love you and we do hope that you seek God with all your heart this week. Good morning my friends and family and welcome to part two of this message overcoming situations that we may go through here on Paltalk. We'll be basing this message around Mark chapter 4, if you want to please turn there. We want to thank each of you who've joined us and continue to join us here in the JandLMinistries room on this Paltak platform each week. Also a big thank you for those sites that allow us to share these sermons on their networks. Praise God!
I've heard so many people this week giving the devil too much credit for things going on in this world and in their lives. I think we give that slime-bag too much credit. We have choices, and sometimes our God given free-will choices get us into trouble. When we know what God’s Word says and we purposely go about things that we should or should not do according to what it says, how can we blame the enemy for that? Not that I want to brag any of his doings up, or try to convince you to let up your guard when it comes to Satan. Let's look at some other situations that we might need to overcome. Amen? Are we ready to get into today's study? I feel with all my being that things are going to change drastically here in the US and it's going to happen so very soon. We see it already happening. A member on Cross Roads Fellowship site has added a message on the recent, to me big event. A blood moon that was only visible to folks here in the US. Seems kind of strange where gay marriage was just voted into play throughout the 50 states. I've had many conversations this week from those who say that the gay lifestyle is okay and who cares that our children and grandchildren are going to be taught that it's okay for Tom to marry Bruce, or Cindy is marrying Mary. Denominations saying that God won't mind. In fact, I got a news blast saying that former president Carter said God won't mind. These churches and the people who think God doesn't care are reading from a different Bible than I am. There are those who seem to think it's okay to murder babies. It's okay to smoke weed in many states, (catch this) for recreational purposes. Wow!!! As I said last week, God is in control, but when we look at the things that will happen in the last days, it isn’t pretty. Now I'm not trying to scare people into thinking that tomorrow will be the battle of Armageddon, but we do need to prepare ourselves. We need to prepare our hearts and learn how to overcome some of the storms that we may have going on in our lives and those about to come. I believe this message is from the Lord, and if we get this into our hearts and act on it, it'll make a big difference in our lives. Where I'm trying to go with all these messages is to build our faith. Amen? This week I want to look at storms that may keep you from God’s promises, blessings, and maybe even your destiny. Have I got everyone’s attention now? Please turn to the book of Mark, chapter 4. Mark 4:35-41 KJV And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. (36) And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. (37) And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. (38) And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? (39) And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. (40) And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? (41) And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? How many of you have been through a major storm in your life? Do you remember how that storm ended? Maybe it's still going on today. We're going to look at many verses that I hope prepares each of us when those storms come. I want you to know that Satan hates you. He hates your spouse, your children, grandchildren, finances, home, and everything that you have. He wants to destroy everything you have, including your life. Satan will do everything he can to steer you away from God’s promises. Does everyone get that? That's the Gospel truth my friends, and I could show you these facts starting from Genesis all the way through. The enemy hates everything about you. Let's get back to these verses. Notice the disciples were obeying the Lord and yet they were in a storm. Jesus said, "Let’s cross over to the other side,” and they gladly and promptly obeyed. They were doing what the Lord had requested, and they were in a storm. Church, Just because you're experiencing a storm in your life doesn't mean you're somehow out of the will of God. If that were true, the Apostle Paul was never in the will of God, because he experienced storm after storm. Amen? Do we all have a remembrance of some of the things Paul went through? You can be doing exactly what God told you to do and it can seem like everything is going wrong and everything is against you. The circumstances that attack you from every direction, or the winds and waves that come into your life are not a sign that you're out of the will or the plan of God. We read that a great windstorm arose. It literally means a furious gale. It wasn't a normal storm that they were in. Some of Jesus' disciples were fishermen who had spent their lives on the Sea of Galilee. They were certain they were going to die. It was beyond their skill or ability to handle. Do we see this my friends? I've used this story so many times because it is a life lesson for all of us. What did the King of kings say to them before they got into the boat? He did say, "Let’s go halfway across the lake and sink?" No,He said, "Let us pass over to the other side." That was the word of the Lord to them. When God gives us a promise, it's never at the mercy of a storm. Friends, I struggle with this at times. Storms or awful circumstances cannot overpower the potential of His promises. When God gives a promise, it's "Let’s pass over from lack into ample supply, from sickness into health, and from instability into stability and soundness." Amen? Glory to God! God’s word to you will always be challenged. Between receiving a promise from God and the fulfillment of that promise, there are usually storms. The Holy Spirit may have spoken something to your heart at some time or another, or a promise from the Word had come alive to you. Your heart was encouraged, and then you found yourself in a storm. Friends, that's normal. Been there!! And I'll be there again and so will you. We find in this passage that Jesus was tired. Before this, He had been dealing with the multitudes for some time. How many times does the Bible say he was being thronged? How many times does it say that there were great multitudes of people? That's thousands of people wanting Jesus and wanting healing. Wanting to be near the Messiah. Wanting to see miracles, because that's how we are. Amen? They'd been crowding around Him and pressing Him. Finally Jesus and the disciples had gotten away from the multitudes for a bit. Church, picture this..... Jesus was tired. He fell asleep on a cushion in the back of a boat. He wasn't awakened by the storm. The waves, pounding against the side of their boat, lifting them up, and crashing them down and it did not wake Him up. The howling winds and the creaking timbers did not awaken Him. As soon as they touched Him and said, "Teacher", He was aroused. It shows you something of the heart of the Lord. It's like a mother. She can sleep through noisy traffic sounds and train wrecks; but the moment her baby sighs, she's aroused. For the mothers hearing this, or reading, do you get this? Some dads, too? Before we continue, I want to look at another verse. Let's see Jesus' heart. Jesus said in Luke 13:34 KJV O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! The Lord not only has the heart of a father, He also has the heart of a mother. He does hear your cry, and He does know what's going on with you. Praise Jesus! Do we understand this my friends? Jesus arose, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still." In the Greek language what He said was, "Shut up and be muzzled." I can't imagine Jesus getting angry at the wind, but when you study that phrase and those words, it's the exact same statement Jesus would make to demons. Do we see this church? As I go through this study, I'll try to refrain from saying Amen too much, as it has bothered a few. I ask Amen to get your attention to what's been said, to see if you understood and and hope to get you involved. Let's continue. When Jesus rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace, be still," I think it's a revelation as to the source of the storm. The Bible refers in one place to our adversary the devil as the prince of the power of the air. In the book of Job, a great storm came and caused the house to cave in and all of Job’s children were killed, and raiders came and stole his wealth and killed his servants. We read in the beginning of the book of Job that Satan was behind it all. For those who joined us last week, you probably remember this. Let's read verse 39-41 again. I really want you to catch this. Mark 4:39-41 KJV And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. (40) And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? (41) And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? Jesus was angry because of the source of the storm, and He rebuked the wind as He would a demon. Then He turned, and to me it was like He scolded His disciples, asking, "Why are you afraid? How is it that you have no faith?" It may be easier for God to calm a storm on the sea than it is for Him to calm a storm in a person’s soul. I think God has a far greater challenge with us in our interior worlds than He does dealing with the elements of the exterior world. We read in verse 41 that they feared exceedingly. Literally, they feared with a great fear. That fear wasn't produced by the storm, but by the calm. They only greatly feared after the storm ceased, and they said, "Who can this be? Even the elements obey Him." They asked, "Lord, aren’t You concerned?" He was not. Jesus knew they'd get to the other side. When they said, "Teacher, don’t You care? Aren’t You concerned?" It wasn't a request for help. They were actually astonished that He was able to stop the storm. They didn't know at this point that He could do things like that. Then suddenly He rebuked the wind and the waves stopped. Here's what we all need to understand. When God has given you a promise that you will pass over to the other side (whatever the promise is), you may go through a storm. The enemy may send all things against you. He may stir up the elements, circumstances, the evil hearts of men and women, or the passions of the world to stop the promises and plans God has given you. Be encouraged, my friends. They can't stop the program of God. They can't nullify the promise of God. It doesn't matter what happens. When these hearts of ours get all panicky, we need to remember that. That was why Jesus reproved the disciples and asked, "Why are you so fearful? Why don’t you have any faith?" We need to remember, even in the midst of a storm who gave us the promise and who's in our boat. Friends, I want you to think of a situation where God had put on your heart to do something. Maybe it was praying for an individual or circumstance. Maybe you knew that it was put on your heart to share a testimony, or whatever the case may be. Notice how the distractions come. The enemy always comes to get you away from God's purpose. Just before I typed this paragraph, the very same thing happened and I knew I was supposed to add something. I knew right away that the enemy was trying to pull the very thoughts that God had given me, but he lost. Thank You Jesus! Jesus was the Son of God, yet by choice He had become Himself to a body of flesh. The Book of Philippians says that He emptied Himself of His divine rights and privileges and was found in the fashion of a man. Friends, this is so good. In your boat with you, you have the One who rolls the heavens out like a scroll and measures it with the palm of His hand, and He calls the stars by name. He measures the dust of the hills in His balance. He's the Creator of heaven and earth, the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. He's the One who parts the Red Sea and causes water to come out of a rock to quench the thirst of millions. He's the Prince of peace, the everlasting Father, the King of glory, and the captain of our salvation. He's the One who defeated principalities and powers, triumphing over them through the cross. He's the One who poured out His own precious blood on the cross and was raised from the dead on the third day, who ascended into heaven, and who sat down at the right hand of God on high. He's the Savior, the Healer, and the Deliverer. He's the Son of the living God. Glory be to Jesus!! Praise His Holy name. The disciples had Jesus in their boat as a man. We have Him in our boat as the Savior of the world. The next time your little heart wants to panic in the middle of a storm, you need to say, "Wait a minute. Who told me I was going over to the other side? Who's in this boat? Who is it that lives in me and dwells in me by His Spirit? I'm not going to go halfway and sink. Jesus is along for the ride and He is faithful. Praise You Jesus!!!" The disciples asked, "Who can this be?" I think that is so important for us to grasp. The more we get to know who Jesus is, the more our hearts will come to rest, and the less we will be inclined to panic in times of stress and difficulties. Draw close to the Savior. Find out who He is through prayer, reading His Word, and getting to know others who love Him. As you become acquainted with this wonderful Savior, who laid down His life for us and was raised from death, and who is going to return to bring us home. Friends, as we continue to dig into His Word and persistently be in prayer, you'll find you'll increase in faith. Please turn to John 6:16-21 Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them. Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat and they were afraid. But He said to them, It is I, do not be afraid. Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going. Perhaps things are dark for you. You're in the middle of a storm, and you're thinking, "Where are You, Lord?" Anyone been there? They had rowed for three to four miles. I've been there before. In fact, thinking back, often. We need to realize there are some storms that we can't row our way out of. We can't escape them through human effort. I've found when I try to rely on myself to overcome situations, I fail. In fact I usually fail miserably. Trusting others in some situations is not always a good choice. Jeremiah 17:5 Thus says the Lord: Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord. Psalm 146:3 Do not put your trust in princes, nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. Here's where I try to teach people that we don’t have to accept bad news that we may receive. Leanna has a testimony that proves this. There are times when no amount of human intelligence, understanding, or skill can help you, such as when the doctor says, "Nothing more can be done. Get your house in order. There is no hope." Perhaps your financial advisers have said, “You're done. It's over." The circumstances scream out. Your flesh may even scream out. Things will never, ever change for you. You've been rowing and rowing, doing everything you can, and fighting against the wind and it seems like you're getting nowhere. Jesus says He will never leave us nor forsake us. Friends, Jesus loves you. He wants what's best for you. He wants us to make right choices and is willing to guide us if we heed His voice. We read in John 21: Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land. If we want divine help, we must willingly receive it. We have to get to the place where we admit that merely rowing in our own strength isn't enough, we need to invite the Lord into our boat, and we need to receive help from God. Amen? Apostle Paul shared his struggles and his difficulties. 2 Corinthians 1:8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Paul was saying that he didn't have the wisdom or strength to cope with the difficulties. He despaired even of life. 1 Corinthians 1:9-10 Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us. They put their trust in God. 2 Corinthians 12:7, Paul writes his thoughts behind many of the difficulties that he experienced. And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. There are so many lessons to be learned from the truths God shared with Paul, which became our New Testament. The message of salvation by grace, through faith, and not of works lest any man should boast. Paul was planting churches and sharing the good news about Jesus Christ. People wanted to kill him, he got shipwrecked, he was beaten with rods, he was harassed, and many other things came against him. The thorn in his side. Mark 11:22 Jesus answered and said to them, Have faith in God. Faith is not faith in a principle, faith in yourself, or faith in faith. It is about faith in God. Only God is the One that can make things happen. :23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Friends, the mountain represents a difficulty in your life that you can't cope with on your own. It's too high to climb and too wide to go around it. God is the One who removes it, but we need to do our part in order for God to do His part. Faith has to do with cooperation with God. Mark 11:24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” When you pray, believe you receive, and you will have. How many people are at the point in their lives who say, "When I have it, then I will believe I received it." Jesus says you have to believe you receive it, and then God will see that you have it. The Amplified Bible says, Believe it’s been granted to you when you pray, and you’ll get it. Hebrews 11:1 So faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Things may not look different, but that does not have anything to do with it. This is about faith in God, the evidence of things not seen. I receive when I pray, and He will see that I get it. Perhaps it's time for you to stop rowing and time to start receiving. Whatever your mountain is, it may be with your health, your kids, your marriage, your finances, oppression, a situation at work, or something else. God knows, and He cares. Remember, Jesus got a little bit angry because He knew the source of the storm. The Apostle Paul talked about the source behind many of his difficulties. Jesus was harsh when He dealt with it. Why don’t you speak to that mountain and tell it to be moved right now? Admit you can't row yourself out of this one. Invite Jesus into your boat. Talk to Him, and receive some help from God right now. Receive His help by faith. Believe it’s granted to you. You will see it. God is faithful. Amen? Friends, family, those who may read or hear this at another time, I love you and I want to see storms that may be going on in your life to be calmed. Let's be encouragement to one another. Let’s pray for one another. Amen? Good morning friends and family and welcome to the J and L Ministries Paltalk room.
