Another highly recommended series taught by Pastor Harold Hoffman of First Church (Stirling Heights, MI).
Categories
Tag: Lord Jesus Christ
Categories
The Promise
Text: John 14:15-18
(15) If ye love me, keep my commandments.
(16) And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
(17) Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
(18) I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
Isaiah 55:10-11, “For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”
The Promise[1]
God keeps His promises.
Matthew 16:18, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
At no time on earth since Acts 2 has there been a moment when there wasn’t a Spirit-filled believer.
God’s Word is forever settled in Heaven and will accomplish its goal. There are generally, two types of promises God makes with man in the Bible:
- Unconditional – The promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob did not depend on any future action on their part because they were unconditional and would come to pass regardless of anything that these men did or didn’t do:
- Genesis 12:1-3 [sevenfold blessing], “(1) Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: (2) And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: (3) And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
- Genesis 15:13-18, “(13) And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; (14) And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. (15) And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. (16) But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. (17) And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. (18) In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:Galatians 3:15-18, “(15) Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. (16) Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. (17) And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. (18) For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.”
- Joel 2:28-29, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.”
- Isaiah 28:11-12, “For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.”
- Conditional – The Bible contains “if…then” statements. These are requirements that you must meet to receive the promise. They represent future acts that must be obeyed to receive the full promise:
- 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
- Acts 2:37-39, “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”
Some ask, “Why Tongues?”[2]
- God is not accountable to us for what He chooses to so. He is Sovereign, Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer, Savior…He is GOD.
- Tongues is an initial external sign that must be followed by the continuing evidence of Fruit of the Spirit.
- Gal. 5:22-23, “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance…”
- John 3:8, “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”
- It is the consistent pattern of evidence established by God as essential in the New Birth:
- 1 Corinthians 12:13, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”
- Acts 2:4, “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
- Acts 10:46, “For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God.”
- Acts 19:6, “And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.”
- 1 Corinthians 12:13, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”
- The tongue is the most unruly member of the body and when you receive the Holy Ghost speaking in tongues you are allowing God to control the most expressive part of your personality. Man’s expression of emotion, intelligence, and communication is articulated through the tongue.
T. F. Tenney asked, “Why not tongues?”
Virtually the entire third chapter of James is devoted to admonishing the church to beware of that little member that boasts of great things. James goes on to refer to the tongue as a fire, and says that it is capable of defiling the whole body. Did you ever hear of fighting fire with fire? This is exactly what happens when the fire of God’s Spirit enters a man and gains control of his tongue.[3]
James refers to the tongue as the most unruly and hard-to-tame member of the body. Is there any wonder that God has chosen this sign to indicate complete submission to Him. The overpowering blaze of the Holy Spirit neutralizes the burning embers of the carnal tongue. At last the most unruly member of the body is conquered, and the Holy Spirit declares through it in a language known only to God, that Christ has been enthroned in the heart of the believer.[4]
Supernatural? Of course! But when we rob Christianity of its supernatural impetus, we have destroyed its vitality and passion.[5]
Some say, “It’s just for the Apostles and Early Church…”
Irenaeus (died 202): “In like manner we do also hear many brethren in the Church, who possess prophetic gifts, and who through the Spirit speak all kinds of languages, and bring to light for the general benefit the hidden things of men, and declare the mysteries of God.”[6]
Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179: “sang in unknown words with such facility and winsomeness that her utterances were known as ‘concerts in the Spirit’.”[7]
The Waldenses (c. 1217): these followers of Peter Waldo believed in visions and prophecies.[8] Both healing and speaking in tongues were manifested among these heavily persecuted Christians.[9]
Early Quakers: “We received often the pouring down of the Spirit upon us, and our hearts were made glad and our tongues loosed and our mouths opened, and we spake with new tongues as the Lord gave utterance, and as His Spirit led us.”[10]
John Wesley: People in Wesley’s meetings would be filled with the Holy Ghost while he preached.[11]
Thomas Walsh: (one of Wesley’s foremost preachers) made this entry in his diary; “This morning the Lord gave me a language that I knew not of, raising my soul to Him in a wonderful manner.”[12]
In England (1830) there was a revival under Edward Irving where gifts of the Spirit were manifested. One member of the congregations writes: “The moment I am visited with the Spirit, and carried out to God in a tongue which I know not… I am more conscious than ever of the presence of God. He and He alone is in my soul. I am filled with some form of the mind of God, be it joy or grief, desire, love, pity, compassion, or indignation; and I am made to utter it in words which are full of power over my spirit, but not being accessible to my understanding, my devotion is not interrupted by association of suggestions from the visible or intellectual world: I feel myself, as it were, shut in with God in His pavilion, and hidden close from the invasions of the world, the devil, and the flesh.”[13]
Charles G. Finney: “I received a mighty baptism in the Holy Ghost…No words can express the wonderful love that was shed abroad in my heart. I wept aloud with joy and love; and I do not know but I should say, I literally bellowed out the unutterable gushings of my heart.”[14]
D. L. Moody: “On the following Sunday night, when I got to the rooms of the Y.M.C.A. I found the meetings on fire. The young men were speaking in tongues and prophesying. What on earth did it all mean? Only that Moody had been addressing them that afternoon.”[15] At a meeting in Los Angeles, Dr. R.A. Torrey told of a service in London where Moody took the pulpit to preach and instead broke into another language. He tried again, with similar results. The third time, after prayer and praise, he was able to preach his message.[16]
Charles H. Spurgeon: A British preacher told how Spurgeon once asked his audience to forgive him that when he got especially happy in the Lord, “I break forth into a kind of gibberish which I do not myself understand.”[17]
How Do I Receive this Phenomenon of the Holy Ghost?[18]
- Prepare your heart by obeying Acts 2:38 (Repent).
- Understand that God wants you to receive His gift as much as you want it…just ask Him for the Holy Ghost: “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13)
- You must be hunger to receive His Spirit.
- Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”
- James 4:8, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”
- Expect to receive: “And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied” (Acts 19:6).
- Believe to receive: John 7:38-39, “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”
- Relax!!
