Judgement: He Starts in His House

Ezekiel 3:17-21

17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. 18 If I say to the wicked, You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. 19 But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. 20 Again, if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die. Because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds that he has done shall not be remembered, but his blood I will require at your hand. 21 But if you warn the righteous person not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning, and you will have delivered your soul.”

He said if you warn the sinner and the righteous and they ignore you, you’re hands are clean preacher. If I tell you to warn them and you don’t warn them, their blood is on your hands! I have a lot of scripture to cover this morning, but before we get started, I just want to say a couple things: 1). A warning to a sinner is different than a warning to a believer a) a sinner doesn’t know and must be warned so they can be introduced to truth, so they can make a decision whether they will accept or reject truth, b) a righteous person must be warned, because we all are still being tempted to rebel against God, and when we do, there is a danger of a seared conscience and a thinking that we’re alright, when in reality we are living a life of disobedience against God and His word.

It should be understood that there is a big difference between a believer who is living in sin and miserable over their failure towards God vs a person that believes it’s going to be okay because Jesus washes sin away.

1. I did not say that Jesus doesn’t wash sin away, because we all know that He does 🎼

2. I did not say that it’s not going to be okay. As a matter of fact, it’s going to be better than okay, it’s going to be fantastic if there is true repentance and a true washing, it’s going to be fantastic!

3. And that is what God is speaking to my spirit. Warn them son. You have not, and they are not taking this seriously enough!

This world has so radically changed since I was saved in 86’. Everyone thinks for themselves now. While that sounds good on the surface, a couple scriptures will help to clarify:

1 Corinthians 2:14

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Romans 1:21

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations [reasonings], and their foolish heart was darkened.

Darkened hearts and an ever darkening world. The world says that the Bible was written by men and believer’s say, “You’re quoting out of the Old Testament. We’re in a New Covenant. God doesn’t work that way anymore. God is love.” God was always love. How doesn’t He work anymore? He doesn’t open the ground and swallow people? But why did He do that one solitary, seemingly OT swerve in the NT when He struck down Ananias and Sapphira? Have we forgotten the scripture that says, He is the same yesterday, today and forever? Do we presume that the God that hated sin in the Old Testament has suddenly changed His mind towards His feelings of sin in the New Testament?

Romans 2:4-8

4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.

6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.

Romans 9:6-7

6 It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Spirit vs flesh… Romans 8:3-5, Romans 8:14

Matthew 7:21-23

I Never Knew You

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

1 Peter 1:13-20

Called to Be Holy

13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you

The world has a spirit and it wants your heart

1 John 2:15-17

Do Not Love the World

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Without the word, we cannot know God’s will or how He thinks. Will we think like Him?

Ephesians 5:25-27

25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

Warning—departure from the faith

*Where do demons get a mouth?

1 Timothy 4:1-2

1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,

Everything seems to be moving towards, “No, you’re fine. If you’ve professed Jesus you’re good. A youth pastor told a girl that I used to know that before. She went to him for counsel because she felt convicted about something in her life. His response to her was, “O’ you’re fine and now she’s married to a woman.”

It’s the word of God that shows us the heart of our Father. We must allow His word to speak to us. We must allow His word to have the last say so in our lives.

2 Timothy 4:2

preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and  teaching.

2 Timothy 4:3

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,

Hygiaino

Hygiene- good health. Sound doctrine is good and wholesome truth that promotes spiritual health.

You could look at sound doctrine like floss for your heart.

Matthew 24:24

For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

We are about to approach some areas that we are battling in our society, and let us understand that the society of the Roman Empire where Christianity was birthed was contrary to the Christian faith. Sexual promiscuity was the norm of the land. The worship of multiple deities of choice was allowed as long as you sacrificed to the emperor. This is what caused true Christians to be martyred. They refused to sacrifice to the emperor. They were thrown to the lions, Peter was crucified upside down, Thomas run through with a sword, Paul was beheaded by Nero and let’s talk about Nero for a second, he was famous for rolling Christians in pitch, a tarry, petroleum product and setting them on fire in order to illuminate the streets and other nighttime activities. And all it required for some was a little compromise. For instance, rich Christians would pay their servants to offer a sacrifice to the emperor. Let me ask a question, “Do we think that works with God?”

So before we get too deep into what we are facing in society and with our government, let’s consider the condition of what we call the church. Every last one of us in this room have in some way, shape or form failed the Lord and fallen short of His glory. We all have had times where we have had to repent for offending Him and treating His word as though it were just another book instead of what it is— The Word of God! So while I’m not preaching sinless perfection, I am preaching sinful correction!

The issue is not when people sin:

1 John 2:1-2

Christ Our Advocate

1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

The problem arises when the people of God become so complacent with sin and with Jesus’ blood smeared all over the place that their hearts are no longer broken over the fact that God’s word is being ignored. Jehu

So before we get into the LGBTQ in the world, let me focus on a few things in the church… it’s like we stepped into a time warp where we forgot that sin is sin whether a person is a Christian or a non Christian, as though Christians are exempt from sin because they’re forgiven. Thieves and liars don’t go to heaven; yet, Christians cheat on their taxes and lie about it every year and act like it’s okay because, in their opinion, the government was corrupt. Jesus said this, not Caesar, Jesus said, “Pay Caesar what belongs to Caesar and pay God what belongs to God!”

And then sexual immorality is rampant in the church. People commit fornication and adultery and act like it’s not a big deal. The scripture says fornicators don’t go to heaven.

Since when did God say it was okay to get a divorce?

Matthew 19:7-8

7 They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” 8 He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.

Please don’t put words in my mouth. I understand that there is forgiveness for fornication, adultery, lying, stealing and divorce, but God help us when preachers and people that call themselves Christians act like it’s no big deal and our hearts are no longer broken when we transgress His word (Hebrews 10:26). Churches are ordaining homosexuals and performing same sex marriages. Parents that raised their kids in the faith are going to their kids same sex weddings and condoning their kids shacking up and we’re all acting like it’s okay.

Romans 1:32

Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

And then those of us that won’t go that far act like the other stuff I just mentioned is okay, and then we want to fuss about their stuff and they’re over there winking and saying come on we all know it’s okay to just live a little. No! Judgment must begin in the house of God! That’s Old Testament! No! That’s New Testament!

1 Peter 4:17-19

17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And “If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” 19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

The school bus in the dream: Hell is enlarging itself

Isaiah 5:11-16

11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! 12 And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands. 13 Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst. 14 Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it. 15 And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled: 16 But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.

