Video:  Introduction (One of One).

85% of prisoners have a drug related offense.
70% of children born to offenders will serve time in jail.
90% of women in prison have been sexually abused as children.
30% of men in prison have been sexually abused as children.
90% of addicts relapse in 90 days.
Average person remains in addiction for 10 years before seeking help.

70% of children born to offenders will serve time in jail.  According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics: The U.S. incarceration rate on December 31, 2008 was 1 out of every 133 U.S. residents.  Consider this:  If a sixth grade class had 133 students, just one of those kids would go to jail as an adult using the statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Justice.  If those 133 students were children of offenders, then 70% equals 93 of the 133 children would go to jail as an adult.  40 kids might get a chance for a normal life.  93 kids do not . . . just because of their parents.  This is unacceptable.  We can make a difference in the lives of these kids by teaching their parents to seek God's face.  Of the 93 children of offenders going to jail, 28 would have been sexually abused if the 93 were all male or 84 if they were all female.  This should break your heart.  Sin creates destruction.  You invite destruction when you accept sin in your life.  Repent.

Story:  Luke 13:6-9; And He (Jesus) began telling this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it, and did not find any.  "And he said to the vineyard-keeper, 'Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any.  Cut it down!  Why does it even use up the ground?'  "And he answered and said to him, 'Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.

I like to start the first class with this parable because I want the inmates to see themselves as the fig tree.  I want this course to be fertilizer and a period for them to grow in their relationship with God.  The fruit in our lives is our impact on other people.  It is common for people to think the fruit refers to good deeds, but it refers to positive relationships with other people which will have good deeds mixed in as we invest in their lives out of love.  God is not interested in works, but in the hearts and lives of man.  Men made in the image of the Living God, but born in darkness.  Jesus is the light.  Acts 26:18; (Jesus speaking to Paul) ...to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.'  Our fruit is to present the light of God to the darkness of man in hopes that they will be saved by God's mercy.  God allows us to get involved in His great work.

We are introducing the Kingdom of God in this first session.  The seed (Messiah or Christ) was promised to Adam after the fall in Genesis 3:15.  The seed was promised to come from Abraham in Genesis 22:18 and Abraham was given the sign of the covenant in circumcision in Genesis 17:10.  The Prophet was promised to Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15-18.  The kingdom was promised to David in 2 Samuel 7:12-13.  Just as the Lamb of God and the Lion of Judah are the same person in Jesus, so the seed, the Messiah, the Prophet and the King are the same person in Jesus.  The best illustration of the kingdom would be a woman in her last months of pregnancy.  The baby is alive inside her, but the baby is not in this world yet.  God's kingdom is alive inside us, but not of this realm.  It will not be completely realized until the return of the Lion of Judah.  Think about this; when Jesus was born, shepherds came looking for the Lamb of God.  A period of time passed (up to two years) and then wise men came looking for the King.  Could we be living in the period of time between the arrival of the Lamb of God and the presentation of the King?  I think we are.  Are you ready to meet the Lion of Judah, the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Creator of Heaven and Earth?  Get ready. 

Scripture References: 
Genesis 3:15; And I will put enmity 
Between you and the woman, 
And between your seed and her seed; 
He shall bruise you on the head, 
And you shall bruise him on the heel.”
As soon as sin and death entered this world, God referenced His plan of redemption.  Always remember that God is in control.  As crazy as our life can become, we must always remember that God is in control.  Seed does not come from a female.  That reference to 'her seed' is talking about the virgin birth as seen below in Luke 1:30-35. 

Peter, James and John were Jesus' closest friends when He walked this earth.  Peter describes God in 1 Peter:1-2 by saying that according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood.  The foreknowledge is the plan of redemption for mankind.  In God's Word, He has revealed His plan of redemption for you. 
Will you obey Jesus and accept God's plan of redemption?  Will you accept His blood and be sanctified by the Spirit? 

Genesis 22:18;  In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

Genesis 17:10;  This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. 

Exodus 4:21-26;  The LORD said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your power; but I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.  Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Israel is My son, My firstborn.  So I said to you, ‘Let My son go that he may serve Me’; but you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.” 

Now it came about at the lodging place on the way that the LORD met him and sought to put him to death.  Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and threw it at Moses’ feet, and she said, “You are indeed a bridegroom of blood to me.”  So He let him alone.  At that time she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood”—because of the circumcision. 
Circumcision is a reference to the seed.  I hope you can see that relationship.  Blood is part of the deal.  Blood is not a pretty image, but neither is sin.  Moses had to get himself right before God before God would allow him to get involved in His plan.  Back in Genesis 15:13 before the covenant sign of circumcision was given, God told Abraham that his descendants would be strangers in a foreign land and would be enslaved four hundred years.  In Exodus 12:40-41 the nation left Egypt on the very day God prescribed.  God is in control.  Here in Exodus 4:21-26, Moses is about to lead God's people out of bondage, but all mankind must get himself right with God.  In John 14:6 Jesus said He is the way to get right with God.  No one comes to the Father but through Jesus.  When Jesus says no one, that means no one on earth in all of history can come to the Father except through Jesus. 

John 14:6;  Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me. 

Deuteronomy 18:15-18;  “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him.  This is according to all that you asked of the LORD your God in Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, let me not see this great fire anymore, or I will die.’  The LORD said to me, ‘They have spoken well. I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 
In John 1:19-25 John the Baptist is talking to the priests and Levites and they asked him if he was the prophet Moses talked about.  This was a big deal to the Jewish community.  The Jews were looking for the Messiah (Christ).  They were looking for the prophet.  They were looking for the Son of David to take the throne.  They did not realize Jesus was all this and more.  Jesus is God in His creation for our redemption by His power.  In John 1:29 John the Baptist refers to Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.  This was a huge statement and most people miss it.  The Lamb of God refers to the lamb offer for the sins of the nation once a year on the Day of Atonement by the High Priest.  The is the most holy of all days for the nation.  Most people do not realize the significance of this statement because we are not familiar with the sacrifices described in the Law.  The Jewish Pharisees, priests and Levites in the audience that day understood what John had said.  John called Jesus the Messiah. 

Luke 9:35;  Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!”
This is not the first time God spoke from above to mankind.  In Luke 3:22 a voice came out of heaven when Jesus was baptized and said "Thou art My beloved Son, in Thee I am well-pleased." 

2 Samuel 7:12-13;  When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom.  He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 

John 18:36-37;  Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”  Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king.  For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” 

Luke 1:30-35;  And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.  "And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.  "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David;  and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end."  And Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?"  And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God.
Salvation is a God thing, not a man thing.  Ours deeds of righteousness are like filthy rags.  We must come to God in the way that God prescribes.  Again see John 14:6 where Jesus says that He is the way, the truth and the life.  Man's job is to realize that he is lost and needs to be saved.  False religion is all about self righteousness by works and that is not God's plan of redemption.  Open your bibles to Acts 26:17-18 and see again what Jesus said to Paul about where man starts.  Man is under the dominion of Satan in darkness.  Man is sanctified by faith in Jesus and given an inheritance.  For a Christian, this life is just the starting point of our journey with God.  In Genesis 48:15-16, Israel (Jacob) just before his death talks about God being his shepherd and the Angel who has redeemed me.  It took Israel a few years, but he finally realized that he needed a redeemer.  Forever is a very long time and life starts now with Jesus.  All mankind has a ticket to death because of sin.  Repent and find true life in Jesus as your Redeemer. 

Acts 26:17-18;  . . . rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’ 

Matthew 3:2; (John the Baptist preaching) “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Matthew 4:17; From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Now, I hope you can see by these verses the significance of the kingdom.  As you read your bible I hope you start to see the kingdom referenced everywhere.  When Jesus sent out the twelve to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, He told them;
Matthew 10:7; "And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'
When Jesus sent out the seventy to the world they were told;
Luke 10:8-11; (9) ...and say to them, "The kingdom of God has come near to you.' ...

When Jesus approached Jerusalem for the last time on His triumphal entry notice what the people were crying out.
Mark 11:9-10; And those who went before, and those who followed after, were crying out, "Hosanna!  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David; Hosanna in the highest!"

Ok, at this point you might be asking yourself "Why have I not seen this before?".  Go one step further; highlight every reference of the kingdom in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  You will be blown away by all the references and most of them are by Jesus.  When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray; ... Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done...  Almost all the parables Jesus taught are references to the kingdom.  Why have you not seen this before?  Let me show you why in scripture.

Mark 4:11; And He was saying to them, "To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside get everything in parables,...

Deuteronomy 29:29; "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.

Psalm 25:14 (4-14); (14) The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him, And He will make them know His covenant.

As I mentioned before, the Messiah was promised to Abraham and the Kingdom promised to David.  In both situations, both men struggled to understand God's method.  Abraham thought God was talking about Ishmael (Genesis 17:15-22), but God corrected him and said the covenant was with Isaac.  David thought the promise was for Solomon (1 Chronicles 22:6-11 and 1 Chronicles 28:1-8), but God corrected him and Solomon is dead and buried just like David.
1 Chronicles 17: 10 (last sentence) – 14; (10). Last sentence where God tells David about a house He will build)  Moreover, I tell you that the Lord will build a house for you. "And it shall come about when your days are fulfilled that you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up one of your descendants after you, who shall be of your sons; and will establish his kingdom.  "He shall build for Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever.  "I will be his father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My loving kindness away from him, as I took it from him who was before you.  "But I will settle him in My house and in My kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever."

Daniel 2: 30-34; King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream where God shows him His plans.

Daniel 2: 44-45; Daniel interprets the dream and describes the stone cut out of the mountain without hands.  This shows the time period that the Messiah will come. 

Hebrews 4:6; Rest . . .  some enter . . . failed to enter . . .  disobedience . . .

Luke 17:20-21; … signs … For behold, the Kingdom of God is in your midst.”

Romans 14:16-17; … kingdom of God … righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit

Additional references:  Matthew 4:23, 9:35, 10:1, 10:5-8, 11:11, 13:11, all chapter 13 and 16:28.  Mark 1:14-15, 9:1, 4:11, 4:26, 4:30, and 12:28-34.  Luke 9:1-6, 9:59-62, and 16:16.  John 3:3, 3:6, 3:5-8, 8:23-24, 18:36.  Acts 1:3, 8:12, 19:8, 28:23, and 28:31.  Revelation 1:6, 5:10 and 20:6.

Personal introduction - God loves you … I’m trying.  I am doing time in state prison as a volunteer a few hours a week.  No, I am not a prisoner, but a volunteer.  I should have been an inmate, but I never got caught which was only by the grace of God.  This is not my ministry.  This is God's ministry.  God loves these inmates and I am just trying to show them His love.  God loves you and He is trying to use someone with skin and bones to show you His love.  We are all just servants of the Creator of heaven and earth by His grace.  God allows mankind to get involved in His kingdom and in His ministry by way of Jesus.  See John 14:6.

Inmates always come up to volunteers and tell them how great and nice they are for coming inside the prison.  I always get a kick at their expressions when I tell them the honest truth; I'm not that great of a guy.  God loves them and that is why I am in the prison.  Give God the glory for my time.  Without God, I would not be inside these walls as a volunteer.  Without God, I most likely would have been an inmate.  God blesses me by allowing me to see His Spirit work inside prison.  Honestly, I struggle just to remember their names.  God knows their name, their address, their number, plus their heart, mind and soul.  God loves them … I’m just trying.

People are always stealing Gods glory.  I tell my students that if they stop to help a little old lady change a flat tire and she thanks them for stopping, he has a duty to tell her that he only stopped because God has changed his life.  He should tell her that God loves her and God is just using him to show her that He cares for her.  You see, man is made in God's image.  That little old lady is made in God's image.  That is what makes man more special than all creation.  God is Spirit.  Jesus did come in the flesh and was raised in the flesh, but man has a spirit inside him which is made in the image of God.  When man comes into a relationship with God, it is the Spirit of God that convicts his heart and leads that man into all righteousness by the blood of Jesus.  Again, see John 14:6. 

This web page is a breakdown of my class notes from the program God allows me to teach inside the Hutchins State Prison located on the south side of Dallas Texas.  The program is a twelve step recovery program centered on Jesus as the Christ called Overcomers.  The program is a tape series presented by Charles and Sharon Burton addressing addiction.  Each week after the tapes we have time for discussion.  Over the past few years I have developed this discipleship training program to correspond to each weeks Overcomers’ lesson.  Each week we cover a key area in the Christian walk so that these men will have a clear understanding of what the bible says about life.

What God has taught me can not be instructed intellectually, but only spiritually with the help of God.  I can put down the words, but it will take the Spirit of Almighty God to instruct each man who He is.  This is the first lesson God taught me in this program.  So, if you have not opened God's Word today, please put this web page aside and seek God first.  Pray that God would open your mind, heart, eyes and ears to His Word.  We must always seek God first in His Word, in prayer and in fellowship with other believers.  If you seek Him, He will let you find Him.  That is God's promise to mankind. 

My job as a volunteer is simply to walk with God.  I must keep my eyes clean, my thoughts innocent, my heart right, and my pride under control.  I constantly fail at my walk which leads me into personal confession to God in prayer.  That is God's way of reminding me that this is His ministry.  So my real job is to confess my sins and He is faithful and just to forgive me…  I hope you know that verse.  If not, see 1 John 1:9 or as we like to say in prison, little John first book chapter one verse nine.

God made promises to mankind.  The primary promise is that He would provide man a redeemer.  That promise was told in the Garden of Eden when God said the seed of woman would crush/bruise Satan's head.  God explained this further when He told Abraham that his seed would be a blessing to the entire world.  Jesus is that seed.  Jesus is mankind's redeemer.  God promised a prophet like Moses to stand between man and God.  Jesus is that prophet.  Another promise God made was that He would provide mankind a kingdom that would last forever.  That promise was made to David.  Jesus is that King.  Jesus brought this kingdom into existence by His resurrection from death.  See big John 18:36-37.

If you are saying to yourself, “What is he talking about?”  Don't worry.  Don't stop reading.  First, you must believe that God exists.  Do you?  Really?  Then, you must see yourself as a sinner that needs a redeemer.  Do you?  Really?  Last, you must submit to God and accept His will for your life.  Have you?  Really?

Assumptions:

1.  I believe that God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 & John 1:1-5

2.  God originally put man in paradise and gave him the opportunity to obey and experience true life.  Genesis 2:8

3.  God created angels as part of His creation.  Satan was a top angel, but he wanted to be like God and he lost his position.  Ezekiel 28:11-19 & Isaiah 14:12-15

4.  Satan deceived Adam and Eve into rebellion against God which brought death to all mankind.  Genesis 3:1-7  Do not fear, God has the solution. 

5.  The solution to man's rebellion is that God sent His Messiah (Messiah is translated as Christ in Greek).  God told Satan that Eve's seed would bruise/crush his head. Genesis 3:15 *See note below

6.  God made man in His image.  God is Spirit.  Every man has a spirit inside him that God can redeem.  Genesis 1:26-27 & Genesis 2:7 

7.  Man (Adam) disobeyed God which brought sin and death into this world, not God.  God just allows sin and death which He will use for His glory.  Romans 5:12 & Romans 5:19

8.  The bible is God slowly revealing His plan of salvation to redeem mankind from death.  Luke 24:44-47 & John 14:6

9.  God choose Abraham to create a nation to bring about the birth of His Messiah.  Genesis 12:3, Genesis 22:18 & Genesis 26:4-5

10.  God explained to Moses that the Messiah would be a prophet like him to stand between the people and God.  Deuteronomy 18:15, Luke 9:35 & Exodus 25:22

11.  God explained to David that the Messiah would create a kingdom that would never end.  2 Samuel 7:12-13 & John 18:36-37

12.  God redeemed the nation Israel (and me, and you) with His blood.  Genesis 15:13, Exodus 12:40-41, Psalm 147:19-20 & John 1:12-13

13.  I believe in the virgin birth of Jesus.  *See note below.  God is not made of flesh and bone, at least, not until Jesus came in the flesh.  Jesus is man and Jesus is God.  Spirit became flesh, so that flesh could become spirit.  Matthew 1:20-25, Isaiah 7:14 & Isaiah 9:2-7 (6)

14.  I believe Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of God for the redemption of all mankind and that He is alive on the throne of God.  Luke 9:28-36 & Isaiah 42:1-9

It should go without saying, but as you can see above I believe in the bible.  I believe God breathed His Word to man and allowed man to write to mankind His thoughts.  Sixty-six books from forty different authors over 1,500 years and the book has one mind, one thought behind it all.  This can be nothing more than God reaching out to His creation (fallen man made in His image) doing what man can not do; revealing who He is.  This is just like salvation.  God doing for man what man can not do for himself.

This course will be dealing with the major areas of the Christian faith and in the process deal with trouble areas to the average believer.  The key to the success of this program is what Jesus and John the Baptist preached "Repent".  Another way to think about the word repent is the word submit.  You must submit to Jesus as your Lord and Savior each and every day.

*Seed of woman?  Seed comes from man.  The nation of Israel had an act of obedience called circumcision that would define them as a set apart people for God (Genesis 17:10 & Exodus 4:24-26).  The Messiah would come from the seed (bloodline) of this nation.  The seed of woman is not a natural seed.  It is the Spirit of the Living God overshadowing a virgin to bring forth the redeemer of mankind (Luke 1:35).  Salvation is a God thing, not a man thing.  God's salvation is a mystery to the world.  God must open your eyes for you to see His salvation.  Man does not go to heaven with his resume in his hand (John 14:6), but covered by the blood of our Messiah, Jesus.  Even the bloodline from the nation of Israel is not a normal seed.  God had to open the barren womb of Sarah (Genesis 21:1-2), and the barren womb of Rebecca (Genesis 25:21), and the barren womb of Leah (Genesis 29:31) to bring forth His bloodline which He promised.
 
 

Week 2: God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Video:  Step One (series One of Three).
Workbook:  Overcomers should be complete with days 1-7.

Story:  There was a man in Alaska who loved birds.  He struggled believing in God, but he loved his birds.  He had a hugh group of wild birds that he feed every day.  He would just sit and watch these majestic creatures.  Over time his feelings developed into a real love for these animals.

One day this man was speaking to a friend on the phone.  His friend lived in northern Alaska a few hundred miles from his home.  It was obvious that a storm was coming, but his friend told him that this storm was beyond belief.  The temperature dropped fifty degrees in just an hour and the storm moved extremely fast.  The temperature changed almost instantly without warning.  His friend said anything caught outside in this storm would die.  His friend said that all of his animals were caught outside the barn and were frozen.  The man thought about his wild birds.  Any animal left outside would perished in the wake of this awesome storm. 

How can I save my birds?  He had minutes to try and develop a plan to try and save his flock of wild friends.  He thought of his barn.  It had hay all around the walls.  His barn would keep all his animals warm and also protect his birds.  If he could just get the birds to fly into his barn they would be saved.  If they did not, they would die.  He tried and tried, but the birds just flew in the air and dropped back down to the place where he feeds them. 

The man grew frustrated.  He knew death was just minutes away.  He thought to himself "If only I could speak to these birds".  "If I could just explain in bird language that they must follow me into the barn to be saved."  "For a few moments, if I could just become a bird." thought the man. 

Just then he heard a church bell ringing.  It was from that little church down the hill.  At that moment, the man realized what Jesus did.  For the first time, he realized who Jesus was.  He fell to his knees and thanked God.  The Spirit of the Living God became human flesh trying to save mankind from the pending death that awaits all humanity.  Spirit became flesh so that flesh could become spirit.