Promise of Christ’s Return:
1 Corinthians 15:51-56, “51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Praying Someone Through to the Holy Ghost[19]
* Instruction in receiving Holy Ghost is NOT teaching someone to speak in tongues. It is the strategic practice of removing common roadblocks that keep people from receiving the Holy Ghost and speaking with tongues. *
- You must believe God wants to filled EVERYONE with the Holy Ghost and that God will work through you and confirm your words. Stop worrying about looking foolish. Surrender your fears about ego for the cause of the Gospel.
- You must conquer your personal fear…trust that God will come through – Take a risk
- Talk clearly and avoid distractions.
- Do not speak in Christianese.
- Do not talk too fast.
- They must understand what the Holy Ghost is and how to yield to it.
- Don’t spit on them.
- Make sure you have pleasant breath.
- Be certain that they can hear you.
- Ask them if they would “like to receive the Holy Ghost.”
- Explain repentance in simple terms – do not expect the exact result you had.
- I usually try to connect them with what they are saying WHILE they are saying it. (Come on, _____You’ve got to mean it when you say it…etc)
- Stop them and ask if they “meant what they said.” – according to scripture they are “forgiven.”
- Luke 11:9-10, “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”
- Explain what happens next…and BUILD THEIR FAITH.
- “Are you ready to receive the Holy Ghost?”
- The Holy Ghost is a gift (Don’t beg, plead or even ask…just receive).All you have to do is lift your hands (as a sign of surrender) and begin to say out loud, “thank you Jesus for the Holy Ghost…”
- There will come a point VERY QUICKLY…that sounds will come to your mind that you will not understand. When that happens you MUST speak out those sounds (sometimes I ask, “will you do that”).
- If the individual is not following your instruction, the chances are very low that they will receive the Holy Ghost. Tell them, “I’m going to lay my hands on your head just like they did in the Bible and when I do the same thing that happened then is going to happen to you. You will receive the Holy Ghost….BUT remember YOU must speak out those things that come to your mind. YOU have to speak the sounds out but the Holy Ghost will tell you what to say.” Ask them “When you hear those sounds will you speak it out?” (have them answer verbally…not nodding their head.)
- Have them begin “before” you lay hands on them, then lay hands on them.
- Sidenote: (The practice of “laying on of hands”) – Forehead wrist to elbow. No weird massaging. I rarely lay hands on them until the last possible moment.
- Once they receive the Holy Ghost confirm it…almost EVERYONE has doubts.
- Ask them 1st: “Did you hear yourself speak in tongues?”
- Then: “So did God just fill you with the Holy Ghost?”
- Don’t allow someone to develop a habit of “seeking” for the Holy Ghost. Stop them after 2 or 3 minutes and build their faith.
- Make sure they’ve really repented.
- Encourage them.
- Close the deal with Baptism – Don’t ask…tell them they need to
- (politely command).
- (The disciples weren’t shy about commanding baptism).
- *** Be Sure to write down their contact information *** (This is how we begin the crucial process of discipleship).
Altar & Prayer Instructions[20]
Prayer 1—Focus on Talking to Jesus
Let’s close our eyes and invite Jesus to talk with us right now
<<Pray a simple prayer asking Jesus to speak and touch the hearts of everyone there>>
Jesus is here with us. The Bible says everyone has a bit of faith inside, and we can use that faith to talk to Jesus. Showing Jesus that we have faith makes Him happy.
We need Jesus. Life without Him is not good. We need Jesus to help us. We want Him to fill our hearts with His Spirit. We have faith, but His Spirit gives us the power to overcome.
When we are filled with the Holy Ghost, Jesus lives in our hearts. He gives us direction. He helps us do what is right. We are all special to God. When we worship Him with all our hearts, He can do special things in our lives.
Prayer 2—Repentance Prayer
For Jesus to live inside us, He has to clean out our hearts. Our faith helps us repent. It is time to tell Jesus we are sorry for the bad things we have thought and said and done. We are all going to ask Jesus to help us change and not do those things anymore.
<<After leading in a simple prayer of repentance,
invite children to the altar>>
Now our hearts are clean for Jesus to live in them, and it is time to ask Him to come into our hearts. If you are ready to use your faith and pray that right now, come to the altar
Prayer 3—At the Altar
Let me tell you three simple steps for praying:
- Close Your Eyes: First, close your eyes and think about Jesus and how much He loves you. Right now, all that matters is talking with Jesus. We are not going to look around at anyone else. This time is just for Jesus, when you can show Him you have faith and believe He wants to hear you. Just think about Him and begin to talk to Him like you would talk to your best friend. Use simple words that tell Him how much you love Him and how you want Him to be your best friend. Pray out loud; Jesus likes to hear your voice.
- Lift Your Hands: Now we lift our hands and reach to Jesus. We want Him to fill our hearts, so we put our faith to work by raising our hands to Him and showing Him we are open to Him. Keep talking to Jesus and telling Him what you want. If you want the Holy Ghost, ask Him for it. It’s like asking your mom or dad for a gift. Jesus wants to give you His gift.
- Talk to Jesus: Talk to Jesus in your outside voice. As you talk to Him, you may feel something very special start to happen. You may begin to feel like you are saying words you cannot understand. That is good, because those words are Jesus talking through you with your voice. Just let those words pour out of your mouth as you let Jesus come live in your heart.
Conclude every session with a time of thanks and praise to God. Also affirm children that they have done a good job of praying. Your prayers are very beautiful to God. He loves it when you reach out to Him. Your faith makes Him happy.
Encourage those who wanted to receive the Holy Ghost but did not that God loves them and is working in their lives. We will continue to pray, and God will continue to touch each of our lives as we continue to seek Him.
[1] This is an updated version of a sermon I originally preached on May 15, 2005, in Rockport, IN, to the congregation of Landmark Apostolic Bible Church, which was then pastored by the late and beloved James Denham.
[2] “Speaking In Tongues.” Various Authors. Retrieved 5-15-2005 from http://altupc.com/articles/tongues1.htm.