Second dream, famine, snow, LGBTQ

Drag storytime was a popular event when the Huntington Woods Public Library in Michigan first held it in 2018 and 2019; local news reported the library was the first to hold such events in the state. But they attracted noisy protesters, and the library has yet to hold one post-pandemic. Huffington Post

In July the Vatican released comments made by the pope during an interaction with an Italian in their early 20s who said they were torn between the Catholic faith and transgender identity. Francis replied: “The Lord always walks with us … Even if we are sinners, he draws near to help us. The Lord loves us as we are, this is God’s crazy love.” The Guardian Thu 9 Nov 2023 09.35 EST

2 Thessalonians 2:1-4

The Man of Lawlessness

1 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

The Words of a King

Matthew 5:1-2

The Sermon on the Mount

1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

In Adam, man was forced away from God. Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us is the presence of God coming to us to bring us near.

It is also interesting to note that Moses went up the mountain to hear the voice God for the people who would not come near, but in Jesus the voice of God welcomes the people to hear the King and learn His kingdom.

Matthew 7:28-29

The Authority of Jesus

28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

The Beatitudes

2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

1. Matthew 5:3

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Poor- to crouch, to cringe, to be a pauper, beggarly

It doesn’t say poor in finances or poor in health or poor in society. But it explicitly says poor in spirit. Poor is the opposite of pride. He isn’t talking about how you face the world or how you face religion, but He is talking about how your spirit approaches God. How your spirit approaches His Spirit and how you approach His word.

Independence vs dependence. We learn from Jesus!

John 12:49-50

49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”

Philippians 2:6-8

6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

1 Peter 5:5-7

5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Matthew 18:1-4

1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

A person who is poor in spirit understands that without God moving on his heart, he would still be lost in darkness. He understands that he is clay in the hands of the potter and that he is a child and God is His Father and that his Father is to be respected and honored. He understands that his Father’s word is to be respected and honored. He is poor in spirit towards his Father and this affects the way he handles human relationships also.

2. Matthew 5:4

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Mourn- to grieve mourning over someone or their death.

If you do a word search every time this word is used in the New Testament, it speaks of mourning over death or tragedy. The word mourn is connected with death. The wages of sin is death. Let me tell you something saints. You may not like to be reminded about this, but I have to tell you that God is mourning. He mourns and weeps over the lost. He mourns that mankind is dying in sin, and He mourns that His people don’t take it seriously.

Jesus showed signs of mourning over the results of sin when He wept at Lazarus’ funeral.

I firmly believe that if we allow His word to speak to us and enter into His presence to the place where we touch His heart or His heart touches ours, then we, like Isaiah, will mourn over our own selves. We will mourn over when we hurt His heart and like He always is so ready to do, he will touch our lips, He will touch our hearts with the coal from the altar and then He will say are you ready to go for me now? Now, that you mourn for what I mourn for. Now, that you’re no longer consumed with your own will for your own life, but now, you’re more concerned about my will than your will. Let me send that heart into this broken world. Look at them their dying in their sin. Can’t you pray, can’t you fast, can’t you speak to them for me. I’m mourning over here. My heart is breaking over my creation. Where is someone that will mourn with me?

Those of you that have entered into intercession know what I’m talking about. When you start with a  heavy heart, and then you cry out in His presence and being led by His Spirit, you mourn with Him for what His heart mourns for and after the tears and after the cries, you get up on your feet again, and the comfort of His presence has flooded your soul.

And that’s just the beginning because if you mourn with Him now, you will surely be comforted then!

3. Matthew 5:5

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Strong’s_ In the OT, the meek are those wholly relying on God rather than their own strength to defend them against injustice. Thus, meekness toward evil people means knowing God is permitting the injuries they inflict, that He is using them to purify His elect, and that He will deliver His elect in His time.

The opposite again would be the proud who take matters into their own hands and resolve their issues. To the American mind this is what sounds right— I have rights. I have a course of action to remedy this situation. I will take charge. Let me say that there is a time and place for everything, but in situations like these the problem is that the undiscerning heart doesn’t see that God is allowing the trial or situation for good purposes spiritually in the life of the believer. Instead, they view that they’ve been wronged and want it to be made right. They cannot see where God has been wronged and wants to make things right.

Greek origin, praus, which is translated as “strength under control.” In ancient Greece, war horses were trained to be meek — strong and powerful yet under control and willing to submit

John 18:4-8

4 Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5 They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6 When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.”

Matthew 26:53

-- Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?

4. Matthew 5:6

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Proverbs 16:26 NASB

A worker’s appetite works for him, For his hunger urges him on.

Humans are hungry and thirsty for what satisfies themselves. Jesus was hungry for something different:

John 4:32

But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.”

John 4:34-35

34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.

If we are honest with one another… do we really think that’s what most Christians are doing. It’s actually a great question for a Pastor to ask himself. Is that what you’re doing pastor, are you seeking after God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness?

Thirsty

Revelation 22:17

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

Have you ever realized that you may be on the verge of dehydration. In other words, you didn’t drink as much as you should’ve. You’ve been in the heat, and now all of the sudden your weak, and you’re not quite desperate yet, but you realize that you need to get hydrated quickly. What is on your mind at that point— Gatorade? Water?

When your thirsty like that or famished with hunger, it’s all you can think about at that moment. What do we think about most moments of the day? Don’t answer that too quickly. Take your time and be spiritually sober about it. Now, be honest within yourself, what are you hungering for? What are you thirsting for?

Anything else that gets in the way of God’s plan is vanity. There was a specific year I made more money than I had ever made, and I was planning to beat it the next year. I thank God that He intervened. It wasn’t enough. It was never going to be enough. He said, “A reporter asked old man Rockefeller a question, ‘When will it be enough?’ Rockerfeller’s response was, ‘I just need a little bit more!’”

In one of Jesus’ messages, The cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches are the thorns that choked the seed of the Kingdom.

5. Matthew 5:7

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Matthew 9:10-13

10 And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

This passage is speaking to people with a religious spirit. Sick people know that they need help physically. There are people who know they need help spiritually and they seek it from God and mean business with God. There are others who don’t see where they need help; instead, they are the helper. Many times people will offer mercy when it’s convenient, but when a situation affects them spiritually or financially, something happens in their hearts: the opposite of mercy: vengeance, retaliation. The problem with the Pharisees in this story is that they cannot see. That is always the problem with religion, it’s a spirit that blinds. It partners with the flesh and pride of self that thinks highly of itself, and like, in the physical the phylacteries blinded their eyes, spiritually, the religious show mercy to whom they will and vengeance to whom they will, and the whole while justify their actions by making decisions on what they believe is right for them because in their mind they are right with God, but the essence of God’s word hasn’t penetrated, because the religious heart is prideful and calloused but doesn’t know it.

When mercy is lacking, then religious formalities are meaningless (cf. Hosea 6:6)

6. Matthew 5:8

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Pure- purified by fire in a similitude, like a vine cleansed by pruning and so fitted to bear fruit

Psalms 24:3-4

3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

Matthew 22:37

-- Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

1 Peter 3:4

But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

James 1:26-27

26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. 27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

7. Matthew 5:9

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

We have to make peace with God before we can ever make peace with man.