Throughout this week I had been thinking and praying on situations going on all over the world. I've been praying about situations brought up from members on Cross Roads Fellowship, Lokey Sisters and many of the other Christian websites and secular sites. The attacks coming towards the followers of Christ are becoming more evident than I can ever remember. This morning as I was preparing this message, I was reading in Psalms and was reminded of God's love for us and His promises and is where I was lead to prepare this message. Glory to God! I'm believing that as this study speaks to me, it will speak to you also. Every living being is going to go through some kind of situation. Maybe some of you hearing this message live, today here on Paltalk or reading, watching, or listening at another time are going through something right now. Here my friends is the verse that I was speaking of. Psalms 121:1-8 KJV A Song of degrees. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. (2) My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. (3) He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. (4) Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. (5) The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. (6) The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. (7) The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. (8) The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. Friends, when we come to know Jesus as our Lord and Savior, the enemy comes to start his attacks. You see, before you and I were saved, the enemy had us right where he needed us to be. After we come to know Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, Satan comes and he puts those negative thoughts in our minds. He lies to us and he twists things around to try to make us think that God isn't faithful to His promises that we find in the Bible. Satan tries to tell us that God doesn’t love us or He wouldn’t have allowed this or that to happen to us, or our families and friends. So buckle up, take notes, and let’s tell that slimy crooked legged devil where he can go. Let’s learn through scriptures, from the Old and New Testaments, how we can overcome these attacks from whatever the source might be. Church, we all need to know what to do when those attacks come. We do have that power, and Jesus is the name that demons tremble from. Amen? We need to get this now like never before. Praise the name of Jesus! Are we ready? I mean....are we truly ready to better our journey with Jesus? I hope so, and that's my prayer for you and me this week and our remaining days. I have a question for you. Have any of you ever had a pebble in your sock or shoe? Dealing with an artificial foot that ran it's course last week and wearing a foot that was 3 sizes too small for almost a week, it was both painful and I had to think about each step that I took. But this morning, because I'm sure each of you listening have both your feet don't know what I went through, but I bet you've had a pebble in your shoe and as you take each step hurts more and more. The more you walk with that nuisance in your shoe, until you stop and remove it, gets sorer and sorer. Everyone been there? Let’s look at adversity. Friends, adversity may come to you like a nagging pebble in your shoe or like an overwhelming rock slide. No matter how adversity crashes into your life, the question is how will you respond? Anyone going through one of those storms today? Be real my friends. I have some storms raging within my life, but because of Christ and the faith I have in Him and His Word, they remain distant. Yes, I can sense them still around me, but I don't let those waves crash over me. How does the Bible tell us to respond when attacked? Let’s take a few minutes and think of some adversities that people might go through. As I speak these suggestions, think about your life and maybe even hurtful words spoken to or about us. Maybe your storm is in finances. No money, or lack of it and the bills are stacking up and there seems to be no way to pay the next list of bills. Here are the big ones that most share with me. Sickness? Maybe for those reading this it's the loss of a job. We can let these things bother us. We can shrug it off knowing that adversity is bound to be a part of every one of our lives. Or we can put our total trust in God like the Bible tells us to. Things are going to happen. Sometimes adversity can show up like a nagging pebble in your shoe or it can come crashing down on you like a rock slide. Church, we need to be prepared. God's Word prepares you by showing what adversity is and how you can live through it in faith. Unwavering, persistent faith. Today we're going to look at the life of Moses. I don't know that there's anybody in the Bible who shows us the kinds of explosions that can come into our lives better than the character Moses in the Old Testament. If everyone could turn to Deuteronomy chapter 4, and while you're doing that, think of a time that you may have had a pebble in your shoe and when you took your shoe off to find it, you couldn’t. You put it back on and continued to walk and you still couldn’t feel it and figured it must have been just your sock. This happened just recently for me, but on my good foot. You know, the one I can and do have feeling in? I felt something, I took my shoe off, shook it, put it back on and continued to walk and decided it was in my sock in my shoe. I remember thinking how uncomfortable it was. When I got home, I found a piece of rock salt in my shoe and couldn’t figure out how it got there. That's what I want to talk with you about today. Not the piece of salt, but when things happen in your life that you don't understand, when trouble comes into your life, what are you going to do about those troubles? I think as we look at scriptures today and we spend time in the Word of God, we will have better understanding about what happens when adversity comes to our life. Deuteronomy 4:27-31 KJV (27) And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you. (28) And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. (29) But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. (30) When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (31) (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them. I find that extremely comforting, and I hope all of you may also. Praise God!! When I'm in tribulation, some versions use distress, that's the word he uses there, when I'm in distress, I know the Lord is not going to forget me. If you think about the life of Moses and the children of Israel, their lives are like ours in many ways. Think about life in this way: when you learn how to deal with adversity, one of the conclusions you come to almost automatically is that everybody has adversity. Everybody has some sort of trouble. I think we have to all expect adversity to come to our lives. Sometimes adversity is associated with sin. It comes because of things we've done. David numbered the people, and that was a piece of pride on his behalf. The end result of that was significant trouble in his life. It came because of sin. Sometimes adversity is the result of simple disobedience. You all remember Jonah who ran from God? His disobedience brought all the troubles that came into his life. You might be saying to yourself, "Okay Brother Jim, does that mean when I have trouble in my life that automatically there's sin in my life?" The answer is no, and I hate hearing preachers saying this. For those who have read the book of Job, Job's best friends tried that on him. Job's closest friends in the world tried to tell Job that he just had to have sinned against God and at one point they said that his punishment should have been more extreme. Talk about being unwavering in their faith. I know there are a lot of people who feel that if you just had faith enough. If you might have confessed your sins earlier, there would be no difficulties in your life. But remember Job? What does the Bible say about Job? Job 1:1 KJV There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. He didn't do the things that other people were doing, and yet adversity came to his life just like everyone else. I may do a message on the book of Job soon, because I think there's much to learn from it. Jesus said in Matthew 5:45: Matthew 5:45 KJV That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Just because you're alive means you're going to have trouble. If you haven't found it yet, it's going to happen pretty quickly. You're not exempt because you're a Christian. There are lots of people who teach and believe that because you're a Christian, no trouble will ever come to you, God will never let you be sick or be poor. There are a lot of sick, poor Christians who don't understand why people are teaching this. There were lots of sick and poor Christians in the Bible, but they were godly people. When Paul wanted to encourage the believers of Asia Minor, this is what he said: "We must go through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God." Tribulation--for those who are living rightly before God--is a good thing, because it proves you can still live righteously before God. You can be right before God and still face difficulty in your life. Friends, adversity comes to everyone and you should expect it. Right living people are not at all exempt from adversity. Do we get this church? I think maybe the reason Paul understood that principle so well is he had so much trouble in his life. If you ever want to read about the difficulties Paul had, go to 2 Corinthians, chapter 11. In this chapter, you're going to see a whole list of problems faced by the apostle Paul. And do you know what? When you read that chapter, you're not going to know when almost any one of these occurred. But I think Paul understood that adversity will come to every person. Adversity will come to you regardless of who you are. If you're a Christian today, don't expect God not to allow adversity to come to your life. Going through these situations, when we handle them by trusting in God makes us stronger. We can't understand that, and I don't claim to understand that. But remember Job? He was the man who lived a life that was good before God and before men. When Satan came to God and said, “You know why Job loves You? You know why Job is living a righteous life? It's because Job is rich. Life's easy for him. You take away those easy things, and Job isn't going to love You so long." God said, "Well, consider my servant, Job. He's yours. You can do anything you want to him, but you can't touch his life." Job went to bed one night a very wealthy man. The next morning, he woke up and his children were dead. He lost all his animals and belongings. He was covered with boils from his head to the bottoms of his feet. And friends, this is something that I think you and I need to grasp about Job. You and I have Bibles and the chance to hear messages taught. We all have that benefit. Think about Job. He didn't have these tools. I bet he had no knowledge that there was a devil called Satan. Think about that as we go throughout this study. Here's a man who is a great example of the fact that God will sometimes actually allow adversity to come into your life. I want you to think about this statement. Sometimes God allows adversity to come into our lives because the lack of adversity can be a problem for us. I think sometimes when you don't have adversity, that can be a problem in your life. There's something about all of us that needs a challenge, needs some adversity to rise above. If there were no adversity in your life, you may not be able to enjoy life. God sometimes allows adversity to come to your life. It's also how we build up our faith in God. Sometimes God uses adversity as an opportunity to help you in your own life. Sometimes God will use adversity to simply bring you to the point where He can bless you. It's evident too, that sometimes God allows adversity in our lives simply because He wants to strengthen our character. Amen? Can anyone relate to this? There are things in your life that God will allow to come into your life because He knows the end from the beginning, and He knows what's good for you. In fact, He knows what's best for you. So if God allows adversity in your life, He does so because He knows it will only lead to good for you. Romans 8:28 KJV 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. Praise Jesus!!! I'm going to say something that might not be taken well, but I hope you hear me out with an open mind. I'm being spoken to as I type this out. I think if we look back at a situation that seemed devastating to us in our lives, whatever that might be… cancer, bankruptcy, loss of a family member or whatever the case might be, this message might be hard to accept. We should not seek trials, but expect them and accept them when they come. That's hard to say, yes? I know we have the privilege to pray, but I want to get a point across. We almost have to and this next thing I say is very tough to say, but hear me out. “Embrace it”. And that's not your only option. Lots of people get mad at God. They become bitter about their difficulties. But if you do embrace it, if you open yourself up to invite God's grace into your life, you can actually gain from adversity, not lose from it. Does this make sense to everyone? I hope so, because I know there are some who are dealing with trials who might be here this morning, or listening, or who will read this on the various sites that I share these messages. There are some who are right in the middle of adversity, so I hope that will be an encouragement to them. Whatever you're going through in life today, I want you to know that it's not necessarily because of sin in your life. That's not always true. I want you to know whatever you're going through today, that God sometimes allows you to go through it because He has a plan for you that's better than what you have in mind for your life right now. I want you to remember this passage in Hebrews 13. In fact, let's all turn there. Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. :6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. :7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. :8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and forever. Psalms 94:11-14 KJV The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity. (12) Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law; (13) That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked. (14) For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance. Church, what I say next I urge you to dwell on the rest of your life. God is very interested in you, and He will never let you go through adversity all by yourself. It's not until we learn the lessons of adversity that we understand that adversity indeed is necessary in our lives. It's not a necessary evil; it is a necessary thing in our lives. Not long ago, I saw a post somewhere that had a picture of a caterpillar and it said, "And like the cocoon, you can't have the butterfly without the cocoon". Friends, you really can't have maturity in your Christian life without the adversity of life. But do you know what? Some of us, even those who may be more mature in the Christian faith, sometimes we're about to crack under our adversity. It's good if you have a little hangnail but if you're really hurting, then you need to know that God hasn't abandoned you during your adversity. We're reminded of that in Psalm 23. Psalms 23:4 KJV Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. It's not that God says you won't go through the valley; He says, "I'll go through the valley with you." Amen? Glory to God!! Thank You Father for never leaving us nor forsaking us. I think the great strength that comes through understanding adversity, that leads to maturity, that leads to our understanding that you can't do certain things is that you can't take adversity away from life and expect life to be as good as it would have been. I think one of the great understandings that comes to us is that when we watch God walk with us through the adversities of life, it draws us closer to Him. Don’t hear me wrong. I'm not crazy; I'm not asking God to give me adversity just so I can understand this or so I can walk closer to Him. I say, "Lord, if there's an easier way for me to walk with You, hey, give me that easier way." I also learn that adversity will teach me something about myself. I learn a lot about my character when things are tough in my life (I don't learn much about me when things are going well), I learn that I'm not sufficient in myself to overcome the adversities of my life. It's through God's strength that I'm strong. Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. It doesn't say (I can do all things) and that includes facing the adversity of life. I also learn that adversity teaches me something about my adversaries. It teaches me something about those who would do harm to me. Let's read what Jesus told His followers: Mark 13:9 You will be dragged in the synagogues and into prisons, and you will be accused before kings and governors of being My followers. This will be your opportunity to tell them about Me. Sometimes I don't want adversity to come to my life. But as I mature in my faith, I understand that God allows adversity to come into my life. I also learn that no one is exempt from adversity. You're going to face it, and so am I. The thing that encourages me the most is that I learn nobody ever faces adversity alone, that God always says, "I will go with you through the adversity. I will hold your hand during this adversity. In fact, I will help take this adversity and make something good of it when all you can see is the difficulty of your trials." When someone hurts us, how do we become compassionate toward them? I struggle sometimes here. They are the adversities in our lives. The easiest thing in the world is to just write them off, or some might say, "Satan, they belong to you. You can have them." But it isn’t the person, but the enemy. The fact of the matter is, as our adversary, or as the adversity in our life, they may be God's tool in our lives and we don't even know it. Selah... That doesn't mean they're right. What they're doing to us may be entirely wrong, but what was done to Job was entirely wrong too. They may be God's instrument of bringing compassion to us or God's instrument of maturing us, molding us, shaping us. How do we deal compassionately with people who don't deal compassionately with us? When someone's our adversary, when they hurt us, how do we become compassionate toward them? The answer is that we can't--unless we learn how to forgive. Amen? And forgiveness may be one of the hardest things for us to learn to do. Is God speaking to someone right now? I need this nudge every once and a while because I was one that lived a life of anger built up within. Most who know me now would never have imagined that, but it's true. Praise God for removing that. I still have times and as I said, there are times that I need to be chastised. The real problem with many that I've ministered to, and we're going to see this later on in this study, is when people hurt us we'll either become better or bitter. Most of us become bitter. We don't want to forgive them because someone hurt us so deeply. Compassion, I think, follows forgiveness. Until we get a handle on how to forgive people who hurt us, hurt us deeply, I don't think we'll ever be compassionate toward them. I think if we looked into Joseph's life, we'd see a wonderful example of a person who had adversity in his life. None of it was his fault, but he had to learn how deal with brothers. He had to learn how to deal with false accusations in his life. There were so many things he had to learn in order to become compassionate, but he had to first learn how to forgive. I think that's the secret to dealing with people who hurt us. We have to learn how to forgive and that's not an easy lesson. Forgiveness tends to be, “well, if you confess your sins, I'll forgive you," but that's not the biblical definition of forgiveness. Forgiveness means we turn over to God the hurt that's been done to us. We say, “I don't like this. I don't understand it, but I'm not going to retaliate for it. I'm going to simply give it to You, and let You deal with it in my life." Let’s think about someone who may be physically alone. Someone who is in a nursing home, shut-in for health reasons. Maybe someone who's in prison, or for whatever the circumstance might be. Is that promise for them too? What would we say to those who might be struggling? I'd say no one is ever really alone as long as you have someone to talk to. And for the person who follows the Lord Jesus, He's always there for us to talk with Him. That's exactly what prayer is all about. You don't have to talk out loud, but you do have to be intimate in your conversation with Jesus. So throughout the day, throughout the night, keep your conversation going. Keep it going in your mind with the Lord Jesus. Let Him in on your life. Tell Him what's on your mind. Tell the Master Jesus what worries you. Then tell the King of kings and Lord of lords to take your fears and your concerns and your worries away from you. Praise You Jesus. I think that is where many of us fall short. That intimate relationship that God longs for from each of us. Now let's kind of turn the tables. You're not physically alone, but emotionally you're struggling. Maybe some of you are feeling isolated. Maybe feeling disconnected and alone….what then? I'd suggest to them the same thing. When we feel disconnected, when we feel isolated, it's probably because we are. And that means we're not staying in constant and quality contact with the Savior. Again, I think prayer can change all that. Prayer isn't always asking something of God. Sometimes it's just talking with Him. It's asking Him to help us know His presence and to understand just how deeply He loves us. There have been times when I felt alone like this and prayer is a help, but just opening His Word and reading God's instructions to me is a huge help. It's amazing how you find that yourself feeling His compassion and all of these things open the door to our intimacy with God. Rather than saying, “God, You don't care. You're not out there. You don't really care at all what's happening to me," suddenly we find ourselves talking with Him. We find ourselves reading His Word and discovering He really does love us. In closing, and I think because I didn't get as far along as I had hoped, we'll continue next week. I really would like to ask each of you to reflect on this message and look into your own life. What storms are you in? Are you going through any of the things that were mentioned here? Family issues? Maybe there's an addiction that you can't break through? Maybe someone said hateful words to you and you just can't get past those words. Maybe it's a financial problem? Church, we don't have to go through the trials alone. Jesus is right here and I think sometimes instead of calling out to Him, we hold on to the issues in our lives. Because of conversations with some, they think they're just born to be a loser. Ever heard that before? Maybe you're one who thinks that. That's not God's way. That's not His personality. The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus says "I have come to give you life and life more abundantly." Praise Jesus. Our friends, Leanna and I ask you to think of someone who may be hurting that you might be able to share this with, or invite them to them to come next week? That's the whole purpose of what J and L Ministries is all about…learning and sharing what we learn with others, to help them with their walk with God. We want to thank you all for being with us here in the J and L Ministries room on Paltalk. We want to thank all of you on Cross Roads Fellowship, Lokey Sisters, A Far From Normal Faith Ministry, MyLook Online, Google+ and all the other social networks that read, watch and share these messages. We love you and do hope that you spend this week in a more intimate way with Jesus and that you do see how good He is and see just how much He loves you. Good morning friends and family. I thank you all for joining us here today on paltalk, and also for those who might be reading, listening or watching this later on all the various sites that I and others post on.
Our God is so amazing and I thank Him for bringing us all together and I pray that today’s message, as convicting to some as it may be, will be a blessing to all. My brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, throughout this past week, our headlines have been filled with things that go totally against God's Word. Our Supreme Court voting on gay marriage being legal all over the US, the deal with the flags, and the list goes on and on. This nation has turned so far from God's Word, but the majority of the church doesn't even know it. Most of you know that I share a daily prayer on many sites each morning. I also post these sermons on many sites. As I shared a couple weeks ago, I'm amazed at how many times these prayer are being hit each day and also the great responses from others. The internet has become such a great tool for sharing God’s Word, yet I wonder much of the time if the majority of those who read are absorbing anything. "Brother Jim, how can you say such a thing?" Well my friends, I can say that because of the things I see. I see some who continuously share, even in the open, amongst other believers. Many probably have no clue that what they're doing is wrong in the eyes of God because some preachers don’t teach these things. But do you know what, my friends? Even though it seems like many preachers can’t get away from the ear tickling messages that make the listener feel all warm and fuzzy inside, he can’t be blamed for all of it. "Well, who then, Brother Jim? How are we supposed to know what God wants me to do or not do? How do we know God’s heart if our pastors won’t teach us?" If we really wanted to know what's wrong or right, if we really wanted to do what's pleasing to God and know how we could be a testimony to Him for His honor and glory, we'd take that Bible that's covered with dust and open it and read and meditate on it every day. Not because Brother Jim says so, but because we want to spend time with God the Father. We'd read it daily because we want to seek His heart. We'd read and meditate on God’s Word because we want to have fellowship with our Heavenly Father. We'd be in prayer constantly. Amen? And..... because the Bible (Jesus Who is the Word who became flesh tells us to. "Wow brother Jim, where does it say that?" Glad you asked. I'm going to only take you to one passage today, but there are others. 2 Timothy 2:15-26 KJV Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2Ti 2:15 GNB Do your best to win full approval in God's sight, as a worker who is not ashamed of his work, one who correctly teaches the message of God's truth. (16) But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. (17) And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; (18) Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some. (19) Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. (20) But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. (21) If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. (22) Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (23) But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. (24) And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, (25) In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; (26) And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. So friends, are we ready to see some of the things that Christians are dabbling in that are NOT pleasing to God? We all know what the 10 Commandments are, yes? In case someone isn’t sure, let’s turn to Exodus 20 and we'll start with verse 1. Exodus 20:1-17 KJV And God spake all these words, saying, (2) I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. (3) Thou shalt have no other gods before me. (4) Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: (5) Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; (6) And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. (7) Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. (8) Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. (9) Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: (10) But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: (11) For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. (12) Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. (13) Thou shalt not kill. (14) Thou shalt not commit adultery. (15) Thou shalt not steal. (16) Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. (17) Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. So the commandments given to Moses were what we just read. Looking back through your life, how did you do through all these things? I can tell you, I failed miserably. Yes indeed. I failed most everything on this list, but thank God I know Jesus. I said thank God I know Jesus and He knows me. I thank Jesus for dying on the cross for me. I thank Jesus that when I cried out to Him confessing I was a dirty sinner He heard me. I thank Jesus my Lord and Savior for hearing me ask Him to be Lord of my life and that He washed my sins away. Halleluiah!! Now I'm a joint heir of Jesus. Praise God!! Can anyone in all honesty say they obeyed all these things we read in Exodus 20? If so, congratulations, though I don't believe you. If not, don’t feel bad. You're human. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God and took of the tree of knowledge, from that time on, man was born with sin nature. For those who say they obeyed all of the 10 commandments and you haven’t messed up once, wow!! You're a good person and I wish to shake your hand, but you know what? As good as you may be, if you haven't asked Jesus into your heart to be Lord and Savior, to be born again......saved, you cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. If you went out into your community today and asked everyone that walks by, "If you died today, would you go to Heaven?" You would be surprised at how many would say yes. Some may never have been to church. Maybe never heard the Gospel, but because they're good, they would escape hell. Many think they've earned their way to heaven. Please turn in your Bibles to John 1:1. Friends, Jesus is the most important figure in all of human history. He, my friends, is the only man who has ever walked the face of the earth who had no sin in Him. Jesus came to earth from Heaven. He is God in flesh. John 1:1 KJV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Who was the Word? Verse 14. John 1:14 KJV 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. Please turn to John 14:6. There's no way to get to heaven but through Jesus. John 14:6 KJV Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. You cannot pray to Buddha, Mohamed, the sky, mother earth or some statue that you made. It won’t work. Yes, you can talk to these things, but why would you? Why waste your breath? They don't hear you. Let’s turn to Isaiah 14:6. For those who think that because of the good things they've done..... they're useless. Isaiah 64:6 KJV But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. I want to go on a different course now. I've shared for years now that I take James 3:1 very serious. My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. Who wants to take over teaching now? You see, I understand that I'm responsible for everything I teach you. I need to get it right. Those who teach God’s Word are held to a higher standard and I don’t want to stand before God and be told I taught wrong. I don’t want to hear that I taught you a message that doesn't line up with God’s Word. Do you all follow me? This is why I can’t believe, and this is where I get into the title of the message, are we the church, or are we playing church? What is the church? It isn’t a building, friends. Again you ask the majority of people who and what the church is and they think it's that big building with the steeple that Jesus freaks go to on Sundays, or where they get married or go when someone dies. Hey, I used to think that too, until I got into the Bible. Friends, when we're saved or born again, we're now part of the body of Christ. We're