[3] T. F. Tenney. (1975). Pentecost-What’s That? ISBN 0-932581-83-8.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Against Heresies, V,6,1, Ibid., vol 1, p. 531
[7] George H. Williams and Edith Waldvogel, “A History of Speaking in Tongues and Related Gifts,” in The Charismatic Movement, ed. by Michael P. Hamilton, p. 70
[8] R. Kissack, “Waldenses,” The New International Dictionary of the Christian Church, ed. by J.D. Douglas, revised edition, p. 1026
[9] Gordon F. Atter, The Third Force, p. 13
[10] Bresson, Studies in Ecstacy, pp. 48-52
[11] http://www.holyspiritinfo.net/ch_hist.htm
[12] Entry of March 8, 1750, quoted by Frodsham, With Signs following, p. 232
[13] A.L. Drummond, Edward Irving and His Circle, pp. 161-162
[14] Charles G. Finney, Autobiography, p. 20
[15] Boyd, Robert, The Lives and Labours of Moody and Sankey, p. 47
[16] Lennard Darbee, Tongues: The Dynamite of God, p. 24.
[17] Ibid. p.24
[18] Principles of Doctrine: Lesson 11. “Holy Spirit Baptism.” Parkersburg Bible College.
[19] Pastor Rob McKee. Ministers In Training Class.
[20] VBS Material. Pentecostal Publishing House. UPCI
Categories
The Unexpected and the Overlooked
Categories
The Bride of Christ
Ephesians 5:25-28, “(25) Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (26) That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (27) That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. (28) So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.”
We’re going to a wedding…
Categories
The Divine Call for Intercessors
A harvest of souls and spiritual renewal (revival), has always been preceded by, and maintained through, intercessory prayer.[1]
Once the wheels of intercession are set in motion, cause and effect drive that assembly into a season of reaping and multiplication.
There has never been an accidental revival, or an unintentional renewal.
All growth in a Church follows four principles:
- Prayer
- Preaching
- Praise
- Personal Evangelism
Tonight, I want to cover that first principle, PRAYER, and specifically The Divine Call for Intercessors in this hour.
1 Kings 18:41-46
(41) And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. (42) So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, (43) And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. (44) And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. (45) And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. (46) And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
James 5:17-18
(17) Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. (18) And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
1 Timothy 2:1-4
(1) I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; (2) For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. (3) For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; (4) Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
Hebrews 7:25, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”
Intercession is one of the most needed ministries of the last days.
The Church will reach its full level of harvesting power when the intercessors stand in the gap.
Intercessory prayer occurs when we are in perfect agreement and alignment with God, because God is praying through the intercessor.
It is not you praying, but God. You are the channel, conduit, tributary God flows through.
All He requires is that He finds a willing and available vessel.
A Divine Call for Intercessors
Romans 8:26-27
(26) Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (27) And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
- The Spirit maketh intercession. The Holy Spirit of God.
- Intercession = “interceded in behalf of,” to make petition, plead with
- It is the will and mind of God being revealed.
- With groanings = too deep for words. It is travail of the Spirit of God.
- “To sigh, murmur, pray inaudibly…“grief, groan, grudge, sigh.”[2]
- A.D. Urshan to Anthony Mangun: “Hold your belly and groan.”
Those who answer the Divine Call have crucified themselves with Christ:
Galatians 2:20, “(20) I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Galatians 5:22-25, “(22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (24) And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. (25) If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
Notice three things (F.J. Ellis):
- It took a crucified body to save and redeem man.
- It took a crucified body to reveal God’s resurrection power.
- It will take a crucified body (the Church) to consistently pray to the Lord of the harvest.
Prayer is the passionate hope of Jesus.
It was his prayer request to us.
He did not seek for musicians, big buildings, or new programs (those all have their place); But, Jesus simply had one request, “Pray.”
This glimpse in the heart of Jesus Christ heart reveals to us the answer to the need and dilemma of our day.
He is calling you to pray
Matthew 6:5-13
(5) And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
- Not “if,” but “when.”
- Not for show or vainglory
(6) But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
- The true intercessor who responds to the Divine Call will pray in private.
(7) But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
(8) Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
- We are not to simply repeat this prayer verbatim, but it is a guide to us of to pray.
- When we simply repeat “The Lord’s Prayer” we run the risk of devolving our time of intercession to vain repetition.
(9) After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
(10) Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
(11) Give us this day our daily bread.
(12) And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
(13) And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Do you want to align yourself with the will and purpose of God?
PRAY! PRAY! PRAY!
1 Timothy 2:1-4, “(1) I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; (2) For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. (3) For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; (4) Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
- “…first of all…prayers…”
- “Who will have all men to be saved…”
- Truth is essential, but prayer is the means by which Heaven is made accessible to mankind
2 Chronicles 7:1
(1) Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house.
- Prayer brought the fire of God.
- It it was not until Solomon prayed that the fire fell.
2 Chronicles 7:14
(14) If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
- God is divinely committed to the prayer of His people.
- His eyes and ears are open to their call (prayer):
- “The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit” (Psalms 34:15-18).
What happens in intercession?
Intercession is a divine burden that drives you to seek the will of God and pray until the answer comes, or there is a release in the Holy Ghost.
Back to our text:[3] 1 Kings 18:41-46
- Verse 41 – Elijah heard the voice of God and prophetically spoke the will of God.
- Verse 42 – The prophet then got on his face alone before God on top of Carmel. Because he knew the will of God, he went to prayer and would not quit praying until it came to pass.
- Verse 43 – He sent his servant to look toward the sea. He saw nothing. The reality of the invisible did not stop Elijah. He not only kept praying, but also told his servant to go again seven times….until it happens.
- First he saw a little cloud like a man’s hand
- Then came a great rain.
- James 5:16-18, “(16) Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (17) Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. (18) And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.”
Don’t be surprised when the level of spiritual warfare you face increases as you answer The Divine Call to Intercede:
Matthew 4:1-11
Mark 1:12-13, “And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness. And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.”
[1] Primary Source: F. J. Ellis. Intercession-Key of Spiritual Warfare. (n.d.)
[2] Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries. G4726 & G4727.
[3] F.J. Ellis
Categories
Delighting In the Glory of God
Opening Text: Exodus 33:18-19
(18) And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
(19) And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
Glory = “glory, honour, glorious, abundance, riches, spendour, dignity, reputation.”[1] “Properly weight.”[2]
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).