Romans 5:1

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

With regards to making peace with man, we have to take into account what He said before: blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are the meek, blessed are the merciful and blessed are the pure in heart. A prideful heart will not lower self in order to make peace.!

Jesus lowered Himself and became man (Hebrews 2:16) imagine what this did to these fallen angels, imagine what happened in Haman’s heart when Ahasuerus honored Mordecai and now imagine what has to happen in the heart of a person that is prideful and they will never lower themselves to make peace like Jesus did for them. Until that pride is broken, they will sit there with a thousand scenarios playing in their mind on why they are justified in their actions instead of lowering themselves to the word of God, and let’s be clear here that’s what we’re talking about. We’re talking about lowering ourselves under His authority and under His word not the other person!

“Yeah, but, it feels like that. It feels like I’m admitting that I’m wrong when it’s obvious that they’re wrong too and that they were even more wrong then me.”

Exactly, so make a choice, either yield to God’s word and allow your flesh and pride to be broken or cling to your own will. The rod of the Lord, what a beautiful instrument. At one moment, it looks insignificant and weak in the midst of a horrible circumstance and then you do with it what He says and the Sea is opened and you walk in new found freedom! But the way opened for you because you did it His way instead of your own.

8. Matthew 5:10 KJV

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Galatians 4:28-31

28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. 29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. 30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

To persecute means to pursue with hostility.

There is no purpose of love in this. It’s birthed in flesh and enacted in flesh. Certainly, it is likely that when a believer believes they are acting in the Spirit, they don’t think it’s flesh, but if it’s dissected according to the word, persecution is hostile towards God and the things of God.

The flesh will always persecute the Spirit. They are contrary to each other. The flesh serves its own purpose; whereas, the Spirit serves the purposes of God. People who lack understanding of the heart of God’s word, lack understanding of the tendencies of their own hearts, and don’t even realize the difference in that moment between their flesh and the Spirit and peace vs persecution. It is imperative that you and I understand the difference. Then, when persecution comes, we won’t be so surprised. We won’t be so offended. We will realize the attack, and be empowered to be a peacemaker in God’s eyes. As long as we are concerned about our own reputation and ready to take our own defense, it will be hard to be a real peace maker and suffer persecution in a godly way.

One last thing, make sure that when the persecution does come that you allow God to examine your own heart and learn what He wants you to learn. There is always something for you included in every trial— you have not arrived my friend.

I heard someone say the other day and it was good. There is a big difference between being a peacemaker and a peace keeper.

Matthew 5:11

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

Matthew 5:12

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Buried with Him in Baptism

Romans 6:1-8

Dead to Sin, Alive to God

1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

We were born into sin, and we have to die to sin. Baptism is the burial of the old man.

When we baptize, we are having both a funeral for the “old man” and a new birth celebration for the “new man”

1 Corinthians 10:1-11

Warning Against Idolatry

1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” 8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9 We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, 10 nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (ESV)

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

1 Corinthians 6:17

But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Matthew 7:21

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Lord- he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord

2 Peter 3:13-14

13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.

2 Peter 3:17-18

17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Problems of the Flesh and the Heart

Romans 7:5-6.  spiritually flesh is used a couple ways by Spirit through Paul

5 For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.

6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.

σαρκικός

1. governed by mere human nature not by the Spirit of God

2. having its seat in the animal nature or aroused by the animal nature

3. human: with the included idea of depravity

1. Flesh- the new man living the desires of the old man because he’s living through the power of the old man

2. Sinful passions- desires of the old man

3. Law— makes demands on the old man  but doesn’t give a helping hand

4. Members— the body parts that act out the sinful passions of the fleshly old man, because he has no spiritual power to overcome because he is under law, and law’s power is self instead of Spirit and sin’s power is the law. If you, through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the flesh (Romans 8:13)

An admittance of:

1. I was wrong

2. I can’t do it. Please Lord help

Have you ever been in a place as a Christian where your love for God is encouraging you to be pleasing to Him, but there are things in your life that you know He’s not pleased with and those things are becoming frustrating to you, so you want them gone, but you don’t know how to get rid of them?

Kenneth Wuest describes the psuchikos, sarkikos and pneumaticos man

In Romans 7, Paul is speaking to Christian’s who have not yet learned to walk in the Spirit and are attempting to live Christianity in their flesh, under a form of law (performance) and they’re failing.

KJV Motions instead of passions. Other ways this word was translated: afflictions, sufferings, affections.

3 main thoughts are being addressed:

Romans 7:14 For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.

1. New life in Christ results in death to our relationship with sin—the power of the passions are broken in the new life  through (faith).

2. New life in Christ results in death to our relationship with Law— not learning about the new birth/new life results in people trying to live “right” through will power, which is a system of self-performance. Self-performance/ will power cannot result in victory over the power of sin. Sin has power and is a spiritual problem. The problem of sin requires a spiritual power (Holy Spirit). While the Law is spiritual, it cannot give power over sin, because man is carnal (Romans 7:14 NASB). The Law is based on the performance of self/ there is no indwelling presence of the Spirit for power.  Galatians 3:10 The Righteous Shall Live by Faith for all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and DO THEM.”

3. There is a new life in Jesus that results in a translation into a new kingdom that you cannot see with physical eyes, hear with physical ears, or smell with a physical nose. It’s a spiritual kingdom. The spirit of the man comes alive to God and God’s Spirit comes to abide in Him. He becomes a new spiritual creation that is living in both a spiritual and a physical realm. Through the new birth, we have been placed into a new spiritual dimension/ atmosphere. The natural mind tries to cross over into this world, but earthly wisdom does not work here. Logic, intellect and earthly wisdom doesn’t work here. Faith brings in the harvest of this realm.

Romans 6:14

For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

This is such good news for us because we are told by God’s word that we no longer have to live under sin’s dominion. We can be free not only in the members of our flesh but in the vestiges of the fall that want to hide and linger in our soul. Our mind, our will and our emotions can be given over to God as we cooperate and joint participate with the Holy Spirit in handing Him the pruning shears, the scalpel, the bellows— “here you go Lord, have your way!” It’s the conversations of bitterness and manipulation that we have in the office. It’s the things we watch in our darkened rooms, the manipulative schemes that we plot in our minds in order to get our ways on the job, in friendships, in church relationships, in ministries… these vestiges/remnants of the fall that are hidden in the heart, the soulish part of the inner man, in our mind, our will, our emotions.