Scripture References:
This week, we will be discussing a concept so far beyond human understanding that God must open our minds to comprehend.  Thank God He gave us His Word.  We will be looking at God and how the bible describes the different aspects of our Lord.  Everyone knows Jesus from the New Testament gospels, but I want to show you what God opened my eyes about in the Old Testament regarding Jesus before He came to earth in the flesh and the Holy Spirit and how He deals with man before and after Immanuel.  You might be asking, who is Immanuel?  This is a name of Jesus.  It means God with man.  That is who Jesus is.  He is God with mankind.  He is the Creator in the flesh of His creation.

Last week during the introduction, I announced a few percentages about prisoners.  The most difficult statistic to comprehend is that seven of every ten children born to offenders will go to jail.  This is not my opinion, but a historical fact.  When you are in the visitor room next time, count the number of kids visiting their parent.  Seven of every ten of those kids will be in jail as an adult.  That is what we must change.  It starts with each and every one of us.  In Matthew28:19-20Jesus tells His disciples to "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." 

What is the difference between a disciple and a convert?  My ten year old was asking me about the weapons I shot while in the military.  He asked if I had shot an assassin rifle?  I explained that any weapon can be used by an assassin.  It is not the weapon used, but the act that determines if it is an assassin weapon.  A disciple is not someone who calls himself a disciple.  It is the person involved in the act of submitting to Jesus and repenting from his natural desires to walk with our Lord.  We will be growing and walking every day until we leave this earth.  Jesus said to make disciples.  That is what I love about God giving me this class.  I have the opportunity to teach men God's Word.  This week we will be looking at who God says He is.  We will be looking at the different aspects of the Old Testament Jesus and the Old Testament Holy Spirit and how they differ from the New Testament.  It starts with you as a disciple.  Open your bibles to . . . 

Luke 8:10-15; And He said, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that SEEING THEY MAY NOT SEE, AND HEARING THEY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND.  "Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God.  "Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved.  "Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.  "The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.  "But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance. 

Now I see my personal testimony in this illustration.  In my early walk, I just ignored my Lord.  When I did receive it as a young believer, I fell away at the first sign of temptation.  As I grew older in my walk, I started making money.  Talk about thorns.  Money makes you rely on yourself instead of God.  Israel was not allowed to take a census or have large numbers of horses because God did not want them thinking their strength came from themselves, but from God alone.  Now God has removed the stones and thorns from my life and allowed me to produce fruit.  Remember the fig tree example from last week?  Open your bibles again to . . .
Luke 13:6-9; And He (Jesus) began telling this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it, and did not find any.  "And he said to the vineyard-keeper, 'Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any.  Cut it down!  Why does it even use up the ground?'  "And he answered and said to him, 'Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.

Understanding God starts with you submitting to Jesus as your Lord and Savior.  He will open your eyes to understand His Word and remove the stones and thorns from your walk.  I want to start with a couple stories that when i read them I had to stop and really see God for who He says He is and not what I imagined in my mind.  Open your bibles to. . .
Genesis 18:17-19; And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?  For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

Who is the Lord speaking to?  Open your bibles to. . .
Genesis 15:1-6; After these things the Word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great."
Did you miss it?  The Word of the Lord came .... speaking.  This Word is a being.  The Word spoke.
(2) And Abram said, "O Lord God, what wilt Thou give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damacus?"
Did you miss it?  Abram referred to the Word as Lord God.  Abram is speaking to the Word of the Lord.
(3) And Abram said, "Since Thou hast given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir."
(4) Then behold, the Word of the Lord came to him, saying, "This man will not be your heir; but the one who shall come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir."
Did you see in verse three that Abram believes children come from God as a gift?  Another sermon for another day...  In verse four the Word performed action; He came, He spoke and He gave a prophecy.  Prophecy is when God tells man what will happen in the future so man will know he has spoken to God. 
(5) And He took him outside and said, "Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them."  And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be."
The Word performed another action; He took him outside, He spoke and He gave another prophecy. 
(6) Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.

Now, do you see that the Word came, spoke, took him outside?  The Word is presented like a person.  The Word is moving around and doing stuff.  Open your bibles to. . .
John 1:1-5; In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The Word is God.  Remember Immanuel means God with man.  Jesus was the Word inside flesh.  This is the same Word of the Lord that spoke to Abram.  The Word also came to God’s prophets.  See Ezekiel.
(2) He was in the beginning with God. 
(3) All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
Do not miss what John just said.  The Word is a part of who God is and what God did and what God does.  The book of John was written so that mankind would know that Jesus is God.  Jesus is not the Father.  Jesus is not the Spirit.  Jesus is the Son of the Living God.  Jesus is God.  The Father is God.  The Spirit is God.  Jesus submits to the Father.  Jesus sent the Helper (Holy Spirit) after He was raised from death.  The Father, Jesus and the Spirit all three are one, but all three have different functions.  Stay with me . . .
(4) In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
(5) And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

The Word is presented as a person just like in the Old Testament.  This is not unique.  The entire bible has these references.  Open your bibles to. . .
Revelation 19:11-19; (13) He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
This section of scripture deals with the coming of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  He is described as the Word of God just like what was shown talking to Abram.  If you go one section of scripture prior to this in verses 7-10, Revelation describes the Lamb of God.  When Jesus came on this planet in the flesh, the Jewish leaders were looking for the Messiah King.  Jesus came as the Messiah Lamb.  He will return as the King, but now He is waiting for the fullness of the gentiles to become complete.  God is showing mercy to the entire world right now, but He will return.  Remember the shepherds came first when Jesus was born looking for the Lamb of God.  The wise men came almost two years later looking for the King.  The Lamb has come.  The King will be here soon.  We live in a time between the Lamb who provides grace and the King who will provide judgment.  The question is will you meet the Lamb or the King?  I choose the Lamb and His grace.

My sons know me by several titles.  I am daddy.  I am coach of his baseball team.  I am married to his mom so he sees me as her husband.  I run a small company so he sees me as a businessman.  God allows me to teach in prison so he sees me as a preacher.  The same is true for our Lord.  We know Him by different names to describe His relationship to us.  Immanuel is one of my favorite names describing Jesus.  He is God with us.  Of course, we know Jesus, but did you know Jesus is the Greek translation of the Hebrew name Joshua.  Moses, who gave the law, took the people to the promised land, but Joshua took take them inside the promised land. You must always remember that the bible is full of symbols, shadows, copies and patterns of Heavenly things.  The Word of the Lord is living water and it runs very deep.  I want to show you another name the Old Testament shows us that is Jesus.  We saw Jesus being called the Word of God to Abram before his name was changed to Abraham.  Now here is another title for Jesus; Angel of the Lord.  The Angel of the Lord made Himself known to Abraham, Jacob, Moses, the nation of Israel, Gideon, Sansom's parents, David, etc.  Pray that your eyes are opened to who God says He is.  If you seek Him, He will let you find Him.  That is a promise in the Word.  Open your bibles to. . .

Genesis 22:11-18; But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."  He said, "Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."  Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son.  Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, "In the mount of the LORD it will be provided."  Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, "By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies.  "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." 

Did you notice the reference of Me and the Angel of the Lord in verses 11 and 12?  He knew Abraham feared God because of this act of obedience and Abraham did not withhold his son from Me.  The sacrifice was to God.  The Angel of the Lord just placed his title as God.  This story is such a rich illustration of Jesus that it is impossible to miss it, but people do.  They miss it because God has not revealed it to them.  One of my favorite verses in the scripture is Luke 24:45 where the resurrected Jesus is speaking to two disciples walking down the road before He ascends to heaven and it says - Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,  Man must submit to God for God to reveal Himself to man.  One theme in scripture is come and see.  Notice it is not see and come.  God tells man to submit to Him and He will reveal Himself to man.  The more you come, the more He reveals.  It is a relationship.  That is what God wants with you.  Not your religion, but your love. 

God does not care about your sacrifice or your religion.  He wants you to submit to Him and have a relationship.  The story of Abraham and the offering of Isaac is a test for Abraham to see if he has submitted to God.  See in verse one of chapter 22 where God tested Abraham.  What are you going through today?  Could this be a test?  If so, would you pass?  In verse seven Isaac asks about the lamb for the sacrifice.  Isaac was taught these things.  Are you teaching your children about God?  In verse eight, Abraham tells Isaac that God will provide for Himself the lamb.  In verse thirteen we see they found a ram, not a lamb, caught in the thicket to be used as a sacrifice.  Jesus is the Lamb of God.

First, the Angel of the Lord speaking says you have withheld your son from ME.  Then He says By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord.  Second, did you see the shadow, copy and pattern of Heavenly things in the story of Abraham and Isaac?  God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.  Does that phrase from John 3:16 ring a few bells?  Notice the seed will bless the nations.  Does the seed from Genesis 3:15 ring any bells? This is the Hebrew Messiah or in Greek He is called the Christ.  Jesus is the seed.  Jesus is the Word.  Jesus is the Angel of the Lord.  Not just any angel, but the Angel of the Lord.  This Angel of the Lord accepts worship from men.  This Angel of the Lord is in the pillar of the cloud leading Israel and talking to Moses. 

Now, in Genesis 22 verse 18 is where God promises Abraham that the Messiah of all mankind will come from his seed.  That is Jesus.  Jesus is the Messiah.  Other promises were made about Jesus.  Moses told about a Prophet like him.  David was promised a king from his line would have his throne forever.  Jesus is the Prophet.  Jesus is the King.  Open your bibles to. . .

Genesis 48:15-16; He blessed Joseph, and said, "The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, The Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, Bless the lads; And may my name live on in them, And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth." 
This was Israel (Jacob) in his last days blessing the sons of Joseph before his death.  I can not ignore how Israel spoke about God in three sentences describing Him in three distinct ways.  Could this be a description of the Father, the Spirit, and the Son?  I think it is.  You might disagree and that is fine, but it just seems clear to me that Israel is describing what he knew was God's plural nature. 

Exodus 3:1-6; Now Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.  The Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed.  So Moses said, "I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up."  When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am."  Then He said, "Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."  He said also, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob " Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. 
This is the story of Moses when he was first was introduced to God.  Who was in the bush?  The Angel of the Lord.  In verse four God called to Moses from the midst of the bush and in verse six God tells Moses that He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Exodus 14:19-20; The Angel of God, who had been going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them.  So it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud along with the darkness, yet it gave light at night. Thus the one did not come near the other all night. 
Who was in the pillar of the cloud?  That's right, the Angel of God.  This is the famous story of the Egyptians closing in on the escaping Israelites and God opens the Red Sea for passage.  In Exodus chapter thirteen verse 21 says that the Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud.

Exodus 13:21; The LORD was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.

Exodus 23:20-23; "Behold, I am going to send an Angel before you to guard you along the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.  "Be on your guard before him and obey his voice; do not be rebellious toward him, for he will not pardon your transgression, since My name is in him.  "But if you truly obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.  "For My angel will go before you and bring you in to the land of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will completely destroy them. 

The greatest description of God the Father and God the Son prior to Jesus being born in the flesh can be seen in Exodus chapter 33. 
Exodus 33:9-11; Whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and the LORD would speak with Moses.  When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would arise and worship, each at the entrance of his tent.  Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend.  When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent. 

Exodus 33:18-23; Then Moses said, "I pray You, show me Your glory!"  And He said, "I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion."  But He said, "You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!"  Then the LORD said, "Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by.  "Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen."
What happened here in Chapter 33 of Exodus?  in verses 9 & 11 we see the pillar of cloud at Moses' tent and Moses speaking to God face to face.  Later in the same chapter we see Moses speaking to God and God tells Moses that no man can see His face and live.  The later meeting was not at Moses' tent, but apparently on the mountain because God placed him in the cleft of the rock although we are never told Moses went from his tent to the mountain in scripture.  Do you understand that the God speaking to Moses at his tent was the Angel of the Lord and the God speaking to Moses on the mountain was the Father.  They are one, but they are separate.

In Genesis 48, Jacob or Israel knew this Angel of the Lord as his redeemer.  Moses spoke to the Angel of the Lord in the burning bush and again in the pillar of the cloud.  Exodus 33 shows Moses talking to the Lord face to face at the tent, but later on the mountain Moses can not see God's face.  This is the Son and the Father.  The Son is our redeemer who brings us into the promised land.  The bible is very clear that the Israelites throughout history understood that if a man saw God's face that he was dead.  How does a sinful man approach a holy God?  Open your bibles to. . .
John 14:6; Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

God provides His way for man to approach Him.  Man tries to become holy by our religion.  God says our deeds of righteousness are filthy rags.  Now let's look at the Holy Spirit.  Open your bibles to. . .

John 1:14; And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Jesus speaking to the woman from Samaria made it very plain that we have a distinction between the old testament and the new covenant. 
John 4:23-24; "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.  "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." 

What sparked this shift from an old covenant to a new covenant?  It was the plan from day one.  To understand the plan of God we must understand who God is.  Man (Adam) did not surprise God when he disobeyed.  It disappointed Him.  God had a salvation plan just in case this happened.  It was not pleasant, but it was the solution to the biggest problem in the world.  God would do what man could not and in the process he would re-create man into what he could not have been before.  Immanuel translated means God with man.  That is who Jesus is.  Spirit became flesh so that flesh could become spirit.  That was God's plan from day one.  Follow along and let me show you how Jesus revealed Himself to mankind prior to being born.

Deuteronomy 18:15; "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him...This was Moses speaking to the Nation of Israel after the Lord spoke directly to the people.  What happened at the transfiguration? See Luke 9:35; And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!"

Jacob (Israel) knows the Angel of the Lord.  See Genesis 31:11 & 13; "Then the Angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob' and I said, 'Here I am.' ... (13) 'I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to Me; now arise, leave this land, and return to the land of your birth.' " What happened in Bethel?  See Genesis 28:10-22 and you will see the famous story about Jacob' ladder.

David references the Angel of the Lord in one of the Psalms.  Psalm 34: 7-9; The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.  O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!  O fear the Lord, you His saints; For to those who fear Him, there is no want. 

Check this out.  God speaks directly to the nation of Israel via the Angel of the Lord.  See Judges 2:1; Now the Angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim.  And He said, I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land which I have sworn to your fathers; and I said 'I will never break My covenant with you, ... Wow, did you see that?  The Angel of the Lord said He brought them out of Egypt, He led them into the land, and that He made a covenant with them. 

Ezekiel records his visions from God and we get to see a very clear picture of the distinct nature of God's plural personality.  Chapter one describes a vision of God as a figure on a throne with the appearance of a man and a rainbow around Him.  Verse three says that the Word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel.  Ezekiel 2:1-2; Then He said to me, "Son of man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you!"  And as He spoke to me the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet; and I heard Him speaking to me.  The Spirit is God just like Jesus is God just like the Father is God. 

Notice that Ezekiel was told to stand to speak to God and that is what the Spirit did for him.  Notice that the Spirit did what was asked of man to commune with God just like salvation.  Man can not save man.  God saves man.  Man can not speak to God.  God allows man to speak to God.  Notice that after the Spirit entered Ezekiel, it was then that Ezekiel could hear.  Man can not hear God unless God opens your ears.  Man can not understand unless God opens the Word.  Luke 24:45; Then He (Jesus) opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, ... Ask God to open your ears to hear Him.  Ask God to open your mind to understand the scriptures.

Ezekiel is forty-eight chapters and we will not go over each chapter, but notice a few things in this scripture.  Almost every chapter describes how the Spirit or the Word would come an talk to him or lift him up and physically move Ezekiel.  Ezekiel speaks to the Spirit and the Word as individuals who interact with him physically.  As an example, see chapter eleven. Moreover, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the Lord's house...  Notice that almost every chapter after from twelve to thirty-five starts off with theWord of the Lord came to me saying. 

1 Samuel 3:10; Then the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, "Samuel, Samuel!"  And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening." Did you notice the action of the Lord?  He came, stood and called.  He is not a vision.  He is present.  Also, notice how a man should respond to God.  Your servant is listening.  Stop talking and start listening.  Now, see 3:21; And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, because the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the Word of the Lord.  How did God reveal himself?  That's right, by the Word of the Lord.

1 Samuel 19:20-24; Then Saul sent messengers to take David, but when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing and presiding over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul; and they also prophesied.  When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. So Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied.  Then he himself went to Ramah and came as far as the large well that is in Secu; and he asked and said, "Where are Samuel and David?" And someone said, "Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah."  He proceeded there to Naioth in Ramah; and the Spirit of God came upon him also, so that he went along prophesying continually until he came to Naioth in Ramah.  He also stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay down naked all that day and all that night Therefore they say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"

The Spirit was around in the Old Testament just like the Son was around, but they both had different types of relationships to mankind.  The focal point of all history is at the cross.  That is where the relationship of the Son and the Spirit changed the relationship mankind has with God.  We will spend a class discussing the Holy Spirit, but until then open your bibles to . . .

John 14:16-17; "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. 

John 14:26; "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. 

Additional references;
Matthew 24:36; … of that day . . . no one knows . . . Father alone.

Ephesians 6:17, 6:10-20; … the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Hebrews 7:25-28; … save forever those who draw near to God through Him…

1 John 2:15-17; … lust of the flesh…eyes and boastful pride of life, is not from the Father,

Matthew 12:30-32; whoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven…

1 Thessalonians 4:7-8; not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.

Judges 6:11-23; story of Gideon and the Angel of the Lord

Judges 13: 3-22; story of Sansom’s parents talking to the Angel of the Lord 
 
 

Week 3: Man; What is inside a man?

Video:  Step One (series Two of Three) and Step One (series Three of Three).
Workbook:  Overcomers should be complete with days 8-14.

Story:  Personal testimony – Why I believe...
Have you ever wondered why women are the only female on this planet to experience such an extreme level of childbirth pain?  I've seen animals like horses, dogs and cows give birth.  It looks uncomfortable, but it does not come remotely close to the level of pain I see when a human woman gives birth to a child.  This does not make sense.  It is not logical.  When I look in Genesis chapter three, God provides me with an answer.

After a rain, why do we have a rainbow?  What is it and where does it come from?  This does not make sense.  Science does not have an answer.  I look in Genesis chapter nine and I have an answer from God.  Did you know that a rainbow is found around the throne of God?  Look in Revelation 4:3, Revelation 10:1, and Ezekiel 1:28 to see God’s rainbow.  Think about that; God gave us a little representation of His throne so we would not be afraid when we have a rain storm.  That is a very nice gesture.  I like God.  As a matter of fact, I love God!

Why does the nation of Israel exist?  Their existence does not make logical sense.  Thousands and thousands of nations have been eliminated from the face of this earth over the history of mankind.  Nations around the globe have either died out over time or have been integrated into the general population of another people.  Just look at the United States.  We are the melting pot of the world.  No other nation in the history of mankind has come out of slavery and been recreated as a nation.  It has happened to Israel multiple times.  I look in Genesis twelve and find my answer from God.  God chose Abram to be His instrument to bring His salvation to mankind.  God made a promise to Abram and God always keeps His Word. 

Consider history and you will believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  The bible is not just a book with stories for a religious group to draw strength from, but it is a fact sheet surrounded with historical references.  Prophesy is God telling man what will happen in the future.  So, if God’s prophet tells a nation that it will be destroyed and every stone will be removed from the site.  If that prophet says that the very foundation will be scraped clean and in the future the surface will used as a place to dry fishing nets.  If this happens, then you might want to pay attention.  It did happen to a city called Tyre.  This is just one example among hundreds.

What is inside a man?  I was born with a kidney disease.  It is the greatest gift God has given me because it gives me perspective on life and death.  It keeps me focused on reality.  I watched my uncle die from this same condition and heard rumors about a great aunt who also passed away.  The medical community knows very little about this disease.  It skips generations.  I did nothing to deserve this death sentence, but it is mine.  I don't know the day of my death, but neither does anyone else.  As an adult, I now understand that death is a natural part of life, but dealing with the reality of death is difficult for almost every person.

