A CHANGE OF MIND

Philippians 2:5-7 NKJV

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.”

Colossians 3:22-24 NKJV

“Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”

Matthew 5:38-42 NKJV

You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.”

Philippians 2:5-8 NKJV

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

Nehemiah 4:1-6 NKJV

But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews. And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish—stones that are burned?” Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall.” Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn their reproach on their own heads, and give them as plunder to a land of captivity! Do not cover their iniquity, and do not let their sin be blotted out from before You; for they have provoked You to anger before the builders. So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.”

Romans 12:1-2

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Philippians 2:5-11 NKJV

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Galatians 2:20 NKJV

 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Mission 4-14

Matthew 18:1–6 (CSB)

1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “So who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 He called a small child and had him stand among them. 3 “Truly I tell you,” he said, “unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child—this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one child like this in my name welcomes me.

6 “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to fall away—it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea.

Will We Lose This Generation?

The world is working overtime to steal the hearts of kids. Their minds are saturated with screens that preach a godless, secular worldview that is focused on pleasing one thing: themselves. Relativistic values, gender fluidity, cancel culture, and socialism are today’s “truths” being taught as early as kindergarten. In a world flooded with ideas and information, the only consistent message kids are receiving is that Christianity is bigoted and dangerous.

Nearly 70% of the students in high school youth groups “graduate” and never come back to church. Most church kids know about God but have never experienced Him.

Growing up we had 3 channels; today they have 300+

Social Media – movie: The Social Dilemma

2 weeks ago the CEOs of Meta, TikTok, X and other social media companies went before the Senate Judiciary Committee

#1 desire is to be an influencer (social media influencer)

54% spend 4+ hours/day on social media (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok)

Popularize negative trends

SUICIDE

Last year, suicide rates in the U.S. were the highest they had been since 1941, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

During the last two decades, youth suicide has increased significantly. From 2007 through 2021, suicide rates for Americans ages 10 to 24 rose 62%, according to the CDC.

In 2021, 9% of high school students reported attempting suicide during the previous 12 months

• 3 out of 5 teen girls felt “persistently sad or hopeless”

• 30% of teen girls seriously considered suicide

• 18% of teen girls experienced sexual violence in the last year

LGBTQ+

According to a 2022 Gallup poll, 20.8% of Gen Z identifies as a member of the

LGBTQ+ community

Transgender

Gender affirming care

Body integrity dysphoria — feeling like one’s limb doesn’t belong or is disconnected. We wouldn’t encourage someone to have the limb amputated because it doesn’t fit - paraphrase

ROGD- rapid onset gender dysphoria. Littman study - avg age 16; 80% female

Key factors for girls:

• 1. Influence of girls friend group

• 2. The tendency to manifest gender dysphoria as a coping mechanism for other issues.

• 3. Increased social media consumption

Colossians 2:8 (CSB)

8 Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elements of the world, rather than Christ.

INSTEAD OF BEING TAKEN CAPTIVE – WE NEED to TAKE CAPTIVE EVERY THOUGHT

2 Corinthians 10:5

“…take every thought captive to obey Christ”

EVERY MOVIE YOU WATCH, EVERY YOUTUBE/FB REEL IS A SERMON - Worldview

2011 Swedish study - considered prior psychiatric illnesses.

Among post operative transsexuals suicide attempts 5x more likely

Hospitalized for psychiatric care 3x more likely

People who transitioned 19x more likely to commit suicide

BBC investigative journalist Hannah Barnes, “ withholding transgender medical interventions for minors has never never been shown to cause a higher rate of suicide” - Barnes embraces transgender ideology But says, “common therapies like puberty blockers and cross sex hormones Do not improve outcomes. Puberty blockers like lupron have known and frequent Noside effects such as depression, anxiety, arthritis and bone fractures.

Sweden, UK, Norway, France – rethinking puberty blockers and cross sex hormones because of so many side-effects. Once avante garde, now they are pulling back and saying is this what’s best

Eventually the truth will win out and we will look back on this phase like we do on lobotomies and such.

BUT PARENTS PREVENTED FROM PROTECTING KIDS!!!!

TRANS SANCTUARY STATES: Colorado, California, Illinois, Maryland, New Mexico and Minnesota, New York -

prevent state courts or officials from complying with child removal requests, extraditions, arrests or subpoenas related to gender-affirming health care that a person receives or provides in Minnesota.

Our world is more interested in affirming feelings than confirming facts - Ryan Baumberger (World Magazine)

RESOURCES

– Katie McCoy - To Be A Woman (book)

• Rosaria Butterfield (former lesbian professor and women’s activist) - 5 Lies

AXIS.ORG

EVERY MIDDLE SCHOOLER FEELS THEY DON’T FIT

2 Corinthians 10:3–5 (ESV)

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

SINGLE PARENTING

Most growing up with one parent, or split time between 2 or with step siblings/blended family.

DISRESPECT OF PARENTS – cultural

Sitcoms, YouTube, movies

Ephesians 6:1–3 (ESV)

1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”

Deuteronomy 6:5–9 (CSB)

5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. 7 Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates.

SOLUTION:

(Mission 4-14)

THERE ARE MORE CHILDREN ALIVE TODAY THAN AT ANY OTHER TIME IN HISTORY.

nearly 2 BILLION LIVES are preparing to inherit the earth from us.

63% OF PEOPLE WHO COME TO FAITH IN CHRIST DO SO BETWEEN THE AGES OF 4 AND 14

As teens get older, they become captivated by the world and their hearts begin to harden

toward God. Only 3% of evangelical Christians came to faith after age 29.

VISION

•To see children of light empowered and equipped to share their faith, prophesy, and reach their generation with the love of Christ

•To see young people that walk with the integrity of Daniel, the courage of David, and the power of God!

R-KIDS WORSHIP CENTER (Mission 4-14) SLIDE

Kids worship

Expand summer music camp

After school tutoring

Additional counseling offices

Expand to day care

ALSO going into schools – First Priority to love kids and share the gospel.

RESOURCES –

RightNow Media (free!) https://www.revealfellowship.com/rnmedia

World Watch - 10 minute Christian video program for kids

The World and Everything In It Podcast - for adults/teens

WHO I AM

Isaiah 43:1-4 NKJV

“…thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, And I have loved you...’

Acts 7:20 NKJV

“…Moses was born, and was well pleasing to God; and he was brought up in his father’s house for three months.”

Acts 7:20 ESV

“…Moses was beautiful in God's sight…”

Exodus 3:1-3 NKJV

“Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.”

Acts 7:23-31 NKJV

“Now when he (Moses) was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel. And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended and avenged him who was oppressed, and struck down the Egyptian. For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand. And the next day he appeared to two of them as they were fighting, and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren; why do you wrong one another?’ But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? Do you want to kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday?’ Then, at this saying, Moses fled and became a dweller in the land of Midian, where he had two sons. “And when forty years had passed, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai. When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he drew near to observe, the voice of the Lord came to him,”

Exodus 3:4 NKJV

“So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”

Exodus 3:5 NKJV

Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.”