Ancillary Text: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31
(26) For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
(27) But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
(28) And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
(29) That no flesh should glory in his presence.
(30) But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
(31) That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
Delight in God’s Glory[3] = Glory in the Lord
Main Text: Jeremiah 9:23-24
(23) Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
(24) But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.
- Lovingkindness: God is always ready to grant both mercy and grace.
- Judgment: Because of His loving-kindness, God judged sin and placed on Christ the sin of all humanity at Calvary – “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls” (1 Peter 2:21-25).
- Righteousness: Without a faith in the righteousness of God – believing that He is always dealing with you rightly and justly – you will never truly learn to love, trust and reverence Him – never knowing what it means to truly delight, glory, in the Lord. Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
- “…for in these things I delight, saith the Lord…” – John Gill wrote: “…in showing mercy, grace, and favour, to miserable and undeserving men…” Jesus became “an offering for sin…”[4]
The best way to enjoy God forever is by glorifying Him now.
We have begun to delight in God when we determine to use every part of us – “…heart, soul, mind and strength…”[5] – to serve and follow Him.
Jonathan Edwards[6] – To delight in God’s Glory is enjoy a relationship with Him that is so complete that we have a:
- Hatred for sin.
- Fear of displeasing God.
- Hope in the promises of God.
- Contentment in the fellowship of God.
- Desire for more revelation of Jesus Christ.
- Exultation (rejoicing, celebration, joy) in the redemption He gives.
- Grief and contrition (godly sorrow) for failures of love. <Sin is a failure to show love properly.>
- Gratitude for undeserved benefits.
- Zeal (passion, enthusiasm) for God’s purpose.
- Hunger for righteousness.
Faith arises from the Principle of Divine Love:
[Love]…Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things (1 Corinthians 13:7).
The Principle of Divine Love contains the Power of Perseverance[7]
It bears through all things, believes through all things, hopes through all things, endures through all things.
Not just “IN” all things, but “THROUGH” all things.
When you truly delight in God your loving relationship with Him is so exact and trusting that you know without a shadow of a doubt will get through whatever life brings your way.
Your relationship with God demands a faith – a persevering faith
The initial act of believing faith was a seed.
The continual act of faith is perseverance – letting the seed grow and mature in and through all things.
“…He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”
Our faith and delight in the glory of God is realized completely when we no longer glory in ourselves, but entirely on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Then we will delight in what He delights in:
- Lovingkindness = mercy, “goodness, kindness, faithfulness.”[8]
- Judgment = “justice, right, rectitude [integrity, goodness, morality].”[9]
- Righteousness = “justice, truthfulness, rightness, moderately [judiciously].”[10]
[1] H3519. Kâbôd. Brown-Driver-Briggs.
[2] H3519. Kâbôd. Strong’s.
[3] John Piper. (2015). The Supremacy of God in Preaching. Grand Rapids: Baker.
[4] Jeremiah 9:24. John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible.
[5] Mark 12:30
[6] Notes from the writings of Jonathan Edwards.
[7] John Piper. (2015). The Supremacy of God in Preaching. Grand Rapids: Baker. ISBN: 978-0801017087.
[8] H2617. Chesed. Brown-Driver-Briggs.
[9] H4941. Mishpâṭ. Brown-Driver-Briggs.
[10] H666. Tsedâqâh. Brown-Driver-Briggs & Strong’s
Categories
The Great Mountain
There are moments in life that we call, “mountain top experiences.”
Like a GPS (global positioning satellite), our minds can take us back to places and locations where we fought battles that effected our hearts and minds.
Sometimes, the struggles wrestled within our spirits, and barrages of attack where even our bodies were worn down to the point where we couldn’t see a way through the craggy pass.
There is a place on top the mountain for you.
God has established it there.
Text: Daniel 2:31-35
(31) Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.
(32) This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
(33) His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
(34) Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
(35) Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
I am preaching tonight from this thought:
The Great Mountain
It is 606 B.C., and four young men (teenagers really) have been forcibly taken from their homes in the nation Judah, and marched 880 miles into a land of exile to serve Nebuchadnezzar in the gentile city of Babylon, in the land of Shinar.
In Babylon, their captors try to rob them of their identity and these four Hebrew boys (Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah) receive new Babylonian names (Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego).
It might seem simplistic to say this, but I rise to tell you once again that your adversary, the devil, seeks to devour you.
Jesus said, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”[1]
He wants to erase all identifying markers from your life that would remind you of your identity.
You are a child of the living God. Your Father is the One who created you and made you. You are part of His people and the sheep of His pasture.
You can rest sure tonight in your identity in Jesus.
This foe would love to put on you a name of shame that marks you as his possession, but we serve the only wise God – Jesus Christ.
There are places in Scripture where people received new names, either by the LORD or some loved one because they refused to allow some negative moniker be put on them for the rest of their life.
How would you like to go around with name “Ichabod” (“no glory”[2])? Why Ichabod? Why No Glory?
“And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband. And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.”[3]
Every time Ichabod entered a room they all knew he was named for the day God’s presence left the children of Israel when the Philistines in battle took the Ark of the Covenant.
“…The glory is departed…”
There was no one there to say, “NO! We are not going to call him by that name.”
And he went his entire life with that name of shame upon him.
There is Rachel, she is dying, and she is getting ready to pass this life after giving birth to her second son with Israel.
“And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.”[4]
Benoni = son of my sorrow[5]
Benjamin = son of the right hand[6](“right hand” symbolizing strength)
You have a name given to you, by the Lord. Do not let the enemy put a name on you that separates you from His presence, and hinders you from reaching your potential in Christ, and in life.
Names like: Loser, Failure, Liar, Thief, Addict, Useless – some of the many names the father of lies has tried to put on you.
But, Jesus, “the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God,” has a name for you.
What is that name?
Will you choose to wear it?
Isaiah 62:1-4
(1) For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.
(2) And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name.
(3) Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.
(4) Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah [my delight[7]], and thy land Beulah [to marry[8]]: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.
God has a great name for you. He wants to delight in you, you are the apple of His eye, and He loves you with an unfailing love.