I thank God for this kidney disease.  It has helped me realize that all men are born with another disease called sin.  We are all born of the flesh and this natural man is prone to disobedience.  This disease helps me understand the fallen condition of man and the simple fact of spiritual salvation which most of the world tries to ignore.  Man wrestles with the thought of death because unlike animals, he knows that life has something more to offer him than just basic survival.  Facing death makes man evaluate his life decisions.  Men who do not recognize God’s presence in their lives will not know the simple blessing of salvation.  Every believers job is to be a light showing the path to Jesus.  We are to be salt of this world telling other men what God has done in our life.   We are to give God His glory for His wonderful work in us that our testimony might bear fruit for our King by His power and by His might. 

Scripture References: 
What is inside a man?  Let's see what Jesus says.  Open your bibles to. . .
Matthew 15:18-20; "But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.  "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.  These are the things which defile the man...

Galatians 5:19-21; Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

Romans 5:12; Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned-- 

Romans 5:19; For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 

1 Corinthians 15:45-47; So also it is written, "The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL " The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.  However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.  The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven.

Last week we discussed who God is.  We focused specifically on Jesus before He came in the flesh.  In a few weeks, we will focus on the Spirit of the Living God.  Today we need to come to grip with who we are and what we are.  We need to get comfortable in our own skin.  God made us and He did not make a mistake.  We need to come to terms that we are born in sin and it is our natural desire to rebel which is why we must repent.  We will spend a week on what is repentance, but for now just think of repentance as turning from wrong to right.  What is the greatest commandment?  Open your bibles to. . .

Matthew 22: 35-40; And one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?"  And He said to him, "YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'  "This is the great and foremost commandment.  "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'  "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."

What is a Christian?  Based upon that verse it would be a person who loves God.  Are you a Christian?  Do you love God?  All the religion in the world is without worth if you do not love God.  Loving God is to seek Him in His Word and in prayer and in fellowship with other believers.

Now, who is your neighbor?  What does the bible say?  Look at Luke 10:25-37.  It is almost the same story except in Matthew Jesus is telling the great commandment and in Luke the lawyer is saying it.  Scholars estimate that the version in Matthew happened in April 29 AD and in Luke it occurred in October 28 AD.  These two events were eighteen months apart.  In Luke, Jesus gives us the Good Samaritan story to describe our neighbor.  It was not the priest or the Levite who both passed by on the other side of the road.  Understand that the audience Jesus was addressing was full of priests and Levites.  He was calling them out.  The hero or neighbor in the story was a Samaritan.  The Jewish audience did not like the Samaritans because they were not pure breed Israelites.  This would have offended the entire audience.  I love this about Jesus.

If I go home after teaching this class on 'loving my neighbor', and find a bad guy has taken my family hostage, what am I to do?  This bad guy has beaten my wife and kids.  Should I forgive him and show him the love deserving of a neighbor?  Is this bad guy acting like a neighbor?  What does the bible teach us that God does to bad guys that mess with His children?  The bible is very clear that it is not a pleasant end for the bad guys who mess with God's people.  It will not be pleasant for the bad guy messing with my family.  He better start praying for the mercies of God to fall upon me before I get my hands on him or he will regret doing evil in my home.  God feels the same way about His family.  Are you part of God's family?  Walk your faith every day by loving God and loving your neighbor.  Love God.  Open your bibles to. . .

Hosea 4:1-2; Listen to the Word of the Lord, O sons of Israel, For the Lord has a case against the inhabitants of the land, Because there is no faithfulness or kindness Or knowledge of God in the land.  There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing, and adultery.  They employ violence, so that bloodshed follows bloodshed.

Remember Matthew 15:18-20?  Who do you think told Hosea what to write?  The Word of the Lord.  John 1:1-5 describes Jesus as the Word.  Who do you think told Moses what to write in the Torah?  The Angel of the Lord which we discovered last week was Jesus before He was born to the virgin Mary.  Are you faithful?  Do you seek the knowledge of God?  Open your bibles to. . .

Hosea 4:6; My people are destroyed for the lack of knowledge.  Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest.  Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

Do you seek the knowledge of God?  Do you understand that you are a priest?  A Christian is a priest to the world.  First, focus on being a priest to yourself.  Then you are a priest to your immediate family and then to other family members.  That is a full time job, but if you cover those bases, then you can serve your local community and friends.  Open your bibles to. . .

Genesis 6:5-9; Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.  The LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them."  But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.  These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God. 

Genesis 8:21; And the Lord smelled the soothing aroma; and the Lord said to Himself, "I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.  Now this verse is packed with goodies, but first let's notice the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth.  Moses was writing what God told him to write.  So this is God's perception of man.  That would explain why Jesus started his preaching with "Repent".  Second, did you notice that the Lord smelled.  We are made in His image not God made in man's.  Third, God destroyed every living thing including dinosaurs.  I always like to say that if God wanted the T-Rex to survive after the flood He would have told him to get on the boat with Noah.  Noah did not round the animals up.  God sent the animals to Noah.

Isaiah 24: 4-6; The earth mourns and withers, the world fades and withers, the exalted of the people of the earth fade away.  The earth is also polluted by its inhabitants, for they transgressed laws, violated statues, broke the everlasting covenant.  Therefore, a curse devours the earth, and those who live in it are held guilty.  Therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few are left. 

These verses in Isaiah describes the existing condition of our world and then verse five tells us why and verse six shows the consequences of our actions.  What is the everlasting covenant that was broken?  Think about it for a second.  What disobedient action of one man led to the fall of all creation?  For the answer, see Romans 5:19; For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.  Adam brought sin and death into this world and broke our fellowship with God.  Jesus paid the price to make things right with His creation and restored His fellowship with mankind.  Open your bibles to. . .

Hosea 6:6-7; For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
(7) But like Adam they have transgressed the covenant;  There they have dealt treacherously against Me.

Psalm 30:3; LORD, You have brought up my soul from Sheol; You have kept me alive, that I would not go down to the pit. 
David wrote Psalm 30.  To bring something up, it must be down in the first place.  Sheol is the place of death or the grave.  Going down to the pit was death.  Do you see what David is saying?  This is a basic element to Christian and Jewish theology that David understood because he knew God.  All men have transgressed the covenant.  All men are born in sin.  All men have a ticket to Sheol.  Jesus gives you a free ticket from death to life.  Jesus defeated death.  Jesus is the way and the truth and the life.  The seed of man spreads death to all men.  Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit, not the seed of man.  All mankind would go to Sheol if God had not stepped in and provided a way to life.  God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.  God so loved the world that He gave mankind the tabernacle to the Jewish people showing how a sinful man approaches a holy God.  Both the tabernacle and the redeemed of Israel serve as a copy, shadow and pattern of heavenly things.  Open your bibles to. . .

Romans 1:18-32; For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.  For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.  For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.  For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. 

2 Corinthians 4:3-6; And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.  For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake.  For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 

Luke 8:10-15; And He said, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that SEEING THEY MAY NOT SEE, AND HEARING THEY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND.  "Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God.  "Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. . .

1 Corinthians 5:9-13; 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 if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler--not even to eat with such a one.  For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?  But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES. 

Deuteronomy 18:9-14; "When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations.  "There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.  "For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD; and because of these detestable things the LORD your God will drive them out before you.  "You shall be blameless before the LORD your God.  "For those nations, which you shall dispossess, listen to those who practice witchcraft and to diviners, but as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you to do so. 

Romans 13: 12-14; The night is almost gone, and the day is near.  Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.  Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy.  But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts. 

Genesis 1:26-27; Let Us make man in Our image according to Our likeness…

Genesis 3:6, 3:1-8; she took from its fruit and ate; and gave also to her husband with her

Genesis 3:20-21; Eve . . . mother of all the living … God made them garments of skin …

Ezekiel 24:14; according to your ways and according to your deeds I shall judge you

Isaiah 58:6-11; …hungry…poor…naked…do not hide yourself from your own flesh.

Job 1:8; a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.

Job 31:1-40; I have made a covenant with my eyes…poor…widow…orphan…needy…

Colossians 3:1-17; For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Exodus 33:13; let me know Thy ways, that I may know Thee, so I can find favor…

Romans 12:1-3; present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God…

John 8:23-24; you are from below, I am from above…unless you believe that I AM…
 
 

Week 4: God’s People; Creation for God’s Glory.

Video:  Step Two (series One of One) and Step Three (series One of Three).
Workbook:  Overcomers should be complete with days 15-21.

Story:  A preacher told this story in one of his sermons about a dog that he was given as a gift.  This was a really pretty dog and not just a regular dog.  This dog was so pretty, that people would stop and just gaze.  This was not a normal dog that played catch, but it was a high dollar show breed.  So special that it came with a special air conditioned dog house.  Remember, this was a gift to this preacher. 

The only problem with the dog was he was trained from birth not to get emotional.  This would prevent problems during an important dog show.  This preacher does not attend dog shows, but just wanted a dog for affection.  He wanted a dog that would just jump in his lap and love him.  The only time this dog would show affection was if he was scared or if he was cornered.  His breeding and training had perverted his view of his master.  He was trained not to show love just obedience.  Obedience is good, but without love it is dry.

Now this preacher had another dog.  This dog was just a normal dog that he had since he was a pup.  This was also a pretty dog, but this dog loved his master.  This dog jumped in the preacher's lap and followed him everywhere he went.  They developed a bond that would last a lifetime.  This dog also obeyed, but this dog showed love beyond measure.  His master loved this dog greatly.

The preacher uses this story to show the relationship God wants with man.  God loves you...I'm trying.  God wants man to come to Him in prayer, in His Word and in fellowship with other believers.  Are you in God's lap or are you emotionally independent? 

Scripture References:
Psalm 81:8-12; "Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you; O Israel, if you would listen to Me!  "Let there be no strange god among you; Nor shall you worship any foreign god.  "I, the LORD, am your God, Who brought you up from the land of Egypt; Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.  "But My people did not listen to My voice, And Israel did not obey Me.  "So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, To walk in their own devices. 

This week we will be dealing with a concept foreign to natural man so pray that the Spirit of our Living God will open our minds to see know and understand His ways a little better today.  We need to see life from God's perspective.  God is infinite.  Man is finite.  We have a beginning and an end.  God makes the beginning and end.  Man wakes each morning to start each day and we retire to sleep at the end of the day.  We live our lives in a start and stop method.  God does not think like man.  Man does not think like God.  That is the problem.  This week we are looking at God's people so we need to look from God's perspective which is from an infinite perspective.  Open your bibles to. . .

Genesis 15:13;  God said to Abram, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years.

Exodus 12:40-41; Now the time that the sons of Israel lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years.  And at the end of four hundred and thirty years, to the very day, all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. 

This section of scripture tells us that God has a plan.  It tells us that God knows what will happen.  It tells us that God is in control and God allows the life of man to play out.  God allowed sin to enter this world.  God was not surprised, but He was disappointed.  God allowed the fall of mankind because He had a greater purpose from the outcome of man's disobedience.  Abram lived 800-900 years prior to his descendants becoming enslaved.  Why would God bother to tell Abram about this period of slavery?  Abram would be dead and gone.  He tells Abram for our sake.  So that we know that God is in control.

Genesis 15:14-16; "But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions.  "As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age.  "Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete."

What do the Amorites have to do with any of this?  Think about this; God loves the Amorites just as much as He loves me and you.  God sets starting points and finishing points in history for His purposes.  God was allowing the iniquity of the Amorite to be the finishing point when the future nation would return to the land where Abram and God were talking.  God allows all men to come to him, but He will allow your iniquity to determine your outcome.  Are you approaching God on your own merits or have you chosen Jesus to be your merit?  When God looks at man, He will either see a sinful man or He will see Jesus (His reflection of Himself) and that will be your merit or righteousness to approach God.

Think of the time frames that God establishes like a baker making a cake.  The baker will set the timer for twenty minutes while he cooks his cake.  If he takes the cake out in thirty minutes, the cake will be burned.  If he takes the cake out in ten minutes, it will not be done.  Do you remember the parable about the fig?  The owner gave a time frame of three years for fruit production.  He would have destroyed the worthless fig tree if the vine-keeper had not interceded and asked for one more year.  God establishes the time frames of man.  Jesus is providing all mankind an opportunity to comes to him and find life before the end of our time frame.  Open your bibles to. . .
Luke 13:6-9; And He (Jesus) began telling this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it, and did not find any.  "And he said to the vineyard-keeper, 'Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any.  Cut it down!  Why does it even use up the ground?'  "And he answered and said to him, 'Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but it not, cut it down.

Do you remember what Jesus said was inside man?  Open your bibles to. . .
Matthew 15:18-20; "But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.  "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.  These are the things which defile the man...

When man does not have God in his life, he tends to think pretty high of himself.  God provided mercy to all mankind when He choose the nation of Israel.  God had His plan and He was going to use this people to bring forth the Messiah.  The Anointed would provide a way for all mankind to approach a Holy God.  The nation of Israel did not understand and God used their lack of understanding to accomplish His will on the cross.  Open your bibles to. . .

Deut 4: 29-40 (33-35); "But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.  "When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days you will return to the LORD your God and listen to His voice.  "For the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.  "Indeed, ask now concerning the former days which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and inquire from one end of the heavens to the other Has anything been done like this great thing, or has anything been heard like it?  "Has any people heard the voice of God speaking from the midst of the fire, as you have heard it, and survived?  "Or has a god tried to go to take for himself a nation from within another nation by trials, by signs and wonders and by war and by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm and by great terrors, as the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?  "To you it was shown that you might know that the LORD, He is God; there is no other besides Him. "Out of the heavens He let you hear His voice to discipline you; and on earth He let you see His great fire, and you heard His words from the midst of the fire.  "Because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants after them And He personally brought you from Egypt by His great power, driving out from before you nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in and to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is today.  "Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the LORD, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other.  "So you shall keep His statutes and His commandments which I am giving you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may live long on the land which the LORD your God is giving you for all time." 

Wow, why did God provide a audio and visual illustration for the nation of Israel and the nation of Egypt?  To show these little people on earth that God is the creator of all things in heaven and earth.  To show mankind that He is God and there is no other besides Him just like He says.  Little man does not approach God.  God allows little man to approach God in the manner God prescribes. Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.  John 14:6.

Exodus 19:5-6; 'Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel." 

John 14:21; "He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." 

Exodus 19 and John 14 show a relationship of man to God.  God calls man to submit to His authority in the world by obeying His Word.  Submission to God shows our love for God and we can be called His priests and His children.  God is King of Kings.  Children to God are then Princes and Princesses.  God takes us from a path of destruction to a path of royalty simply by His grace.  God is glorified by man when a man submits to Gods authority and obeys.  We are called to walk as royalty in this wicked world.  We are called to walk as priests in this fallen kingdom.  Not by your righteousness, but by Jesus because He is the way, and the truth, and the life!

Exodus 30:11-15; The LORD also spoke to Moses, saying, "When you take a census of the sons of Israel to number them, then each one of them shall give a ransom for himself to the LORD, when you number them, so that there will be no plague among them when you number them.  "This is what everyone who is numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as a contribution to the LORD.  "Everyone who is numbered, from twenty years old and over, shall give the contribution to the LORD.  "The rich shall not pay more and the poor shall not pay less than the half shekel, when you give the contribution to the LORD to make atonement for yourselves. 

Matthew 20:28; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." 

Exodus 30 and Matthew 20 show that man was purchased for a price.  Salvation is free to you, but it is not free to Jesus.  He had to pay a price for your free gift.  When the nation of Israel was required to pay to make atonement for themselves.  The rich and poor are all required to pay the same amount.  This was a shadow, a copy, a pattern of heavenly things.  Just like the tabernacle was a shadow, a copy and a pattern of heavenly things, so was this ransom price for atonement.  Jesus is our final atonement.  Jesus is our ransom.  Jesus is the lamb of God.  Jesus is the final sacrifice for the sin of man.  The old testament is full of illustrations showing the person of Christ and the sacrifice required, but the nation missed the message.  They put the Messiah on a cross.  God is in control and He used that death to bring life to the entire world by raising Jesus from the grave.  Jesus is alive and well sitting at the right hand of the Father.  And just like we saw in Genesis 15, He is waiting until the iniquity of the world is complete.

Romans 5:12; Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned-- 

Romans 5:19; For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 

The first item cults remove from the bible is the virgin birth because they can not believe this actually physically happened.  Romans 5:12 combats this theory head on.  Without the virgin birth, I would not be a Christian.  Man can not save man because mankind is infected with a disease called sin.  An outside clean source must come inside our corrupt system and provide a way out.  That is the Spirit of God overshadowing the virgin Mary.  Jesus was born of man, but He was not infected with our disease of sin because His seed was not from man.  The seed of man transfers the sin of man. 

Trivia question: who were the three people in the bible who were not born in sin?  Jesus was one.  Adam and Eve were the other two because they were made by God.  They were not born in this system of sin.  They brought about this system by their disobedience.  Jesus provided a way out of this system by His obedience.  We do not approach God on our own righteousness, but on Jesus' righteousness.  Salvation is our free gift to us from Jesus, but He paid our price for atonement with His blood.

Now, let's take a look at one of my very favorite passages of scripture.  This incident is recorded in Matthew, Mark and Luke, but in Mark's account it has a little different approach which I love because it spells out our life in relation to God's sovereign authority over this life.  God allows us to suffer.  God allows His people to go hungry.  God allows His people to go thirsty.  When man gets mad at God because he is suffering or hungry or thirsty and man wants to point his little finger at God, wait.  Man needs to point his little finger in the mirror.  God made all things good and clean and right.  Man messed things up by our disobedience.  God allows dogs to have fleas so they know they are dogs.  God allows man to suffer in this world so man knows that he is not God.  Please turn to Mark 6:45-52. 

Mark 6:45-52 (48); Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the crowd away.  After bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray.  When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land.  Seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them.  But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out;  for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, "Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid."  Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished, for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened. 

Wow, He intended to pass by them.  Jesus saw that they were straining at the oars, but He intended to pass by them.  As we all go through this life of struggle, we must always remember that Jesus sees us.  We must always remember to take courage and do not be afraid.  Jesus sees and knows that we are but flesh and bone.  He does not call man to be perfect, but obedient.  He does not expect man to calm the winds of life, but if you abide in Jesus you will be utterly astonished how He can calm the wind.  We just need to pray that He melt our hardened hearts and give us insight into who He is. 

1 Peter 2:9-11; But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.  Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. 

Hebrews 4:1-6 (6); (rest) some to enter...to them failed to enter because of disobedience 

Exodus 6:1-8; verse 6 I am the Lord…bring you out…I will deliver…I will also redeem…

Daniel 5:23; ...But the God in whose hand are your life-breath and your ways, you have not glorified.

1 Timothy 2:5-6; one God…one mediator…Jesus…gave himself as a ransom for all…

Genesis 18:11-14; Sarah was past childbearing…Is anything too difficult for the Lord?

Genesis 25:21; Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was barren…

1 Corinthians 15:45-47; first Adam…living soul...last Adam became a life giving spirit.

Isaiah 44:24 & 45:9; Lord is the maker of all things…will the clay question the potter

1 Kings 8:53; For Thou hast separated them from all the people of the earth…inheritance

Isaiah 42:1-9; My chosen one…My Spirit upon Him…until He has established justice…

Isaiah 43:7;  Everyone who is called by My name… whom I have created for My Glory 

Joshua 24:1-15; God of Israel…Abraham…Isaac…Jacob…Moses…Aaron…delivered you

Zechariah Chapter 3; Joshua…Angel of the Lord, and Satan…Branch…stone…iniquity
 
 

Week 5: Sex; One of the greatest struggles man must face.

Video:  Step Three (series Two of Three) and Step Three (series Three of Three).
Workbook:  Overcomers should be complete with days 22-28.