James 4:8-10 NKJV

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

Exodus 3:6-10 NKJV

Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. And the Lord said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

Exodus 3:11-14 NKJV

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” So He said, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

John 8:58 NKJV

Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

🔥I AM🔥

(The Gospel of John)

1. I AM the bread of life  (6:35,48)

2. I AM the light of the world (8:12,3:5)

3. I AM the gate  (10:7)

4. I AM the good shepherd (10:11,14)

5. I AM the resurrection and the life (11:25)

6. I AM the way and the truth and the life (14:8)

7. I AM the true vine (15:1,5)

Galatians 2:20 NKJV

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

HOW I SEE GOD

Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Jude 1:20-21 NKJV

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

I John 3:1-2 NKJV

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”

Acts 7:54-60 NKJV

“When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”

Acts 7:1-2 NKJV

Then the high priest said, “Are these things so?” And he said, “Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia…”

Hebrews 11:8-10, 17-19 NKJV

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.”

Exodus 11:1, 4-6 NKJV

And the Lord said to Moses, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out of here altogether. Then Moses said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt; and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the female servant who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the animals. Then there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as was not like it before, nor shall be like it again.”

Exodus 13:1-2 NKJV

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine.”

Colossians 1:15-17 NKJV

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist

Genesis 22:1-2 NKJV

Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

Genesis 22:3-4 NKJV

So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off.

Genesis 22:5 NKJV

And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”

Genesis 22:6-8 NKJV

So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.

John 14:7 NKJV

“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”

John 8:56-58 NKJV

“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

Genesis 22:9-12 NKJV

 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”

Genesis 22:13-14 NKJV

Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

John 3:16 NKJV

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Heaven – A New Year Resolution

2023 Year in Review – What Happened?

From Chinese Spy Balloons, Russia Ukraine War -  Israel Hamas war – Titan submersible implosion, Maui wildfires, lots of political stuff with Biden, Trump, Speakers of the House

         Notable deaths –

         PASTORS: Pat Robertson, Charles Stanley, Jack Hayford, Mylon LeFevre

Sandra Day O’Connor, Sinead O’Connor, Harry Belafonte, Jimmy Buffet, Tony Bennet, Tina Turner, Henry Kissinger, Norman Lear, Rosyln Carter, Bobby Knight, Suzanne Summers, Bob Barker, Jerry Springer, Raquel Welch, Lisa Marie Presley

         DRUG OVERDOSES

         Matthew Perry (54)

         Dex Carvey (32)

         Evan Ellingson (35)

BUT  - you probably also lost someone or even multiple friends or family members in 2023.

Ecclesiastes 7:2–4 (NLT)

2 Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties. After all, everyone dies— so the living should take this to heart. 3Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us. 4 A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time.

LORI AND TYE – 30 YEARS –

         Wedding Picture – thought that a black and white theme wedding would be classic and timeless – but the style of dresses certainly wasn’t!

BUT 30 years – reflected on what we have done, where we have been, where did the time go?

Unless we plan, we are likely to continue the trajectory that we are on.

Are we on the right trajectory? Are we on the right path?

  going to Australia?(illustration of Heaven) – Go through Seattle – 3200 miles direct or 3800 miles if visit Yosemite National Park, regardless need a plane or boat to get there. Can’t get there by walking, swimming, driving, riding. Like Heaven - must go through Jesus Christ.

ONLY ONE WAY TO GOD – through Jesus Christ

         BUT the path God has for you can have many twist and turns.

John 14:6 (ESV)

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 (ESV)

11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.

If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world… earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing. ... I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and help others to do the same. – C.S. Lewis  in Mere Christianity

Revelation 21:1-8 (ESV)

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” 5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

HEAVEN AMAZING –

God dwelling with man, wiping away every tear

Making all things new

NEW HEAVEN

NEW EARTH

NEW BODY!

Spring of water of life – free!

HEAVEN ALSO DEFINED BY WHAT’S NOT THERE

No more death

No more mourning

No more crying

Who is not in Heaven?

Revelation 21:8

8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.

Ouch –

Detestable

Murderers

Sexually immoral – pornos/porneia (all forms of sexual immorality, homosexuality, pornography, bestiality, fornication, adultery, pedophilia, hooking-up, friends with benefits)

Sorcerers – pharmakia – drug use, witchcraft,

Idolaters – any idols, any thing above God

Liars –

     Notice also:

            Cowardly

             Faithless

WENT TO BIRTHDAY PARTY YESTERDAY –

I was content to talk to the friends and people I knew, believers, throw the ball, eat hotdogs and cake. But there were others there who weren’t believers.

The waitress at the restaurant we went to Friday night – I often ask if I can pray for them. I thought about, but didn’t feel “in the mood.”

                     I HAD LOST SIGHT OF HEAVEN AND HELL!

I don’t need to share the gospel with everyone I meet, but I need to be listening to the Holy Spirit and asking, “Lord, do you want me to say something? If so, what?”

Plant seeds, water seeds, harvest!

  Satan wants us to think that Hell is unthinkable.

Those family parties – your Christian friend is likely longing and praying SOMEONE will talk to their sister, cousin, mother, father, aunt, uncle about Jesus because they may have been shut out.

I wasn’t being a good friend.

I need to be spiritually aware and listening to Jesus to know what He wants me to do everyday.

BUT IF I MISSED GOD’S DIRECTION IN THOSE MOMENTS, AM I MISSING GOD’S DIRECTION IN THE BIGGER THINGS, TOO?

YEAR END IS A GOOD TIME TO EXAMINE OUR LIVES (can really do it anytime, but the world helps us).

News asks – what were the big stories of 2023?

                            Where are we headed in 2024?

Examine yourself

Did you live 2023 on mission, mindful of your final destination? Or we you primarily enjoying the journey?

Not wrong to enjoy the journey. But can’t lose site of the final destination.

APOSTLE PAUL had a great “spiritual resume” as a Pharisee.

Philippians 3:7–11 (ESV)

7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Besides having heaven and hell stamped on our hearts,

Paul seeks to

1.    Know Christ (know Him or about Him?)

2.    Know the power of His resurrection.

3.    Share in His sufferings (persecuted, afflicted, humbled)

4.    Become like Him in His death (not my will but yours be done)

Philippians 3:12 (ESV)

12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.

Philippians 3:13–14 (ESV)

13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

I MUST KEEP HEAVEN IN VIEW

So examine your life this past year…

                            Were you living with heaven in mind? Or just enjoying the journey?

                            Is the path you are on, the path God wants for you? Or the path you want?

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

GEN Z and Millennials most likely to make NY Resolutions; older less likely

PHYSICAL HEALTH - Fitness / Weightloss / Diet

FINANCIAL GOALS - Save $, Spend less

REDUCE STRESS / LESS TIME ON SOCIAL MEDIA

 TOP ONES (ACCORDING TO FORBES) IS FITNESS

RESOLUTIONS FOR HEAVEN

1. PHYSICAL HEALTH - FITNESS/WEIGHTLOSS/DIET – top resolutions

Health is a good goal, be a good steward of the body God gave you.

IF YOU DON’T TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY, YOU CAN’T COMPLETE YOUR MISSION

Some sickness is simply the result of poor eating habits. NOT ALL

2. FINANCIAL HEALTH –

Investors look at the return on their investment, monthly, quarterly, weekly? (daily?)