Nowadays there is so much talk about demons hiding in the lives of believers. From their childhood or through open doors that we’ve opened after our new birth. Personally, I don’t have a problem with that. I believe that it’s a possibility that can happen, but let me say this, do we think that the blood of Jesus, the cross of our Lord isn’t strong enough to break the tie of a demon in our lives? The scriptures prove that He is and that He has. Furthermore, the scriptures prove that normal Christianity is not the struggle with a demon; instead, it’s the fight of faith and a struggle with the flesh. The refusal to see self, the refusal to die to self, the refusal to allow the word of God to speak to self, the refusal to imagine that I could be wrong and someone else could be right, the refusal to die to what I want so that God can really have His way in me. All these truths can be dealt with through a proper heart posture to God and His word. Something that is crucified is dead. I have pondered these thoughts before. Let’s pretend that it’s possible and a believer has a demonic stronghold in an area, but they refuse to believe that there could be such a thing. And they refuse to let go of that area themselves.

But it’s more likely that the problem is the flesh vs a demon, because it’s more consistent with New Testament truth that it’s the flesh vs a demon in the life of a truly converted individual.

Dominion—to be lord of, to rule, have dominion over

Sin is still a problem in the life of believers

Hamartia— is to miss the mark

The mark is Jesus… to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honour, to do or go wrong

Matthew 15:1-20

Traditions and Commandments

1 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” 3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, Honor your father and your mother,’ and, Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 5 But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” 6 he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. 7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

8 “‘This people honors me with their lips,

but their heart is far from me;

9 in vain do they worship me,

teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

What Defiles a Person

10 And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” 12 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” 13 He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. 14 Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” 15 But Peter said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” 16 And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? 18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”

Hebrews 4:12-13

12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all p Pnaked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

According to this scripture, the word of God is a mirror of the heart. Part of its purpose is to reveal to us the thoughts (deliberation) and intentions of our heart.

Matthew 5:8

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Pure- purified by fire in a similitude, like a vine cleansed by pruning and so fitted to bear fruit

Psalms 24:3-4

3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD?

or who shall stand in his holy place?

4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart;

who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity,

nor sworn deceitfully.

1 Peter 3:4

But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

In this case, Peter is taking the position that:

1. The women that read are true converts

2. He is assuming that the love of Jesus that was planted in their spirit when they became one w the Lord has travelled through the bridge of their hearts and entered their souls affecting the way they are willing to think, feel and desire.

3. That the truth of God and a love of God has so settled in their hearts that like a well spring of life two things are happening: 1. Their flesh that wants to do it their way or another way is crucified and willing to move out of the way and 2. The truth of God and love of God is going to sacrificially flow like fountain out of them

Matthew 22:37

-- Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

John 14:15

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

John 14:21

Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

John 14:24

Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.

John 12:47-50

47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”

1 Peter 1:13-25

Called to Be Holy

13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for

“All flesh is like grass

and all its glory like the flower of grass.

The grass withers,

and the flower falls,

25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.”

And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

Give Your Worship

Thank you to all the believers in the house that faithfully bring their tithes and offerings into the storehouse of God. It is your communion and fellowship with the word of God that provides this place of worship for us to come together and worship our King in comfort. I am personally thankful for your joint participation with the Holy Spirit as He leads you in this form of your worship. And let their be no mistake, that is what it is, it is worship! And for those that say, “You can’t afford to worship God this way, I will remind you that you worshipped Bera the king of Sodom with your money when you were in the world. The enemy of your soul enticed your flesh to spend money on yourself in ways that you should not have and now you have more money in your pocket than you ever did before and somehow you can’t find it to give to God. No, we will read it soon, and let it be known that we will all stand in the valley of The Kings and make a decision of who we will yield our will to.

My point is not to convince you how much you are to pay 10% on the gross or the net. Whether we realize it or not, the children of Israel were required to bring more than 10%. Some commentators believe that after it’s all added up, it’s closer to 20-30% and that’s not including the temple tax and that they were required to give additional freewill offerings that they wanted to give. When the Holy Spirit hit them in the book of Acts they gave everything, and Ananias and Saphira dropped dead on the spot—Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!” As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died

More than anything my assignment this morning is to draw a line from the Old Testament to the New Testament where we can clearly see that God is the same yesterday, today and forever and that His heart for a congregation of worship in the old is the same heart for a congregation of worship in the new, the worship between He and His people required a house for Him then and it requires a house for Him today.

It is also not my intent to convince you to believe the way that I believe. When I first got saved, my pastor told me that I was supposed to pay tithes, she told me that meant 10%. My wicked heart said, “10% of the gross or the net, and she said, it depends on if you want a gross or net blessing. From there I spoke to elders in the church and their story was pretty much the same, “Do you want a net or a gross. No, it’s not my job to convince you of anything. It’s my job to study and pray and present His word to you, and it’s your job to study and pray and decide whether you will receive the word that I bring to you. And one day, I will stand before God and give an account for the word that I delivered, and you will stand before God and give an account for the word you received, and if you don’t think that is a serious thing—then we disagree.

Luke 10:7 the laborer is worthy of his hire

1 Timothy 5:17-18

17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. 18 For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.

Corban- MT 27:6, MK 7:11Lev. 1:2, Nu. 7:12-13 something brought near to the altar, a sacrificial present that was brought to the Lord as a form of worship. Sometimes animals, sometimes precious metals.

The tithe is for the Lord’s House

The tithe is for the Lord’s work

What is the Lord’s work? Getting you near—How does He do that? How do you do that?

What is your purpose? Serve Him

Whose house is it? The Lord’s

Whose table is it? Whose food is it? “I pay my tithes where I get fed”

While I definitely agree that it is God’s will for his people to not forsake the gathering of the brethren

Genesis 14:16

Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people.

Genesis 14:17-24

Abram Blessed by Melchizedek

17 After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley).

18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.)

19 And he blessed him and said,

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,

Possessor of heaven and earth;

20 and blessed be God Most High,

who has delivered your enemies into your hand!”

And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

21 And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself.”

22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth,

23 that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’

24 I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share.”

Hebrews 7:1-10

Galatians 2:17-18

Regarding Abraham’s statement to Bera, the Lord says something to Israel…

Deuteronomy 8:17-18

17 Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ 18 You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

• There is a spiritual truth that some of the most wealthy humans in the world have learned…when you give to charity, there is a financial blessing that comes back, but that is not the reason that believers give to God. O’ many have fallen into that trap, but giving to God is a form of worship and reverence to Him.

Exodus 8:1-28

Serve- set a work to be wrought, worshipper,

God commands the blessing on His people for the purpose that they can give to His work

Exodus 12:35-36

35 The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. 36 And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.

The tabernacle is the house where the work of worship takes place and the whole congregation takes part and gives to the work…

Exodus 36:1-7

1 “Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whom the LORD has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the LORD has commanded.”

2 And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whose mind the LORD had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work. 3 And they received from Moses all the contribution that the people of Israel had brought for doing the work on the sanctuary. They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning, 4 so that all the craftsmen who were doing every sort of task on the sanctuary came, each from the task that he was doing, 5 and said to Moses, “The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the LORD has commanded us to do.” 6 So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, “Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing, 7 for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more.

Exodus 13:1-2

Consecration of the Firstborn

1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.”

Exodus 13:7-8

7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen with you, and no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory. 8 You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ How did He deliver?