The name of Jesus Christ is the name we take on when we are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.
That name is “a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord…”[9]
You became espoused to Jesus Christ the moment baptism took place. Why? Because you were baptized in His name.
If you have not been baptized in His name, then you have not taken on the family name.
You need to take on that name because in Jesus “dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.”[10]
When you take on that name in water baptism all the characteristics of God are available to you.
Let’s talk about our Husband:
- Isaiah 54:5, “For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.”
- Our secular culture today resists the Creation account in Genesis, but when you stop believing in the Creation then you lose contact with your Husband.
- You were made in the image of God.
- Matthew 28:18, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”
- 2 Corinthians 11:2, “…I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”
- When were you espoused to the Husband? When you were born again of water and Spirit.
- When you went down in the waters of baptism and took on His name as the preacher said, “I now baptize you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost,” and you came up out of that water a new creature in Christ Jesus taking on His name.
- Ephesians 3:14-19, “(14) For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, (15) Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, (16) That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; (17) That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, (18) May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; (19) And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”
Our identity is complete in the Lord Jesus Christ, and we are filled with all the fullness of God, and He has a great love for you.
So, never allow satan the pleasure of calling you by some other name because you have been called by the only saving name that is above every name:
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”[11]
“Jesus is the One, Yes, He’s the only One”[12]
We love the fight, the grit, the determination and the dedication of these four young men to Jehovah:
- Daniel and the lion’s den – he refused to stop praying
- The three Hebrew children and the fiery furnace (Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah) – they would not bow to an idol. They were told to bow, they were commanded to bow, but they refused to bow.
Don’t bow to an enemy who wants nothing but your destruction.
Do not compromise yourself for other people.
David Johnson & Jared Runck point out the parallels present in the time of Daniel and today:[13]
- People are allowed to believe anything at all so long as they don’t happen to believe their beliefs are right and the beliefs of others are wrong.
- There is only one way to be saved: you must be born again of water and Spirit to enter into the kingdom of God.[14]
- This is the Word of God, this is what Jesus said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”[15]
- Nebuchadnezzar didn’t care what Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego believed, or who they worshipped, as long as they bowed to his great image (Dan. 3:5-6).
- Martin Luther King, Jr: The most dangerous type of atheism is not theoretical atheism, but practical atheism —that’s the most dangerous type. And the world, even the church, is filled up with people who pay lip service to God and not life service. And there is always a danger that we will make it appear externally that we believe in God when internally we don’t. We say with our mouths that we believe in him, but we live with our lives like he never existed. That is the ever-present danger confronting religion. That’s a dangerous type of atheism.
- In our day, we feel the constant pressure to conform and to be accepted, but that only occurs if you worship their gods (small “g” gods) and cease to worship the One True God.
- To stand when everyone else bows…to pray when all others fall silent. You can do that because “we serve the God who delivers from fiery furnaces and lion’s dens.”[16]
These mountain experiences were also proving grounds for their faith: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
Do you think it was easy for these four men to face down everybody? The peer pressure must have been at least as intense as the heat of that furnace.
However, it all began a long time ago when they were teenage boys and the refused to eat the king’s meat.
Do you want to know how to be successful in God? It is in the consistent every day practices and disciplines of faith. Every day growing your faith by doing the right thing one day at a time.
Do not compromise yourself and give up the principles of the Word of God to be accepted by a society that simply wants to destroy you and count you unworthy of the Living God.
Do not allow yourself to turn back to the valley below while climbing the mountain.
You belong spot on top of The Great Mountain.
There is no time to preach about Mt. Horeb, Mt. Sinai. Mt. Moriah, Mt. Gilboa, Mt. Nebo, Mt. Tabor, Mt. Carmel, the Mount of Olives, or Mt. Zion.
No time to tell the stories related to those places where mighty men and women saw their faith’s reward.
Life will take you to a mountain.
We talk about how beautiful it is on the top of the mountain, but nobody wants to talks about the struggle to get to the top of the mountain. We like the valley, the well-watered plains, and we often sing:
When I’m low in spirit I cry Lord lift me up I want to go higher with Thee
But nothing grows high on a mountain so He picked out a valley for me
And He leads me beside still waters somewhere in the valley below
And He draws me aside to be tested and tried in the valley He restoreth my soul[17]
We like it there in the valley. It’s green and plush. The Shepherd has placed us by a stream where we can be restored, but you have to get up at some point and climb that mountain in your life.
It matters really matters what mountain you are climbing, and if you are going to give your all, or not.
Just make certain you make it to The Great Mountain
The Great Mountain
Isaiah 2:1-5
(1) The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
(2) And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
(3) And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
(4) And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
(5) O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.
In our text, Daniel shares a vision of a great image.
That vision is a prophetic look at four major world powers that would rise and fall:[18]
- Head of gold = Babylon = Lion
- Breast and arms of silver = Media-Persia = Bear
- Belly and thighs of brass = Greece = Leopard
- Legs of iron = Roman empire = Dreadful and Terrible Beast[19]
These kingdoms, each in their own time, would become the dominating power in that part of the world, and would conquer the other kingdoms and territories near themselves.
Nevertheless, the Word of God tells us that there was a stone hewn out of the mountain that struck the feet of the great image and that stone became a Great Mountain.
That Great Mountain – The Great Mountain – The Stone, the Rock, the mountain, is the Lord Jesus Christ.
The “LORD’S house” that Isaiah told us would be “established in the top of the mountains,” which is going to fill the whole earth…
…Just prior to the coming of the Lord for His Bride, the whole earth will have heard of Jesus Christ, and The Great Mountain will have filled the whole earth.
That House, on The Great Mountain, is the Church.
The Great Mountain is the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Children of Israel (2 million of them with their animals) were wandering in the wilderness and had a water supply problem, and they murmured against Moses:
And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.[20]
Paul later tells us the identity of that Rock at Mt. Horeb:
Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.[21]
The Holy Ghost is a River tonight that comes out of the Rock.
…Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.[22]
Jesus Christ is the Rock and the Stone
- Daniel 2:45, “Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.”
- Deuteronomy 32:31, “For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.”
- Deuteronomy 32:3-4, “(3) Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. (4) He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.”