What’s the return on how you have invested your finances in 2023?

Would God say you have invested well or poorly?

Are you drowning in debt, trying to live beyond your means?

 am I spending money in light of eternity?

Am I investing in heaven, or trying to make heaven on earth?

START BY PUTTING GOD FIRST IN YOUR FINANCES

Malachi 3:8–10 (NLT)

8 “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! “But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’ “You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. 9 You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!

If your financial health is not good, is it perhaps because you have not put God first and returning the tithe to him? Tithe = tenth.

3. FAITH HEALTH

Are you growing your faith with food that inspires you, challenges you, and calls you to live in light of eternity?

Or are you scrolling through reels, burning time, desiring more of the WORLD?

Are you in an Acts 29 community – inspiring you, praying for you, encouraging you to stand strong in the Lord? Or are you a lone ranger?

4. MISSION HEALTH

Are you doing what God created you to do?

Parable of the talents (talent unit of weight = about 75-90 lbs)

Talents abilities

Matthew 25:14–30 (ESV)

14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

AROUND 60 million people died in 2023 AROUND THE WORLD

Some new it was coming, many did not.

All stood before Jesus and went one of 2 ways.

Our faith is inspired by believers who lived all out for Jesus. The Hall of Faith in Hebrews is full of people who God used mightily. Many were flawed and made mistakes, yet they are listed in the hall of faith because of their trust in God.

PICTURE OF PASTORS WHO PASSED (Charles Stanley, Pat Robertson, Jack Hayford, Mylon Lefevre)

Hebrews 12:1–2 (ESV)

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

JESUS HAD HIS EYE ON THE PRIZE – SO HE COULD ENDURE THE CROSS, THE SHAME

2024 IS LIKELY TO HAVE SOME BUMPS, SOME CHALLENGES, but if I’m focused on heaven and having Paul’s focus/mind?

1.    Know Christ (know Him or about Him?)

2.    Know the power of His resurrection.

3.    Share in His sufferings (persecuted, afflicted, humbled)

4.    Become like Him in His death (not my will but yours be done)

I’m not going to lose heart

Hebrews 12:3 (ESV)

3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

APPLICATION - What is your next step?

Are you living in the light of eternity, with a view of heaven? (Do you know for sure you are going to heaven?)

How is your physical health? Financial health? Faith health?  Mission health?

Which of Paul’s desire do you need to grow in?

1.    Know Christ (know Him or about Him?) – Rapid Overview

2.    Know the power of His resurrection.

3.    Share in His sufferings (persecuted, afflicted, humbled)

4.    Become like Him in His death (not my will but yours be done)

Mission Trip?

CHOSEN BY GOD Part 4

John 1:29-34 NKJV

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.” And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”

Genesis 22:7-9

Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there…

Revelation 13:8 NKJV

“…the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

Isaiah 53:1-11

“Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.”

Romans 5:6-11 NKJV

“For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”

I Corinthians 11:23-26 NKJV

“For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.”

2 Corinthians 5:21

 “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

CHOSEN BY GOD part 3

Psalm 139:1-2, 13-14 NKJV

“O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. For You formed my inward parts

You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.”

Matthew 3:1-2 NKJV

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand

Luke 1:39-41 NKJV

“Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Luke 1:67, 76-80 NKJV

Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.” So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.

John 1:6-8 NKJV

“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.”

Acts 1:4-5, 8 NKJV

“And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now… You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Zephaniah 3:9

“For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, That they all may call on the name of the LORD, To serve Him with one accord.”

Isaiah 40:3-5 NKJV

The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Revelation 3:18

“I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.”

Matthew 11:11 NKJV

“Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

Matthew 11:1-6 NKJV

Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities. And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”

Matthew 3:1-17 NKJV

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’ ” Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

John 1:29 NKJV

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

Romans 8:29-30

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified

Jeremiah 1:4-5 NKJV

Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

CHOSEN BY GOD: “Behold”

I Peter 2:9 NKJV

“… you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;”

Ephesians 1:3-6 NKJV

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.”

Ephesians 1:4-8 NLT

“Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.”

 Luke 1:26-27NKJV

“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

Isaiah 64:6-8 NKJV

“But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away. And there is no one who calls on Your name, Who stirs himself up to take hold of You; For You have hidden Your face from us, And have consumed us because of our iniquities. But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.”

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 NLT

“Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God. God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”

Luke 1:28-34NKJV

And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”

Luke 1:35-37 NKJV

And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.

37For with God nothing will be impossible.”

Luke 1:37 ASV

“For no word from God shall be void of power.”

Luke 1:39-45 NKJV

“Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”

Luke 1:46-55 NKJV

And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.

For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name.

And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever.”

Luke 1:38 ESV

“And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."

MY DOMINION OVER DARKNESS

Luke 23:44-46 NKJV

Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last.

Genesis 1:26-28 NKJV

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

DOMINION: Radah

To Rule

To govern

To master

To manage

Sovereign Authority

DOMINION

1. Fish

2. Birds

3. Every living thing (Not people)

NEW TESTAMENT

4. The Spiritual battles (inside & out)

Psalm 8:1-9 NKJV

“O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens! Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger. When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, All sheep and oxen— Even the beasts of the field, The birds of the air, And the fish of the sea That pass through the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth!”

MAN: ISH (plural)

Men & woman. ISHA

WOMAN: ISHA (from man)

Matthew 27:33-34 NKJV

“And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull, they gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink.”

 II Timothy 1:7 NKJV

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

“Oh, you think darkness is your ally. But you merely adopted the dark; I was born in it, molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but BLINDING!” – Bane from The Dark Night

Genesis 1:1-3 NKJV

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.

I Thessalonians 5:5-6 NKJV

“You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.”

Matthew 5:14-16 NKJV

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Isaiah 60:1-5 NKJV

“Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. “Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons shall come from afar, And your daughters shall be nursed at your side. Then you shall see and become radiant, And your heart shall swell with joy..”

John 16:22-24 NKJV

“Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you. “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”

Romans 6:12-14 NKJV

“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”

II Corinthians 12:7-10 NKJV

“And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Romans 7:1-4 NKJV

“…do you not know, brethren that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man. Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.”

II Corinthians 10:4-5 NKJV

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”

Isaiah 54:17 NKJV

No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord.

Ephesians 2:1-10 NKJV

“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

LIFE IN THE LAND OF LAWLESSNESS PART 3

 Isaiah 43:1 NKJV

“But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.”

 Revelation 12:11

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”

Proverbs 22:1

“A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.”

Isaiah 49:1

“…Before I was born the Lord called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.”

Revelation 3:4-6

“You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Revelation 3:12 NKJV

“He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.”

Revelation 13:11-18 NKJV

“Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.”

“The Mahdi is my of lineage, with a high forehead, and a long, thin, curved nose. He will fill the earth with fairness and justice, as it was filled with oppression and injustice,  he will rule for SEVEN years.”

The (false) prophet Muhammad (From the Hadith)

PSALMS 2:1-6

“Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us.”

He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in contempt. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure: “YET I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.”

Isaiah 43:1 NKJV

“But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.”