Exodus 13:11-14

11 “When the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, 12 you shall set apart to the LORD all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the LORD'S. 13 Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. 14 And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, By a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. How did He deliver?

Exodus 13:15-16

15 For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 16 It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.”

Numbers 3:40-51

How did He redeem the Firstborn

40 And the LORD said to Moses, “List all the firstborn males of the people of Israel, from a month old and upward, taking the number of their names. 41 And you shall take the Levites for me—I am the LORD—instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the cattle of the people of Israel.” 42 So Moses listed all the firstborn among the people of Israel, as the LORD commanded him. 43 And all the firstborn males, according to the number of names, from a month old and upward as listed were 22,273.

44 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 45 “Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle. The Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD. 46 And as the redemption price for the 273 of the firstborn of the people of Israel, over and above the number of the male Levites, 47 you shall take five shekels per head; you shall take them according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel of twenty gerahs), 48 and give the money to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for those who are over.” 49 So Moses took the redemption money from those who were over and above those redeemed by the Levites. 50 From the firstborn of the people of Israel he took the          M. Mmoney, 1,365 shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary. 51 And Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Leviticus 27:30-34

30 “Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the LORD'S; it is holy to the LORD. 31 If a man wishes to redeem some of his tithe, he shall add a fifth to it. 32 And every tithe of herds and flocks, every tenth animal of all that pass under the herdsman's staff, shall be holy to the LORD. 33 One shall not differentiate between good or bad, neither shall he make a substitute for it; and if he does substitute for it, then both it and the substitute shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.”

34 These are the commandments that the LORD commanded Moses for the people of Israel on Mount Sinai.

Malachi 3:1-3

1 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD.

Malachi 3:6-11

Robbing God

6 “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts.

Whose house is it? Whose food is it?

Numbers 28:1-2

Daily Offerings

1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the people of Israel and say to them, ‘My offering, my food for my food offerings, my pleasing aroma, you shall be careful to offer to me at its appointed time.’

1. On the first day of the 7th you shall blow the trumpet. You shall do no servile work and you shall offer a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma

2. V6 besides the burnt offering of the new moon, and its grain offering, and the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offering, according to the rule for them, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD.

3. V13 on the 15th day of the month… you shall offer a burnt offering, a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD, thirteen bulls from the herd, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old; they shall be without blemish

4. V 35-36 On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly. You shall not do any ordinary work, but you shall offer a burnt offering, a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD: one bull, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish

And how do we rectify what seems like a contradiction in Hebrews 10 where he says:

V5b ….Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired v6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings

you have taken no pleasure…because it is written of me in the scroll of the book to do your will O’ God—a body you have prepared for me

Hebrews 7:23-28

23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. 28 For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

The Fruit is On Your Lips

Psalm 34:1-10

Psalm 22

Man w/ out the help of the Holy Spirit

Romans 3:11-14

11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness [acridity]:

How do I go from one who speaks curses to one who speaks blessings?

1. Confess Jesus, “Well, I’ve done that…”

2. Evaluate yourself in relation to the word not in relation to others (2 Corinthians 13:5 AMP)

Confess Jesus— the planting of the seed….

Romans 10:9

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The word confess is an English word translated from the Greek word Homologeo… same/say

Romans 4:3

For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

We are to confess what we believe

Romans 10:10

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Making a foundation

Romans 4:5

But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Romans 6:11

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Believe about you what God believes about you! Confess about yourself what God says about you! But if your heart is not lining up with the mirror of the word, confess your sins, because He is faithful to forgive.

Now, according to the word, you’re a believer. Jesus said, “You will know them by their fruits and out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks”. We will look at these passages in context in a moment, but let’s see what was in the abundance of Jesus’ heart.

You can really learn a lot about a person whenever they are caught in a bad predicament. It’s when a person is pressed that you are able to really see what’s in them.

LK 23:34 “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Peter—after Pentecost

LK 23:43 “…you will be with me in paradise.” What did he do to get there? Changed mind

JN 19:26-27 …behold, your son!”…“Behold, your mother!” They will know you by your love

MT 27:46 “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

JN 19:28 “I thirst.” On the cross, I thirsted for the Father’s will (Pss. 42:1-2; 63:1)

I went without for you. Will you hunger and thirst for the righteousness that I purchased for you?

JN 30 “It is finished,”

LK 23:46 into your hands I commit my spirit!”

Proverbs 18:21

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.

He connects fruit to speech. Just like a tree brings forth fruit, a mouth brings forth words

Matthew 12:33-37

33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. 34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. 36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Idle—barren, inactive, shunning the labor one ought to perform.

The words of believers are supposed to have meaning. Our words are supposed to line up with His word. We are supposed to speak truth and life. There can be a lot of opinions on how that can look and sound:

Truth and Life

Matthew 7:14

Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Matthew 10:39

He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

Matthew 16:25

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

***Matthew 18:8 illustration of brain w heart w hand

Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:36

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

The tongue causes a lot of damage!

James 3:6-12

6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

James 3:13-18

Wisdom from Above

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Galatians 5:20-21

hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God

Hatred- enmity and hostility/ enmity— the state of being or feeling actively opposed to someone or some thing

Variance- contention, strife, fighting, discord, quarreling, wrangling

Wrath- is from thumos which refers here to passionate outbursts of anger or hostile feeling

Seditions- which speaks of dissensions and divisions/ dissensions— A factious group was trying to undermine the government

Heresies- the noun means "that which is chosen." It can refer therefore to a chosen course of thought or action, hence one's chosen opinion, and according to the context, an opinion varying from the true exposition of the Word of God, in the latter sense, heresy. It also refers to a body of men separating themselves from others and following their own tenets. The word could have incidental reference to the Judaizers and their teachings

A Body You Have Prepared for Me: Part 2

Isaiah 6:5-7

5 … “Woe is me! For I am lost…in the midst of a people of unclean lips…my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” [John 12:41]

6 …one of the seraphim flew…a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar.

7 …he touched my mouth and said: “your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

God’s plan of purging man and giving man forgiveness is prophetically illustrated in this vision:

1. Man must recognize God’s holiness, His majesty, His supreme authority

2. Man must recognize his own sinfulness, the fact that he is lost, he is unworthy

3. Man must know God has made a way. The coal from the altar taken with tongs in the hand of the Seraphim was a foreshadowing of the cross.

The tone of Isaiah’s voice cries repentance. The content may not include the word sorry, but He is overwhelmed with the glory and splendor of the Lord, he sees his own desperate condition, and he wants to be right with God. This is Jesus by the way. Isaiah is seeing the Lord after His incarnation, after His sacrificial death, after His resurrection and ascension. He says, “I saw the King and the Lord of hosts”, and the angels cry you are holy, holy, holy. Heaven understands His holiness. The angels understand understand the great price the Father paid to redeem the human race. But the human race doesn’t understand. We so often think that we’re okay. No, brothers and sisters, we need to get a glimpse of glory and we need to understand what is going on here:

Revelation 19:10

Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy >>>>>>Sweet smelling savor… ages

Repentance- a simple definition is someone changes their mind. When we repent towards God we admit to Him that we were wrong and He was right. We thought we knew, but now we see. Help me Lord, I’m undone! I’m lost without you!