Story:  I saw the most interesting sight at a local zoo; a group of apes were gathered around a pile of bananas praying.  Next to them was a group of squirrels gathered around a pile of nuts singing praises.  Next to them was a service conducted by alligators, another by deer, and still another by birds.  Now, I hope you realize that I am just kidding.  Animals do not seek God.  Man seeks to know God. 

Think about that . . . some scientists would have you believe you came from an animal or some slime.  Of all the creatures on the face of this planet, man is the only species that seeks God and that is only because God calls man to Himself.  If God does not call man, man will not seek Him.  The Word tells us that no one seeks God on his own.  Man typically seeks God in his own way and then makes God into the image of man.  WRONG. 

God showed Himself to the world through a nation which He redeemed from death.  God made man in His image.  God is Spirit.  God did not become flesh until Jesus was born, but His Father was Spirit not flesh.  Man can only know how to seek God if God instructs man how to come to Him.  Man can only know who God is if God tells man who He is.  Man can only know who he is inside if God tells man about himself and his heritage.

All mankind is born with a disease called sin.  Jesus was not born with this disease, but He took all sin upon Himself on the cross.  Jesus rose from the grave and defeated death to establish His Kingdom.  Sin will lead to our physical death, but it is actually better described as a spiritual death.  Although the world in which we live in is a physical place, it is actually better described as a spiritual place.  Our battle is more than physical, but spiritual.  Man is more than physical, but spiritual.  Man must battle our flesh all the days of our lives.  One of the greatest struggles man must face in the flesh is sex.

2nd Story:  A man was sick and went to the IBM Human Resources Department and asked for a medical card.  The HR employee asked which department the man worked in.  The man replied that he did not work at IBM, but he wanted the medical card for treatment.  "Everyone knows that IBM has the best health benefits in town." said the man "and that is what I want".  The HR employee replied "You can not get the benefits unless you are employed with the company." 

The same is true for sex.  You might want and need the treatment, but without a committment ... no benefits.  Sex is a benefit in the marriage company and you need the union card for treatment.  Are your dues paid and up to date?  Are you in good standing with the union?  Are you doing your job?

Scripture References: 
Job 1:8; And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job?  For these is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.”  This verse provides a wide variety of topics we could discuss, but I want to focus on God's opinion of Job and his character.  I hope you have noticed a logical transition to this program so far.  The first week was an introduction.  Then we addressed God.  Who He is and what He says about Himself in the bible.  The greatest commandment is for man to love God.  We must see Him for who He says He is for us to adore Him.  Then we must address mankind for who God says we are.  Last week we discussed God's chosen people and that Jesus has called all Christians to act as His priest under a new covenant to the world.  This was Israel's original responsibility and now Jesus has shifted that task to His followers.  This week we will be discussing what I believe is the greatest struggle for mankind today and that would be sex. 

Job 31:1; I have made a covenant with my eyes; How then could I gaze at a virgin?  Chapter 31 of Job is almost a resume for Job's character.  He discussed his relationship with the poor, the needy, the orphan and his relationship to the world.  In my personal life, this verse is a cain I use for walking.  Now, let's look at what God says about sex.

We are going to look at two verses from the Torah.  Moses wrote these stories from what God told him to write.  Moses was not around when Adam was in the garden, or when Noah built the ark, or when God made a covenant with Abraham.  The Angel of the Lord would meet with Moses and speek to him face to face.  Remember Exodus chapter 33?  We are going to look at two illistrations from God with His view of sex.  We will see a story of King Abimelech and a story about Joseph.

Genesis 20:2-7 (3 & 6); And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, "She is my sister."  So Abimelech King of Gerar sent and took Sarah.
(3) But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, "Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman you have taken, for she is married."
(4) Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, "Lord, wilt thou slay a nation, even though blameless?  (5) "Did he not say to me, 'She is my sister'?  And she herself said, 'He is my brother.'  In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this."
(6) Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know that in the intregity of your heart you have done this, and I also kept you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her.
(7) "Now therefore, restore the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live.  But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours."

Did you see it?  God says sex with a married woman is sin against Him.  God says you are a dead man to sin against Him.  Look at verse three.  Why?  Think about this; marriage between Adam and Eve was before the fall.  Marriage is a holy covenant in the sight of God.

Genesis 39:9;  "There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife.  How then could I do this great evil, and sin against God?"  Joseph just said that sex with a married woman was a sin against God.  Joseph would not be going to bed with God, but with a woman.  Remember the Angel of the Lord is telling Moses what to write in the Torah.  Do you see what God thinks about sex and marriage?  How does that differ from what mankind thinks?

We are going to look at a comparison of the New Testament and the Torah.  In John chapter eight, Jesus teaches us how to deal with an adulterous woman.  In Leviticus chapter twenty, the Old Testament teaches us how to deal with an adulterous woman.  As a review, who wrote the Torah?  That's right Moses, but who told Moses what to write?  Remember Exodus 33 where the Angel of the Lord would speak to Moses face to face as a man speaks to a friend.  Who is the Angel of the Lord?  Realize that this is not just an angel, but this is the one and only Angel of the Lord.  That's right, it is Jesus before he was born to the virgin Mary.  So comparing John and Leviticus gives us a clear picture of the relationship between the Old and New Testaments.  Isaiah 63:9; In all their affliction He was afflicted, And the Angel of His presence saved them; And His love and in His mercy He redeemed them; And He lifted them and carried them all the days of old.

John 8:1-5; But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.  And early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them.  And the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the midst, they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act.  "Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?"  Remember the Angel of the Lord (Jesus) told Moses what to write so He knows the law.  Let's look at the law.

Leviticus 20:10; "If there is a man who commits adultery with another man's wife, one who commits adultery with his friend's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.This death sentence was applied to a variety of actions related to misconduct.  See 20:4 for offering a child to Molech, 20:9 for cursing father or mother, 20:11 for lying with his father's wife, 20:12 for lying with his daughter-in-law, 20:13 for man lying with another male, 20:14 for marriage to both mother and daughter, and 20:15-16 man or woman lying with an animal.  These are very specific instructions.  Now look at 20:23 and you will see why.  Moreover, you shall not follow the customs of the nation which I shall drive out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I have abhorred them. 

So based upon the Torah, Jesus should have killed the woman.  Wrong, the Old Testament was suppose to show the people they can not keep the law.  They must seek God's mercy.  The law was given to show the standard for life.  I like to illustrate the point this way.  Thou shall not play in the street.  I do not want you to get run over, I love you, so this is your law.  Thou shall not play in the street.  What if another person sees you playing in the street and decides not to follow the law?  Both of you might get hurt.  So, in response to your disobedience I decide to send a truck your way to scare you out of the street.  Thou shall not commit adultery.  God loves you and does not want you to get hit by a truck.  In John, Jesus was showing man that God desires mercy not sacrifice.

Now, let us go one step closer to understanding God's point of view on the relationship between a man and a woman.  For this illustration, you will need to read the story of when Solomon became king in 1 Kings chapters one and two.  David was old and could not keep warm.  David's servants suggested that the King bring in a young virgin to nurse him and keep him warm.  Now in verse four of chapter one, we read that the king did not know her (sexually).  Solomon is crowned king and extends grace to his older step-brother to live even though he had tried to proclaim himself king.  Afterwards, his brother is put to death for asking for the hand of the young virgin girl who had nursed to his father King David.  Why did Solomon put him to death?  Open your bibles to . . . 
1 Kings 2:22; King Solomon answered and said to his mother, "And why are you asking Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him also the kingdom--for he is my older brother--even for him, for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah!"

Solomon saw this request for marriage as asking for the hand of the Queen in marriage which is the same as asking for the kingdom.  This request cost Solomon's older step-brother his life.  Solomon considered the young virgin nurse to be David's wife.  Another interesting point from this story is that King David had several wives, but he was alone and cold at the end of his life.  The bible tells us that David was married to Michal, Abigail, Ahinoam, Maacah, Haggith, Abital, Eglah and Bathsheba.  2 Samuel 5:13 tells us that David took more concubines and wives.  In 2 Samuel 20:3 David had ten concubines who were left to take care of his household, but these were defiled by Absalom when he tried to take the throne.  These concubines lived as widows for the rest of their lives.

Matthew 15:18-20; "But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.  "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.  "These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man." 
Jesus lists seven items that come from the heart of man.  Two of the seven deal with sexual issues.  That is 28% of what comes out of the heart.  Open your bibles to . . .

In Leviticus chapter twenty, God details what is off limits as it relates to man's sexuality.  God will show some very graphic relations that actually existed with the people God was about to judge.  Just like the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, God is judging a people for their behavior, but this time He is using the nation of Israel to destroy the evil.  Below is just 10-13.  Read 14-21 and ask yourself about pornography.  Is pornography revealing the nakedness of another person? 
Leviticus 20:10-13; 'If there is a man who commits adultery with another man's wife, one who commits adultery with his friend's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.  'If there is a man who lies with his father's wife, he has uncovered his father's nakedness; both of them shall surely be put to death, their bloodguiltiness is upon them.  'If there is a man who lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death; they have committed incest, their bloodguiltiness is upon them.  'If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltiness is upon them.

What about homosexuals?  In verse 13, God says that it is a detestable act and worthy of death just like adultery and incest.  Homosexuality is a perversion just like adultery and incest.  We need to see things as God sees them and put aside how man sees things.  It is for man's good that man obey God.  God gives us the law to see sin for what sin is.  Sin is destruction to our lives.  Life is a precious gift from God and sin takes away what sweetness life has to offer.  Sin is death.  Submit to God and live by the blood of Jesus and the Spirit of Truth will show you life.  Open your bibles to . . . 

1 Thessalonians 4:3-8; For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you.  For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.  So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you. 

Honestly, I do not understand homosexuality.  At this time, a big scandal is brewing about a retired college coach who worked with a foster home.  This esteemed college coach used his status to victimize innocent boys between the ages of ten and fourteen.  The eye witness accounts of this man sexually assaulting these small kids is just too much evil for me to understand.  My heart breaks for these boys and my anger burns against this monster.  And then I ask myself, how did this monster get started?  Was he abused?  Was he an innocent child who was led into perversion by another monster?  God hates sin, but loves the sinner.  God will judge the sinner and comfort the broken hearted.  When I see or hear of a homosexual, I always wonder if he was abused as an innocent child and introduced into perversion at the innocent age of ten or eleven.  What a terrible crime to rob a child of their innocence.  This terrible crime not only could destroy this child's life, but countless generations if the cycle of perversion continues.  Sin is so ugly and so destructive.  Hate the sin, not the sinner.  This type of love is the hardest thing in ministry and in any Christian walk. 

If you are struggling with homosexuality or have desires for children, please seek qualifed professional counseling immediately.  Stop the cycle now.

Matthew 18:3-6; and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Matthew 15:18-20; "But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.  "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.  These are the things which defile the man...

Job 31:9-12; If my heart has been enticed by a woman … lurked at my neighbor's door

Romans 13:13;... not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity ... 

Balaam – Revelation 2:14;  put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, … acts of immorality

Balaam – 2 Peter 2:12-16;  eyes full of adultery…enticing unstable souls…way of Balaam

Balaam – Numbers 25:1-3; Israel … at Shittim, the people began to play the harlot…Baal

Balaam – Numbers 31:15-16;  these caused the sons of Israel… trespass against the Lord

David – 2 Samuel 11:1-5, 12:9-25, 12:23;  I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.

Solomon – 1 Kings 11:1-3, 11:9-10; loved many foreign women… turned his heart away

Solomon - Deut 17:17;  Neither shall you multiply wives…lest your heart turn away 

Solomon - Nehemiah 13:23-27; nevertheless the foreign women caused even him to sin.

Samson – Judges 16:15-23 (parents 13:3, 13:6, 13:20-22); she began to afflict him… 

Esau – Genesis 28:1, 28:7-9;  Saw that the daughters of Canaan displeased his father…
 
 

Week 6: Satan; How does the bible describe him?

Video:  Step Four (series One of Three) and Step Four (series Two of Three).
Workbook: Overcomers should be complete with days 29-35.

Story: Personal testimony - I had an interesting conversation with a woman who said she could not believe in a God who would tell the nation of Israel to destroy another nation.  My response was simple.  God was using the nation of Israel to administer justice as seen in Leviticus 20:23.  The nation they were instructed to destroy was involved in multiple abominations which included embracing mediums or spiritists as well as a laundry list of other offences described in chapters 18, 19 and 20 of Leviticus.  This woman and her husband were involved in channeling spirits.  I told her God used the nation of Israel to destroy that nation for the same offense her family is guilty of.  Leviticus 20:27 says their death is on their own head.

I want you to know three things from this lesson this week; 1) Satan and his demons are real, 2) Satan is a created being just like you.  Except you and I are made in the image of the Living God.  Satan and his demons are not, and 3) Satan is under the hand of God.  God established Satan's beginning and God has determined Satan's end.  God allows Satan to operate.

Scripture References:
Matthew 4:1-11; Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. In this first verse notice that Jesus was led by the Spirit.  God is directing this tempation and using the devil like I use a wash cloth.  I use a wash cloth to scrub down and get clean.  This tempation is like a trip to the spa for Jesus so he can spiritually exfoliate.  Do not get confused and think the devil is anything that you need to worry about in this life.  You focus on your walk with God and let God keep the devil in place.
(2) And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.  (3) And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."  (4) Be He answered and said, It is written, 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.'"  Ok, where is that piece of scripture written?  If Jesus is going to quote from this section of the Bible, maybe we should really know this part of the Bible really well. 
(5) Then the devil took Him into the holy city; and he had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, (6) and said to him, "If You are the Son of God throw Yourself down; for it is written, 'He will give His Angels charge concerning You'; and 'On their hands they will bear You up, lest You strike Your foot against a stone.'"  (7) Jesus said to him, "On the other hand, it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" The devil quotes scripture.  What?  Nobody said the devil knew scripture. Do you know scripture?  Can you defend yourself against religious groups that have bad doctrine by using scripture properly?  The devil quoted from Psalm 91.  Did he get it right or did he twist scripture?  Cults will twist scripture to make it say what they want you to hear.  You must know your Word and your Saviour as if your life depended upon it.  Kinda does. :)
(8) Again the devil took Him to a very high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory; (9) and he said to Him, "All these things will I give You, if You fall down and worship me."  (10) Then Jesus said to him, "Begone, Satan!  For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.'"  (11) Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him. Did Jesus correct the devil when he said he could give Jesus all the kingdoms of the world?  No, and other parts of scripture support this concept that the world is given over to Satan.  But do not think that this world is like Luke Skywalker fighting Darth Vader (that is a reference from the movie Star Wars if you are the one person on earth who did not see the film).  God allows this shift in power for a time, for a season.  But why?  The answer is simple...for God's glory.  Think of life as if you are traveling down a street and come to a cross road.  The left path is the way of the world and the right path is God's way.  This cross road can be a decision about sex, drugs, relationships, etc.  This decision will either glorify God based upon your relationship with Him in response to His Word or not.  If you choose the the right path, then God is glorified.  If you choose to go your own way, then that is this world.  God's Word is a road map of life given to mankind for His glory.

In the temptation of Jesus, Jesus quotes Deut 8:3, Deut 6:16 and Deut 6:13.  Early in my christian walk, I thought that if Jesus is going to quote this part of scripture, then I should read and know it very well for when I get tempted.  After I read it, I was convicted in another area and God blessed me in a way I did not see coming.  In Deuteronomy 6:1-2, 6:7, and 6:20, God commands me to teach my children.  So I started teaching a few minutes each day.  Me and my boys just started reading and discussing scripture.  I must prepare for what we will discuss each day, so I spend about ten minutes in preparation for the lesson.  And it is in that time of preparation that God used to bless me.  He opened my mind to understand His Word.  If you seek Him, He will let you find Him.  That is a promise from God in His Word to mankind.

Genesis 3:1; Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made...  The serpent was made.  He is a created being just like you.  You are a created being except you are made in God's image.  The serpent is not made in God's image.  You are.  Let that sink in for a while.  God did not save you because you are such a great guy.  No, God saved you because you are made in His image and that makes you worth saving.  Hell was made for the devil, not for you.  Man just goes if man does not choose God.  Choose God and live life...forever.

John 18: 36-37;  Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world.  If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm."  (37) Pilate therefore said to Him, "So You are a king?"  Jesus answereed, "You say correctly that I am a king.  For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." This world is not the real deal.  It is like basic training in the regular Army.  You go into boot camp and see the devil face to face.  Then you graduate and enter into the regular Army which is like a normal 9-5 job and nothing like the torture of basic training. 

Hebrews 2:14-15;  through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is the devil; and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject

Ezekiel 28;  verses 1-10 the leader of Tyre (man); verses 11-19 discusses the king of Tyre (Satan);  perfection…wisdom…beauty…you were in Eden, the garden of God… created

Isaiah 14:12-15;  How you have fallen heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn…

Zechariah 3:1-2;  Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him

Luke 22:31-32;  Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat

Daniel 10:10-13; ...the prince of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days;

Deut 32:15-18 (17);  They sacrificed to demons …To gods whom they have not known

Leviticus 17:7;  they shall no longer sacrifice their sacrifices to the goat demons… harlot

1 Corinthians 10:20;  … the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God.

2 Thessolians 2:3-4;  man of lawlwssness…son of destruction…displaying himself…

2 Corinthians 11:13-15;  false apostles…even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

Revelation 2:9-10;  say they are Jews…, but synagogue of Satan… the devil is about to …

Revelation 2:13;  I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is…

Revelation 2:24;  who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them

Revelation 3:9;  I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews

Moses -> Balaam -> Baal; Numbers  31: 15-16 & Numbers 25:1-3 

Elijah -> Baal -> 1 Kings 18:40
 
 

Week 7: Repent; The first step toward true salvation.  Submit to God.

Video:  Step Four (series Three of Three) and Step Five (series One of One).
Workbook:  Overcomers should be complete with days 36-42.

Story: Godfather introduction – Play the first seven minutes of this famous movie and see how a man submits to the godfather.  He calls him by his name, offers friendship, and submits to his authority.  This is just a thug, but how much more we, as men, should go to our Creator calling Him by His name (Father, Jesus, Spirit, Immanuel, Savior, Lamb of God, Adoni, Prince of Peace, Almighty God, etc.).  We should make peace with God now and submit to His authority in our life.

Think about life and death like this;  Before Adam sinned, the door to life was wide open with God.  The Lord actually walked in the garden with man.  After Adam sinned the door to life was closed.  Satan had a lock on death.  Satan received authority to close the door to life by man's disobedience.  Jesus is the key that opens that door.  He, and only He, can unlock the door between life and death.  The Holy Spirit turns the key and pushes the door open.  You have a choice of submitting to God.  You have a choice to walk through the door to life or remain in your sin and stay in death.  You were born with a death sentence because of your bloodline.  We, as mankind, are born condemned to death and judgment.
Not much of a choice if you ask me. 
Choose life.  Choose Jesus.

What is the difference between the angel Gabriel and the angel Satan?  Satan is not submitted to God.
What is the difference between a saved man and lost man?  The saved man is submitted to Jesus.
What is the difference between a false prophet and a true believer?  Submission to God.

Scripture References: 
Isaiah 66:22-24; "For just as the new heavens and the new earth which I make will endure before Me," declares the LORD, "So your offspring and your name will endure.  "And it shall be from new moon to new moon and from sabbath to sabbath, all mankind will come to bow down before Me," says the LORD.  "Then they will go forth and look on the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me.  For their worm will not die and their fire will not be quenched; and they will be an abhorrence to all mankind." 

God loves Israel.  God loves you and me.  The greatest commands are to love God and man.  Man is born in a severed relationship to God.  God provided a solution to this division in the name of Jesus.  God does not want any man to die, but if man does not repent and walk with God, then that man has selected his own punishment.  Open your bibles to . . .