Genesis 32:24-30 NKJV

Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” So He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob.” And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.” And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there. So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.”

ISRAEL

1. One who wrestles with God

2. Let God prevail

3. Governed by God

MY NEW NAME (comes with)

1. PURPOSE

2. PROBLEMS

3. PAIN

4. PURITY

5. POWER

“When you find that nothing in this world will satisfy you, perhaps it means you were made for another world”

• C.S. LEWIS

Isaiah 43:1-5

“But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, And I have loved you; Therefore I will give men for you, And people for your life. Fear not, for I am with you…”

LIFE IN THE LAND OF LAWLESSNESS Part 2

Romans 8:28

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Ephesians 6:12 NKJV

“For we do not wrestle against flesh l and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Matthew 24:12-14

“And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

Psalm 27:13

“I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.”

II Thessalonians 2:1-4

“Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”

an·ti-Sem·i·tism

noun

    1.    hostility to or prejudice against Jewish people.

THE JEWS & THEIR LIES

(Martin Luther)

    1.    Identifies them as Vermin

    2.    Identifies the whole race as liars, thieves

    3.    Identifies the whole race as stupid fools

    4.    Warns Christians to stay away from Jews

    5.    Calls for the government to deal with them by burning down their synagogues, houses, and limiting their travel with checkpoints

    6.    “advise that their rabbis be forbidden to teach henceforth on pain of loss of life and limb.”

“I see this revived spirit of antisemitism as the resurrection of an evil that has to be firmly and totally rejected and Jewish people protected from persecution and harm.”

Pastor Norm Wise

Genesis 12:1-4 NKJV

“Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him…”

Genesis 15:18 NIV

“On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates—”

Exodus 1:1-16 NKJV

“Now these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt; each man and his household came with Jacob: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. All those who were descendants of Jacob were seventy persons (for Joseph was in Egypt already). And Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation. But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them. Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, “Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land.” Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel. So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor. And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage—in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor. Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah; and he said, “When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.”

“I know, I know. We are Your chosen people. But, once in a while, can't You choose someone else?”

Tevye from Fiddler on the roof

I Corinthians 10:11 NKJV

“Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”

Jeremiah 3:8-10  NKJV

“Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also. So it came to pass, through her casual harlotry, that she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me with her whole heart, but in pretense,” says the Lord.

Jeremiah 3:12-14 NKJV

Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say: ‘Return, backsliding Israel,’ says the Lord; ‘I will not cause My anger to fall on you. For I am merciful,’ says the Lord; ‘I will not remain angry forever. Only acknowledge your iniquity, That you have transgressed against the Lord your God…”

“…“Return, O backsliding children,” says the Lord; “for I am married to you…”

Romans 11:1-5 NKJV

“I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”? But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.”

Romans 11:19-27 NKJV

“You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.””

Jeremiah 3:1 NKJV

“They say, ‘If a man divorces his wife, And she goes from him And becomes another man’s, May he return to her again?’ Would not that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the harlot with many lovers; Yet return to Me,” says the Lord.”

Romans 9:13 NKJV

“As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”

Galatians 3:1-9 NKJV

“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?— just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.”

I Peter 2:9-10 NKJV

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”

Romans 8:28-39 NKJV

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

LIFE IN THE LAND OF LAWLESSNESS

II Timothy‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come…”

Matthew‬ ‭24‬:‭3‬-‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“…the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”

‭‭II Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”

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Matthew‬ ‭24‬:‭36‬-‭39‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”

Genesis 6:9-12 NKJV

“This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God. And Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.”

Isaiah 34:8 NKJV

“For it is the day of the Lord’s vengeance, The year of recompense for the cause of Zion.”

THE DAYS OF NOAH

1. Exploding population

2. Sexual perversion with genetic manipulation

3. Evil imaginations

4. Evil violence

I Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,”

Isaiah‬ ‭5‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!”

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‭‭II Thessalonians‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.”

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Psalms‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.”

‭‭

“This shows how “migration is not a development ‘problem’ to be solved, but a mechanism that can contribute to the achievement of many of the Goals” (Foresti and Hagen-Zanker, 2017)

‭

Genesis‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose.”

Genesis‬ ‭6‬:‭3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”

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Genesis‬ ‭6‬:‭4‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.”

‭‭

Numbers‬ ‭13‬:‭32‬-‭33‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

II Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“…God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;”

Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭28‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.”

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II Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭8-‭14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;”

‭‭

Genesis‬ ‭6‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch.”

Genesis‬ ‭6‬:‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.”

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Genesis‬ ‭6‬:‭18‬-‭22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. And of every living thing of all flesh you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. Of the birds after their kind, of animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing of the earth after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive. And you shall take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and you shall gather it to yourself; and it shall be food for you and for them.” Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.”

John‬ ‭14‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—”

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Luke‬ ‭22‬:‭14‬-‭20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.”

‭‭

WHEN THE IMPOSSIBLE BECOMES POSSIBLE

Luke 18:27 NKJV

 “…The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”

Exodus 14:1-3, 10-14 NKJV

Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’

“You’ll never know Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have”

Corrie Ten Boom

Jeremiah 29:10-14 NKJV

“For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord…”

“Like everyone else, you want to learn the way to win. But never except the way to lose. To accept defeat, to learn to die, is to be liberated from it. You must free your ambitious mind, and learn the art of dying”

-       Bruce Lee

John 12:24-25 NKJV

“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”

Matthew 24:32-35 NKJV

“Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”

Matthew 24:7-8 NKJV

“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

 Luke 21:28 NKJV

“Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

II Corinthians 4:8-9 NKJV

“We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—”

Philippians 4:7 NKJV

“…the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

John 14:27 NKJV

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

John 20:19 NKJV

“Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

Exodus 14:10-14 NKJV

And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.” And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

Exodus 14:15-16 NKJV

And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.”

Exodus 14:19 NKJV

“And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them.”

I Corinthians 10:1-4 NKJV

 “…brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.”

Exodus 14:21-22 NKJV

“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.”

Exodus 14:27-31 NKJV

And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained. But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. So the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Thus Israel saw the great work which the Lord had done in Egypt; so the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord and His servant Moses.

Isaiah 43:1-4 NKJV

“…thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, And I have loved you..”

Samson’s Revenge

Revenge – Inigo Mantoya in Princess Bride

            John Wick – justice on the guys who killed his dog

Avengers

Can Christians get revenge? Is Christian Revenge possible or contradictory to the Gospel?

Does the Bible talk about Revenge? Surprisingly a lot!

Jesus saying if someone strikes you on right cheek, turn to him the other as well, seems to eliminate Christian Revenge.

BUT what about Justice?!?

            Justice for wrongdoers.

            Justice for the orphan, widow, poor, the foreigner

Judges 15:1–3 (ESV)

1 After some days, at the time of wheat harvest, Samson went to visit his wife with a young goat. And he said, “I will go in to my wife in the chamber.” But her father would not allow him to go in. 2 And her father said, “I really thought that you utterly hated her, so I gave her to your companion. Is not her younger sister more beautiful than she? Please take her instead.” 3 And Samson said to them, “This time I shall be innocent in regard to the Philistines, when I do them harm.”