Psalms 7:12-17

12 If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow; 13 he has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts. 14 Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies. 15 He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made. 16 His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends. 17 I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High.

Isaiah 6:8-9

8 …Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”… “Here I am! Send me.” 9 The message ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.10 Make the heart of this people dull, ears heavy, blind their eyes; 11 Then I said, “How long, O Lord?” And he said: “Until cities lie waste without inhabitant and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste,

Isaiah 6:13

And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled.”

The holy seed is its stump.

Isaiah 11:1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse…

Isaiah was commissioned to go and tell, to prophesy God’s truth! God’s truth always surrounded the coming King. Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this

And this was what Isaiah saw exalted in heaven. He saw the ascended King of Kings the Lord of Lords. He saw the eternal word who created the heavens and the earth, who willingly lowered Himself and was fashioned into a man so that He could serve the Father’s will and die and not just any death but the death of the cross. He suffered torture and shame. he was offended for our sakes because we had offended God, and…

Isaiah 53:10–if you want to know how much God loves you…

…it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin…

Isaiah said, “send me…” and Paul said, How beautiful are the feet of those who are sent…

Romans 10:14-17 who is they? All those who have not heard, all those who need to hear again…

14 How then shall THEY call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of  them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

And that’s where it all starts, to those who do believe, they receive a seed. It’s the whole plan of the harvest. A seed is sown (when an obedient mouth speaks) and a son is born:

And that is the beginning of the new life, and now we see the purposes of God in preparing a body for the Lord:

• Genesis 1:11

• Genesis 8:22

• Leviticus 23

• Ruth Gentile bride

• Parable of the sower

• Wheat in the store house

• It starts with a preacher

John 12:24

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

John 1:12

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

God sowed a Son seed into the earth and He will reap a harvest of sons.

Now, He prepares a body for us. I mean did we think that He would leave us the way that we were before? He has a plan for us, and it’s not just to bless you with more money, bigger houses and nicer cars. His plan and purpose for our lives is that we would be a body created in the image of Jesus and that we would be a light in a darkened world. Some of us He will use in various types of ministry and for some our ministries will be to our families, our children, our parents, our brothers and our sisters, but in order to use us, He has to form us, and yes, receive ye the promise of my Father, which is the baptism of the Holy Spirit, so that you will be endued or clothed upon with power from the Holy Spirit, so that you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the outer most parts of the earth.

But I have seen a lot of people who have said they were filled with the Spirit and not looking like Jesus. I have been filled with the Spirit and at times not looking like Jesus. No! That’s not acceptable. God is in the business of creating us into the image of Jesus, so that we will have a valid witness, and that is how He is preparing a body for us.

Hebrews 1:3

Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

I remind you that Adam was created in the image and likeness of God, but the fall caused his offspring to be born into the image and likeness of fallen Adam:

Genesis 5:3 ESV

When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.

God prepared a body for the last Adam, so that Adam’s fallen race could become recipient’s of the Father’s grace!

Colossians 3:10 KJV

And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

Romans 8:29 KJV

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 KJV

17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

2 Corinthians 4:3-7 KJV

3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness. This creation talk right here. God does a creative miracle inside of people’s hearts.

Ephesians 4:17-24 ESV

17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Romans 6:13-14

13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

A Body You Have Prepared for Me

God’s plan of love and restoration reveals Jesus, not a cool smiling Jesus with natural highlights from sun exposure, but the Jesus described by the prophet Isaiah. To the world we live in and the untrained ears of most modern day church attenders, the real Jesus is offensive. His words are offensive! Some of His words would exclude Him from the hospitality teams of most modern day churches.

No! God is the offended party! Humanity, God‘s creation has offended him, rejected His plan and rebelled against Him!

But he does have a plan and he has included man in that plan – – he has privileged us with the opportunity to work for him and work with him.

In a sense, He was offended and asked to leave the premises of his creation. But we as His people can welcome Him back one heart at a time, just stay with me as I work through this.

Genesis 1:26

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Genesis 1:28

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue (subjection)it, and have dominion (rule over it) over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Through deception, the dominion and authority that was given to man, was lost it in Adam:

Luke 4:5-8

Wait- what? How offensive is that? We are either going to walk in the authority that we have received in Jesus and give Him His glory, or we’re not serving Him, the way He intends.

5 And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 And Jesus answered him, “It is written,

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’”

The whole physical creation is a test: the temporary is a test for eternity:

Matthew 25:14

The Parable of the Talents

“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property.

Adam’s life was a test, our life is a test I have given you my image. I have given you my dominion and authority. What will you do with the opportunity that I have given you?

—Stewardship—

Now God is on the outside of his creation so to speak. Don’t misunderstand what I am saying… He positioned himself this way, because his purpose and plan includes us. He chose us. He purposefully limits Himself in to partner with us in the creation He has given us authority over (Earth). He could’ve started over completely:

Gen 12:7-8

Genesis 8:20-21 and Noah built an altar and offered every clean beast, and it was sweet smelling savor—What are you doing here God?

1.  Flood – he needed a Noah. In order for his plan to continue.

2. Abraham – I will give you a land, make a nation out of you, I will bless all the nations of the earth.

3. Moses – I will destroy them and make a nation out of you

Exodus 32:8-14

• 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” 9 And the LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. 10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.”

11 But Moses implored the LORD his God and said, “O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” 14 And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.

A land, a nation— a people for a purpose.

• God positioned on the outside

• God choosing to use humanity

• God sticking to his plan

These truths are elucidated or clarified in this scripture

Leviticus 25:23

Redemption of Property

“The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine. For you are strangers and sojourners with me.

• don’t sell my land – I have a plan.

• don’t mess up my covenant I made with Noah.

• don’t mess up my covenant I made with Abraham.

• don’t mess up my agreement with Moses– I almost destroyed you.

Don’t sell my land—it belongs to me but right now, we are strangers in the land together.

And then right there, in the fullness of time, in that land he told them not to sell God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law (Galatians 4:4)

Hebrews 10:4-10 NASB

4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats  to take away sins. 5 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says,

“SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED,

BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME; 6 IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO’  PLEASURE. 7 “THEN I SAID, ‘BEHOLD, I HAVE COME (IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME) TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.’” 8 After saying above, “SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS AND WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, NOR HAVE YOU TAKEN PLEASURE in them” (which are offered according to the Law), 9 then He said, “BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second. 10 By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Sacrifices and offerings in a whole burnt offerings for sin you have not desired nor have you taken pleasure in them?