a new creation. The old man is dead, or it should be. I said it should be. Please turn to Romans 3:23. Friends, sin is sin. If you kill someone, you haven't just broken mans laws, but you've sinned against God. If you cheat on your spouse, you haven’t just hurt your spouse, but you've broken covenant with God and sinned. If you take a piece of bubble gum from someone and you didn't ask, you've stolen from that person and sinned against God. Sin is sin, no matter how big or small. Romans 3:22-23 KJV Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: (23) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Now please turn to Colossians chapter 2. Here's where someone might start to squirm. Remember, these are not my words. I'm not speaking these things or sharing this text on sites to condemn you, but to help you with your walk with God. In the next 15 minutes or so, I want to show you what I've seen from church people in OUR COMMUNITIES and on-line from professing believers. Colossians 2:6-23 KJV As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: (7) Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. (8) 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. (9) For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. (10) And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: (11) 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: (12) 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. (13) And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; (14) 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; (15) And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. (16) Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: (17) Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. (18) Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, (19) And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. (20) Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (21) (Touch not; taste not; handle not; (22) Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? (23) Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh. Friends, back a few months ago, we broke down the book of Colossians verse by verse. For those who want to get a further understanding of what Paul was teaching them at Colosse and us today, go to jandlministries.weebly.com and in the search box, type Colossians and you'll see the whole study. Glory to God! What I want you to see is this.... All through the Bible, we see that disobedience to God has consequences. We all know what happened with Adam and Eve. Then the first murder when Cain killed Able. We know that people were wicked and God opened up the flood gates, yet spared Noah and his family during the flood. We had Mosses who led the Israelites out of Egypt, yet they complained, stole, lied, and so on, and so on. Friends, we see from many prophets that this day and age we live in would be full of wickedness. When one looks deeper into some of these prophecies, the very things that Apostle Paul addressed to the Corinthian’s, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians and Thessalonians, is going on today and much of the body hasn’t got a clue that what they're doing wrong, or they just don't care. "Brother Jim, you've lost it. Have you fallen off your rocker?" When one is saved, He's a new creation. The old man is dead, dead, dead. Gone! Out of here! The things of this world that we loved should be far from our minds. The things God hates we should hate also. Amen? I said Amen? Then I ask you my friends, why do we see professing Christians dabbling in sin? Actually, many aren't just dabbling, they've dove right in that sin and appear to be just as comfortable in it like pigs in a mud puddle. It's not funny, friends. Colossians 3:1-25 KJV If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. (2) Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. (3) For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (4) When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (5) Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: (6) For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: (7) In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. (8) But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. (9) Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; (10) And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: (11) Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. (12) Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; (13) Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. (14) And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. (15) And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. (16) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (17) And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. (18) Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. (19) Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. (20) Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. (21) Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. (22) Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eye service, as men pleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: (23) And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; (24) Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. (25) But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons. If you would, please turn to Deuteronomy 18:10-13. Here we go with things that probably many haven't realized are an abomination to God, because many preachers don’t teach about them. Here's where Satan has really fooled many. Deuteronomy 18:10-13 KJV (10) There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, other translations say: practice black magic, be a fortuneteller, witch, or sorcerer. (11) Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. Cast spells, ask ghosts or spirits for help, or consult the dead. (12) For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee. (13) Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God. Please turn to Revelation 21:4. I want to look at a little sliver of what John witnessed and what was said to him from Jesus our Savior. What I want to show is some of the things going on in many churches. I'm going to catch a lot of flack from this, but these are not my words. Revelation 21:4-8 KJV And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (5) And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. (6) And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. (7) He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. Listen up my friends. This is a powerful, take-heed verse. I don't believe many look at all that's within this verse. (8) But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. Friends, what's being said here is this: But cowards, traitors, perverts, sexual sinners, sorcerers, murderers, the immoral, those who practice magic, those who worship idols, those who are playing with horoscopes and all liars---the place for them is the lake burning with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. Galatians 5:14-26 KJV For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (15) But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. (16) This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. (17) For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. (18) But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. (19) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, (20) Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, (21) Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (24) And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. (25) If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (26) Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. Please turn to Romans 1:28. We'll look at a few more verses and we'll finish up. I know that I've given you a lot to think about and in a short time, but these things are important for us to understand. From what I'm seeing here from so-called church people and on-line from what are supposed to be Christians, they don’t get it. I want to be part of that spotless church that Jesus is coming for. Amen? Romans 1:28-32 KJV And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; (29) Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, (30) Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, (31) Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: (32) Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. 2 Timothy 3:1-13 KJV This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (2) For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (3) Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, (4) Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; (5) Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. (6) For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, (7) Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (8) Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. (9) But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was. (10) But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, (11) Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. (12) Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. (13) But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. There is so much more that I would have liked to shared with you. Many more scriptures. I would have liked to have touched on many more things that are going on in our congregations all over the world. Church, this is why I urge you all to be in the Word daily. As you spend time with God through these readings and by being in prayer, He'll point out things to you. Those who may be into witchcraft, sorcery, palm reading, horoscopes...stop. Ask to be delivered, and now. Those who are backbiters, gossipers.....stop. Repent. Turn away from it. Magic.....stop. Those who may be dabbling in spirit stuff, like ouija boards, stop and throw it away. Friends, this is not me being mean. I love you and I want to see God do great and marvelous things through you, but when we continue in things that we know are not pleasing to God, in fact, most of these things we see are an abomination. Detestable. I hope that you all might have learned from this. I would like to say it was a pleasure to deliver this message, but it never is pleasurable to deliver a message that's convicting, but it needs to be done. I need to hear convicting messages to get me on track at times. Why friends do we make the Bible so complicated? Here's what Jesus says. Matthew 18:3-5 KJV And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. (4) Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (5) And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. The we can also see what He says in the same chapter what we need to do when a brother or sister in Christ has done wrong against you. Matthew 18:15-22 KJV Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. (16) But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. (17) And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. (18) Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (19) Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. (20) For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (21) Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? (22) Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. Friends, I would encourage each of you to spend time in the Bible this week, and the Sermon on the Mount may be a good place for all to start. Leanna and I want to thank all of you here on Paltalk. We want to thank Mylook Online, Lokey Sisters and A Far From Normal Faith Ministry for sharing these messages, and for those who read and listen to these messages on Cross Roads Fellowship, Google+, U-tube and any other social network that others have shared them on. We love you and do hope that you have a Godly week. Good morning friends and family and welcome to the J and L Ministries room here on Paltalk. I was first inspired to do a bible study on what Jesus went through in the garden of Gethsemane about 6 years ago after hearing a sermon on the radio. I started studying scripture and writing words down for a couple of days, but then decided that I probably would never do anything with it, so I stopped. Shortly after a Pastor of a church that Leanna and I helped get off the ground here in our community asked if I would lead a Bible study while he was out of town, I kind of knew what I wanted to do but wanted to pray on it and do what God wanted to teach on. That whole week I had peace on this message. I had prayed that everyone who attentended God would use these words soften their hearts and that all could understand what Jesus went through and how we can get through our own Gethsemane experiences if we ask.
This week, after seeing how God moved through me and others who heard and read and listened to last Sundays message, I felt it was time to revamp this message and let scriptures touch hearts again. Praise Jesus! I truly believe that Jesus saw all things that would happen to Him from the betrayal of Judas, the arrest in the garden, the severe scourging, to the cross and every horrible thing in-between. Bible scripture that confirms this is John 18:1-4. John 18:1-4 KJV When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples. (2) And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples. (3) Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. (4) Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? John 18:1 GNB After Jesus had said this prayer; He left with His disciples and went across Kidron Brook. There was a garden in that place, and Jesus and His disciples went in. :2 Judas, the traitor, knew where it was, because many times Jesus had met there with His disciples. :3 So Judas went to the garden, taking with him a group of Roman soldiers, and some Temple guards sent by the chief priests and the Pharisees; they were armed and carried lanterns and torches. :4 Jesus knew everything that was going to happen to Him, so He stepped forward and asked them, "Who is it you are looking for?" Throughout this message I will reference from commentaries: Gill, Barnes, Henry and concordances, mostly Strong's. As if being nailed to the cross was not cruel enough, imagine what Jesus took to the cross with Him. He is accused for us all bearing the weight of abused children, families destroyed by adultery or apathy, civilizations decaying, wars ravaging, yet through it all, deep in the terror of hell, He keeps His eyes wide open. A portrait of the garden of Gethsemane might look a little bit different than we may have expected. It's not a serene pastural scene, this prayer closet of Jesus’, but rather an agonizing picture of struggle, pause and pain. For who? All for us. I want you all to listen, or for you who may be reading this online or hearing the video, to get a picture of this in your mind so that you can understand what Jesus went through for you and me. We've entered into the garden. We've entered just as Judas was arriving with 600 armed Roman soldiers, temple police and a mob of others who have come to arrest Him, yet they found Him ready and waiting for them. He was composed. He was submissive, helpful. He was in authority. He had great composure. How could He, Jesus, although God 100% and also man 100% be so composed and sure? The answer to the question of His composure was a direct result of His perspective. He knew that the cup He would drink was the cup that would come from His Father's hand. My question is, how did He get such perspective? If you look at the summary of what happened in the garden, Hebrews 5:7 and 8 gives it to us. Heb 5:7 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; :8 Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered. I don't believe for a moment that we can appreciate the story of the garden unless you view Jesus as a man. And you have to reformat your way of thinking as you view Him in the garden as He struggles. And it will be great help to you because He's the model man for you and me with our Gethsemane garden with whatever we may be going through. We'll watch Him in this story and we'll marvel and we'll ultimately worship this Lamb of God. What we're about to see in the garden is nothing less than Jesus Christ. It's a shocking scenario and