Previous chapter – made a bet – if they could solve his riddle he had to give them 30 changes of clothes – kills 30 Philistines to fulfill his promise. (so guilty)

Mad at philistines – but actually the father who has done wrong.

            He takes it out on all philistines

            Justice in our eyes  - goes too far!

Someone hurts me – I hurt the whole family.

Exodus 21:22–25 (ESV)

22 “When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman’s husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. 23But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

Leviticus 24:19–20 (ESV)

19 If anyone injures his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him, 20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him.

Exodus 21:22–25 (ESV)

22 “When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman’s husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. 23But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

God’s justice had limits –

            Man’s justice exceeded.

            Today – legal system civil and criminal, $

Let’s see how Samson is going to respond to his wife being given to another?

Judges 15:4–5 (ESV)

4 So Samson went and caught 300 foxes and took torches. And he turned them tail to tail and put a torch between each pair of tails. 5 And when he had set fire to the torches, he let the foxes go into the standing grain of the Philistines and set fire to the stacked grain and the standing grain, as well as the olive orchards.

Burned standing and stacked grain (remember harvest time) and olive orchards!

Huge financial losses – not just stealing but destroying wealth

Did it to many people, not just the dad or the best man who took his wife

Judges 15:6 (ESV)

6 Then the Philistines said, “Who has done this?” And they said, “Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he has taken his wife and given her to his companion.” And the Philistines came up and burned her and her father with fire.

Philistines burn the father and wife. – JUSTICE?

Our world is full of justice – or injustice

We have an innate sense of justice. Something violates that we want to see it made right.

“anger always makes a value judgment. Anger is always a moral matter. It has rightly been called the moral emotion because it makes a statement about what matters”

*“Moral sanity must disapprove of wrong and that disapproval is the essence of anger” – David Powlison, Good and Angry

At times, it is right to be angry.

James 1:19–20 (ESV)

19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Ephesians 4:26–27 (ESV)

26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil.

Opportunity = “place” (topos)

Christian anger – yes, Christian revenge – NO!

Revenge –

Genesis 4:23b–24 (ESV)

23…I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me. 24 If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.”

Genesis 34 – Rape of Dinah (Simeon and Levi kill all the men of Shechem)

I was innocent and you hurt me; now you are guilty and I need to teach you a lesson – so MORE!

GOLDEN RULE:

Matthew 7:12 (ESV)

12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Revenge is a demonic twist on the golden rule

Leviticus 19:17–18 (ESV)

17 “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. 18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

We judge others by their actions but ourselves by our intentions.

            AND if we have evil in our heart we judge ourselves righteous if we don’t act and others wicked if we perceive evil intentions

Judges 15:6 (ESV)

6 Then the Philistines said, “Who has done this?” And they said, “Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he has taken his wife and given her to his companion.” And the Philistines came up and burned her and her father with fire.

Judges 15:7–8 (ESV)

7 And Samson said to them, “If this is what you do, I swear I will be avenged on you, and after that I will quit.” 8 And he struck them hip and thigh with a great blow, and he went down and stayed in the cleft of the rock of Etam.

Judges 15:8 (CSB)

8 He tore them limb from limb and then went down and stayed in the cave at the rock of Etam.

PROGRESSION

Philistines cheat to get out of the wager

            Samson kills 30 to fulfill, but leaves afterward

Father-in-law marries off daughter

            Samson sets fire to crops with 300 foxes

Philistines burn father-in-law and wife

            Samson kills a bunch, tearing limb from limb

                        Then I’ll quit

Judges 15:9–10 (ESV)

9 Then the Philistines came up and encamped in Judah and made a raid on Lehi. 10 And the men of Judah said, “Why have you come up against us?” They said, “We have come up to bind Samson, to do to him as he did to us.”

Philistines in control – the govt.

Judah  - “Why have you come up against us? What did we do?”

Do to him as he did to us? – justice

            Want to bind him, not kill him?

            Fate worse than death – humiliate, torture…

Judges 15:11 (ESV)

11 Then 3,000 men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and said to Samson, “Do you not know that the Philistines are rulers over us? What then is this that you have done to us?” And he said to them, “As they did to me, so have I done to them.”

Samson’s golden rule –

            Our justice – is all about us; we don’t really see the other person; we see “just us”

Judges 15:12–13 (ESV)

12 And they said to him, “We have come down to bind you, that we may give you into the hands of the Philistines.” And Samson said to them, “Swear to me that you will not attack me yourselves.” 13 They said to him, “No; we will only bind you and give you into their hands. We will surely not kill you.” So they bound him with two new ropes and brought him up from the rock.

Just going to bind you (that’s what they want) – just do whatever the govt says

Judges 15:14–17 (ESV)

14 When he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting to meet him. Then the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and the ropes that were on his arms became as flax that has caught fire, and his bonds melted off his hands. 15 And he found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, and put out his hand and took it, and with it he struck 1,000 men. 16 And Samson said, “With the jawbone of a donkey, heaps upon heaps, with the jawbone of a donkey have I struck down a thousand men.” 17 As soon as he had finished speaking, he threw away the jawbone out of his hand. And that place was called Ramath-lehi.  (Jawbone Hill)

Samson – arrested by the enemy – but Spirit of Lord rushes upon him.

            Grabs donkey jawbone kills 1000 men.

            Donkey jaw bone – touching the dead thing again

REMEMBER SAMSON WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A NAZIRITE:

            No grapes

            No dead things

            No haircuts

Touching the dead again

Judges 15:18 (ESV)

18 And he was very thirsty, and he called upon the Lord and said, “You have granted this great salvation by the hand of your servant, and shall I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?”

Samson attitude – whiny, complaining

Judges 15:19-20 (ESV)

19 And God split open the hollow place that is at Lehi, and water came out from it. And when he drank, his spirit returned, and he revived. Therefore the name of it was called En-hakkore; it is at Lehi to this day. 20 And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.

Could end there – but Samson is a tragedy

Judges 16:1–3 (ESV)

1 Samson went to Gaza, and there he saw a prostitute, and he went in to her. 2 The Gazites were told, “Samson has come here.” And they surrounded the place and set an ambush for him all night at the gate of the city. They kept quiet all night, saying, “Let us wait till the light of the morning; then we will kill him.” 3 But Samson lay till midnight, and at midnight he arose and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two posts, and pulled them up, bar and all, and put them on his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that is in front of Hebron.

Samson ignores the Torah – commits adultery

            Pulls gates out and escapes in middle of night

REMEMBER – he (like you and me) tend to simplify God’s commands and do the ones that are convenient, but omit the others.

Judges 16:4 (ESV)

4 After this he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.

Sorek = grapes

Judges 16:5–6 (ESV)

5 And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, “Seduce him, and see where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to humble him. And we will each give you 1,100 pieces of silver.” 6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength lies, and how you might be bound, that one could subdue you.”

Philistines – where is the source of his strength? (Didn’t look like the Dwayne the Rock Johnson

HOW TO BE BOUND?

            Satan wants to bind you.