What about the Sweet smelling, what about your food Lord…?

Numbers 29

Annual

Monthly

Weekly

Daily

The bread

The incense

Isaiah 1:18

Can you see his glorious presence? His name is Jesus – he saves his people from their sins. His name is Emmanuel. He is God with us. He is holy and lifted up

Isaiah 6 I see the Lord high and lifted up. He is magnified. He is glorified. Heaven is giving him his glory. The angels are giving him his glory. They are crying to him right now Church. They are saying holy holy holy.

A Place of Rest

Hebrews 4:1-12 NASB

CHAPTER 4

God’s promise was that He was bringing them to a place of rest. A place where He would give them victory over their enemies, a place where His people would live for Him and bring glory to His name. He delivered them, but even once He got the next generation into Canaan [He is committed to His plan], they didn’t live for Him.

That’s after they entered Canaan, but right now, let’s stay focused on this part of the journey. He delivered them out of Egyptian slavery, but they didn’t unite it with faith for victory over the giants, but there were a couple other problems that they had: 1) they really didn’t like the way that God was doing things (manna/Bible), they wanted what they wanted, and 2) they still had a love for the place they had left [Egypt] and they really wanted to go back. They didn’t love the chains and shackles and the gathering straw and making bricks, but it if they could have what they wanted: melons, onions, garlics and leeks they could maybe bear the burden of the chains. God’s plan was something altogether different: for them to hate where He saved them from and believe Him that what He had was really better for them. Because the whole time for them and the whole time for us, He is working on something bigger than we can see, and we’re so focused on our own plans and desires that if we’re not careful, we will neglect His plans and desires, which is to give birth to this man child named Jesus!!

John 12:25

He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

Galatians 1:4

Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

1 Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. 3 For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said,

“AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST,”

although His works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day: “AND GOD RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY FROM ALL HIS WORKS”; 5 and again in this passage, “THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.” 6 Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news  preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, 7 He again fixes a certain day, “Today,” saying through David [Psalm 95] after so long a time just as has been said before,

“TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS.”

8 For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. 9 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. 11 Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

And this is the ongoing saga. Man’s will vs God’s will. What I want vs what He wants. His word vs what my natural mind perceives and what my opinions want to believe:

Quote/talk about it

1 Corinthians 2:12-14

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

7 Sabbaths a repeated promise of a finished work. A horn that blows on the Day of Atonement, the very day that the blood of the Lamb was sprinkled on the mercy seat. I’m not trying to just give you a bunch of Bible info here. I’m trying to make you understand that God has provided a way of victory for you, so that you can have an opportunity to serve Him and bring Him glory. He did not do what He did, so that you could serve yourself and live for your own personal carnal desires. 8 ‘You are also to count off seven sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years, so that you have the time of the seven sabbaths of years, namely, forty-nine years. 9 You shall then sound a ram’s horn abroad on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the day of atonement you shall sound a horn all through your land. 10 You shall thus consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim a release through the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, and each of you shall return to his own property, and each of you shall return to his family. 11 You shall have the fiftieth year as a jubilee; you shall not sow, nor reap its aftergrowth, nor gather in from its untrimmed vines. 12 For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy to you. You shall eat its crops out of the field. 13 ‘On this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his own property.

In both the Sabbath, the Jubilee and tithing, there is not only faith and complete trust that God can provide, but there is a dying to self and self will, dying to what self wants, what’s best for self and a submission to God’s will.

Exodus 21:1-5 NASB

CHAPTER 21

Ordinances for the People

1 “Now these are the ordinances which you are to set before them: 2 “If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve for six years; but on the seventh he shall go out as a free man without payment. 3 If he comes alone, he shall go out alone; if he is the husband of a wife, then his wife shall go out with him. 4 If his master gives him a wife, and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall go out alone. 5 But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,’

Exodus 21:6

then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently.

True submission to God says that I will not live my life according to my own will and my own desires. My Master Jesus purchased me with His own blood. I am His property. What I have actually belongs to Him. My time, my money, my family, my desires, my plans…

Lord, you have been too good to me, I cannot leave. In the words of Peter:

John 6:67-69

67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” 68 Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. 69 We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.”

1 Peter 2:1-12

A Living Stone and a Holy People

1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk [of the word] that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” 7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.”

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Jesus, Your Jubilee

Hebrews 4:1-12 NASB

CHAPTER 4

The Believer’s Rest

1 Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. 3 For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said,

“AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH,

THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST,”

although His works were finished from the foundation of the world.

God did the work of creation and then rested

Jesus, did the work of the new creation and then sat down

4 For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day: “AND GOD RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY FROM ALL HIS WORKS”; 5 and again in this passage, “THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.” 6 Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news  preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, 7 He again fixes a certain day, “Today,” saying through David [Psalm 95] after so long a time just as has been said before,

“TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,

DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS.”

8 For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. 9 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested  from his works, as God did from His. 11 Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

There is a release in the rest of God, a liberty that comes from faith in the work of God!

Psalms 122:1

PSALM 122

Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem.

A SONG OF ASCENTS, OF DAVID.

I was glad when they said to me,

“Let us go to the house of the LORD.”

Leviticus 25:1-13

CHAPTER 25

The Sabbatic Year and Year of Jubilee

1 The LORD then spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai, saying, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you come into the land which I shall give you, then the land shall have a sabbath to the LORD. 3 Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its crop, 4 but during the seventh year the land shall have a sabbath rest, a sabbath to the LORD; you shall not sow your field nor prune your vineyard. 5 Your harvest’s aftergrowth you shall not reap, and your grapes of untrimmed vines you shall not gather; the land shall have a sabbatical year. 6 All of you shall have the sabbath products of the land for food; yourself, and your male and female slaves, and your hired man and your foreign resident, those who live as aliens with you. 7 Even your cattle and the animals that are in your land shall have all its crops to eat. He is saying, “Trust Me! I will take care of you!”

8 ‘You are also to count off seven sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years, so that you have the time of the seven sabbaths of years, namely, forty-nine years. 9 You shall then sound a ram’s horn abroad on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the day of atonement you shall sound a horn all through your land. 10 You shall thus consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim a release through the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, and each of you shall return to his own property, and each of you shall return to his family. 11 You shall have the fiftieth year as a jubilee; you shall not sow, nor reap its aftergrowth, nor gather in from its untrimmed vines. 12 For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy to you. You shall eat its crops out of the field. 13 ‘On this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his own property.

A return home. Have you ever been on a long trip away from home, and you were just ready to get back home? Have you ever been away from the Lord spiritually for some length of time, during which you felt far away and couldn’t get back home, and then the Lord came for you and rescued you and brought you home? It was in those moments that we were excited to hear them say:

Psalms 122:1

I was glad when they said to me,

“Let us go to the house of the LORD.”