- Psalm 18:2, “The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”
- Psalm 18:31, “For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?”
- Psalm 95:1, “O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
- Isaiah 2:10, “Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty.”
How do you “Enter into the Rock?” How do you get in Jesus? Peter told us on the Day of Pentecost how to do that:
…God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.[23]
The answer is simple.
Obey the plan of salvation and be born again of water and Spirit.
That is how to enter into the Rock.
Upon this Rock
Matthew 16:13-18
(13) When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
(14) And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
(15) He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
(16) And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
(17) And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
(18) And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
“Thou art Peter” = Petros – “a (piece of) rock.”[24]
You are a small pebble, Peter, I’m not going to build My church on you…
“And upon this Rock” = Petra – “a (mass of) rock.”[25]
I am going to build My church on this massive boulder, this Stone hewn out of the mountain, which is going to come and crush the feet of this worldly governmental system…
…and establish an eternal Spiritual kingdom that cannot be destroyed.”
That is what Isaiah was prophesying about: “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains…”[26]
Jesus declared it: “Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”[27]
You are the Church; you are God’s House sitting in the top of the mountain – The Great Mountain – Our Lord Jesus Christ.
No foe can defeat Him; nothing can overcome Him, or supersede Him.
You can be like the foolish man who builds his house upon the sand, if you want to, or you can be like the wise man who says, “I’m going to build my house upon the Rock.
I am going to build my life upon Jesus. I am going to trust in the words of the Master and know that He is going to be with me no matter where I go.
God is with me.”
God is with you.
What have you built upon?
Have you built upon the Rock? The Rock is here to touch, heal, save, deliver and redeem you, if you will simply turn your heart to Him.
The New Testament tells us about that Rock, the Stone, and we understand who Jesus is: And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.[28]
In the Old Testament, the Lord wrote the Ten Commandments on stone:
- Exodus 31:18, “And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.”
- Exodus 32:15-16, “And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written. And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.”
Moses came down from Mt. Sinai with the Law written on tables of stone by the finger of God.
He sees the children of Israel doing what they should not be doing and he destroys those tables of stone in exasperation.
You would think that destroying those stone tablets is what stopped Moses from entering the Promise Land.
The reason was that he disobeyed God’s Word, not because he broke stones tablets, but because he broke God’s Word.
Do not break the Word of God through disobedience.
It is established on the Rock, because those stones are a type of Jesus Christ.
That was the Word of God, given to the people of God in the wilderness, and the Bible is says that “Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”[29]
God hewed the tables of stone out of the mountain, and God’s Word was inscribed on them.
Jesus Christ is that Word made flesh – the Stone hewn out of the mountain.
The Church is established upon the Rock.
We stand upon the firm foundation of who Jesus is.
So, no enemy, no foe, can defeat you, or put a name on you that is not identified with Jesus Christ
Unless you allow it.
You have been baptized in His name. You have been established upon the Rock, and wherever you go, you take the Rock with you because you are in mountain of the Lord’s House on the top of the mountain – The Great Mountain – an ever-growing mountain.
“Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end….”[30]
How and when does the Stone destroy the image?
How and when does it destroy the godless system of this carnal world?[31]
Through the preaching of the Word, the preaching of Jesus Christ – The Great Mountain – the spreading of the Gospel destroys the kingdoms of this world.
That is how the stone in Daniel’s vision broke the great image.
Daniel 2:34-35, “Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.”
The Great Mountain is the Lord Jesus Christ; on top of that mountain is the Church, the kingdom of God.
In addition, we, the Church, will preach Jesus until the Gospel is preached throughout the whole earth.
The message of Jesus Christ is filling the whole earth right now.
When that happens then Daniel’s vision is fulfilled: “and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.[32]
“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”[33]
[1] John 10:10
[2] Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Hebrew Definitions. H350
[3] 1 Samuel 4:21-22
[4] Genesis 35:18.
[5] Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries. H1126.
[6] Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries. H1144.
[7] Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries. H2657.
[8] Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries. H1166.
[9] Philippians 2:9-11
[10] Colossians 2:9-10
[11] Acts 4:12
[12] Otis Wright. Jesus is the One, Yes, He’s the Only One.
[13] David P. Johnson & Jared S. Runck. (2017). Handbook on the Prophets. Word Aflame Press: Weldon Springs, MO. p. 84-85
[14] John 3:1-8
[15] Mark 16:16
[16] David P. Johnson & Jared S. Runck. (2017). Handbook on the Prophets. Word Aflame Press: Weldon Springs, MO. p. 84-85
[17] Dottie Rambo. (In the Valley) He Restoreth My Soul.
[18] Purpose Institute. (2019). Old Testament Studies. #6104 – Major Prophets. Lesson 4: The Book of Daniel. p. 5.
[19] Daniel 7:1-28
[20] Exodus 17:4-6
[21] 1 Corinthians 10:1-4
[22] John 7:37-38
[23] Acts 2:36-39
[24] Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries. G4074.
[25] Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries. G4073.
[26] Isaiah 2:2
[27] Matthew 16:18
[28] John 1:14
[29] John 1:1-3
[30] Isaiah 9:7
[31] Ibid.
[32] Daniel 2:35
[33] Matthew 24:14
Matthew 26:1-2
(1) And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples,
(2) Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.
In this passage we see
The Christ – The Chosen – The Crucified
The Christ
Ezekiel 34:11-12, 16
(11) For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.
(12) As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
(16) I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.
An absolutely oneness view of the Messiah. He came Himself to save His people:
Luke 4:18-19, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”
Ezekiel 37:24-25
(24) And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.
(25) And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.
“…David shall be their prince for ever.” = God manifest in the flesh
1 Timothy 3:16, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”
It was this Christ, this Messiah, This One True God in flesh, that gave Himself on the Cross for you.
The Chosen
John 15:15-19
(15) Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
(16) Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
(17) These things I command you, that ye love one another.