I think we can understand it best if we see Him digging His grave. "Brother Jim, Jesus didn't dig His own grave". Hear me out. He's looking into an open pit and it crushes His spirit. For the man, Jesus doesn't want to die any more than you or I would want to die. And yet that grave in the garden will signify His willingness. His actions will signify testament. His testament that He was willing to die for you and me. As we read earlier In John chapter 18, Jesus was entering into the garden. I found that Matthew 26 painted a more detailed picture. Let's turn there if you will. Matthew 26:36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane. And He said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray there." Now picture in your mind a garden a little different than your garden or even your neighbor's garden. My garden looks fantastic right now as plants are growing and it's weeded and as I'm teaching this message, we're getting much needed rain here in Maine. I'm good. I can even make rhymes while teaching a message. But friends, I think this garden in the Bible was much different than those of you who have gardens and certainly different than mine. Jerusalem is a crowded city. People pressing on every corner. They had laws that restricted against private gardens in the city proper. They also had an old sacred law of this sacred soil prohibiting the spreading of manure. I'm sure the people of Jerusalem being crowded appreciated that law. Amen someone? Now, outside the city some wealthy families had gardens, especially at the base of the Mount of Olives and the residents would garden there usually on an acre or two. They would raise olive trees and flowers and there were beautiful rock walls around their plot. Evidently Jesus had a very wealthy friend. And this friend let Jesus retreat to this garden for prayer. Let’s continue reading. Matthew 26:37 And He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with Him, and He began to be sorrowful and very heavy. I want you to remember these words. He became sorrowful and very heavy. Now why did He take these three and station them there? Here are few suggestions. Were they there for His protection? I don't think that was it. With one breath He could have knocked the ones coming to arrest Him on their backsides. Was it companionship? As we'll see later they didn't offer that. I think I would believe in this choice. Instruction. He was about to show His three closest friends His agony and before they nodded off to sleep they would see enough and they would hear enough and it would come back to haunt them and most importantly instruct them. We can see that this was a big help to them in the book of Acts after Jesus ascended to Heaven. Jesus is going to show them how to prepare to go to the cross. How do you walk in a lonely garden? Jesus is going to show them this. There are two important words that show His emotions. You have to remember He is Man. A God man. In verse 37 it says He began to grieve. Some versions say He was sorrowful, rendered or troubled. It implied a shrinking back from a horrifying experience. An experience that He cannot get away from, some ancient writers wrote. Remember, Jesus Christ is not an actor. Jesus is not knowing that one day people are going to be studying this and He is drumming it up. Don't think He is play-acting. Friends, this is for real. The real deal. He is full of sorrow. Remember we read in John 18:4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon Him. The next word is distressed. Other translations use heavy, troubled, sad or anguish. What a picture. Why such agonies for this God man? Mat 26:38 Then saith He unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with Me. Why this distress? Why this surrounding of sorrow? Was it because of the betrayal of Judas? Could that have impacted Him? I would doubt it, although you or I probably would have been. Was it the denial of Peter? The man that Jesus had spent so much time, energy and patience with, and now Peter will curse that he never knew Him. Could it be that the nation of Israel had rejected Him, He the one who would save them, then hear their cries, "We have no king but Caesar [Crucify Him]." Perhaps. Could it be the injustices of it all? He, the creator of justice, now unjustly treated. Maybe. Maybe it was loss of intimacy and fellowship with the Father. He will cry, "My God, My God why have You forsaken Me?" The word is why have you abandoned me? Could it have been because He would become sin for you and me? A man who had never known the stain of sin? I think it was all of these things and multiplied millions of times and that's why He was crushed with despair. Mark 14:34-35 And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch. 35: And He went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. I've seen paintings showing Jesus in the garden on His knees with His hands clasped looking up into the sky praying. I cannot picture this scene like that at all. Church, don't throw those pictures away if you have one. I'm sure Jesus prayed like that at some point. What scripture says is that He fell to the ground and prayed. Hebrews says that He prayed with huge tears. Imagine the Son of God, the Savoir of the world staggering around falling to the ground praying and crying. Getting up, stumbling, falling down and praying over and over. The Lamb of God about to be killed. Here's another scene. Luke 22:44 And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly: and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. The medical community would call this hematedriosis. What happens is the capillaries under the skin would burst and clots of blood would mix with the sweat of the person under great duress, and said to be like blood and water. Think about that. Jesus didn't just shed His innocent blood when he was scourged and on the cross. He shed blood in the garden, too. Now what did he pray? He, the model for us. The gospel accounts record basically the same thing. In the book of Matthew He says this twice. Matthew 26:39 And He went a little further, and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou will." Again, in Matthew 26:42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup may not pass away from Me, except I drink it, Thy will be done." Some versions use Abba Father. In Aramaic terms, Abba Father is the term of dependency. It's a term of possessive endearment. Some have taken that word and translated it to daddy. I personally think daddy falls way short. Daddy is an American word, not necessarily an intimate term, and may trivialize Him. Some kids call their earthly father daddy. Especially when they want something. I used to, but we grow out of that. In fact, most would be embarrassed now to call their earthly dad Daddy. Now it would be Dad. The Aramaic term Abba father is such a precious word because it's possessive. It simply means my Father mine (my father) He is mine. It's so important for us to learn that because here in this garden you would think that in this great distress, it would drive Christ to do what we would be tempted to do, and that would be to say, "Are you really mine? Where are you? Are you really my father?" Yet we come to the false conclusion that pain means the absence of God, and if He really were mine, this wouldn't happen. Friends, I think Jesus models it well when He says with that same kind of Christ-like maturity that we should have when we go through our garden we pray "My Father", that is, "I know You're mine and I trust You as mine and I know You haven't left me and I know You will always be there for me." This is a great lesson for all of us. Back in verse Matthew 26: 39, Jesus is struggling. Matthew 26: 39 My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Shocking word. Verse 42 again. Matthew 26:42 My Father, if this cup may not pass away from Me, except I drink it, Thy will be done. Now remember the cup is a categorical term for all the suffering of Jesus Christ, His betrayal, His crucifixion, His death, His abandonment, that His God, the Father, will turn His back on Him, God the Son. That doesn't mean that the Trinity ceases and now is turned to a duality. It simply means that God the Father ceases to be intimate with God the Son. And the Son ceases to have fellowship with God the Father for these hours. And that is the cup here. Fellowship will be lost while God the Son becomes filthy sin. Jesus taking on all your sins and my sins and the sins from all of us. Do you know what it means when He becomes sin? For He that knew no sin? I don't. We can try to understand, but our puny little minds can't come close to what that felt like. My brothers and sisters in Christ, think about this for a moment. These are words from Mark Mosley, a Christian writer. I tried to find the book online, but I couldn't find it. I share this at times throughout the year during messages and I still get choked up reading it. He wrote.... "Jesus will bear the sin of the Assyrians who gloated over their captives they skinned alive. Jesus will bear the sins of SS troops gunning down women and children running from burning synagogues with clothing burning ablaze. Jesus will bear the sins of child molesters making sure their victims never testify. He will bear the sins of Pharos sacrificing thousands of laboring lives to build a deifying tomb. Jesus took on all of this and more. He was tossed about in the endless storm of enraged fathers beating toddlers to their deaths, pimps seducing run-aways into lives of drugs and prostitution, Canaanites burning their children to Moloch. Nice church ladies cannibalizing over other nice church ladies over coffee. Impoverished parents in China selling their children into slavery. He will bear the sins of Bible-believing leaders praying long and loud while their wives sit in the back of many churches hoping their make-up covers their bruises. Jesus will tumble alone. He will bear the sins of embezzlers, gangsters, bullies, rapists, liars, thieves, the indifferent, sadistic, and self-righteous. It's a scene of unbearable horror, and unspeakable magma. He is the accused for us all, bearing the weight of abused children, families destroyed by adultery or apathy, civilizations decaying, and wars ravaging. But through it all, deep in the terror of hell, He keeps His eyes wide open, just a by-stander caught in the accident". Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 3:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and we put a period right there. And He keeps on going, and the fellowship of His suffering. Hebrews already said it, and we read it, that He the Son, being a man, though God would learn obedience through the things He suffered. Praise the name of Jesus. That's the purpose of what you go through. The garden you may be in or have been in, or will be in is for learning obedience so that the Father will chisel you into the image of that Lamb. Do you know how tragic it is for you and me to go through suffering and not learn obedience? Do you know what that means? That it's wasted. We've sorrowed for nothing. We've experienced pain with no spiritual productivity. What a waste that would be. Remember that intimacy with God doesn't erase the potential for pain. Fellowship with God does not help us not avoid the gardens. It helps us walk through the gardens like Jesus did. I heard a story once of a man who lost his eye due to cancer. He went into that operation not knowing if he would come out of that operation with one eye or two eyes. When he came out, the doctor told him he would be wearing a patch because he did lose one of his eyes. That would be the launching pad for his ministry, and he would be known to thousands of children as Patch the Pirate. Here's his testimony. "Know I can see," he says. "Testing comes from above. God strengthens His children and purges in love. My Father knows best and I trust in His care. Through purging, many fruits shall I bear. Oh rejoice in the Lord. He makes no mistake. He knows the end of each path that I take. For when I am tired and purified, I shall come forth as gold." Friends, recognize that when you're in the garden, close friends can be reassuring, but they cannot be replacements for God. When we study the book of Job, we know that Satan had gone to Heaven and God allowed him to do whatever he wanted to Job, but he could not kill him. After Job had lost his children, animals and all he had and suffered boils all over his body, his 3 closest friends came, and from what I gather spent days discussing what happened. I think at first, these friends came to offer moral support, and then we find that the conversations went south from there. Let's take a look at Jesus' associates and we'll wrap this up. His closest friends on earth. Here they are in verse 40. Matthew 26:40 And He came to the disciples, and found them asleep, and said unto Peter, What, could you not watch with me one hour? His, (Jesus), 3 closest friends on earth. Ouch......that hurt! Mat 26:41-43 Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. :42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, Thy will be done. :43 And He came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. And He left them again to pray a third time and went away saying the same thing. Then he came to them again and said, "Are you still sleeping? Taking your rest? Behold the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Arise. Wake up Peter, James, John, we must be going. Behold, the one that betrays Me is in hand." As I read these passages in Matthew over and over, it didn't hit me until later. I guess that's why they call it the Living Bible. Jesus specifically asked His 3 closest friends to pray with Him. Two times He said "Men, will you pray too?" And Peter and James and John slept. "Will you watch with Me? Will you share my burden?" And His 3 closest friends on earth dozed off. But what a wonderful lesson here. Do you know one of the ways you will know you're experiencing a Gethsemane experience? It's that no one will go through it with you (your wife, husband, brother, sister, children, best friends). No one except the One who has already gone through it alone will walk and guide you through that experience. This Lamb of God...The message He can communicate to you and me is this: "I understand. I walked through Gethsemane. I know what it's like to be surrounded by sorrow. I can tell you the Father understands as well." Church do we get this? So in the garden, Jesus looks into this grave and He, being God can take in all of the horror of that moment He will face, and from this moment forward, He will walk to the cross without ever a moment of hesitating, without any more recoil, without any more prayers ("Father, could there be any other way?") And that garden stands as a testimonial to His willingness to die for us as He walks from the garden to the cross. He, the Lamb, shows us how to walk through our garden, too. My friends, what are you going through? Is it health issues or finances? What trial might it be? There's not one problem or sickness that Jesus didn’t over come. There's not one problem that you might be going through that He won’t hear. Will you share that with Him today? Will you let Jesus walk hand in hand with you through whatever you are going through? Leanna and I want to take this time to thank all of you for visiting our room here on Paltalk. We want to thank Lokey Sisters, Mylook Online and A Far From Normal Ministry for allowing us to share these messages. We thank you all who read and watch these on both Cross Roads Fellowship websites, J and L Ministries, Google+ and U-tube and wherever others have shared these messages. We'd like to hear from you and know how these messages have spoken to your hearts, so please subscribe and comment. I'm going to stop the recording, but will be leaving the Paltak room open so that one's here can comment and ask questions. We love you and hope you have a Godly week. We're going to be reading from Luke 8:40-48 this morning. Today’s message is based on a Bible study that I did a several summers ago. God used it in a powerful way then, and I pray that again this morning He'll do the same.