Ezekiel 18:4-9; "Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine.  The soul who sins will die.  "But if a man is righteous and practices justice and righteousness, and does not eat at the mountain shrines or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor's wife or approach a woman during her menstrual period-- if a man does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing, if he does not lend money on interest or take increase, if he keeps his hand from iniquity and executes true justice between man and man, if he walks in My statutes and My ordinances so as to deal faithfully--he is righteous and will surely live," declares the Lord GOD. 

Ezekiel 18:31-32; "Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit!  For why will you die, O house of Israel?  "For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the Lord GOD. "Therefore, repent and live." 

Our souls are Gods.  Each and every person has worth just based upon the fact that we are made in His image.  That is what separates man from all creation.  Animals are not made in the image of God.  The angels are not made in the image of God.  You are made in the image of the Living God.  Man disobeyed God to create this division between God and mankind.  It was not God who brought death into this world.  It was man.  Man disobeyed and God allowed Satan to take control of this world and God allowed death to rule over mankind.  Why?  For His glory.  For the greater good.  For your greater good because now you can be accepted as the adopted sons of the Living God.  Before the fall, man was a little lower than the angels.  After a man repents and turns to God through the blood He has provided in Jesus for our sacrifice, then we get moved from a creation to His children.  What do you call the child of the King?  You call him Prince or you call her Princess.  You were not born with that title, but God bestows it to His children based upon your adoption as His child.  Repent and live.  Open your bibles to . . .

John 5:24; "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.  Did you hear that?  Jesus just said that without Him, you have a ticket for death and judgment.  To pass out of something means you are in something.  All men are condemned to death and judgment.  Remember John 14:6?  Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.  Jesus is making it very clear.  Death reigns without Him and life is with Him.  It is like when Jesus says He is the light of the world.  Man can measure light.  We refer to it as candles.  Darkness can not be measured.  Darkness is the absence of light.  Jesus is the light of the world.  This world without Jesus is darkness.

Why are all men condemned to death and judgment?  Open your bibles to . . .
Romans 5:12; Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned . . .

Romans 5:19; For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.
Paul makes it very clear that death came from the disobedience of man.  Who was the one man that brought death?  That's right, Adam in the garden.  So if a family member dies or suffers from a disease, do not get mad at God.  Get mad at man.  We need to thank God for Jesus; His salvation; His redemption; His sacrifice; His love for us.  Remember John 3:16?  Who was the obedient One from verse 19?  That's right, Jesus.  We do not approach God like we are applying for a job.  You do not show Him your resume of good works trying to show Him your righteousness.  Jesus is our righteousness.

Revelations 1:17-18;  When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man And He placed His right hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, andI have the keys of death and of Hades.  Read all of Revelations 1:17-3:22 where Jesus commands his churches and notice what Jesus says about repentance in verses 2;5, 2;16, 2;21-22, 3;2-3, and 3;19.

What is repentance?  First, you must know you are lost before you know that you need to be found.  Repentance is recognizing that you are a sinner and turning from your natural desires and seek God and His righteousness.

How do we repent?  Some describe 'how to repent' as following a list of commands.  Think of 'how to repent' from a totally different direction.  Instead of looking at it from man's perspective, look at 'how to repent' from God's perspective.  As an example, I know the command not to commit adultery.  Man naturally thinks about the physical act, but Jesus said if you look at a woman with lust you have committed adultery in your heart.  I need to look at the woman from God's perspective not from my perspective.  Woman is made in His image which is spirit just like a man.  My natural way of looking at a woman is from the outside shell, but God looks at the inside.  That is what I need to train myself to do.  See a woman as made in His image and not from the outside shell.

Why do we repent?  You might as well ask why does God allow evil in this world because they both have the same answer; God's glory.  When we respond to God, He is glorified.  If my natural tendency is to look at the outside shell of a woman, but I train myself to look at a woman as made in the image of God based upon my relationship with Jesus, then God is glorified.  I have turned from my natural desire to God's desire.  Think of life like this; as you walk down the path of life, you will come upon forks in the road.  My natural desire is to go left, but the Word of God says I should go right.  If I change my natural path toward going left and respond to God for a right turn, then I have allowed God to mold how I walk.  When we repent, we glorify God by turning away from our natural tendencies and follow Jesus into righteousness.

Repentance is not a new testament regulation.  It was the same in the old testament.  John the Baptist closed the old covenant preaching repentance.  Matthew 3:2; “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  Jesus opened the new covenant preaching repentance.  Matthew 4:17; From that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." 

Here are a couple old testament passages preaching repentance;
Jeremiah 25:4-6; "And the LORD has sent to you all His servants the prophets again and again, but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear, saying, 'Turn now everyone from his evil way and from the evil of your deeds, and dwell on the land which the LORD has given to you and your forefathers forever and ever; and do not go after other gods to serve them and to worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands, and I will do you no harm.' 

Psalm 32:5; I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD"; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah. 

1 John 1:9; If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

After Peter preached as the Holy Spirit guided his message, the people asked him about salvation. Acts 2:37-38; Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?"  Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

After a lame beggar was healed, Peter preached his second sermon and tells the people about Jesus the Holy and Righteous One from God.  Peter made the following statement asking the people to take action regarding their faith. Acts 3:19; Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that the times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;

John 3:3; Jesus ... unless one is born again, he can not see the kingdom of God.

Matthew 10:39; ...he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it. (Mark 8:35, Luke 9:24 & John 12:25)

Numbers 21:6-9;  Lord sent fiery serpents among the people...we have sinned...intercede with the Lord...he lived.

John 3:14;  (Jesus) "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;...

Luke 24:45; Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.

Daniel 4:27;  break away now from your sins by doing righteousness, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor,...

1 Corinthians 6:9-11;...unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?  ...you, but you were washed...santified...justified...Jesus 

Psalm 25:4-14 (14); Make me know Thy ways, O Lord; Teach me Thy paths...He instructs sinners in the way...secret of the Lord 
 
 

Week 8: Kingdom; Jesus puts an end to death and brings life.

Video:  Step Six (series One of Two) and Step Six (series Two of Two).
Workbook:  Overcomers should be complete with days 43-49.

Story: Matthew 13:11; Jesus answered them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 

Personal Testimony – I remember when I saw my testimony in the following parable. Listen carefully and I bet you can hear your testimony. 
Matthew 13:18-23; "Hear then the parable of the sower.  "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.  (How many people do you know who just can not understand the Word.)  "The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. (This was me as a very young believer.  I remember that I wanted to save the world.  Today I realize that I can not even save myself, but I know Him who does save; Jesus.  I just need to point people to Him.) "And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.  (I look back on my life as an adult believer in my 30's and I get mad at myself.  When I see people doing what I was doing, I call them 'time-clock' Christians.  They punch the time card each Sunday to make sure that the salvation insurance plan is in full force and live the rest of life as if God does not exist.)  "And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty." 

You must be submitted to God to hear and understand His Word.  In my early walk I did not hear or understand the Word because I was not submitted.  When the light did start to come on, I was not rooted in the Word and fell into temptation.  As I got older, I studied the Word more and started understanding more, but again I was not fully submitted and I approached God as a 'Get Out of Jail Free' card.  The cares of life took priority over my relationship to God and I was not fruitful.  It took several years and God is still dealing with my wicked heart and mind, but He is now allowing me to become fruitful in His work and He made life very sweet.  Thank you Jesus!

Do you remember the parable we started this course with?  Luke 13:6-9; And He (Jesus) began telling this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it, and did not find any.  "And he said to the vineyard-keeper, 'Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any.  Cut it down!  Why does it even use up the ground?'  "And he answered and said to him, 'Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer;  and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but it not, cut it down.

Scripture References:
John 18: 36-37; Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world.  If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm." 
(37) Therefore Pilate said to Him, "So You are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say correctly that I am a king For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." 

The birth, death and resurrection of Jesus it the focal point of all history!  All the old testament looks forward to it and all Christians look back at it.  Jesus came to establish a kingdom.  What is He talking about?   What kingdom?  The Jews handed Jesus over because they thought it was suppose to be an earthly kingdom and He did not deliver the way the Jewish leadership wanted.  They did not understand that the kingdom of God prophesied in the old testament is not of this realm.  They wanted the Romans kicked out and the nation re-established as in the days of David and Solomon.

Remember what John the Baptist preached. Matthew 3:2; “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Jesus preached. Matthew 4:17; From that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." 

When Jesus sent out the twelve to the Nation of Israel, He told them...  Matthew 10:5-7; These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: "Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  "And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' 

In Matthew 15:7-28 we see Jesus call the Pharisees hypocrites and He moves the ministry out from Israel and opens it the outside world;
Matthew 15:21-28; Jesus went away from there, and withdrew into the district of Tyre and Sidon.  And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed."  But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, "Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us."  But He answered and said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."  But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"  And He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."  But she said, "Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."  Then Jesus said to her, "O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed at once. 

Why did she call Jesus the Son of David?  Why not call Him the Son of Abraham, Isaac or Jacob?  Because the kingdom was promised to David which I will show you in a few verses. 

Notice that Jesus is in Tyre and Sidon.  This area was Gentile territory and not part of Israel.  This story shows that the nation of Israel has been rejected and this marks the transition of Jesus' ministry to the outside world. 

Soon after these events Jesus sent out the seventy to the world. 
Luke 10:1-11; (1) Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. 
(8) Whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat what is set before you; 
(9) and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'

In 1 Chronicles 17: 1-14 we see the story of David wanting to build a proper covering for the ark of the covenant.  In the last sentence of verse ten, God tells David He will build a house for him.  Last sentence in 10-14; Moreover, I tell you that the LORD will build a house for you. "When your days are fulfilled that you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up one of your descendants after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom.   "He shall build for Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever.  "I will be his father and he shall be My son; and I will not take My lovingkindness away from him, as I took it from him who was before you.  "But I will settle him in My house and in My kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever."'" 

David misunderstood and initially thought God was talking about Solomon, but in his last words David understands God's plans.  Take a look at verse five of 2 Samuel 23:1-5; Truly is not my house so with God?  For He has made an everlasting covenant with me, Ordered in all things, and secured; For all my salvation and all my desire, Will He not indeed make it grow? 

David wrote the following Psalm about the covenant God made with him. 
Psalm 89:34-37;  "My covenant I will not violate, Nor will I alter the utterance of My lips.  "Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David. "His descendants shall endure forever And his throne as the sun before Me.  "It shall be established forever like the moon, And the witness in the sky is faithful." Selah. 

You see from above that the kingdom was promised to David, the Messiah was promised to Abraham (Genesis 22:18; "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.") and the Prophet was promised to Moses (The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him.). 

Abraham, Moses and David are sure the heavy weights in the old testament, but God also spoke about His kingdom and His Messiah using other prophets.  Look at the following passages from Daniel and Isaiah.

Daniel 2:44-45; "In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.  "Inasmuch as you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold, the great God has made known to the king what will take place in the future; so the dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy." 
This was when Daniel told King Nebuchadnezzar the dream he had and the interpretation.  God was telling mankind when the Messiah was going to come to the earth.  It was during the reign of the forth kingdom in the dream.  The stone cut from the mountain without hands is Jesus.  Jesus is the Rock of our salvation.

Daniel 7:27; Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.'

Isaiah 25:6-12; (8) He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken. (9) And it will be said in that day, "Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us.  This is the LORD for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation." 

When Adam disobeyed God, death entered our world.  Jesus defeated death for us.
Acts 2:24; "But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. 

Isaiah 55:1-5;  (3) Incline your ear and come to Me.  Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies shown to David. 

Trivia; How many days was Jesus on the earth after He raised from the dead? 

Acts 1:1-3; The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen.  To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. 

Trivia; who has more scripture written to him than anyone else in the bible?  Luke wrote the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts to his friend Theophilus.  Have you ever wondered what could turn disciples from scared men hiding behind locked doors into brave servants willing to go to their death for Jesus?  It had to be a combination of Jesus teaching them forty days about the kingdom of God and the disciples receiving the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 5:17-20;  Law or the Prophets… fulfill… until all is accomplished…scribes… 

Matthew 8:11-12; ... many shall come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham

Testing; Exodus 15:25-26; ...there He tested them & Exodus 16:4; whether or not they will walk...
John 6:26-69 (53)(66); ...eat the flesh ...drink His blood ...as a result many of His disciples withdrew... 

Matthew 23:23;  Woe to you, scribes… justice, and mercy, and faithfulness…neglecting

Matthew 24:14;   And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world

Luke 17:21;  not coming with signs… For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.

2 Peter 1:1-11 (3) (11); ... His divine power has granted to us everything pretaining to life ... 

Matthew 5:3;   Blessed are the poor in spirit (The first step to blessedness is the realization of one's spiritual helplessness) for theirs in the kingdom of heaven.

Luke 1:30-33; Son of the Most High…throne of…David…kingdom will have no end

Acts 2:29-36;  David…resurrection of the Christ…Jesus God raised up again…witnesses.

Matthew 22:41-46; "Then how does David in the spirit call Him 'Lord', saying..."

Romans 1:1-7 (3);  gospel of God…His Son…descendant of David according to the flesh

Romans 14:16-19; ...kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit...

Matthew 8:5-13; Capernaum, a centurion...great faith...east and west shall recline with Abraham...in the kingdom...but the sons...

Additional references: 
Matthew 4:23, 9:35, 10:1, 10:5-8, 11:11, 13:all and 16:28
Mark 1:14-15, 9:1, 4:11, 4:26, 4:30, and 12:28-34
Luke 9:1-6, 9:59-62, 16;16, and 17:20-21
John 3:3, 3:6, 3:5-8, 8:23-24, and 18:36
Acts 1:3, 8:12, 19:8, 28:23, and 28:31
I Peter 2:4-10;  living stone...corner stone...rock of offense...
Revelation 1:6, 5:10, 20:6, and 22:16 
Jeremiah 25:5
 
 

Week 9: Spirit of God; New testament (NT) believers access to God.

Video:  Step Seven (series One of Two) and Step Seven (series Two of Two).
Workbook:  Overcomers should be complete with days 50-56.

Story 1:  Philippians 2:5-16; Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.  Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.  Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. 

Story 2: 2 Chronicles 20:14-25; Then in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite of the sons of Asaph; and he said, "Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the LORD to you, 'Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God's.  'Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley in front of the wilderness of Jeruel.  'You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem 'Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the LORD is with you."  Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD.  The Levites, from the sons of the Kohathites and of the sons of the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel, with a very loud voice. 

(20-25); They rose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa; and when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, put your trust in the LORD your God and you will be established. Put your trust in His prophets and succeed."  When he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who sang to the LORD and those who praised Him in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, "Give thanks to the LORD, for His lovingkindness is everlasting."  When they began singing and praising, the LORD set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were routed.  For the sons of Ammon and Moab rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir destroying them completely; and when they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.  When Judah came to the lookout of the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude, and behold, they were corpses lying on the ground, and no one had escaped.  When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, they found much among them, including goods, garments and valuable things which they took for themselves, more than they could carry. And they were three days taking the spoil because there was so much. 

Scripture References:
We like to think that we know God, but when it comes to the Holy Spirit most of us are lost.  Jesus tells us in scripture that the Holy Spirit gives life.  Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as another Helper.  God gives us plenty of names for Him in scripture to describe his many attributes, but the Spirit is the Spirit.  Jesus is known as Immanuel, Messiah (Christ), Redeemer, etc.  The Holy Spirit is God like Jesus is God and the Father is God, but who He is, . . . well He is a bit of a mystery to man.  Think of the Holy Spirit like this . . . you are a sail boat.  When you are in the Word, it raises your sails and makes you ready for God's work.  The Holy Spirit blows your sails and allows you to get involved in God's work.  If your sails (your time in the Word) are not up or ready, then the wind (the Spirit) can not catch your sails and use you for God's glory.  We can not direct the wind.  It blows when it wants.  Our job is to be ready when it does blow. 

In scripture we see the Spirit at work from the very start of creation.  Let's see what God told us about Himself.  Open your bibles to . . . 

Genesis 1:2; The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.

1 Samuel 10:6; "Then the Spirit of the LORD will come upon you mightily, and you shall prophesy with them and be changed into another man. 

1 Samuel 10:9-10; Then it happened when he turned his back to leave Samuel, God changed his heart; and all those signs came about on that day.  When they came to the hill there, behold, a group of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him mightily, so that he prophesied among them. 

The passage in 1 Samuel is a critical time in the history of Israel.  The people wanted a king and they are rejecting Samuel as the last judge.  In 1 Samuel 8:7, God describes this rejection of Samuel as a rejection of Him (God) as their king.  We need to understand that God will give us what we want. 

Think about that for a minute.  God will give you what you want.  If you want sin in this life, then God will let you have your fill of sin even if it destroys your life.  If you want life, God will open your eyes to real life.  We must submit to God each day as our King.  Our battle is within our own flesh.  Remember what we studdied in lesson three about the depravity of man.  Our battle is inside your heart.  In reading this story of Samuel annointing Saul as king (and later David), I learned a very important lesson about God.  This not Luke Skywalker fighting Darth Vader for control of the universe.  God is in total control of all things.  We must submit.  We must obey.  We must repent.  Open your bibles to . . .

1 Samuel 15:22-23; Samuel said, "Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD?  Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.  "For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordinationis as iniquity and idolatry.  Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king." 

1 Samuel 16:13-15; Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah.  Now the Spirit of the LORDdeparted from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD terrorized him.  Saul's servants then said to him, "Behold now, an evil spirit from God is terrorizing you. 

Isaiah 63:9-14;  In all their affliction He was afflicted,
         And the angel of His presence saved them;
      In His love and in His mercy He redeemed them,
         And He lifted them and carried them all the days of old. 
      10 But they rebelled
         And grieved His Holy Spirit;
      Therefore He turned Himself to become their enemy,
      He fought against them.
      11 Then His people remembered the days of old, of Moses 
         Where is He who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of His flock?
         Where is He who put His Holy Spirit in the midst of them, 
      12 Who caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses,
         Who divided the waters before them to make for Himself an everlasting name, 
      13 Who led them through the depths?
         Like the horse in the wilderness, they did not stumble; 
      14 As the cattle which go down into the valley,
      The Spirit of the LORD gave them rest
        So You led Your people,
      To make for Yourself a glorious name.

Deuteronomy 29:3-5; the great trials which your eyes have seen, those great signs and wonders.  "Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to know, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear.  "I have led you forty years in the wilderness; your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandal has not worn out on your foot. 

John 6:63; "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. 

John 14:16-17; "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. 

John 16:5-15; "But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, 'Where are You going?'  "But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.  "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.  "And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.  "I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.  "He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.  "All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you. 

I hope from the verses above that you can see some of the form and function of the Spirit of our Living God.  The tabernacle is where God put His Holy Spirit to be in the midst of His people.  Sounds like a new testament statement to say the Holy Spirit is in the midst of God's people.  Next week we will discuss the tabernacle, but remember this; the tabernacle is a shadow, copy and pattern of heavenly things.  The more years I live as a Christian, the more I see just how unworthy I am of God's grace and how, in the ignorance of my youth, I thought I was a pretty good guy.  I thought I was good enough to be God's child on my own merit.  As the years pass by, I thank God more and more for His gift of salvation through Jesus.  I thank God more and more for His Spirit opening my eyes to the reality of life and the truth of His Word.  When I read the bible, I see my reflection in the disobedience of the nation of Israel as I remember my disobedience.  I feel the tugs of self righteousness as I read of God's people wanting a king like the rest of the other nations and He gave them Saul.  We think we know what we want in this world, but we are selfish.  God tells us that we are to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.  That is enough to keep us busy for two life times if we are really serious about our relationship with God.  Open your bibles . . .