            Each of us can be bound in different ways –

                        Our past – identity

                        Our desires – good things taken out of balance

3x – Samson gives an answer and 3x Delilah tries

1.     Fresh undried bowstrings

2.     New ropes – unused

Judges 16:13 (NLT)

13 Then Delilah said, “You’ve been making fun of me and telling me lies! Now tell me how you can be tied up securely.” Samson replied, “If you were to weave the seven braids of my hair into the fabric on your loom and tighten it with the loom shuttle, I would become as weak as anyone else.” So while he slept, Delilah wove the seven braids of his hair into the fabric.

NOTICE the third one has to do with his hair

            Flirting with the truth; flirting with sin

Samson had compromised every area except the hair, now compromising this final vow

            Maybe began to believe that God would allow him to have the strength even if cut?

No consequence, no consequence, no…

God loves us enough to not allow us to sin comfortably.

SUMMARY - DELILAH – wove the hair into the loom – but that didn’t do it. It wasn’t cut.

Judges 16:15–17 (ESV)

15 And she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and you have not told me where your great strength lies.” 16 And when she pressed him hard with her words day after day, and urged him, his soul was vexed to death. 17 And he told her all his heart, and said to her, “A razor has never come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If my head is shaved, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man.”

Ah the truth – does he feel safe?

            No, She has done exactly what he said last 3x

1 John 2:11 (ESV)

11 But whoever 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.

            Sin blinds

            worn out

The more you walk in darkness, the more blind you are to your sin.

            Sleeping with girlfriend – won’t be objective whether you should break up, move out, get married

            Can’t pray about sin – sin blinds

1 John 1:8 (ESV)

8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Must agree with God that we have sinned.

Repent of sin – turn away and around, go the other direction

In our own eyes – it doesn’t seem that bad

RIGHT IN GOD’S EYES?

Judges 16:18–21 (ESV)

18 When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up again, for he has told me all his heart.” Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hands. 19 She made him sleep on her knees. And she called a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him. 20 And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And he awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him. 21 And the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles. And he ground at the mill in the prison.

THE LORD HAD LEFT HIM –

EYES GOUGED OUT

            Right in Your Eyes? God’s judgment – eyes gouged out

            Couldn’t see – spiritual blindness

Matthew 5:27–30 (ESV)

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

Judges 16:22 (ESV)

22 But the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.

We may want to freeze our hair cut so it stops changing – but idea is that we continue to grow.

Nazirite was supposed to offer the hair as a burnt offering – instead Samson had a burnt life – all his life seemingly up in smoke

Judges 16:23–25 (ESV)

23 Now the lords of the Philistines gathered to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to rejoice, and they said, “Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hand.” 24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god. For they said, “Our god has given our enemy into our hand, the ravager of our country, who has killed many of us.” 25 And when their hearts were merry, they said, “Call Samson, that he may entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison, and he entertained them. They made him stand between the pillars.

Remember – they didn’t want to kill Samson – wanted to humiliate him.

Judges 16:28–30 (ESV)

28 Then Samson called to the Lord and said, “O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes.” 29 And Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and he leaned his weight against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other. 30And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” Then he bowed with all his strength, and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he had killed during his life.

Avenge me – not forgive my selfishness, and stupidity; avenge me

            I lost my 2 eyes, they should lose their life

            Suicide would be honorable - ????

            3000 die at his death, more than his entire life

Vengeance – the Lord honored his request BUT…

Romans 12:17–21 (NLT)

17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. 19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord. 20 Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” 21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

Enemy is hungry… - quoting Proverbs 25:22

Matthew 5:38–45a (ESV)

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.

For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

THE GOSPEL – you can’t do this Christian walk – need Jesus

            Forgiveness

REMEMBER JUSTICE?

            Something bad was done. Things need to be made right.

            Jesus who was the righteousness of God – the perfectly right-ness of God

                        Came and suffered an awful, painful death to pay for your sins and mine

GOD’S VENGEANCE –

            Every sin will be paid for on the cross or in Hell.

If we hold a grudge, we doubt the Judge.

We see our sins as small, and others’ as great

How much should a person suffer for their sins?

How much should you suffer for yours?

Story of 10 Amish girls shot

 Following the tragic Amish school shooting of 10 young schoolgirls in a one-room Amish school in October 2006, reporters from throughout the world invaded Lancaster County, PA 

https://lancasterpa.com/amish/amish-school-shooting/

https://lancasterpa.com/amish/amish-forgiveness/

Application

Who do you need to forgive?

Do you see others’ sins against you as worse than your sins against God?

Are you walking in darkness in some area and need to repent?

Additional Study:

Cities of Refuge – avenger of blood; until the death of the high priest

Joshua 20:1–6 (ESV)

1 Then the Lord said to Joshua, 2 “Say to the people of Israel, ‘Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses, 3 that the manslayer who strikes any person without intent or unknowingly may flee there. They shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood. 4 He shall flee to one of these cities and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and explain his case to the elders of that city. Then they shall take him into the city and give him a place, and he shall remain with them. 5 And if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not give up the manslayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unknowingly, and did not hate him in the past. 6 And he shall remain in that city until he has stood before the congregation for judgment, until the death of him who is high priest at the time. Then the manslayer may return to his own town and his own home, to the town from which he fled.’ ”

Matthew 18:21–35 (ESV)

21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

Gold talent = 58-75 lb. Price of Gold at $1256.63/oz x 16oz x 70 lbs = $14,074,256,000

Talent also consider a bag of gold - 6000 denarii or 20 years wages. 10,000 talents = 200,000 years wages or approximately $6B!

Extreme Discipleship - Nazirite Vow

We want to create a greater awareness of God’s holiness so that we have a greater sensitivity to those things that please Him and grieve Him.  The list below includes items that we have noticed that can be a distraction from hearing God. We encourage you to commit to this fast, during the rapid overview of the New Testament (listed on the back).

1.     DENY MY FLESH (Numbers 6:3)

Spiritual Application: No Medicating (i.e., alcohol, entertainment, anything that numbs you or something you turn to for satisfaction or relief instead of turning to God. God is all we need).  *This does not refer to medications prescribed by a doctor for illness or disability

a.      What are the things that I do to medicate instead of running to God to meet my needs? Anything that I use to medicate clouds my ability to hear His voice. 

b.     As a group we are committing to abstain/fast from the following things (that can be used to medicate):

- Alcohol/illicit drugs

- Comfort food (i.e., junk food, sweets, desserts; food we run to instead of God)

- Facebook/Instagram/Social Media

- TV/Netflix/YouTube (except for sermons)

- Masturbation

- No impulse purchases (…)

- electronics that are a distraction (game systems, phone, whatever distracts you)

- limit your cell phone usage as much as possible

c.      “Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control” (Proverbs 25:28)

d.     Add to this list personally anything else that you know that you personally use to medicate and include it in your personal fast over the next 30 days.