Do you all agree that God is a “wow” God? The true living God of the Bible is a wow God. He's an awesome God. We all, I’m sure, have heard and most have sung “You Are Awesome In This Place, Mighty God”. He is an amazing God, and I know all of you know the song “Amazing Grace”. We sing about His amazing love and His amazing might and His amazing miracles. He can do what no one else can do. He can do the impossible. God says of Himself in Jeremiah 32:27 Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for Me? Do you have anything in your life that's difficult? Something facing you that's too difficult for you to handle on your own? I can assure you it’s not too difficult for God. It may seem impossible for you, but for God? Matthew 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. Amen? We believe this, right? Jesus is right here. Right here in this room. The Holy Spirit's in the room where you may be listening to this message or right in the room where you may be reading this at a later time. My friends, we're gathered here in the precious name of Jesus. Turn back a chapter to Matthew 18:18. Matthew 18:18-20 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven. 19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in Heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them. These are His promises to us. We all need to get a revelation of this. Amen? I believe that this is going to touch someone’s heart here today. I believe that someone’s faith is going to be strengthened. Let's all I say, "I need a miracle." As we go through today’s message, I want all of us to be thinking of things that we need help with. What is it that you need our Savior to do in your life? What miracle can He do that He would be glorified by? Where are you putting your faith in Jesus today? What are you willing to let go of and say, "Jesus I give You this thing in my life today." As I've been thinking about these scriptures we're about to read, this is only one of the many miracles that Jesus performed in the Bible while He walked on this earth. I'm sure there were countless more not recorded. I've been listening to a series “God’s Will to Heal” for some time now, and in this sermon the pastor refers to the story of Jesus healing the man with leprosy. Luke 5:12-14 is a great story, and illustrates that it is God’s will to heal, even today. This story in Luke 8 has been nagging at me, if you will, for a couple of weeks. So in saying this, I'm relying on God to help me pen this down to teach you and me what He wants us to learn. Turn please to Luke 8:40. Jesus has just returned from Gadarenes after casting out a legion of demons from a man. He's now in Galilee. Luke 8:40-48 And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were all waiting for Him. 41 And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought Him that he would come into his house: 42 For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him. 43 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, 44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. 45 And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with Him said, Master, the multitude throng Thee and press Thee, and sayest Thou, Who touched Me? 46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched Me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of Me. 47 And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before Him, she declared unto Him before all the people for what cause she had touched Him, and how she was healed immediately. 48 And He said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace. This is such a great story. What a faith building story. I found two discoveries in this and I feel if we can tap into them it will change our lives. Discovery 1: Everyone encounters problems in life. Not one of us can say that we don’t have a problem in our life. Agreed? For the believer, the enemy throws stumbling blocks in our way to throw us off track and mess us up. Last week was one of those for me. You have problems, I have them, and Adam had them. We all face problems. Job, one of the Godliest men that lived had problems. Job 5:7 Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. Job 14:1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. This woman with the issue of blood had her problems. And I'm in hopes to show you a miracle within a miracle. This woman had one main problem that led her to have lots of other problems. Can we relate? She had the issue of blood, but it brought about many other issues. First of all, she had a long-term problem. Her issue had been for twelve years. Some or all of us can relate to long-term problems. Another thing I just noticed, (and we know that God uses numbers) verses 41 and 42. 41 And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought Him that he would come into his house:42 For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him. Did you notice? The woman had an issue of blood for 12 years and the daughter of Jairus was 12 years old. Can you imagine this woman having this problem with blood for twelve years? Losing blood day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. I'm not familiar with woman things like that, but she had to be weak, sick, and so sick and tired of being sick and weak and tired. She had a physically debilitating problem. Anyone here ever felt physically debilitated? To be totally worn out? She also had a shame problem. With me playing scriptures every night when I go to bed, I remembered hearing of God’s laws. Leviticus 15:25 And if a woman have an issue of her blood many days out of the time of her separation, or if it run beyond the time of her separation; all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation: she shall be unclean. This woman was unclean for 12+ years, and I'm not going to try to figure out the math for the total. But also everything she sat on or touched was unclean. She had problems. She also, I would imagine, kept it to herself, as I'm sure it was embarrassing and very shameful for her. Some of us might have some of those shameful habits. Alcohol, drugs, porn or gambling addictions and thinking, "I don’t want anyone to know I do that." I've done things I'm ashamed of. I'm sure she felt isolated. According to the Bible, a person who was unclean could not go to the temple to worship. This woman, if she was married had other problems, I'm sure. If she was married, she couldn't be intimate with her husband. I suppose some of us might have a problem with isolation. Some sort of fear. Depression, maybe? Depression is a devilish problem. I've battled with depression way back in the past and it led me to isolation. I stayed in a basement apartment and most of the time with the lights off, with no windows. I didn’t want to be around anyone. I slept a lot. When I wasn’t sleeping, I hid behind a computer screen, where no one knew me and I could be whoever I wanted to be. Most of the time, people would think I was happy, though I had a lot of things bottled up that kept screaming to come out. We just read that this woman had spent most of her money on doctors who couldn’t help her. Mark 5:26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse. Sometimes we may go through financial problems. Some of us might be broke right now. Or beyond broke because there is more money that has been borrowed than can ever be paid back. Or because of things not foreseen that come up and drain our savings account. There have been times I've felt that problem. You feel like you're drowning in a sea of red. How about this problem? Hopeless. "I'm never going to get better. I'll never get out of this bondage. These chains have bound me. Oh, my weight. I'm out of shape and will never get back to where I used to be. It’s just hopeless for me and I want to give up. What’s the use?" I've been there, too. Or, "I'm addicted to this or that and I'll never be able to overcome my addictions." Suppose this woman with the issue of blood felt like this? Discovery 2: Jesus is able to overcome any problem. Her problem was a bad one. Jesus was able to conquer this problem in Luke 8:48. How long did it take? Immediately!! This woman came behind Jesus. Luke 8:44 Came behind Him, and touched the border of His garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. She touched the hem of His garment. Think about this. She would have most likely had to be practically lying down to touch His hem. This verse amazes me and I think it's a key. Luke 8:42 For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as He went the people thronged him. Looking up thronged in my concordance, I found this: G4862 and G4155; to strangle completely, that is, (literally) to drown, or (figuratively) to crowd: - choke, throng. This woman with the issue of blood had to be in the perfect place to accomplish this. A huge crowd, and from how the scriptures sound there was pushing and shoving, agreed? It would have been noisy, as it says they; the people of Galilee were excited to see Him. Friends, this gets better. Crowded, like being choked, noisy, she comes up from behind. Everyone is touching Him because they're happy to see Him. She touches His garment and immediately she's healed, after 12 long years. Are you looking for a miracle like this? Jesus didn’t come with a certain amount of miracles that He could perform that day. Cast the demons out of the man. Raise Jairus’s daughter from the dead. Heal this woman with the blood problem. The Lord healed everyone that came to Him. Nowhere in the Bible can I find where it says Jesus would not heal someone asking. Jesus today is willing to heal us. We have needs right here, and He wants to do a miracle in our lives, but we have to push through some things. You may be saying, "But Brother Jim, God doesn’t do miracles in my life." I'm telling you because of things that have happened in my life. I can tell you that He is willing and able because of what the Bible says. We can learn from this woman how to receive a miracle. First, we need to push through the excuses. She could have had lots of excuses. She was unclean, and from what I've learned from God’s Word, it was risky for her to be with the crowd. She could have said, "Well, maybe I'll try to see Jesus tomorrow." Have you done this? I have, and this is Satan’s way of distracting you. And he's great at that. Just in the past couple of days Satan's been trying to distract me, my family and some sites that Leanna and I own and others that I'm part of. I know how crafty the devil can be. I also know that greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world. I know that I also have others who are prayer warriors that continually keep in touch and that have been in prayer. And what I also know is that when I pray for things that have been hidden in the darkness to be revealed, usually it isn't long that it comes to pass. Usually, Thursday and Friday I start these messages and Saturday I go over them. Well, because of circumstances, that didn't happen and there are 3 messages that I've felt the urge to share again and this is one of them. So you lost, Satan. Friends, I want us to realize that there are times that God speaks about doing things and coming to Him now. Yet what happens? I imagine each of us here in this Paltalk room, or others reading this, or those listening to this video on U-tube have been here before. "Well, maybe I'll try to do it tomorrow," and then it's the next day. Jesus was going to Jairus’s house. He was the ruler of the synagogue. He was an important figure back then. She knowing that, according to her problem, was a nobody compared to this man. Here this unclean woman is, and here comes Jesus. Rabbi Jesus. The Holy One. Do you see where I'm going with this? Can we all relate to this? This woman had to overcome many issues, many excuses. Overcome the crowd. Even today, we have to get through the crowd. Are we hanging with the crowd? For me, if I was to continue to hang around with some, I would be sucked up into their lies and gossip. This is why as we looked at our study last week from the study we've been doing in 1 Corinthians, there are times we need to separate ourselves from others. Are we doing what the crowd wants us to do, or what God wants us to do? The crowd wants us to tie on a good one, whether drugs, alcohol, sex, getting in trouble with the law, etc… The crowd wants to rebel, use the Lord’s name in vain. The crowd will hold you back from your miracle and from Jesus every time. Does the crowd want you to go to church or bible study? The crowd wants you to get involved in the gossip and to slander others' names. Amen my friends? I see each of these issues happening within the church family. Where does Jesus say that most people in this world go? Matthew 7:13-14 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Where are most going? The broad gate. Do we want to follow this crowd? Are we afraid of what some may think of us? Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe. This just came to mind... do any of you wonder sometimes if you really are saved? I have to admit I've had these thoughts before, and I end up in prayer before the enemy convinces me otherwise. There may be someone here who may be thinking, "I gave my heart to the Lord when I was 10 years old and what would others here say if I didn’t think I was saved and came up front for an alter call? I couldn’t do that in front of all my friends. What would they say? What would they think of me?" WHO CARES WHAT THEY THINK!!! The main thing is, what does God think? This woman in the story was unclean. She should not have been with the crowd. Here's Jesus, the Holy One of the universe, in a huge crowd. And she knew that if she touched Him in faith she may be healed. I love this. She got it. Her faith, my friends is right where you and I should be this very moment for the things that we need to happen in our lives. Glory Halleluiah! Mark 5:28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. She pushed through, and that's where we all need to be. No matter what obstacles are put in our way, we need to push through, and touch Jesus. The past 5 years have been a roller coaster ride. Because of things spoken against in the Bible and what I felt put on my heart is why I've left some organizations. Even though I'm totally in agreement with what some of them stand for, I could no longer listen to the language or schemes amongst some of the members. I left a church that I loved and was very involved with, from the near beginning. These things happen in our lives. Knowing that it was time to go elsewhere and every time that I would pray or think where God would have me be, I kept hearing that small voice saying, “Here and let me guide you.” Friends, I struggled with that. I love writing messages. I love learning about God’s heart. I love being used by Him and giving testimony of His goodness. I love watching Him move through people that Leanna and I have been involved with. Even though I left these places, I still love the people and pray for them. We're all going to go through challenges, but we need to think constantly what Jesus would do in these circumstances. I've had to make some very hasty choices the past couple days. Choices that some are going to be very unhappy with, but... I knew that the choices were something that I've been teaching on in the past couple weeks. Friends, and some of you have heard me say this before. If it seems that through some of these messages that there's a finger being pointed at you, remember there are three being pointed back at me. I'm learning. I know what I used to be, but I know what Christ has done in me. Friends, when Jesus went to the cross to be sacrificed and shed His innocent blood for you and me, He didn't just save us from eternity in Hell. My dear friends, when we give our hearts to Christ and we confess we're a sinner and we give control to Him to change us, we're a new creature. The old man is dead. Praise Jesus. But I don't see this in many confessing Christians. I sure don't see the love of Christ in many. I don't see many weeping for their unsaved loved ones. It seems like many times people just casually say, "Well, my son or my daughter is a lost sheep. I've been praying for them but I don't see a change. I wonder if God heard my prayer. I wonder if they were so bad that God just gave up on them". Nonsense! And that's what Satan wants you to think. Continue to pray for them and release your faith in it being done. Glory to God! I know most of us have read these verses, but do you struggle with them? Mat 22:36-38 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. Then Jesus said this, and this is a lesson that I have to grasp onto. Mat 22:39-40 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Friends, when we obey the first two greatest commandments, the rest fall into place. This is why I try to be in God’s Word daily. There are times, though not lately, that I spend 2 0r 3 hours reading and meditating. Am I telling you that you need to spend that much time in your Bible? Absolutely not, unless God puts it on your heart, but I would encourage you to spend some time in it daily. Being in prayer is also very important. I don’t spend as much time in prayer as I probably should. I don’t believe that there's a mathematical number of how much time we need to spend in prayer or reading our Bibles, but I do think He wants some of our time everyday. In closing, do you have a problem that you can’t overcome on your own? Maybe an addiction, an addiction of whatever, big, small, in-between, I don’t know your heart, but Jesus does. Do you have a problem like mine where everything has to be done a certain way and at a certain time? I struggled with this for many years. I know that I've gotten better, but I do know that I have a long way to go. I had a big issue with people that wanted to work with me and couldn’t keep up, yet get paid the same. In my mind, I felt I had to do twice as much as anyone else because of my handicap. Was it right for me to expect others to do the same job that I happened to love and did well and took a great interest in? No. Was it right for me to be judgmental of someone who had never been on a dairy farm, nor worked from 3AM to 9PM, nor was used to having to work on