(18) If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
(19) If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
When God Wants to Drill a Man[1]
By: Angela Morgan[2]
| When God wants to drill a man | Watch His methods, watch His ways! | And he lifts beseeching hands! |
| And thrill a man | How He ruthlessly perfects | How He bends but never breaks |
| And skill a man, | Whom He royally elects! | When his good He undertakes; |
| When God wants to mold a man | How He hammers him and hurts him, | How He uses whom He chooses |
| To play the noblest part; | And with mighty blows converts him | And with every purpose fuses him; |
| When He yearns with all His heart | Into trial shapes of clay which | By every act induces him |
| To create so great and bold a man | Only God understands; | To try His splendour out– |
| That all the world shall be amazed, | While his tortured heart is crying | God knows what He’s about! |
You have been chosen
Your present struggle awaits a perfected future
God knows what He’s about!
He knows what He is doing.
Jas_2:5, “Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?”
1 Peter 2:9, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”
Rev. 17:14, “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.”
The Crucified
See paper: The Crucifixion Fulfills the Passover
Romans 6:6, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”
Gal. 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Mat. 10:38, “And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.”
Mat. 16:24, “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
The Christ – The Chosen – The Crucified
Ezekiel 36:26-27
(26) A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
(27) And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
[1] https://marbaniang.wordpress.com/2017/09/07/origin-of-the-poem-when-god-wants-to-drill-a-man/
[2] Believed to be an anonymously “Christianized” form of her 1918 poem When Nature Wants a Man.
Text: Exodus 3:13-15
(13) And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
(14) And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
(15) And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
Matthew 1:18-25
(18) Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
(19) Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
(20) But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
(21) And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
(22) Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
(23) Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
(24) Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
(25) And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
“To know” and “to understand” are different from one another.
Many know the name of Jesus,
But they don’t understand the greatness of the Name.
Name refers to the fame, authority, report, honor, character and record of God.
In the Hebrew the Name was known as far back as Moses.
It was not the articulation of the Name,
But what He who had the Name would do.
In this passage, the LORD established His eternal name as a record and a memorial with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Therefore, He was also their God as the children of those patriarchs.
The “I AM THAT I AM” is the progressive revelation of the name.
It simply means that Jehovah,
the Self-Existent One who exists all by Himself,
has no beginning or ending,
and needs no other to validate His existence.
He is to you what you let Him be to you.
So, when you understand that Name you find that the Lord is everything we need:
- He is our Salvation
- Genesis 49:18, “I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD.”
- Psalm 3:8, “Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.”
- Isaiah 12:2-4, “(2) Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. (3) Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. (4) And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.”
- He is our Redeemer
- Isaiah 49:16, “…and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.”
- Psalm 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”
- He is our Saviour
- Isaiah 43:11, “I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.”
- Isaiah 63:8, “For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour.”
- Luke 1:46-47, “And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.”
This all deals with the work of God to deliver people from sin and harm by paying the price necessary for their deliverance.
This great salvation we have was bought with a price: 1 Peter 1:18-21
(18) Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
(19) But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
(20) Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
(21) Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
“…and thou shalt call his name JESUS:
for he shall save his people from their sins.”
“This is my name forever” refers to God’s record and fame, his authority and character,
But when Gabriel spoke to Mary the name he told her to name the child was a proper name.
That name, the name of Jesus, held within it all the fullness of the record, fame, authority, character and honor of the I AM.
Colossians 2:9-10, “(9) For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. (10) And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:”
You need to get a personal and continuing revelation of Jesus Christ.
His first responsibility was to “save His people from their sins.”
How? Immanuel = God with us.
The only way He can reveal to you the superiority of His name is through you daily experiences.
You will never understand how God works until you get to the place where you allow Him to work.
Then you will begin to understand His Name.
The name of Jesus is a continuous and increasing revelation of His greatness.
You may be struggling with you present circumstance and having a difficult time with the “why” of it.
It may be that this is what God wants for you right now so that He can reveal more of Himself to you.
God love you too much to allow you to stay static, stagnant, and motionless.
Now would be a good time to give Jesus the credit for all the good things in your life.
For example, “Thank you, Jesus, for keeping me free from sin all day long.”
The Lord has different ways that He reveals Himself to us continuously.
A prayer this morning: “Lord, I want a greater revelation about and of You.”
To say as Paul, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings…” (Philippians 3:10).
Salvation has come to this house
Luke 19:1-10
(1) And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.
(2) And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
(3) And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.
(4) And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
(5) And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.
(6) And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
(7) And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
(8) And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
(9) And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
(10) For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Notice: Jesus is the salvation coming to Zacchaeus’ house
- V. 5 – Jesus said, “To day I must abide at thy house.”
- V. 9 – Jesus says, “This day is salvation come to this house…”
_______
Acts 4:12 – there is no other record, fame, authority whereby you must be saved.
You need a name change.
Your soul has not lived until you get a name change.
This can only take place when you are baptized in the only saving name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Moses changed Oshea’s name to Jehoshua.
Joshua had a job to do and his name was changed to fit his job.
Categories
Religious, But Lost
Text: Jeremiah 1:4-10
(4) Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
(5) Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
(6) Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
(7) But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.
(8) Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.
(9) Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
(10) See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
Ancillary: Jeremiah 29:11
(11) For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Moses
He is walking one day along a path when he turns to inspect something he has noticed for some time, but never investigated…
A bush that burns but is not consumed…
There, in that holy place, he meets the I AM and receives a calling that changed his life and resulted in the formation of a nation.
Here, in the The Exodus, we meet God as Savior.[1]
400 years in Egypt have turned a small tribe of 70 Hebrews into a mighty tribe of 2-7 million.
They have become, through no fault of their own, a threat to Egypt and so the Pharaoh of that day, forgetting the salvation brought by the hand of Joseph, enslaves these children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Children of promise enslaved.
You know the story, Moses comes to Pharaoh and delivers the Word from the I AM, “Let My People Go.”
Refusals and plagues ensue until eventually the Egyptian ruler let’s God’s people go.
When they leave, they make a journey, over the Red Sea, on dry ground, and their enemies are never seen again – Water Baptism.
On Mount Sinai God gives Moses the Ten Commandments and these Hebrew descendants of Jacob become a nation and take on his new name – Israel.
The Law – The Torah – 613 Commandments containing “248 Positive Commandments (do’s) and 365 Negative Commandments (do not’s).” [2]
The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17):
- Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
- Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image…
- Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain…
- Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
- Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
- Thou shalt not kill.