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

2.     DECLARE HIS IDENTITY (Numbers 6:5)

Spiritual Application: Our focus will not be our physical appearance (to cut the hair or not cut the hair is not the issue) but to have a “peculiar” identity – identifying with the Lord and not the world.  As a result, we are committed to proclaim the gospel, a proclamation every time, at every opportunity. This gospel proclamation may come either as sharing the Good News about Jesus or as asking to pray for him or her (let the Spirit lead).  We are also committing to share the gospel or pray with:

a.      At least 2 people in our family that we have not shared the gospel with (over the phone if necessary)

b.     2 people in our workplaces

c.      2 people in our neighborhoods

d.     Cashiers, waitresses, waiters and bank tellers are going to hear the gospel, receive prayer, etc.

e.      Pray with your spouse every morning and evening (if married)

f.       Pray over two other people each day

3.     DENOUNCE ALL THAT IS DEATH (Numbers 6:6-8)

Spiritual Application: we will avoid places and things where worldly (spiritually dead) influences can affect us

a.      public areas where there are ungodly things present (malls, beaches, ______________)

b.     Secular music

c.      Off the computer unless it is work related or unless someone is there

d.     TV/movies/YouTube/Netflix, etc.

e.      Video games

f.       ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

g.      ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

New Testament 30 Day Rapid Overview

This reading plan below is fairly aggressive, and for most people will require 30-40 minutes of reading each day. Most people don’t have that kind of extra time available, but perhaps by fasting from the other things mentioned above (social media, tv, etc), that will free up the time. That said, some people find that it helps to listen to the Bible as they read it or listen to it while they drive in the car or do housework/yard work to get through all of the chapters. Either way, the rapid overview will give you a larger perspective on the New Testament.

                  Day 1                       Matt 1–8

                  Day 2                       Matt 9–14

                  Day 3                       Matt 15–22

                  Day 4                       Matt 23–28

                  Day 5                       Mark 1–5

                  Day 6                       Mark 6–11

                  Day 7                       Mark 12–16, Luke 1

                  Day 8                       Luke 2–7

                  Day 9                       Luke 8–12

                  Day 10                   Luke 13–19

                  Day 11                   Luke 20–24

                  Day 12                   John 1–6

                  Day 13                   John 7–11

                  Day 14                   John 12–19

                  Day 15                   John 20–21, Acts 1–5

                  Day 16                   Acts 6–11

                  Day 17                    Acts 12–19

                  Day 18                   Acts 20–28

                  Day 19                   Rom 1–8

                  Day 20                    Rom 9–16, 1 Cor 1

                  Day 21                   1 Cor 2–11

                  Day 22                   1 Cor 12–16, 2 Cor 1–7

                  Day 23                   2 Cor 8–13, Gal 1–6

                  Day 24                   Eph 1–6, Phil 1–4                              

                  Day 25                    Col 1–4, 1 Thess 1–5, 2 Thess 1–3

                  Day 26                   1 Tim 1–6, 2 Tim 1–4, Titus 1–3, Philem

                  Day 27                   Heb 1–13

                  Day 28                   James 1–5, 1 Pet 1–5, 2 Pet 1–3

                  Day 29                   1 John 1–5, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, Rev 1–4

                  Day 30                   Rev 5–22

Right in God’s Eyes Part 7 - Strength Through Separation

Samson - A judge in Israel whose strength and moral weakness made him famous.

Judges 13:1 (ESV)

1 And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.

7th time in book of Judges – “evil in the sight of the Lord”

Judges 13:2–5 (ESV)

2 There was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. And his wife was barren and had no children. 3 And the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold, you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. 4 Therefore be careful and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, 5 for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.”

Infertile couple

            Crying out to God

            Answers prayer

            Sends JESUS! (Angel of the Lord) – even when the world is doing what is right in their own eyes, Jesus is still around changing lives. True today!

            This BOY IS SPECIAL!

                        “Begin to save Israel from the Philistines”

            BEGIN? Begin to save?

Judges 13:6–7 (ESV)

6 Then the woman came and told her husband, “A man of God came to me, and his appearance was like the appearance of the angel of God, very awesome. I did not ask him where he was from, and he did not tell me his name, 7 but he said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. So then drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’ ”

Special kid – special treatment

Nazirite Vow 3 commitments:

1.     No grapes or alcohol (no unclean foods assumed for good Jews)

2.     No haircuts

3.     No dead things

            Why? – some did it for deliverance from disease or sickness; penance; fulfillment of a wish (according to Josephus and early church fathers)

            What? 30 days or longer (or lifetime)

            Others?

                        Samson

                        Samuel 1 Samuel 1:10–11 (ESV)

                     John the Baptist

                        Paul for season?

the Hebrew word nazir, simply means “to be separated or consecrated”

Nazirite vow – consecrating oneself to the Lord

Judges 13:8 (ESV)

8 Then Manoah prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, please let the man of God whom you sent come again to us and teach us what we are to do with the child who will be born.”

Teach us how to parent this special child!

 ANGEL APPEARS to her, She gets Manoah

Judges 13:12–14 (ESV)

12 And Manoah said, “Now when your words come true, what is to be the child’s manner of life, and what is his mission?” 13 And the angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “Of all that I said to the woman let her be careful. 14 She may not eat of anything that comes from the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, or eat any unclean thing. All that I commanded her let her observe.”

Be careful to do everything- BUT YOU DON’T GET THE WHOLE STORY/MISSION

Numbers 6 – describes the Nazirite vow

            Already a custom, chapter describes how to do it

Judges 13:24–25 (ESV)

24 And the woman bore a son and called his name Samson. And the young man grew, and the Lord blessed him. 25 And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

About 20 miles west of Jerusalem.

Timnah – about 6 miles away

The Spirit began to stir him

Judges 14:1–3 (ESV)

1 Samson went down to Timnah, and at Timnah he saw one of the daughters of the Philistines. 2 Then he came up and told his father and mother, “I saw one of the daughters of the Philistines at Timnah. Now get her for me as my wife.” 3 But his father and mother said to him, “Is there not a woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you must go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes.”

LUST at first sight!

“right in my eyes” – God’s word forbids it!

            Samson separated to God – but feels he only needs to do that to have favor of God.

Pick and choose what parts of God’s Word

            We all have our list of things that we think are bad and say, “I would never…”

James 2:10–11 (CSB)

10 For whoever keeps the entire law, and yet stumbles at one point, is guilty of breaking it all. 11 For he who said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder. So if you do not commit adultery, but you murder, you are a lawbreaker.

We can’t pick and choose what parts of the moral law to obey.

ILLUSTRATION: if I have a fear of spiders and I see a spider out of the corner of my eye, my body and heart immediately go into fight or flight. Heart beats faster, I may jump, all physical responses to what I perceive is there. When I look closer and realize it is a dust bunny. – I had feelings based on what I perceived to be reality, but was not reality.

Proverbs 4:23 (NLT)

23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

SAMSON didn’t guard his heart. He was led by feelings instead of faith.

Judges 14:4 (ESV)

4 His father and mother did not know that it was from the Lord, for he was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines. At that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.

Judges 14:5–6 (ESV)

5 Then Samson went down with his father and mother to Timnah, and they came to the vineyards of Timnah. And behold, a young lion came toward him roaring. 6 Then the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and although he had nothing in his hand, he tore the lion in pieces as one tears a young goat. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.