holidays? No. I'm telling you that if we all can put the story of this woman to use in our own lives, Jesus will help us. If we keep pressing on and pressing in to the things of Jesus and obey Him, we'll see great things happen in our lives, for His Glory. If we keep pushing in and do it in faith, God will deliver us. This woman left all the excuses behind and overcame them all and was healed, and healed immediately. She pushed through the crowd. This just came to me. Do you know why so many people come to church and leave the same? Because they touch Jesus with a casual touch and with ears not hearing and receiving God’s Word. They sing songs with a casual touch. They follow along the sermon casually. Many sit and text others on their cell phones and Ipads during the service. There may be those here in this room who maybe texting others and only hearing parts of this message. Maybe listening to this message on U-tube and and carrying on in conversation with others. They're not willing to put away the excuses and push through the crowd. They never come to Jesus and say, "Lord I come to You in faith and here is my problem and I bare myself to You now. Jesus, please work mightily in my life, because I believe in You and I can’t do it on my own." Faith isn’t believing God can do something in your life. Faith is believing God will do something in your life. How do you reach out to the Lord? With just a casual touch? You have your problems and you don’t want anyone to know about them? No one has to know about them but Jesus, and He already does. He's saying to you, "I have a miracle for you if only you would be honest and put away the pride." What the Lord is saying is if you leave all your bitterness, jealousy and unforgiveness, stop the gossiping and back biting at My feet (Jesus), if you and I could come to Him in brokenness and push through the crowd and touch His garment, in faith, He says, "I will do it because I love you. If you would surrender to Me right now, because I can do it and I will do it, because I love you and I died on the cross for you." God is the same yesterday today and forever. He's no respecter of persons. This is what God says in the Bible. So in saying that, if He did it for her, He'll do it for you and He'll do it for me. Ask Him. Let us focus and live our lives for Jesus. Not just in certain areas of our lives, but in everything we say and do. Friends, look around you. Do you see big changes going on all around the world? Poverty, crime, things happening with nature that didn’t used to happen but once in a while? The news is full of this state is mad at that state and this country is going to destroy other countries. Do we see sicknesses like we never saw or heard happening at such an alarming rate? What about the way people are acting and things that our government says we can or cannot do? Church, these were all things prophesied in the Bible for such a time as this. Today my friends is when we need to cry out to Jesus and ask for forgiveness and to live our lives for Him. Today's the day we should all say, "Lord, I'm Yours and I'll follow You no matter where You take me. Today I'll spend time conversing with You and studying Your heart." Will you? "Today Lord, I'll go to that brother or sister and ask forgiveness for the things I've done to them, or maybe they did to me. Today." I'm going to end this in a couple minutes, but I encourage all of you here in the J and L Ministries Paltalk room to stay as I will open the room for questions and discussion. I want to thank my brothers and sisters here on Paltalk for joining us. We want to thank A Far From Normal Faith Ministry, Mylook Online and Lokey Sisters for allowing us to post these messages on their Christian network sites. Thanks to our Brothers and sisters who support us by watching and commenting on both Leanna's and my social Christian sites, Cross Roads Fellowship. Thanks to those who faithfully visit our J and L Ministries site on the Weebly platform. And of course to all our followers on Google+ and both our U-tube channels. What a mouth full that was. We love you and may God bless you. sermon for June 7
Good morning brothers and sister and thank you for joining us here this morning on June 7, 2015. What an exciting time to be living and watching end-time prophecy come to pass. For some it may be a scary time, but for me my friends, I know where I'm going when my time's up here in this world and I pray that you my brothers and sisters are that sure also. We want to thank all of you who have joined us here on Paltalk, or reading on the various social sites that I've shared these messages on, or where others have shared. Glory to God. And thanks to all of you who may be watching these on u-tube. We've been doing a study called "Who Are We In Christ" and basing the study on the book of 1 Corinthians. Last week we ended with chapter 5 and verse 8. For those who joined us last week, Paul was bringing attention to the leaders that there was a church man who was either living with, or having an affair with his step mother and that it had not been done in secret, or if it had, everyone knew about it. To me, it seemed that he was more upset with the congregation not dealing with the matter, and friends this is where the church needs to get their heads out of the sand and deal with stuff that's happening in the church today. So let's get into this study as there's going to be a lot to look at this morning. Turn please to verse 9. At the very beginning of this series, you may remember me saying that this was not the first epistle Paul wrote to the Corinthians and we see that in this verse. 1 Corinthians 5:9 KJV I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: I've heard some say they weren't sure exactly what fornicators meant. Last week we looked at the Strong's Concordance. This week, let's look at the Thayer Dictionary. Thayer Definition: pornos 1) a man who prostitutes his body to another’s lust for hire 2) a male prostitute 3) a man who indulges in unlawful sexual intercourse, a fornicator Many get confused between fornicators and adultery. Yes they are different, but both are sexual sins and very wrong. And notice that Paul said we should stay clear of those who are involved. Lat week we saw where Apostle Paul said this. 1 Corinthians 5:5 KJV To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. He was saying, " you are to hand this man over to Satan for his body to be destroyed, so that his spirit may be saved in the Day of the Lord." Church, as we saw in verse 9, Paul had warned them before and he's warning us right now, to refuse to tolerate rebellion in the church. "But brother Jim, how should we live in this world with people who are rebellious and sinful? Should we judge them too?" I think as we look at these next 5 verses we'll see how he answers these questions. Praise God! And friends, let's not forget that as Paul wrote this epistle, he was being led by the Holy Spirit. It's very important that we not forget this. He was not acting and writing on his own. What we're going to see, and I hope you get this, is that Paul was not talking about the world here. He was talking about what was happening in the Corinthian church and in many churches today. Come on friends, you've seen it. And we turn a blind eye from it. Why? Because we've let the world slip in. The enemy has gotten a foot hold in. Let's read verses 10 -13, and what we're going to see is that Paul informs us that church discipline is for believers and not the world. Amen someone? 1 Corinthians 5:10-13 KJV (10) Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. (11) But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. (12) For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? (13) But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person. Okay, now I'm going to put Leanna to the test. I want to also thank my beautiful wife for posting the scriptures each Sunday. It sounds easy, but to paste as quickly as I go through these, it can be a challenge at times. I'm so blessed to have her as a help-mate and how God has used her to change me and to bring out my gifts, just baffles me sometimes. 1 Corinthians 5:10-13 GW (10) I didn't tell you that you could not have any contact with unbelievers who commit sexual sins, are greedy, are dishonest, or worship false gods. If that were the case, you would have to leave this world. (11) Now, what I meant was that you should not associate with people who call themselves brothers or sisters in the Christian faith but live in sexual sin, are greedy, worship false gods, use abusive language, get drunk, or are dishonest. Don't eat with such people. (12) After all, do I have any business judging those who are outside the Christian faith? Isn't it your business to judge those who are inside? (13) God will judge those who are outside. Remove that wicked man from among you. Friends, in the past few years, something that I've noticed is that out in the open sins of professed Christians are seen and heard by those who are so close to making that life-changing commitment to call on the Lord to be saved. The body is being watched by the outside world. So when they see so-called believers partying and getting boozed up, cheating on their spouses, involved in the things we just read in verses 10-13, it can do 2 things. 1, it can leave them with a bad taste in their mouths toward Christians. And I see this happen often. Or 2, they follow suit and think that "Yea, I can be a Christian and still do the same as other Christians do. God must have changed." I've seen this happen too. But my friends, is that what we just read in this passage? No. Paul says, “I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother “one who bears the name brother” if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler. Listen up church. Don't even eat with him or her. Did that wake someone up? Yet as I said, it has become PART OF THE NORM. So, let's look at each sin mentioned in this passage so we all have a thorough understanding of what each means. And friends, when we look at these, ask Christ to show if you may be guilty of any of these and that He delivers you from any of them. Praise Jesus. The first mentioned is fornicator, and we looked that one already. Next is covetous. Holding (desiring) more, that is, eager for gain (avaricious, hence a defrauder) Marked by inordinate desire for wealth or possessions or for another's possessions. How many of us can say that hasn't been an issue with us? Next let's look at extortioners. Here is what Strong's says: rapacious: - extortion, ravening. A person who gets money from another by using force or threats <extortioners threatened to beat up the shop owner if he didn't pay the bribe> Next we have idolater. A person who worships an idol or idols. This is one that many people very well could be guilty of without realizing. I'm going to give some examples and list scriptures, but won't be posting them, but I will reference chapter and verse for anyone who wants to look them up, and I hope each of you do. image-worship or divine honour paid to any created object. Paul describes the origin of idolatry in Romans 1:21-25 : men forsook God, and sank into ignorance and moral corruption ( 1:28 ). The forms of idolatry are: Fetishism, or the worship of trees, rivers, hills, stones, etc. Nature worship, the worship of the sun, moon, and stars, as the supposed powers of nature. Hero worship, the worship of deceased ancestors, or of heroes. In Scripture, idolatry is regarded as of heathen origin, and as being imported among the Hebrews through contact with heathen nations. The first allusion to idolatry is in the account of Rachel stealing her father's teraphim (Genesis 31:19), which were the relics of the worship of other gods by Laban's progenitors "on the other side of the river in old time" (Joshua 24:2). During their long residence in Egypt the Hebrews fell into idolatry, and it was long before they were delivered from it (Joshua 24:14 ; Ezekiel 20:7). Many a token of God's displeasure fell upon them because of this sin. The idolatry learned in Egypt was probably rooted out from among the people during the forty years' wanderings; but when the Jews entered Palestine, they came into contact with the monuments and associations of the idolatry of the old Canaanitish races, and showed a constant tendency to depart from the living God and follow the idolatrous practices of those heathen nations. It was their great national sin, which was only effectually rebuked by the Babylonian exile. That exile finally purified the Jews of all idolatrous tendencies. The first and second commandments are directed against idolatry of every form. Individuals and communities were equally amenable to the rigorous code. The individual offender was devoted to destruction (Exodus 22:20). His nearest relatives were not only bound to denounce him and deliver him up to punishment (Deuteronomy 13:20-10), but their hands were to strike the first blow when, on the evidence of two witnesses at least, he was stoned (Deuteronomy 17:2-7). To attempt to seduce others to false worship was a crime of equal enormity (13:6-10). An idolatrous nation shared the same fate. No facts are more strongly declared in the Old Testament than that the extermination of the Canaanites was the punishment of their idolatry (Exodus 34:15 Exodus 34:16; Deuteronomy 7 ; 12:29-31 ; 20:17), and that the calamities of the Israelites were due to the same cause (Jeremiah 2:17). "A city guilty of idolatry was looked upon as a cancer in the state; it was considered to be in rebellion, and treated according to the laws of war. Its inhabitants and all their cattle were put to death." Jehovah was the theocratic King of Israel, the civil Head of the commonwealth, and therefore to an Israelite idolatry was a state offense (1 Samuel 15:23), high treason. On taking possession of the land, the Jews were commanded to destroy all traces of every kind of the existing idolatry of the Canaanites (Exodus 23:24 Exodus 23:32 ; 34:13 ; Deuteronomy 7:5 Deuteronomy 7:25 ; 12:1-3). In the New Testament, the term idolatry is used to designate covetousness (Matthew 6:24 ; Luke 16:13 ; Colossians 3:5 ; Ephesians 5:5). Next, look at railer. Some translations use abusive language or slanderer. Suppose that's happening within the church even now? It should not be. A drunkard. I don't think we need to explain what this means, but do we get this... "But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a..... " "with such an one no not to eat." Friends, do we get this? You should not associate with people who call themselves brothers or sisters in the Christian faith but live in the sins. Don't eat with such people that are involved in such sins. Let's finish up with the last two verses in chapter 5. 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 GW (12) After all, do I have any business judging those who are outside the Christian faith? Isn't it your business to judge those who are inside? (13) God will judge those who are outside. Remove that wicked man from among you. Friends, someone might be thinking, "Doesn't God deal with the believers that fall away?" Yes, He does. John 16:6-13 KJV But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. (7) Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. (8) And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: (9) Of sin, because they believe not on me; (10) Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; (11) Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. (12) I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. (13) Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He also chastens us. Hebrews 12:2-14 KJV 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. (3) For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. (4) Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. (5) And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: (6) For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. (7) If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? (8) But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. (9) Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? (10) For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. (11) Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. (12) Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; (13) And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. (14) Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: What we see in 1 Corinthians 5: 12 and 13 is that the Lord expects His children to watch over each other and instruct one another when one slips into a dangerous path. But, and listen up my friends. This should be done under the guidance of the leadership the Lord has set in the church. Ephesians 4:11-15 KJV And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; (12) For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: (13) Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: (14) That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; (15) But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: We are to handle situations according to how Jesus instructed for church discipline. I think we looked at this last week, but let's look at it again. Matthew 18:15-17 KJV Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. (16) But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. (17) And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Friends, one thing that I think most of us can admit if we're honest is we've all judged those who are not believers. Anyone have their hand up? I've done it. That needs to stop. We can see through many verses that it's God's business, not ours. Yes, share the Gospel and of course they need to know that they are a sinner and need to repent and only Jesus can set them free of the chains that keep them bound to sin. Church, I see often many try to clean up the world’s fishbowl, and I've been guilty of this too. However, God asks us fish. Jesus says, “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men". Amen someone? If you’ve been spending your time trying to scour the world, put down your scrub brush, pick up your fishing pole, and go for the fish! Someone might be thinking, "Brother Jim, but who cares? Church discipline never really works anyway, does it"? I've seen it work. Me, for example. I shared with you a few weeks ago how I once had a very religious spirit. Christ took that from me. Praise God, and He's still working on me in other areas, but I had to have it brought to my attention. Now there are others who maybe removed from the church and they go to the next church down the block. Leanna and I have seen this happen a few times. Others, and it makes me wonder if they even knew Christ at all, love the fact that they can sleep in and go shopping on Sunday. Not worrying about being hung over from Saturday night. What I would hope and pray for, is that someone who had been confronted of the sin and was asked to leave the church would understand the sin that was done, and repent from it and share a heart spoken testimony asking for forgiveness and would be let back into the church. In closing, I want to thank all of you who attended this week here on Pal talk. Thanks to those who read or watched this sermon on Cross Roads Fellowship, Mylook online, A Far From Normal Faith Ministry, Lokey Sisters, Google + U-tube, or any of the other social networks that friends have shared it on. Please visit these networks, leave comments, and if you have not subscribed to the J and L Ministries U-tube channel, please do. We love you and may the Lord guide you this week. May 31 sermon