Galatians 5:16-18; But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.  For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 

1 Samuel 19:20-24; Then Saul sent messengers to take David, but when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing and presiding over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul; and they also prophesied.  When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. So Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied.  Then he himself went to Ramah and came as far as the large well that is in Secu; and he asked and said, "Where are Samuel and David?" And someone said, "Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah."  He proceeded there to Naioth in Ramah; and the Spirit of God came upon him also, so that he went along prophesying continually until he came to Naioth in Ramah. He also stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?" 

I love the section of scripture in 1 Samuel 19 about Saul sending his servants to get David.  It is like the Spirit of the Lord had a zone or a room and when anyone entered the Spirit zone, they could not act like themselves.  When Saul was first anointed as king in 1 Samuel 10:6 it said that Saul would be changed into another man.  The Spirit of God is life.  We are to walk with God and walk by the Spirit and be a new creation.  That means that we must submit each day from our natural desires and follow God.  Open your bibles . . .

Romans 8:3-17; For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.  For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 

(9-17); However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.  But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.  If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.  But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.  So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh-- for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.  For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.  For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"  The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. 

Luke 24:45; Then He (Jesus) opened their minds to understand the Scriptures...

Acts 1:5; you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit...

Hebrews 12:9; ...shall we not much more be subject ot the Father of spirits and live?...

Numbers 16:22; ...Thou God of the spirits of all flesh,...

Acts 2; tongues... filled with the Holy Spirit... hearing... we each hear... we hear...

Isaiah 11:1-4;  Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him,... wisdom...counsel ...fear of the Lord

Galatians 5:22;  Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness...

Galatians 6:7-8; God is not mocked...sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.

1 Corinthians 2:10-16; For to us God revealed them through the Spirit... natural man...

1 Corinthians 6:16-20 (19); ...joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him...temple of the Holy Spirit...

1 Corinthians 12:13; For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body...

Hebrews 2:4; God bearing witness...signs and wonders...miracles...gifts of the Holy Spirit

John 3:2;  Rabbi, we know that You have come from God...signs that You do unless God is with him.

Acts 4:8-12 HS => gospel - Peter; & 4:31 & 8:14 & 10:44 & 11:15-16 & 20:23 & 20:28 & 21:11

Genesis 1:26-27; Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;
 
 

Week 10: Tabernacle; How old testament (OT) men approach God.

Video:  Step Eight (series One of One) and Step Nine (series One of Three).
Workbook:  Overcomers should be complete with days 57-63.

Story:  Personal testimony - I was on a business trip to LA from DFW which is about a three-four hour flight.  As I am waiting to board, I notice a Jewish Rabbi with the black hat, the four tassels, the curls of hair, the unshaved beard...this guy was as close to orthodox as they get. 

I prayed to God and asked if He wanted me to talk to this man about Jesus, that God would need to provide the way.  This plane seated several hundred people.  I got seated right beside the Jewish Rabbi.  I was intimidated.  I did not say a word for the first hour while the Rabbi was reading his old worn out copy of the Torah and rocking back and forth in his seat praying during the flight. 

I had brought along a book about the feasts and it had the Lampstand on the cover.  During that time in my spiritual life I was trying to understand the feasts.  The Rabbi noticed the book and asked about it.  I explained that I was a Christian gentile, but my wife's great grand parents were Russian Jewish immigrants.  Each morning when I am home, I instruct my boys about the Word of God.  I wanted to better describe what the feasts meant.  We had been studying about the tabernacle and we were now getting into the feasts.

This interested the Rabbi since my boys had a Jewish bloodline from their mother.  I asked the Rabbi why they did not sacrifice anymore?  The Torah commands Israel to sacrifice in the morning, in the evening, each week, each month, etc.  He said the temple was destroyed so they can not sacrifice.  Then he told me a story about a childhood friend he grew up with.  His friend was raised a Christian, but later in life renounced his faith in Jesus, moved to Israel, married a Jewish woman and converted to Judaism.  He asked "What would you do if your boys did that?"

Without even thinking, I drew the tabernacle on a piece of paper showing the alter, the water lavern, and the Holy Place divided in two rooms.  I explained that Jesus saves, my job is just to instruct and love my boys.  They must seek God on their own.  Then I went on to describe what his friend did; 

Your friend rejected the Lamb of God given for the sins of all mankind. (I pointed to the Alter.  Jesus was crucified on Passover Day as the "Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world".  John 1:29) 

He rejected his baptism for the remission of his own personal sins.  (I pointed to the Lavern where the priest was required to wash before he could enter the Tabernacle Holy Place.)

He thinks he can walk into the Holy Place of God on his own righteousness.  (I pointed to the first half of the Tabernacle where only the Levites were allowed to enter for God's service.  This is where the Lampstand and Showbread were located.  Jesus said I am the light of the world and bread of life.) 

He thinks he can walk into the Holy of Holies, into God's presence, beyond the veil on his own righteousness.  Not me, I walk behind Jesus and His righteousness.  (I pointed to the back half of the Tabernacle where no one was allowed except the High Priest and that was just once a year on Yon Kippur when the High Priest would offer blood sacrifice of atonement on behalf of the people).

I could not believe what had just come out of my mouth.  Wow, that really sounded good.  I wish I was that smart, but it was the Spirit of God.  So, I just thanked God and went back to reading my book.  The Rabbi looked like he had just got hit between the eyes with a BB gun.  He was speechless.  So was I.  He just sat back and started making small talk with the man sitting on his left.  We did not have anything else to say.  I have always wondered if that man came to know Christ. 

Today, we will be discussing one of my favorite subjects in this discipleship program.  The tabernacle continues to teach me month after month and year after year different lessons about God.  The bible has over fifty chapters that discuss the tabernacle.  The references in the bible about the objects associated with the tabernacle go from Genesis to Revelation.  The key to understanding the tabernacle is that it is a shadow, copy and pattern of heavenly things.  At this point in class I like to walk over to the marker board, place my hand on the surface of the markerboard and proceed to make an outline of my hand.  When I remove my hand from the markerboard, I ask the class "What is that?".  The answer always comes back 'Your hand'.  No, that is a shadow, copy and pattern of my hand just like the tabernacle is a shadow, copy and pattern of heavenly things.  One verse always sticks in my mind as I teach and study the tabernacle; work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

Philippians 2:12; So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;
 

Scripture References:
Altar - If you were to go to the tabernacle, you would notice that it only had one entrance.  As you entered the court, the fire step toward God is the altar.  Blood must be submitted for atonement.  Why blood?  Atonement for what?  Why sacrifice?  This is a God thing and beyond my understanding, but I always find it amazing all the pagan cultures throughout history that have religious groups making blood sacrifices for atonement.  It is like human beings just know that blood is needed for atonement.  It is also amazing how many passages we have in our bible showing God answering man with fire from heaven.  Remember Moses saw the Lord in the burning bush.  The nation saw God on Mount Sinai with fire and smoke covered the mountain.

1 Chronicles 21:26; Then David built an altar to the LORD there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. And he called to the LORD and He answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. 

2 Chronicles 7:1; Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the house. 

1 Kings 18: 37-40; Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again."  Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.  When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God."  Then Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape." So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. 

When God calls something Holy, it is Holy unto the Lord.  Judgment awaits those who challenge His authority.  My mom would wear a belt around her neck when me and my brothers were misbehaving as a reminder that if we got out of line, judgment was at her hand.  If you do not remember the story of Korah's rebellion, take some time to review Numbers 16.  Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

Numbers 16:36-40; Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Say to Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, that he shall take up the censers out of the midst of the blaze, for they are holy; and you scatter the burning coals abroad.  "As for the censers of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, let them be made into hammered sheets for a plating of the altar, since they did present them before the LORD and they are holy; and they shall be for a sign to the sons of Israel."  So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers which the men who were burned had offered, and they hammered them out as a plating for the altar, as a reminder to the sons of Israel that no layman who is not of the descendants of Aaron should come near to burn incense before the LORD; so that he will not become like Korah and his company--just as the LORD had spoken to him through Moses. 
 

Sacrifice – What goes on the altar is critical.  God had different types of offerings for different reasons, different sacrifices for different circumstances and different times to celebrate different events.  God has a plan.  Man just needs to get in line with God's plan and stop trying to play God.  When you mention sacrifices, most people think about the big events like Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Feast of Weeks, Feast of Trumpets, Yom Kippur, Feast of Booths, etc.  Sacrifices were offered on those special days, but sacrifices were also offered on a daily basis.  A lamb was used as the Passover sacrifice.  A lamb was used as a sacrifice for daily atonement, redemption at birth, sin offerings, burnt offerings, guilt offerings, wave offerings, etc.  Some sacrificial lambs had to be male and some had to be female based upon the law.  God is very specific about these instructions.

John 1:29; The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 

When John the Baptist made this statement about Jesus, you did not need to explain to the Jewish audience what he was talking about.  They knew all about the lambs being sacrificed each day and the special meaning behind the lamb sacrificed on the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur.  Gentiles need it explained.  Jesus was a sin offering for you and me.  Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

Hebrews 9:13-14; For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 

Hebrews 9:22;  And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. 

Hebrews 10:10-13; By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.  Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. 

Genesis 22:7-8; Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." And he said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"  Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." So the two of them walked on together. 

When Abraham made this statement about the lamb, this was about 500-600 years before the tabernacle and the Passover Lamb was given to the nation.  Abraham understood the concept of the sacrificial Lamb of God.  Remember that in verse 13, we see that Abraham and Isaac find a ram, not a lamb, caught in the ticket to be used as their sacrifice.  God will provide Himself a Lamb which came in the form of Jesus about 2,000 years later.  We live about 2,000 years from the time of Jesus or about 4,000 years after Abraham. 
 

Lavern –  After your sacrifice is given on the alter, the priest would wash in the Lavern prior to him proceeding into the Holy Place.  Studying the Lavern helped me understand baptism.  Baptism is an outward symbol just like a wedding ring is a symbol for marriage.  You can take the wedding ring off your finger, but that does not end your marriage.  You can look at the water and washing in variety of ways.  When Jesus was on the cross blood and water proceeded from his side.  Jesus said He provided man with living water.  Living water is considered to be a running stream.  Jesus said you must be born of water and Spirit to enter His kingdom.  Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

Matthew 3:14-15; But John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?"  But Jesus answering said to him, "Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he permitted Him. 

John 19:33-34; but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.  But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.

John 7:37-38; Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.  "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'"

John 4:10; Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." 

John 3:5-6; Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 

Hebrews 10:19-22; Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 

Matthew 3:13-16; Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him.  But John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?"  But Jesus answering said to him, "Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he permitted Him.  After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased." 

1 John 5:6-8; This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood.  It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.  For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 
 

Priest- We see the tribe of Levi as priests to the nation.  We see a select group of Levites from the family of Aaron who God selects as ministers to Him.  You had to be from the family of Aaron to get a chance of being a High Priest and minister in the Most Holy Place.  John the Baptist was from this line and he turned from his heritage to live in the wilderness as a voice of one crying 'make ready to way of the Lord'.  Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

Exodus 19:22; "Also let the priests who come near to the LORD consecrate themselves, or else the LORD will break out against them." 

Exodus 29:44; "I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar; I will also consecrate Aaron and his sons to minister as priests to Me.

Deuteronomy 31:9; And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests the sons of Levi, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and unto all the elders of Israel. 

Malachi 2:47; "Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, that My covenant may continue with Levi," says the LORD of hosts.  "My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of reverence; so he revered Me and stood in awe of My name.  "True instruction was in his mouth and unrighteousness was not found on his lips; he walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many back from iniquity.  "For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. 

1 Samuel 2:35; 'But I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and in My soul; and I will build him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed always. 

Hebrews 2:17; Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 

Hebrews 8:1-6; Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.  For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer.  Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law; who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, "SEE," He says, "THAT YOU MAKE all things ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN WHICH WAS SHOWN YOU ON THE MOUNTAIN."  But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises.
 

Light – We have a couple ways to view the lampstand.  First, the stand typically represents the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament.  In the New Testament, almost all references to light typically represent Jesus.  They go together.  The lamp is suppose to burn 24 hours a day and seven days a week.  Sacrifices were required by the nation each and every day.  These were suppose to be a constant reminder to the nation that they are sinners in need of the light of God.  Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

Leviticus 24:2; "Command the sons of Israel that they bring to you clear oil from beaten olives for the light, to make a lamp burn continually.

Numbers 8:2; "Speak to Aaron and say to him, 'When you mount the lamps, the seven lamps will give light in the front of the lampstand.'" 

Revelation 4:5; Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God; 

John 1:4; In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.

John 8:12; Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." 

John 12:35-36; So Jesus said to them, "For a little while longer the Light is among you Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes.  "While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light " These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them. 

John 12:46; "I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. 
 

Bread (Manna) - God allowed those He loves to go hungry that they might understand that God is our life. 

Deuteronomy 8:3; "He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD. 

John 6:32-35; Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven.  "For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world."  Then they said to Him, "Lord, always give us this bread."  Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. 

John 6:55-58; "For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.  "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.  "As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me.  "This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever." 

Needless to say, when Jesus made these statements about eating flesh and drinking blood people walked away.  What would you have done?  They could not hear just like the world is today to God's Word.  God speaks in spiritual phrases and people can not understand that language.  God must put inside you a translator to understand His spiritual language.  You only receive that translator or Holy Spirit when you submit to Him.  Remember, Jesus had thousands and thousands of people following Him and scripture tells us that He was healed them all.  This statement just freaked the people out.  It got them out of their comfort zone.  Does Jesus have you out of your comfort zone?  Paul says we should work out our salvation with fear and trembling. 
 

Altar of Incense - The nation was required to keep the lampstand burning 24-7.  They were also required to sacrifice every day and burn this daily fragrant incense throughout the generations.  Atonement was also made with the blood of the sin offering for the High Priest to enter the Most Holy Place once a year.  Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

Exodus 30:6-10; "You shall put this altar in front of the veil that is near the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is over the ark of the testimony, where I will meet with you.  "Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; he shall burn it every morning when he trims the lamps.  "When Aaron trims the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense. There shall be perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.  "You shall not offer any strange incense on this altar, or burnt offering or meal offering; and you shall not pour out a drink offering on it.  "Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year; he shall make atonement on it with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once a year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD."
 

Veil – Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

Leviticus 16:2; The LORD said to Moses: "Tell your brother Aaron that he shall not enter at any time into the holy place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, or he will die; for I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. 

Numbers 4:5; "When the camp sets out, Aaron and his sons shall go in and they shall take down the veil of the screen and cover the ark of the testimony with it; 

Isaiah 25:6-8; The LORD of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, And refined, aged wine. And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, Even the veil which is stretched over all nations.  He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken.

Matthew 27:51; And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. 

2 Corinthians 3:14-17; But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ.  But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 

Hebrews 10:19-22; Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 
 

Ark - The ark of the testimony held the law, the staff and the manna.  On top of the ark rested the mercy seat of God.  On the mercy seat were two cherubim just like in Genesis 3:24 where God stationed cherubim at the entrance to the garden.  Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

Law – Hebrews 10:1; For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near.

Staff – John 11:25-26; Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" 

Manna - John 6:48-51; "I am the bread of life.  "Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.  "This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.  "I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh." 

Mercy Seat - Exodus 25:22; "There I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.
 

Other Passages:
1 Corinthians 3:16; Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 

Hebrews 9:8-9; The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed while the outer tabernacle is still standing, which is a symbol for the present time.  Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, 

Hebrews 10:26-31; For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES.  Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.  How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?  For we know Him who said, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY " And again, "THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE."  It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 

John 2:16-19; and to those who were selling the doves He said, "Take these things away; stop making My Father's house a place of business."  His disciples remembered that it was written, "ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME."  The Jews then said to Him, "What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?"  Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." 

John 4:23-24; "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.  "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." 
 

Personal lessons gained from my study of the tabernacle;
1) Tithing - I do not like the passing of the plates in church service for tithes.  God always wants your first fruits as a tithe.  Digging change from your pocket as a tithe offering, to me is an insult.  God only wants our first fruits which shows our trust in Him for all things.  God does not need our money.  God wants our obedience so He can bless us.  This first fruits concept goes all the way back to Cain and Able.  One gave his first fruits and the other did not.  Several times in the old testament God gets really mad at the nation because they were offering sick animals instead of first fruits.  It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God. 

2) Prayer - I do not like it when some people think it is OK to be moving around during group prayer.  If you are an unbeliever or a small child and you do not know any better, then let's extend some grace.  But what about worship leaders who want to move around during prayer?  That is just wrong and it burns me up.  A worship leader should understand that we are standing in the presence of the Living God when we pray as a body.  We are in the Most Holy Place where the High Priest was only allowed to venture once a year at the moment when we bow our heads in prayer.  Are we really so short of time that we can not wait until after prayer to move around?  My God can move the hands of time back and forth as He likes.  Be still and know GOD! 

3)  Light - I keep a black and white picture of the moon shining over a building with a light in the window on a cold winter night.  In the picture, you could almost mistake the moon for the sun just like some Christians think they are the light of the world.  Christians are not the light, but a reflection of the light.  All Christians should ask themselves; are you a full moon, half moon, quarter moon or no moon?  Jesus is the light of the world.  How are we reflecting His light to a dark world?  Something which goes hand-in-hand with this concept is when I hear Christians talking about how they need to go save people.  I can not even save myself much less save another human being, but I know who does save; Jesus.  My job is to point people toward the Savior.  The correct statement would be that Christians need to go introduce people to the Savior, not going out to save people.

How does the tabernacle differ from the temple?  The tabernacle was a tent type structure designed to be moved as the nation journeyed in the desert.  The temple was a permanent building for the nation in Jerusalem.  The overall outline of the two structures is similar, but the structures did have some differences that I think demand our attention. 

First, the tabernacle was a 'tent of meeting' where God walked among His people.  The temple was God's foot rest.  All the key elements such as the lamp stand, alter, ark, lavern, table, etc. are the same, but access is different between the tabernacle and temple.  How do you approach God as a new testament Christian?  That approach is different than how an old testament believer approached God because we not only have the redemption by Jesus, but we also have full access to the Holy Spirit who will lead us on our walk with God. 

Remember the tabernacle is how God told Moses to approach Him.  The temple is how God told David to approach Him.  The temple referenced in Hebrews and Revelations is different, but the key elements are all the same.  Jesus has always been the way and the truth and the life.  Old testament believers were looking forward to His redemption on the cross and new testament believers are looking back at His redemption.  All men must be redeemed.  The access for man's redemption is modified based upon if you lived before the cross or after the cross, but all men need redemption by His cross.  You still need blood and washing to gain access into the Holy Place to see the light and bread.  Old testamant believers still had a veil between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place until after Jesus' resurrection when it was torn in two from top to bottom. 

Exodus 25:8-9; "Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them.  "According to all that I am going to show you, as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, just so you shall construct it. 

1 Chronicles 28:2; Then King David rose to his feet and said, "Listen to me, my brethren and my people; I had intended to build a permanent home for the ark of the covenant of the LORD and for the footstool of our God. So I had made preparations to build it. 

Second, the tabernacle was constructed by the nation of Israel.  The temple was built by Gentiles under the direction of the nation.  This reminds me how Jesus moved from the nation to the world in His ministry.  Another difference is the location.  As mentioned earlier, the tabernacle was a moveable tent.  The temple was constructed on Mount Moriah.  It was built on the place were God showed mercy for David's sin.  What sits on the ark?  The mercy seat.  It is believed this is the same location where Abraham offered Isaac.  The shadows of future events can be seen in the stories from the old testament.

1 Chronicles 21:15-16; And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it; but as he was about to destroy it, the LORD saw and was sorry over the calamity, and said to the destroying angel, "It is enough; now relax your hand." And the angel of the LORD was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.  Then David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between earth and heaven, with his drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, covered with sackcloth, fell on their faces. 

2 Chronicles 3:1; Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 

Genesis 22:2; He said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you." 