- Thou shalt not commit adultery.
- Thou shalt not steal.
- Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
- Thou shalt not covet…
Then they travel the wilderness for forty years
Why? An evil report…
After those long years, God sends Moses to Mount Nebo where he views the Land Promise and dies.
Moses introduced Israel to God as Savior and as the God of their Exodus who brought them out of bondage and made them into a nation.
God has done that for you tonight, He has put into place a way for you to exit sin, addiction, bondage, wickedness and given you a new name and put you into a holy nation:
(9) But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: (10) Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10).
Israel rejoiced in this identity, but in time they lost sight of something important – Relationship.
They had the covenant, but they lost the relationship.
Jeremiah
Over the course of 800 years, from Moses and The Exodus to Jeremiah’s day, these Israelites had turned away from and back to Jehovah – their Savior – untold times.
They would fall away and God would allow an enemy to rise up to chastise them and they would repent.
They would backslide and same process would take place again…
It became a cycle that denigrated the relationship God wanted with them to mere ritual and religion.
Would you want a relationship with someone who treated you like that?
They were Religious, But Lost.
These covenant people would sin, eventually feel guilty, offer the required sacrifice, go on their way forgiven — until they sinned again.
They had covenant with God, but no companionship with Him.
Into this atmosphere of sin, repent, sin, repent, sin, repent, we are introduced to Jeremiah. God knew and had a plan for him before he was ever conceived by his parents:
“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”[3]
That passage alone is a primer on God’s view on the sanctity of life…
Jeremiah then tries to get out of his calling, much like Moses before him, and he tells God, “I cannot speak: for I am a child.”[4]
And the Lord replied, Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you.[5]
You see, Jeremiah had a job to do
While Moses introduced the people to God as Savior, Jeremiah’s job was to introduce Him as God the Judge.[6]
So, The Exile of Judah becomes the main message of this young prophet as he begins his prophetic ministry at the age of 20.
He sorrows, laments, grieves, lives in depression at times as he deals with the loss that he witnesses over the course of 40-50 years.
Why? Because somewhere along the way these covenant people lost sight of their relationship with God and simply did not follow Him
WHEN THEY DID FOLLOW HIM it was with mere formalism, religiosity and ritual.
They knew what to do, but not how to do.
“He that knoweth to do good…”
Jerusalem falls, the Temple is destroyed, all the best and brightest young men and women are gathered by the Babylonian king and sent into exile.
And adding insult to injury, every time Jeremiah would open his mouth to speak the Word of God he was horribly mistreated. He prefigures Christ as a Suffering Servant with both his lamentations and his mistreatment.[7]
He was mistreated, imprisoned, beaten, lied on and abused – FOR THE WORD OF GOD – by kings, prophets, friends and even family.
This “son of Hilkiah” could have been a priest, but God ordained Him to be a Prophet.[8]
As such, he was mistreated, to the point where he said, “O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me. For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily. Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay” (Jeremiah 20:7-9).
In this environment of destruction and disappointment, heartache and hurt, fear and frustration, Jeremiah writes a prophecy of Hope and healing from the Lord (Jeremiah 29:4-14):
(4) Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon; <<Marduk v. Jehovah = no match. Jehovah did this>>
(5) Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;
(6) Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.
(7) And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.
(8) For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.
(9) For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD.
(10) For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
(11) For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
(12) Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
(13) And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
(14) And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.
Deliverance and return is on the way. Even for the Religious, But Lost
You who love and want a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus still desires to dwell in the midst of His people.
He still wants relationship with you.
The Danger of Religion is that you lose relationship with Jesus and become religious, but lost:
- Repentance is not about confession to change, but you just want to relieve guilt.
- Your clean robe of righteousness (bag of sins is full) becomes dirty with sin and you pray, “I’m sorry, Lord. Please forgive me.”
- The routine of repentance has nothing to do with change, but in just “feeling” better.
- You feel better now, since you confessed, you’ll be ok until you forget what the guilt felt like and then you sin again. Why not? Your robe of righteousness is clean now anyways (your bag of sins is empty now).
- How can you maintain a relationship with someone who treat you like that?
- God is not into religion, but He loves relationship![9]
The People of Judah has lost that connection of relationship with God. Their behavior towards one another and their worship of God was addressed by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 7:9-11):
(9) Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; (10) And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? (11) Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.
It appears that Jeremiah is listing the Ten Commandments in reverse order to show that God is more interested in righteous behavior (right relationship) than in covenantal position.[10]
How you treat your neighbor is more important and a more clear indicator of your relationship with God than if you are born again and speak in tongues all the time.
If you speak in tongues all day long and don’t know how to treat your neighbor right then you are Religious, But Lost.
“He is a God of completion, not competition.” –Harold Hoffman
Come to Jesus – Get to Know Him – treat each other right
It’s all about relationship
[1] Runck, Jared S. and David P. Johnson. (2017). Handbook on the Prophets. Weldon Spring, MO: Pentecostal Publishing House.
[2] Hecht, Mendy. The 613 Commandments (Mitzvot). Accessed: 3/20/2023. https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/756399/jewish/The-613-Commandments-Mitzvot.htm
[3] Jer. 1:5
[4] Jer. 1:6
[5] Jer. 1:7, NLT
[6] Runck, Jared S. and David P. Johnson. (2017). Handbook on the Prophets. Weldon Spring, MO: Pentecostal Publishing House.
[7] Purpose Institute. (2019). #6104 – Major Prophets – Lesson 2: Jeremiah and Lamentations.
[8] Jeremiah 1:1
[9] Partially derived from Harold Hoffman’s teaching on 1/16/2022. Heart Attack (Lesson 3). https://www.youtube.com/live/GrCM32v1haA.
[10] Runck, Jared S. and David P. Johnson. (2017). Handbook on the Prophets. Weldon Spring, MO: Pentecostal Publishing House.
Picture Credit: Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn. (1606-1669). Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem. Accessed: 3/30/2023. http://www.rembrandtpainting.net/complete_catalogue/storia/jeremiah.htm.
The Pillar and Ground of Truth 