We should find rest in the house of the Lord because the presence of rest is in the house of the Lord! His name is Jesus. And He has come to give us rest. If church is a chore, something is wrong. Something is either wrong with your church, or something is wrong with your heart. If someone thinks it’s their church, they should find a place where church isn’t a chore, a place where they can worship and serve the Lord, because the people of God are supposed to want to be in the house of the Lord!

What happens many times is that people are in a condition of spiritual slavery and they bring that with them to church. They think it’s the church, but it’s really their spiritual condition. In this spiritual condition, they carry around with them a spirit of division. Division breeds confusion. God is not the author of confusion or chaos. God’s presence brings unity. God reconciles, brings unity and releases from spiritual bondage. You are supposed to be in the house of God. God’s people are not intended to live separate from one another. We are spiritual, lively stones being built up to be a house of praise. [brick illustration]. Some people will even say to themselves, “I just want to go to church somewhere where no one knows me and I can stay to myself.” That’s not how the body of Christ is supposed to function. Does it matter to us that it is God’s will for us to love one another?

1 John 2:9-11

9 The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. 10 The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

25:8-13

Every seventh sabbatical year (i.e., every 49th year) was to be followed by a Year of Jubilee (yoveil, perhaps originally meaning “ram” or “ram’s horn,” taken from the horn blown to announce the year, but the LXX took it to mean “release”) which (though apparently begun on the first day of the seventh month) was officially announced by a trumpet blast on the 10th day (i.e., the Day of Atonement,

When you receive a spiritual jubilee, you get to go back home into the loving arms of the Father. You can feel again His presence and His love. Communion through the Day of Atonement— the blood of Jesus restores us into the presence of God.

Interesting, bad decisions whether morally or financially resulted in the loss of property and family. Isn’t this true today in reference to moral decisions that we make towards sin. When we transgress God and His ways, it opens the door to the power of sin and allows the intrusion of Satan’s power into our lives?

I just need to say this right now—Satan has no power over you! If you are a true believer tonight, you have been purchased by the blood of Jesus. The “old man” you used to be, died with Jesus, was buried with Jesus, and a “new man” has been raised to a new life in Christ!

There has been a Jubilee proclaimed over your life. The Lord has announced a release!

The motto for the year was to proclaim liberty (i.e., release) throughout the land with the primary purpose of getting family property and the family back together again (vv. 10, 13). This meant that all property (except in walled cities, cf. vv. 29-30) was to be restored to its original owners (i.e., tenants, cf. v. 23), and all Hebrew slaves were to be released to return to their family property. Also, as during the preceding sabbatical year, the land was to enjoy a second straight year of rest (vv. 11-12; cf. vv. 4-7)

25:18-22.

God’s blessing in the land was promised for obedience to His laws, both freedom from want and freedom from war (v. 19; cf. 26:3-13; Deut. 28:1-14). This was particularly applied to the obvious fear an Israelite would have in the face of two successive years of neither planting nor harvesting his crops (Lev. 25:20). God promised an abundant harvest in the sixth year, sufficient to carry over until the harvest of the ninth year comes in

This would require faith…

Can we believe God by faith to take care of you? Or do we have to practice business like the world? Do we have to sue people?

Do we have to lie on our taxes to get ahead?

Do we have to get vengeance against people that have done us wrong?

Do we read the words of Jesus?

Jeremiah 29:10-14 NASB

10 “For thus says the LORD, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and  I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven  you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’

There is a principle here that is alive and ongoing. God is a promise keeper. He has good plans and thoughts towards His people. He is a God of restoration. It’s His people that repeatedly, through the years venture outside of His will and go their own way in an attempt to fulfill the desires of their own hearts, but in so doing, they forget who is sovereign, they forget who is God and who is man. They attempt to take matters into their own hands, and when they do that, they take their matters out of the hands of God, and it’s these decisions that result in the loss of blessings that result in the times of bondage and lack of freedom.

2 Chronicles 36:20-21 NASB

20 Those who had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon; and they were servants to him and to his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, 21 to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths. All the days of its desolation it kept sabbath until seventy years were complete.

What we see here is the fact that the Babylonian captivity was more about God’s people not respecting His land than it was their spiritual adultery with false gods. Please don’t misunderstand what I’m saying… God is not okay with us living in the world and living like the world. God’s purpose for His people is that they would live a separated life towards Him. This exalts Him and allows the world around US to know that He is real. It brings glory to His name and gives the lost an opportunity to know the truth and also be saved.

Lying, lying on our taxes, not giving God His tithes and offerings. Cussing around others who cuss. Drinking around others who drink. When in Rome, do what the Romans do. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. No, those are lies! Its just an overall disregard for the things of God and living life in such a way that God and His word is not preeminent or the most important thing.

We can agree to disagree that tithing in the New Testament is not biblical. Some people are convinced of that and that is their position. That is not my position and that is not what I believe the word of God says. Abraham paid the first tithe to Melchizedek before the nation of Israel ever existed, before there ever was a law, Abraham was given a problem that His seed, Jesus would be a blessing to all nations, and when Abraham was blessed by Melchizedek the king of peace, king of righteousness, he paid a tithe to him. Levi, the father of the Levitical priesthood paid tithes to Melchizedek when he was in the loins of his grandfather Abraham. Take some time with that and get back with me.

The reason that I took a little time with tithing is  because it’s similar to the Jubilee

We can disagree that it’s not New Testament, and if that’s your position, I will never convince you otherwise, but don’t tell me that it’s because you can’t afford it, because that’s like Israel not letting the land rest.

Going back to the cause of the captivity being a result of not resting the land.

Leviticus 25:23

The Law of Redemption

‘The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are but aliens and sojourners with Me.

God had a reminder towards Israel that the land was not theirs, their belongings were not theirs, their lives were not theirs. All that they were and all that they had belonged to God. God reminded them that they were strangers with Him in the land. Isn’t that an amazing thought?

Q: What do you think that He meant by that? That He was an alien on the very earth that He had created? What does that mean?

A: humanity in Adam delivering his authority over this domain to Satan and that God works within the free will of man.

That is really what I wanted to focus on is the Jubilee and the freedom of the people and their “property”…

Exodus 21:1-5 NASB

CHAPTER 21

Ordinances for the People

1 “Now these are the ordinances which you are to set before them:

2 “If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve for six years; but on the seventh he shall go out as a free man without payment. 3 If he comes alone, he shall go out alone; if he is the husband of a wife, then his wife shall go out with him. 4 If his master gives him a wife, and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall go out alone. 5 But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,’

Exodus 21:6

then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently.

True submission to God says that I will not live my life according to my own will and my own desires. My Master Jesus purchased me with His own blood. I am His property. What I have actually belongs to Him. My time, my money, my family, my desires, my plans…

Lord, you have been too good to me, I cannot leave. In the words of Peter:

John 6:67-69

67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” 68 Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. 69 We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.”