The shadow, copy and pattern of the tabernacle was shown to Moses.  The shadow, copy and pattern of the temple was shown to David.  Moses was promised the Prophet.  David was promised the King.  Abraham was promised the seed who would bless the world and he was given the covenant of circumcision.  Adam and Eve were promised that her seed would bruise (crush) Satan's head.  In Revelations 12 we see a dragon trying to kill the male child and the war in heaven. 

Revelation 12:10-11; Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.  And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

Abraham gave tithes to a priest called Melchizedek who is described in Hebrews as a type of Jesus prior to being born in the form of man.  In Genesis, you can see shadows of future events.  Abraham offering his only son was a shadow of God offering Jesus.  The ark saving mankind when Noah endured the flood was a shadow of the ark saving the nation when Moses was given law.  It was the grace of God to save Noah and the grace of God to save Israel.  Joseph is rejected by his brothers and goes to the Gentiles to be a blessing which is a shadow of Jesus being rejected by the nation and going to the Gentiles to be a blessing.  Egypt was a refuge for His nation until the time God called them out.  Exodus 12:41 says the nation was brought out of Egypt on the very day of God's plan.  Is this earth a refuge for God's people until it is time for Him to call His people out again?  Are you ready?

1 Chronicles 28:19; "All this," said David, "the LORD made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, all the details of this pattern." 

Hebrews 7:1-3; For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace.  Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually.

Hebrews 8:4-6; Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law; who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, "SEE," He says, "THAT YOU MAKE all things ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN WHICH WAS SHOWN YOU ON THE MOUNTAIN."  But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. 

David had it in his heart to build a building for the ark of God, but Solomon actually constructed the facility.  Moses had it in his heart to lead the people into the promised land, but Joshua actually led the people into the promised land.  These transitions are just too obvious to ignore.  The old ways differ from the new ways.  The old ways take you to the edge, but the new ways lead you inside.  The old ways show you the physical side of man, but the new ways show man his spiritual relationship to God.  The old ways showed God moving about His people, but the new way is where God moves inside His people.  Was God trying to show the nation a transition between the tabernacle and the temple which they did not understand?  How about you?  Do you understand that you are the adopted child of the Creator of heaven and earth, the Redeemer of all mankind and that you have been purchased with His blood?  This life is just the first steps to an eternal existance with Him.  This life is just a few short breaths and then you will be in the presence of GOD.  Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.  Understand who you are in Christ and walk in this world as redeemed.

Revelation 7:15; "For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. 

Revelation 15:4-6; Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name?  For You alone are holy; For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU, FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED."  After these things I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened, and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in linen, clean and bright, and girded around their chests with golden sashes. 

Revelation 21:1-5; Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."  And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new " And He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true." 
 
 

Week 11: Law & Prophets; Were old testament (OT) people saved?  Faith.

Video:  Step Nine (series Two of Three) and Step Nine (series Three of Three).
Workbook:  Overcomers should be complete with days 64-70.

Story:  A man caught in a terrible flood climbed on top of his house to avoid the rushing water and prayed to God that he’d be saved.

A few minutes later a boat came by and offered him a ride. “No, thank you,” he said, “I trust God to rescue me.” A few minutes later a helicopter flew overhead and dropped down a rope ladder. His response was the same.  Finally, another boat came by and offered to help him, but no, he was waiting on God.

He was eventually lost in the flood, and in heaven asked God why he didn’t save him. God’s response was simple: “I tried three times, but you wouldn’t accept my help!”

This is an old story and whenever I hear it, I think of the Nation of Israel from the old testament.  Tonight we will be discussing the difference between being a professor of the faith and a possessor of the faith using people from the old testament as our examples.  When we studied the tabernacle, I asked you to keep in your mind that the tabernacle was a shadow, copy and pattern of heavenly things.  As we study this section, remember that the old testament saints were looking forward to the Messiah.  New testament saints are looking back at the Messiah.  Remember that Jesus is the seed promised to Adam, the Messiah promised to Abraham, the Prophet promised to Moses, and the King promised to David. 

Story 2: Luke 16:19-31;  "Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day.  "And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores.  "Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. 

"In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.  "And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.'  "But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony.  'And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.' 

"And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father's house-- for I have five brothers--in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'  "But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.'  "But he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!'  "But he said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.'" 
 

Scripture References: 
Were people from the old testament saved?  The Messiah had not yet come when the old testament saints died.  We look back at our atonement for our sinful nature, but what about the people who died before Jesus came?  The coming of the Messiah was the most important event in the history of the world.  Open your bibles to . . . 

Luke 9:28-36; Some eight days after these sayings, He took along Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray.  And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming.  And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 

Now Peter and his companions had been overcome with sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him.  And as these were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah"--not realizing what he was saying.

While he was saying this, a cloud formed and began to overshadow them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.  Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!"  And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.  And they kept silent, and reported to no one in those days any of the things which they had seen. 

Moses died on the mountain not being allowed to enter the promised land.  Here is Moses in the promised land a thousand and four hundred years later talking to Jesus.  Elijah was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire, but here he is eight hundred and fifty years later speaking to Jesus.  Moses and Elijah were speaking to Jesus about His departure which He was about to accomplish.  Were old testament guys saved? 

After I read this section of scripture, I had my answer.  Yes.  People from the old testament are saved by faith the same way I am saved.  We both look to God for our salvation by His Messiah except they were looking forward to the Messiah and I am looking back at Christ.  Messiah is Hebrew and Christ is Greek for the same word.  Moses was a representation of the law and Elijah was a representation of the prophets.  So what happened to them?  Jesus told the thief on the cross that today he would be with Him in paradise.  Did old testamant saints go to paradise?  I do not think so because the Messiah had not come.  Like I said, the coming of the Messiah is the focal point of all history and the most important event that has ever taken place.

Remember the story Jesus told about the rich man and the poor man named Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31.  Could that be more than just a story and maybe a hint of what really happened.  Jesus had an actual shift in his ministry when He turned from the twelve tribes and started ministering to the world.  The tabernacle had a shift when it went from a tent to a temple.  The temple had a court of gentiles and a court of women with multiple exterior entrances.  The interior content was the same but the approach was different.  The final temple from heaven will have a shift because God will be the actual temple.  So what about the story from Luke 16:19-31?  Open your bibles to . . . 

1 Peter 3:18-22;  For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.  Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you--not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience--through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him. 

What do you think happened when the people in the days of Noah saw rain for the very first time?  Rain had never fallen in the old world.  They had been watching this crazy guy build a huge boat for years and years.  Just a few days prior to all the rain, they saw animals from all over the world make their way to the big boat and go inside.  They heard the preaching of Noah for years and years and rejected the message, that is, until the rain came.  The message was beyond their understanding until judgement fell.  I think some of those people repented and died as saved saints trusting in the God of Noah, but they still died in the flood.  Open your bibles to . . . 

Luke 16:26-31;  'And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.'  "And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father's house-- for I have five brothers--in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'  "But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.'  "But he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!'  "But he said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.'" 

So what is Peter talking about when he says Christ made proclamation to the spirits now in prison?  May I suggest that old testament saints were waiting for the Messiah.  We are looking back at the Messiah, but the old testament saints were looking forward to the Day of Atonement.  Remember Moses and Elijah talked to Jesus about what He was about to accomplish.  They were looking forward to the day they get to go to paradise.  That is where Jesus told the thief on the cross that he would be with Him that very day.  Open your bibles to . . .

1 Peter 4:6; For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God. 

Peter was one of the three close friends of Jesus.  Peter was with Jesus and saw Moses and Elijah.  Maybe the story Jesus told about Lazarus and the rich man is not as much fiction as most people would like to believe.  The function of the Messiah was to prepare a way for all mankind to approach God.  That includes old testament saints and new testament saints.  The Messiah is the focal point of all history.  The Messiah was a shift in the relationship of man with God.  It is my belief that a whole bunch of old testament saints are very happy when Jesus died because they are now in paradise with Jesus.  They had been waiting until the Messiah had fulfilled His function to prepare the way.  Open your bibles to . . .

Luke 24:44-45; Now He said to them, "These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,

Jesus was not talking to some Gentile who had not been exposed to the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms, but Jewish men who would have grown up with these teachings.  They did not understand what they had been taught.  Jesus opened their minds to Him.  Jesus is the Word.  The Word became flesh.  This is before the Holy Spirit was sent to the early church.  These men got an understanding about the seed promised to Adam, the Messiah promised to Abraham, the Prophet promised to Moses, the King promised to David and understood that Jesus was here to fulfill all the Scripture. 

Just as the tabernacle was a shadow, copy and pattern of heavenly things, you can look at the old testament stories and see shadows of truths.  Moses (the law) can take you to the promised land, but Joshua (grace) must lead you inside the promised land.  Jesus is the Greek version of the Hebrew name Joshua.  The story of Abraham offering Isaac shows how the Father must sacrifice His only begotten Son.  Isaac did not die that day, but it was a shadow of future events.  Open your bibles to . . .

Daniel 9:24; "Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place.

That verse in Daniel has a ton of information of us so let's unpack it section at a time.  First, in verse two of Daniel nine, we see that Daniel is reading the writings of Jeremiah the prophet.  Daniel is praying for understanding of God's Word.  God responded and the angel Gabriel came to Daniel to explain what he had read.  The verse above is what the angel Gabriel told Daniel.  If I tell a prisoner that he is free, it might sound good and spiritual, but that man is still locked behind bars because I do not have authority to sign his release.  If a judge says he is free that has a whole different meaning.  The angle Gabriel spoke the words from verse twenty-four.

Notice that is all starts by addressing the transgression.  What is the transgression?  The original Hebrew word is pesha' (pronounced peh-shah) which means revolt or rebellion.  So what revolt, rebellion or transgression was the angel Gabriel describing?  Some bible scholars say that this is talking about the Nation of Israel and they would be correct.  I would also say that it goes far beyond just the nation and describes a transgression with the entire world.  The original transgression started with Satan wanting to be like the Most High and leading Adam and Eve into rebellion against God which created a separation between man and His Creator.  Gabriel says that at this point in time that the transgression would be finished.  In Genesis 3:15 God says to the serpent; 

Genesis 3:15; And I will put enmity
         Between you and the woman,
         And between your seed and her seed;
      He shall bruise you on the head,
         And you shall bruise him on the heel."

I love the New American Standard translation, but this is one verse I prefer another translation to explain the meaning in a deeper understanding of 'bruise you on the head'.  The word bruise in that sentence could be translated as crush or strike or to walk upon.  Another point for us to remember when reading scripture is that God is infinite.  God does not have a beginning or an end.  God thinks and speaks of infinite things.  We are mortal man and spirtual talk just gets us lost.  We are finite.  We are created.  We start each day waking up and end the day going to sleep.  We are born and we will die (unless Jesus comes back first).  We must look at this section of scripture in Daniel 9:24 from an infinite perspective and not from man's point of view.  When Jesus came to earth, He crushed the authority of Satan and put an end to death.  People still die, so what does that mean that Jesus put an end to death?  Death entered the world when Adam and Eve rebelled against God.  Sin became part of all mankind (including you) when man revolted against God in the Garden of Eden.  God looks beyond the present day and sees forever.  Death is taken care of in the future and in God's view death was been handled by Jesus.  It is a done deal sometime soon.

Romans 5:12; Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned . . . 

Romans 5:19; For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.

The statement 'to make an atonement for iniquity and bring in righteousness' should have made sense to a person raised around the tabernacle and temple.  We must consider that a good Jewish boy of that day would have been raised understanding that sacrifices were required for sin to make atonement to God.  Sacrifices were offered every day at the tabernacle or temple for the nation and for individuals.  God also provided special days for special sacrifices such as the Day of Atonement and the Passover.  Speaking today to Gentiles, we must remember that the tabernacle system of worship that God gave the nation was a shadow, copy and pattern of heavenly things.  One of the greatest statements made about Jesus was when John the Baptist called Him the Lamb of God.  The Lamb of God was the holy sacrifice offered on the Day of Atonement for the sins of the nation and on Passover.  Open your bibles to . . . 

Acts 17:29-31; "Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man.  "Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead." 

Do you see the relationship between this verse in Acts and the explanation given by Gabriel in Daniel?  The old testament was a period of time when God overlooked the times of ignorance.  Again, I love the new American Standard translation, but here is another example where another translation can help us see a clearer meaning of that phrase.  King James says that God winked at this time of ignorance.  The Amplified Bible says that God ignored and allowed to pass unnoticed this period of ignorance of mankind.  But not now because God has dealt with the transgression and the sin, and by the blood of our sweet Lord Jesus made an atonement for man creating an everlasting righteousness for us in Him.  Thank you Jesus! 

Now, back to the original subject of discussion for this lesson; were people from the old testament saved?  Open your bibles to . . . 

Luke 16:15-17; And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.  "The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of Godhas been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.  "But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail. 

Romans 3:19-25; Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.  But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 

John 1:14-18; And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.  John testified about Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.'"  For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.  No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. 

This section of the Daily Choice - Overcomers Program is dealing with making amends with those we have harmed.  My students in prison must realize that their trip to jail has created a tsunami in the lives of their family.  They must build those relationships back slowly over time.  Japan was destroyed after World War II, but they rebuilt themselves into an economic powerhouse.  Think of this time of rebuilding as an opportunity to do things Gods' way and watch His work in your life this time around.  Create a family powerhouse for God's glory.  Open your bibles to . . . 

Amos 3:7; Surely the Lord GOD does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophets. 

Revelation 10:7;  but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, thenthe mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets. 

Amos 4:11-13; "I overthrew you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, And you were like a firebrand snatched from a blaze; Yet you have not returned to Me," declares the LORD.  "Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; Because I will do this to you, Prepare to meet your God, O Israel."  For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind And declares to man what are His thoughts, He who makes dawn into darkness And treads on the high places of the earth, The LORD God of hosts is His name. 
 

Additional References
Isaiah 42:24-25 & 43:1-13; (7) Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.

Psalm 19:7-14;  The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul... (11) Thy servant is warned...(14) my Rock and my Redeemer... 

1 Timothy 1:5-11; (8) But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully.

Ezekiel 18:4-9; All souls are God’s.  Walk in God’s statues and ordinances … he will live.

Ezekiel 18:21; But if the wicked man turns from all his sins…and observe all My statutes

Job; see Job 1:8; a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.  & Job 19:25; I know my Redeemer lives.

Noah; seeGenesis 6:9; Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God...

Enoch; Noah's great grand father; see Genesis 5:22-24; Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

David; see 2 Samuel 12:23; I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.  (This is a side note; David says his little child was in heaven.  David was a prophet of God.  If your religion preaches child baptism for salvation, you need to take a very hard look at this verse.  Baptism does not save.  The old testiment is very clear that God established the age of twenty as the age of accountability, but be careful putting limits on God.  Remember that all souls are the Lord's.  For examples of the 20 year-old issue, see Exodus 30:12-15 (14), Numbers 1:2-3, Numbers 14; 29-30.) 

2 Chronicles 30:18-20; Hezekiah prayed for them…Lord heard…and healed the people

Deuteronomy 29:1-9; (4) the Lord has not given you a heart to know... (9) keep the words of the covenant to do them...

Matthew 5:20; unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees…

Matthew 23:23;  Woe to you scribes and Pharisees…justice and mercy and faithfulness…

Ezra 7:10; For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord, and to practice it, and to teach His statues and ordinances in Israel.
 
 

Week 12: NT Walk; Love God.  Love man.  Give thanks to God.

Video:  Step Ten (series One of One).
Workbook:  Overcomers should be complete with days 71-77.

Story:  A preacher shared a story about a lawyer who got the release of seventy-eight (78) death row inmates.  The lawyer said that of the 78 men that he freed from the electric chair, not one man said thank you.  Not even a simple thank you note.  They do not recognize any authority over them.  They are all natural ingrates.  They do not submit to the authority of man given by God.  They do not submit to the authority of God and do not thank Him or honor Him in any way.  How do you get an ingrate?  Raise a man who does not show appreciation, who does not recognize authority, and who does not take accountability for his own actions.

Trivia question; Scripture records eight prayers by one man simply thanking God for food.  Who is that man?  Yes, it is Jesus.  Thank God for the A, B, C's of life because all things come from Him. 

This week in your Daily Choice workbook you will be reviewing all the previous steps of this course.  Your mediation verse this week focuses on what is called the Lord's Prayer.  Your work load might seem easy this week, but I want to challenge each of you to spend as much time this week focusing on the Daily Inspection check list in the back of you book.  Open your Daily Choice workbook to page 220 and look at the check point #5.  Communication with God is critical to your life.  It is more important than the air you breath.  How do we communicate with God?  Prayer and His Word.  Look at check points #13 and #24.  Focus on these areas more than any other areas of your life this week of review and we will discuss your findings next week.

Scripture References: 
What is the greatest commandment?  Open your bibles to . . . 

Luke 10:25-28; And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"  And He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?"  And he answered, "YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."  And He said to him, "You have answered correctly; DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE." 

Matthew 22:35-40; One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?"  And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'  "This is the great and foremost commandment.  "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'  "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."

Notice who said what in Luke and who said what in Matthew.  It is estimated that the events recorded in Luke ten occurred around November 28 AD and the events recorded in Matthew twenty-two occurred five months later around April 29 AD.  For these two sections, I have placed what Jesus says in red so you can compare the two events.  We need to pay attention to detail when we read the Word.  In Luke right after this statement, Jesus gives the famous Good Samaritan story.  In Matthew right after this statement, Jesus goes after the Pharisees and quotes the famous Psalm 110 about David and Christ.  In the following chapter twenty-three of Matthew, Jesus spoke to the multitudes and His disciples about the scribes and Pharisees calling them hypocrites over and over.

Matthew 23:23; "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 

Jesus said it is good to be diligent with tithes, but focus on the big picture.  Jesus did not come to earth, die and raise from the dead only to keep what was written, but Jesus came to bring life to the dead.  Jesus came to put an end to death.  Jesus came for you because you are a dead man walking without true life without Him.  The best example I can think of in scripture where this played out was when David and his men were running from Saul and ate the bread from the table of show bread.  The law states that only the Levites were permitted to eat this bread.  Justice, mercy and faithfulness are more important than just keeping a list of rules.  David was guided by the Spirit while God was molding David.  It was during this period of time that David wrote a lot of the Psalms.  Rules and regulations have their place and purpose, but love is the cornerstone of all commands and must act as the filter for good judgment.  That is why Jesus calls the Pharisees hypocrites.

Matthew 5:20; "For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 

How can a Christian have more righteousness than a scribe or Pharisee?  A scribe or Pharisee would try to create their own righteousness by keeping a list of rules without showing any love to the people.  All religions do the exact same thing.  They try to create their own righteousness by the action of man.  Jesus says He is the way and the truth and the life.  Jesus is the vine.  We must be in Him to bear fruit.  Jesus is our righteousness before God.  We must walk with Him.

John 15:9-17; "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.  "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.  "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.  "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.  "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.  "You are My friends if you do what I command you.  "No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.  "You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.  "This I command you, that you love one another. 

A Christian does not gain his own righteousness by works, but he has the righteousness of Jesus poured over him.  When God the Father looks at a Christian, He will only see the blood of Jesus.  A Christian does good works, but not because he must.  A Christian does good works to show the love of God to another person.  The impact of showing God's love to other human beings will be the fruit God wants you to produce.  When God looks at a scribe or Pharisee trying to earn his own righteousness, it makes God mad. 