Good morning brothers and sisters and welcome to the J and L Ministries room here on Paltalk. We also thank A Far From Normal Faith Ministries, Lokey Sisters and Mylookonline for allowing us to share the sermon videos on their sites. And also thank you all who watch on the Cross Roads Fellowship sites and Jandlministries.weebly.com website and of course my good friends on Google plus. Today, as we continue in our series "Who Are We In Christ?" based on the book of 1 Corinthians, we'll begin this morning with chapter 5. Because Paul was addressing many sins that were and had crept into the church at that time, and we know that it has flooded many congregations in our time world wide today, we'll most likely spend a lot time on this chapter and break down each issue that Paul was addressing. Why? Because I want you brothers and sisters in Christ to be rock solid in your faith in Jesus Christ and how you act according to God's ways. Leanna will be posting scriptures that we'll be reading from this morning, but I urge you friends to keep notes and please go back to these scriptures on your own time. Most of you who've been following this ministry know that I base all these sermons using the King James Version and I still am, but we'll also be looking at some other translations this morning. So let's get started with Chapter 5 and verse 1. 1 Corinthians 5:1 KJV It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. This is not good. And as we look at other translations, we'll see that even those who were not of the faith would look at this as being sick. Let's look at the English Standard Version followed by the Good news Bible and then the Amplified. (ESV) It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife. (GNB) Now, it is actually being said that there is sexual immorality among you so terrible that not even the heathen would be guilty of it. I am told that a man is sleeping with his stepmother! 1 Corinthians 5:1 and 2 (Amplified) It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, impurity of a sort that is condemned and does not occur even among the heathen; for a man has [his own] father’s wife. 2 And you are proud and arrogant! And you ought rather to mourn (bow in sorrow and in shame) until the person who has done this [shameful] thing is removed from your fellowship and your midst! Suppose there was a message being delivered? I can't imagine this, but here's a member of the church and was apparently openly living in sin with his father's wife. Sleeping with his step-mom. We read verse 2 from the amplified, here is 2 and 3 in the King James. 1 Corinthians 5:2-3 KJV (2) And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. (3) For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed. Church, notice in verse 1, we see that Paul hadn't heard about this instance of incest through just one witness. This was common knowledge among the believers in Corinth. And from what he says here, even the non-Christians, Gentiles, and as the other translation used, pagan and heathen didn't live in this kind of sin. In verse 2, Paul's saying to the church that "You're being arrogant when you should have been more upset about this. If you had been upset, the man who did this would have been removed from among you. You brethren have let the enemy get a foot inside the your own congregation." If we were to look up the Greek word for fornication which was used twice in verse1 and twenty-two other times in the New Testament, it's "PORNEIA," and it means "harlotry (including adultery and incest); figuratively, idolatry" (Strong's Concordance). If one was to do a study from all the commentaries, you'd find that most agree that fornication is all sexual immorality of which adultery is just a part of. And we see here that no one dealt with the matter and as we'll see, Paul was not a happy camper. Yet, how much different is that in most congregations today? How many unwed couples are living together today? And yes, Leanna and I did before we were saved. Was it right? Absolutely not, and we both have to deal with that when witnessing to couples who are doing the same thing. There have been times that we've had to speak to couples unmarried who ask the question "Is it wrong?" My suggestion to them is this. If they're serious about living their lives for Christ and they're serious about one another, one of them needs to move to another place until they do get married. And, not have a sexual relationship until that time. I believe that God would honor that. It shows that they're trying to do what's right and not be what the world is. "Well brother Jim, isn't that being judgmental?" Well, who do we want to serve? We can't have it both ways. Matthew 6:24 KJV No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Church, The man who loves God cannot love the evil world. We live in it, yes but don't become part of the evil. Things might seem okay and normal in this dark world, but for us, we need to stay away from such things. 1 Corinthians 5:4-5 KJV (4) In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, (5) To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Okay, now this is where some may find it difficult to understand. This is where some will say we're not to judge. This is where some may tune me out, but I ask you this. Do we believe in the Bible? Do we believe that every word was inspired by the Holy Spirit? Okay, so in what we just read, was Apostle Paul being led by the Holy Spirit? We need to make up our minds friends and we're just getting into the sin part and we're going to look at each one of them that Paul addressed as we continue. Will we serve man, or will we serve God? Let's look at verse 5 from the Good News Version. 1 Corinthians 5:5 GNB you are to hand this man over to Satan for his body to be destroyed, so that his spirit may be saved in the Day of the Lord. Let's see what Jesus said about the sinner in Matthew. Now remember as we read these verses, Jesus is talking about a believer. Matthew 18:11-17 KJV For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. (12) How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep,100 believers and one of them be gone astray, 1 believer doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? (13) And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. (14) Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. Here we're going to see the order Jesus tells us to handle an issue with a brother (a believer) who has wronged you, or, and this is important for the church leadership, is involved in sin. Remember brothers and sisters in Christ, these are not my words, but from the Master Himself. (15) Moreover if thy brother a believer shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. (16) But (step 2) if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. (17) And if he (Believer) shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. "But brother Jim, I'm still tripped up about the judging thing." My friend, I know where you're going with this. Paul expects Christians to judge one another. I know someone's going to say, "But, but what about Matthew 7:1 Do not judge others, so that God will not judge you." Yes, it does say that. And just like so many scriptures, This is the most quoted verse in the world today. Yet, very few people read Jesus' words in context. Jesus says that we can judge, but first we must judge ourselves. But many see that 1 verse and skip the rest. Not us friends. We're going to read it. Glory to God. Before we do read this, can I make a suggestion to each of you hearing my voice, or reading this? When a preacher reads a scripture verse,or passage, read the prior verses and the verses after. Make sure he or she isn't taking things out of context. Matthew 7:1-5 KJV Judge not, that ye be not judged. (2) For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. (3) And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? (4) Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? (5) Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. Wow! So back to verse 5 in Corinthians, you are to hand this man over to Satan for his body to be destroyed, so that his spirit may be saved in the Day of the Lord. Delivering this man to Satan for the destruction of his flesh was the last step in church discipline. There are two other men whom Paul delivered unto Satan for this purpose. We see this in 1 Timothy. 1 Timothy 1:20 GNB Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have punished by handing them over to the power of Satan; this will teach them to stop their blasphemy. So someone is probably thinking, "Brother Jim, that means I have to hand them over to Satan so they go to hell?" Delivering people unto Satan does not mean we're damning them to hell, nor does it mean they're going to die physically. In this instance, we see by Paul's instructions in 2Co 2:6-7 that this man didn't die but repented and was restored back into the fellowship of the church. 2 Corinthians 2:2-11 KJV (2) For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me? (3) And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all. (4) For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you. (5) But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. (6) Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. (7) So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. (8) Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. (9) For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things. (10) 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; (11) Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. What does Satan do? Steal, kill and destroy. And that my friends is what Satan wants to do to you and me. Jesus says: John 10:9-11 KJV I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. (10) The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (11) I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. Let's get back to 1 Corinthians. Leanna's working hard, I know. There's a lot of scriptures that we've looked at, but my friends, I want each of us to get this. 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 KJV (6) Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? (7) Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: (8) Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. What does bread making have to do with this passage? I can remember a time when I'd read right through this part of the Bible. I was just reading. I wasn't studying it. Amen someone? Anyone been there? And we read it and we thought, "Well, it's biblical so it must be true." And we walk away without any understanding. What Paul was saying to the Corinthian church was you have this man that's living this sinful way that even the pagans stay clear of, but also the pride of the church. He uses the illustration of a piece of leaven. Those who've ever made bread knows what I'm saying. Leaven is a little lump of bread dough that is saved out of the batch. It's allowed to ferment or sour, and then it’s used in the next batch of bread so that it'll rise. A little bit of yeast can make a whole loaf rise. The Jews associated fermenting with rotting, so leaven became a symbol of corrosive evil. Paul was saying what's infecting the congregation is their boasting about their toleration of this man. That's what Paul wants to get rid of among the believers in Corinth. To accomplish this the sinful man has to be expelled. Friends, this took me a while to understand. Paul doesn't see the sin of this man’s immorality infecting the congregation, as though that's the rottenness. We know that, right? Here's the issue right here. What Paul was really addressing and what's affecting the church in Corinth and the church today is the sin of their pride. If they can get rid of that sin which is eating its way through the congregation, then they stand a chance of being (here we go with the bread) “a new batch without yeast.” Church, I'm going to start to bring this message to a close. I know we only got through 8 verses this morning and I still don't think everyone really understands the full message of what Paul was addressing. The church then, as is now, was without excuse. They had been under the preaching of two of the greatest preachers in world history. Paul and Appolos. But really friends, does it really matter who the preacher is? Look at some of the most Godliest preachers man has ever known, yet Christians will continue to sin regardless of who's preaching and leading. And my friends, you know what the biggest issue is? Want to know what will destroy a group of believers? Pride. This is going to hurt. There are those, and friends I've witnessed it and if you really think about this, I know you have too, preachers who preach their hearts out. Everything from their lips are biblical and they live their lives according to what they preach, and not intentionally, they are hatching pride issues within the church. Come on friends, someone get an understanding of this. How many times do we hear others from another church say, "My preacher is the greatest preacher I've ever had. He preaches the Word. Man this guy feeds me the meat, there's no milk in his messages. My church knows the Word." Now are you starting to see the big picture, friends? And what happens friends, is they think they're spiritually mature when in reality they're not. So now's the time friends for us to get real. Here's the time that we need to ask Jesus to reveal our hearts. This is the time that we come to Jesus and we say, "Lord, I need to be broken. Lord, help me be the man or woman that you want me to be. Father, I've tried on my own and I just can't change, so Jesus I give my heart to You to mold me into the person that You want me to be. To clean soften that hard heart." So friends, here's your time to get right with God. Let me ask a tough question: Are you involved in some sin that, if revealed, would devastate your loved ones and destroy your reputation? Okay, maybe you haven’t done what this man did, but are you involved in internet pornography, or an emotional affair at work? As we looked at in the beginning of this message, maybe you're a couple living together and aren't married. Do what's right. Maybe you're abusing drugs. It may even be abuse of prescriptions drugs. There may be someone listening or reading that's involved in illegal gambling, some kind of illegal money deals. I don't know your hearts my friend, but I guarantee God does. You and I can fool people for a time and maybe a long time, but you're not fooling God for a minute. Maybe alcohol's a problem that you have. Maybe lying or stealing. Here's one that so many are involved in and we didn't get far enough in this chapter to look into it this week. Gossip. And so many are unaware they do it. My brothers and sisters in Christ, whatever it is, stop today. My dear friends, you and I, when we find God's truths are responsible to act upon what we hear is wrong. For those who've been following this ministry, or any ministry and you hear from the Word of God and it points to something that you 've harbored in your heart, it's time to make a change. There will be a time that you and I my friends will stand before God. Each one of us will have to account for our lives and if you're listening to this message, on that day that you stand before God and you're involved in any of these sins that I've mentioned and haven't turned away from them, you won't be able to say that you didn't know. My friends, I urge each of you to begin practicing the spiritual disciplines of prayer and Bible study. God will grant you plenty of grace if you come clean with Him and others. Don't put it off, because time's running out. It's estimated that somewhere around 144,000 people die every day. That someone maybe you. Not one of us are promised tomorrow. For those who might be part or have been blessed with their own ministry and you may have these issues within the congregation, deal with that issue as we saw how Jesus told us to deal with it in Matthew 18 and how Paul dealt with it here in this chapter. Friends, we love you and this may have been a hard message for someone to swallow and as we continue next week, there will be other things that may reveal things to others. Society has allowed so much corruption to be a part of the normal and so hasn't the church. You and I need to be different and with Christ living in us and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us, if we are willing to yield to that direction, we can change. Praise God! Thank you for joining us this morning here on Paltalk. Thank you to all of you who read or watch these messages on all the other websites. We hope that if these messages have spoken to you that you share them with friends and family and please leave a comment. We love you and hope you all have a great week and let God direct your path. |
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