I tell the guys in prison that if they stop and help a little old lady change a flat tire that they must stop and give God the glory.  The little old lady will want to tell the ex-inmate how wonderful he is for stopping, but he must stop her and tell her that she should just thank God and not him.  Thank God because Jesus changed his heart and mind.  In his old state, that ex-inmate might have stopped to rob the little old lady, but now God has moved in his life.  He must stop to show God's love by this little act of kindness.  The same is true for prison volunteers.  Some volunteers love the attention they get because they are doing a good deed.  I make this very clear that I am not volunteering in prison because I am a good guy.  I struggle just to remember the guys names.  I am in prison because I feel God calling me to share His love with men who are sitting where I should have been sitting.  How I stayed out of jail I can only attribute to the grace of God.  So I do my time once a week in Overcomers-Daily Choice giving God the glory. 

Luke 10:30-37; Jesus replied and said, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead.  "And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.  "Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  "But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him.  "On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.'  "Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands?"  And he said, "The one who showed mercy toward him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do the same." 

Do you understand what those verses above mean?  The Samaritan was the most hated group of people around for the Jewish people during Jesus' time.  They actually believed in the Torah (first five old testament books written by Moses), but they did not hold to anything else.  They were part Jewish and part Gentile.  They did not consider Jerusalem as the holy city nor did they consider the temple as the official place of worship.  They had their own temple and their own set of half Jewish Levites. 

At the start of chapter ten of Luke we see that Jesus is sending out the seventy disciples to all the world including the Samaritans.  This was when Jesus' ministry turned from the Nation of Israel to the world because the nation had rejected him as Messiah.  I like to use the Good Samaritan to illustrate a point about discernment.  What if I came home and a bad guy had broken in, beat up my wife and boys, tied them up while they rob the place and killed by dogs.  As a Christian, what is my response based upon the Good Samaritan example?  The class always says that I should forgive the bad guy.  My response; the bad guy had better start praying for the mercies of God to fall upon me before I get my hands upon his neck.  This guy is not acting like a neighbor.  God does not command me to love this monster.  My God is a God of justice.  If this guy repents and accepts Jesus as his Lord and Savior before I get my hands on him, then the answer changes to forgiveness.

John 13:34-35; "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." 

Do you understand that you are the adopted child of the Creator?  You have been redeemed.  You have been purchased with His blood.  To live in this world Christians must see beyond this life.  This life is just the first steps to an eternal existance with Him.  In this life you are given a few short breaths and then you will be in the presence of GOD.  Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.  Understand who you are in Christ and you can walk in this world as redeemed.  If you forget who you are in Christ, you will fall into sin.

Additional Scripture References:
Matthew 10:39; ...he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it. (Mark 8:35, Luke 9:24 & John 12:25)

Matthew 5:20; unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees…

Matthew 23:23;  Woe to you scribes and Pharisees…justice and mercy and faithfulness…

Hebrews 4:6; (rest) some to enter it, and those who formerly ... failed ...disobedient

Hebrews 4:16; Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace...

Genesis 45:4; Joseph said to his brothers, "Please come closer to me." ...

1 Corinthians 13:4-8;  Love (your name here) is patient, love (your name here) is kind...

Exodus 20:6; showing lovingkindness to thousands, those who love Me and keep my commandments

Deut 6:4-7 (5); And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul …

Deut 6:12; then watch yourself, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out...

Leviticus 19:18; …but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.

1 John 4:7-5:5 (19); Beloved, let us love one another … We love, because He first loved us.

Matthew 22:35-40; On these two commands depend the whole Law and the Prophets.

Ephesians 5:22-33; …husbands, love your wives…

Ephesians 4:28-5:2;  …walk in love…

Galatians 5:25; walk by the Spirit

Galatians 5:16-25; …flesh…(verse 22) Fruit of the Spirit…

Romans 5:5; …love of God…by the Holy Ghost…
 
 

Week 13: Trinity of Man; Man made in God’s image.  Day 6.

Video:  Step Eleven (series One of One).
Workbook:  Overcomers should be complete with days 78-84.

Story:  Two words that do not translate well from a God of Spirit to a mankind of flesh is holiness and righteous.

You can look up the words holy and righteous in the dictionary, but these are spiritual words.  Man can not completely understand the meaning of these two words as they relate to God unless the Spirit of God reveals them to man.  Jesus used a phrase in the famous prayer when his disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray; For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the the glory.  Only the Spirit of God can make a man of flesh and bones understand spiritual concepts like holiness, righteousness, the kingdom, the power and God's glory.  I know that I am not holy and I know that I am not righteous.  God instructed the nation Israel about a tabernacle to show them how an unholy and unrighteous man should approach a holy and righteous God.  This tabernacle was just a copy or shadow of spiritual things.  God gave the nation of Israel a temporary method of approaching God by the use of sacrifice.  It was only to be used until the time was right for God to provide His permanent sacrifice for mankind.  Remember the famous story from Daniel about the statue Nebuchadnezzar had a dream about and the rock that smashed the statue.  This was God telling man when His Messiah would come to the earth to establish righteousness for mankind forever.  This opened up the world to have a relationship with our Creator through Jesus His sacrifice.  God must provide His own righteousness which came in the form of Jesus as the Christ (Messiah and Christ are the same word.  Messiah is the hebrew version of the Greek work Christ).  Jesus is the sacrificial lamb and man can come into the holiness of God covered in Jesus' righteousness.  Salvation of man is from God through Jesus by the Holy Spirit.  Man must simply understand his role and believe in Jesus to enter into God's kingdom.  Man is an adopted child in God's kingdom by God's power for God's glory.

Who knows Louis L'Amour?  He is famous for his western stories, but did you know he writes short stories?  Louis L'Amour can tell a story.  He is a writer.  As Christians, we must understand that our bible is not given for our entertainment.  Our bible is more like a text book than a novel.  It is more like a step by step guide to life using real people illustrations than a western saga.  Some people get bored with the bible because they come to the Word wanting to be entertained.  God is not giving His Word for your amusement.  God gave man His Word for your very life.  God's word is a life raft.  It is an instruction manual on how to live in this world.  Do not come to God's Word for your entertainment although it can be very interesting.  Come to God's Word as if your very life depended upon it because it does.  Jesus is the Word made flesh.

Scripture References: 
In the book of Acts 2:42, we are given what I like to refer to as the trinity of man verse.  Man is made in the image of God (Spirit not flesh).  Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. 
Acts 2:42; They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 

The trinity of man includes 1) the apostles' teaching, 2) fellowship and breaking of bread and 3) prayer.  This is what a Christian man is suppose to look like.  A man who seeks God's face in His Word.  A man who seeks to feel God's love from other believers and to show God's love to other believers.  A man who submits to God's authority by bending his knee in prayer.  This is the trinity of man; Word, Love, and Spirit.  1) Word made flesh - Jesus, 2) Love in fellowship with other believers, and 3) prayer where the Spirit of God communicates with my spirit based upon my relationship with Jesus. 

So, how do we pray?  Let a real master show you how to go to God in prayer.  Turn your bibles to . . . 
Daniel 9:1-23; In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans-- in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.  So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.  I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed and said, "Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. 

"Moreover, we have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers and all the people of the land.  "Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us open shame, as it is this day--to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You.  "Open shame belongs to us, O Lord, to our kings, our princes and our fathers, because we have sinned against You.

"To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him; nor have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His teachings which He set before us through His servants the prophets.  "Indeed all Israel has transgressed Your law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice; so the curse has been poured out on us, along with the oath which is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against Him.  "Thus He has confirmed His words which He had spoken against us and against our rulers who ruled us, to bring on us great calamity; for under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what was done to Jerusalem. 

"As it is written in the law of Moses, all this calamity has come on us; yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our iniquity and giving attention to Your truth.  "Therefore the LORD has kept the calamity in store and brought it on us; for the LORD our God is righteous with respect to all His deeds which He has done, but we have not obeyed His voice.  "And now, O Lord our God, who have brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and have made a name for Yourself, as it is this day--we have sinned, we have been wicked.  "O Lord, in accordance with all Your righteous acts, let now Your anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become a reproach to all those around us. 

"So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplications, and for Your sake, O Lord, let Your face shine on Your desolate sanctuary.  "O my God, incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by Your name; for we are not presenting our supplications before You on account of any merits of our own, but on account of Your great compassion.  "O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name." 

Now while I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God, while I was still speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision previously, came to me in my extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering.  He gave me instruction and talked with me and said, "O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with understanding.  "At the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision. 

I love Daniel.  Daniel is highly esteemed by God.  Wow.  First, notice that Daniel was reading Jeremiah and references the law of Moses.  Daniel confesses to God what God already knows, but showing God that Daniel knows who he is with and who he is without God.  Daniel knows that he is not in good standing with his Creator although the bible never shows a bad point about Daniel.  Daniel is highly esteemed by God.  Do you think you are a good and righteous man?  So did Satan when he wanted to be like the Most High.  Take a lesson from Daniel and get off your holy seat.  On this planet, we are all just fallen creatures trying to find our way back to a Holy and Righteous God.  Notice how Daniel appeals to God's glory.  If you are in some ministry, is it for the glory of God or for your glory?

I will never forget an advertisement I saw for an Easter service.  A new mega church placed a huge banner on the side of their building so all the traffic from the highway could see when Easter services would be held.  They had placed a three story picture of their pastor on the banner.  Now, who is being glorified? 

Daniel had perspective on who he was with and without God.  Daniel wanted God to be glorified.  I do not think that Daniel would have placed his picture on an Easter banner.  We need to understand that mankind is born in the dark.  Man is a natural sinner under the domain of Satan from birth.  Do you understand that you are born under the control of Satan and that you are born in darkness to God?  Some people in church do not like that statement, but that's what Jesus says.  Open your bibles to . . .

Acts 26:15-18; "And I said, 'Who are You, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.  'But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.' 

Jesus said turn from darkness and from the dominion of Satan.  Where does Jesus say man starts?  That's right, in darkness and under Satan's domain.  You must believe what God told us about the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden to see how all the pieces fit together.  See what Paul says about this in 1 Corinthians 15:45-49.  Man is not holy and man is not righteous due to the disobedience inside man from conception in the womb.  Mankind is born with a disease called sin.  Holiness and righteousness are required to go before God.  Jesus is the righteousness and holiness of a Christian.  Without Jesus, how can man approach God?  Submit to God and receive His gift.  Jesus was born of the flesh, but not in the sin of mankind.  Jesus was without sin, but He bore all sin of man.

What about a little baby?  When is a person responsible before God?  This argument will ruffle a few feathers.  Ask David.  David is described as a prophet.  David is said to have a heart after God.  David is described as a man of grace inside a system of law.  What did David say about his son born to Bathesheba who God took?  David said I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.  See 2 Samuel 12:23.  David says his little baby went to heaven.  Does your Christian religion teach that child baptism is required for salvation?  You need to take a very hard look at this verse.  Baptism does not save.  The old testament is very clear that God established the age of twenty as the age of accountability, but be careful putting limits on God.  Remember that all souls are the Lord's.  For examples of the 20 year old issue, see Exodus 30:12-15 (14), Numbers 1:2-3, Numbers 14; 29-30.

Notice the 'may' receive forgiveness from Acts 26:18.  Christians can agreed and disagree on a ton of issues and this is one that is always in discussion.  Some people hold that each individual Christian is selected from before birth to be saved.  I do not hold to this for several reasons, but the main objection is that this pre-selected group is not consistent with the whole bible.  I believe that God has a select group that each person who comes to Him 'may' receive His forgiveness.  This is not a question of if, but it will be provided.  Scripture does tell us that God calls certain individuals for specific purposes, but that does not apply across the board.  Just because you were born with Jewish blood does not give you the right to be a child of God.  Jesus made that very clear when He talked to the Scribes and Pharisees.  Where is your heart?  Just because a tree is planted in an orange grove does not mean that it is an orange tree.  What fruit does it bear?  That will tell me what kind of tree it is.  Do you love the Lord your God?  What kind of fruit is on your tree?  Jesus is the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father, but through Jesus.  See John 14:6.  Just because you are a member of a religious group does not give you the right to be a child of God.  Where is your heart?  God decides who is His based upon your relationship with Him.  God is not bound by man's desires.

Personal note; when I am buried, I want Psalm 31:5 on my grave stone.  Remember, Jesus says this on the cross except for the ransomed part.  I need the ransom part, but Jesus does not because He is my ransom.  Trinity of man; Word, Love, and Spirit.  1) Word made flesh - Jesus, 2) Love in fellowship with other believers, and 3) prayer where the Spirit of God communicates with my spirit. 

Psalm 31:5; Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have ransomed me, O LORD, God of truth.

Genesis 4:7; If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

Psalm 32:1-11; pray… God instruct…

1 Chronicles 4:9-10; Jabez called on the God of Israel...And God granted him what he requested.

1 Corinthians 15:20-22; man = death…man = resurrection of dead

Disciple - Discipline ... to be a disciple, you need to be in God using personal discipline

1 Corinthians 15:45-49; first Adam = living soul…last Adam = life giving Spirit…

Exodus 15:22-27; heed (listen)…do…listen…do…

Exodus 16;4; walk in my instruction…bread

John 6:32-35;  bread of life

1 John 1:5-10; Verse 9; if we confess our sins, He is faithful…

Deut 8:1-6;

Test;
Exodus 15:25

Exodus 16:4

Deut 8:2-3

Deut 8:16

Judges 3:1

Judges 3:4
 
 

Week 14: Walk with God; Maturity gut check.  What do we do now?

Video:  Step Twelve (series One of One).
Workbook:  Overcomers should be complete with days 85-90 and course finished. 

Story:  On a dangerous sea coast where shipwrecks often occur, there was once a crude little life-saving station. The building was just a hut, and there was only one boat, but the few devoted members kept a constant watch over the sea and with no thought for themselves went out day and night tirelessly searching for the lost. Some of those who were saved, and various others in the surrounding area, wanted to become associated with the station and give of their time and money and effort for the support of its work. New boats were bought and new crews trained. The little lifesaving station grew. 

Some members of the lifesaving station were unhappy that the building was so crude and poorly equipped. They felt that a more comfortable place should be provided as the first refuge of those saved from the sea. They replaced the emergency cots with beds and put better furniture in the enlarged building. Now the lifesaving station became a popular gathering place for its members, and they decorated it beautifully and furnished it exquisitely, because they used it as sort of a club. 

Fewer members were now interested in going to sea on lifesaving missions, so they hired lifeboat crews to do this work. The lifesaving motif still prevailed in this club’s decorations, and there was a miniature lifeboat in the room where the club initiations were held. 

About this time a large ship was wrecked off the coast, and the hired crews brought in boatloads of cold, wet, and half-drowned people. They were dirty and sick, and some of them had black skin and some had yellow skin. The beautiful new club was in chaos. So the property committee immediately had a shower house built outside the club where victims of shipwreck could be cleaned up before coming inside. 

At the next meeting, there was a split in the club membership. Most of the members wanted to stop the club’s lifesaving activities, since they were unpleasant and a hindrance to the normal social life of the club. Some members insisted upon lifesaving as their primary purpose and pointed out that they were still called a lifesaving station. But they were finally voted down and told that if they wanted to save the lives of all the various kinds of people who were shipwrecked in those waters, they could begin their own lifesaving station down the coast. They did. 

As the years went by, the new station experienced the same changes that had occurred in the old. It evolved into a club, and yet another lifesaving station was founded. History continued to repeat itself, and if you visit that sea coast today you will find a number of exclusive clubs along the shore. Shipwrecks are frequent in those waters, but most of the people drown. 

Graduation of Overcomers.

Scripture References:
Genesis 4:7; If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

Deuteronomy 10:12-13; "Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the LORD'S commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good? 

Matthew 23:23; "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law : justiceand mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.

John 14:15; "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. 

John 14:6;  Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. 

John 15:7-11; "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  "My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.  "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.  "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.  "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, andthat your joy may be made full. 

Isaiah 1:16-20; "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow.  "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.  "If you consent and obey, You will eat the best of the land; "But if you refuse and rebel, You will be devoured by the sword"  Truly, the mouth of the LORD has spoken. 

Ephesians 5:25;  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, . . . 

James 4:4-8;  You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God?  Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.  Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"?  But He gives a greater grace Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE."  Submit therefore to God Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 

Additional Scripture References:
1 Chronicles 28:9;…seek the God of your fathers…seek Him with a whole heart …mind

Micah 6:8; …justice…kindness…walk humbly…

John 15:7-11; …bear fruit…keep my commands…

Jeremiah 22:3;  …justice…righteousness…

2 Peter 2:17-22; …for what a man is overcome…

Isaiah 56:1; …justice…righteousness…minister

Isaiah 58:6-7; …hide from your own flesh…

Zechariah 7:9-10; …justice…kindness…compassion…

Hosea 6:6; loyalty…knowledge of God…

Hosea 6:1-3; return to God…heal…bandage…know…

1 Samuel 15:22-23;  …obey the voice of the Lord…

Leviticus 19:9-18;   …love your neighbor as yourself…

Joshua 22:5; …love the Lord…
 
 

Matthew 28:19-20; “Go … make disciples … Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”

Daniel 2:30; this mystery has not been revealed to me for any wisdom residing in me

Luke 9:13; You give them something to eat . . . 

John 11:44; Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Exodus 18:19-21; teach them the statues and the laws, and make known to them … walk 

Exodus 35:30-34; Bezalel … He has filled him with the Spirit of God … his heart to teach

Psalm 25:14 (4-14); The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him … His covenant

Deut 29:29;  The secret things belong to the Lord, but the things revealed belong to us

Exodus 19:22 (21-25); … let the priests who come near to the Lord consecrate themselves

Luke 24:45; Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, ...

Exodus 14:15;  … Why are your crying out to Me?  Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. 

Sermons;
1) We must train ourselves to see other men and women as God sees them.  “Let Us make man in Our image”.  In my humble opinion, the primary problem facing mankind is prejudice.  Prejudice must be eliminated by each individual human.  I think it stems from the command “Thou shall not covet”.  This is the root of all evil in this world.  Satan wanted to be god and led man into disobedience.  Man wants to be god, so he sees other people as less than him.  When you mix this with race, sex, money, power, etc. you get a form of prejudice that warps mans view of himself, of other people and of our Creator. 

2) Man is made in God's image and man knows it.  All men around the world, and throughout time, have always expressed a desire to know God.  Our Creator has shown Himself to mankind in nature, in Israel and in person.  Man is different from the rest of creation because we are made in God's image.  Nothing against your puppy dog, but he is not man.  Do you love your puppy dog more than a homeless person?  Do you love your cat more than a handicap person?  That is a struggle.  What about a drug dealer, murder, rapist, liar, cheat, etc.?  That is the real test of love your neighbor.  Ask yourself, who is my neighbor?  What did Jesus say?

3) What can you say about Daniel?  Let's say what an angel said about Daniel; man of high esteem.  I love this book in our bible.  It has lifted me up so many times when I get clogged down with the flesh of this world.  Reading Daniel is like finding bits of gold in the dirt.  All you can do is raise your hands and bow your head to give thanks to God. 

4)  Fire 
Genesis 19:24; Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven, 

Deuteronomy 4:36; Out of the heavens He let you hear His voice to discipline you; and on earth He let you see His great fire, and you heard His words from the midst of the fire. 

1 Chronicles 21:26-30
Then David built an altar to the Lord there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.  And he called to the Lord and He answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.  The Lord commanded the angel, and he put his sword back in its sheath.  At that time, when David saw that the Lord had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he offered sacrifice there.  For the tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were in the high place at Gibeon at that time.  But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was terrified by the sword of the angel of the Lord. 

1 Kings 18:36-40
At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, "O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word.  Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that You, O Lord, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again."  Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.  When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God."  Then Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape." So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. 

2 Kings 1:12; Elijah replied to them, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty."  Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. 

5)  Death
Man was not designed to die by God.  Death was brought upon us by man's disobedience.  All men are destined for death, but man spends his entire life ignoring the reality that his time in this dimension will expire.  Jesus is our redemption into the reality of what is life inside this time period and beyond this existance.