Timnah where the girl was

Now, not with parents –

            Notice in the “vineyards of Timnah”

WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN A VINEYARD???? Not supposed to even touch grapes

            Lion attack – Satan trying to thwart the plan of God

“If that roaring lion, that goes about continually seeking whom he may devour, find us alone among the vineyards of the Philistines, where is our hope? Not in our heels, he is swifter than we: not in our weapons, we are naturally unarmed: not in our hands, which are weak and languishing; but in the Spirit of God, by whom we can do all things. If God fight in us, who can resist us? There is a stronger lion in us than that against us.” (Charles Spurgeon)     - David Guzik, Judges, David Guzik’s Commentaries on the Bible (Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik, 2013), Jdg 14:5–9.

Judges 14:8–9 (ESV)

8 After some days he returned to take her. And he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey. 9 He scraped it out into his hands and went on, eating as he went. And he came to his father and mother and gave some to them, and they ate. But he did not tell them that he had scraped the honey from the carcass of the lion.

SAMSON’S COMPROMISE

1.     Wanting to marry a Philistine  (sin)

2.     Walking in the vineyard (flirting with sin)

3.     Touching the dead carcass (breaking vow)

Honey in the lion

            CARCASS- dead body .

Didn’t tell mom and dad. Knew it was wrong, but thought benefit outweighed the cost.

When we rationalize our actions, we tell ourselves “rational lies” to justify ourselves.

Right in our own eyes.

Rationalize – “rational lies” = “Right in our own eyes”

SAMSON – Self-made man; doesn’t lead others into battle, does it all himself

IN VINEYARD – permissible, but not beneficial

1 Corinthians 10:23 (NLT)

23 You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial.

TEMPTATION comes in the permissible

*COMPROMISE DULLS YOUR SPIRITUAL SENSES

Proverbs 5:21–23 (NLT)

21 For the Lord sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes. 22 An evil man is held captive by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him. 23 He will die for lack of self-control; he will be lost because of his great foolishness.

Judges 14:10–11 (ESV)

10 His father went down to the woman, and Samson prepared a feast there, for so the young men used to do. 11 As soon as the people saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him.

“feast” = drinking party

Samson – throwing drinking party? (supposed to be the designated driver)

Judges 14:12–14 (ESV)

12 And Samson said to them, “Let me now put a riddle to you. If you can tell me what it is, within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes, 13 but if you cannot tell me what it is, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes.” And they said to him, “Put your riddle, that we may hear it.” 14 And he said to them, “Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet.” And in three days they could not solve the riddle.

Judges 14:19–20 (ESV)

19 And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and struck down thirty men of the town and took their spoil and gave the garments to those who had told the riddle. In hot anger he went back to his father’s house. 20 And Samson’s wife was given to his companion, who had been his best man.

Spirit of the Lord “rushed upon him” –

Samson relied on the Spirit of the Lord for strength

Not a body builder

What was the source of his strength?

Judges 16:4–6 (ESV)

4 After this he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. 5 And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, “Seduce him, and see where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to humble him. And we will each give you 1,100 pieces of silver.” 6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength lies, and how you might be bound, that one could subdue you.”

Strength was in his vow of separation – not the hair

Strength in separation

NAZIRITE VOW HANDOUT

https://www.revealfellowship.com/extreme

Encourage to do in a group of 3 or 4 and commit to do (month of October?)

Romans 12:1–2 (ESV)

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Application

Where are you flirting with temptation? (walking in a vineyard)

What things of death are you touching?

Where do you fear identifying with Jesus?

Right in GOd’s Eyes Part 6 - Jephthah

I. For deeper study

Summary of last week Big Idea: [2Co 12:9-10 NLT]

9 Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

V. Big Idea: [1Co 3:6 NLT]

6 I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow.

The Story of Jephthah

The First Negotiations

Key Verse:

Then the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, …. thus they forsook the LORD and did not serve Him. 7 The anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the sons of Ammon.

Big idea: [Rom 1:22-25 NASB20]

22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible mankind, of birds, four-footed animals, and crawling creatures. 24 Therefore God gave them up to vile impurity in the lusts of their hearts, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for falsehood, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Application: Tim Keller says about this passage.

It is easy to see the futility of this in Israel, from our vantage point of a different era and culture. But human hearts have not changed. They still assure us that, when an idol leads to slavery, what we need is more of that idol. If someone seeks their value and purpose in a relationship—for example, sacrificing everything to a marriage which then fails—it seems very natural to think: I need to find another relationship. I need a better spouse. We see our problem not as worshiping an idol, but not worshiping an idol enough.

from: Keller, Timothy. Judges For You (God's Word For You) (p. 110). The Good Book Company. Kindle Edition.

The Victory & The Vow – Key Passage

[Jdg 11:29-32 NASB20]

29 Now the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh; then he passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he went on to the sons of Ammon. 30 And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD and said, "If You will indeed hand over to me the sons of Ammon, 31 then whatever comes out the doors of my house to meet me when I return safely from the sons of Ammon, it shall be the LORD'S, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering." 32 So Jephthah crossed over to the sons of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD handed them over to him.

The Problem: [Deu 12:31 NASB20]

31 "You shall not behave this way toward the LORD your God, because every abominable act which the LORD hates, they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire for their gods.

[Mat 6:24 NASB20]

24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. ….

[Rom 12:2 NASB20]

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfec.

Jas 4:4 NASB20

4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

The Dangers of being “double-minded”

a. Acceptance of violence

b. Accepting ‘works righteous” in our relationship with God

c. No concept of God’s grace

Two thoughts:

We are more affected by our culture than the Bible and more than we think we have been affected.

We have a hard time believing in God’s grace.

Homework

Ask the Holy Spirit to show you one concrete way you reflect the beliefs, attitudes, thinking, and actions more the popular culture than the way that the beliefs, attitudes, thinking, and actions of Jesus.

Ask the Holy Spirit to renew YOUR heart and mind in this area of your life.

Gideon – Victory in Weakness

I. Victory in weakness – Judges 7

Here we are in Judges chapter 7 summary; it began with Gideon, now known as Jerubbaal. He prepared to attack the Midianites with his army. God let’s him know he has too many men in his army; they may believe they conquered Midian on their own strength and numbers.

God orders Gideon to send some men home. Jerubbaal was left with ten thousand, which God still thought was too much. More were sent home! The Lord then used an exercise to get rid of some more; so his army was down to three hundred men. God was content with this number (similar number Abram had when he went to recapture his nephew Lot in Genesis 14:14).

The Midianites were like the sand of the sea in number, so Jerubbaal was still slightly afraid. God had to strengthen him by letting him hear the conversation the Midianites were having where God had given a dream to prepare the way.

Key Passage: “ [Jdg 7:13-14 NLT] 13 Gideon crept up just as a man was telling his companion about a dream. The man said, "I had this dream, and in my dream a loaf of barley bread came tumbling down into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent, turned it over, and knocked it flat!" 14 His companion answered, "Your dream can mean only one thing--God has given Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite, victory over Midian and all its allies!"

The Midianites were scared of Jerubbaal, and this gave him confidence to attack. He broke his three hundred men into three companies and gave them each a trumpet, empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers.

The broke the pitchers while shouting, “the sword of the Lord, and of Gideon,” and Midian was fearful. The Midianites began fighting each other and they also fled. Captured were two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; they were both killed.

Big Idea: [2Co 12:9-10 NLT] 9 Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Key Question: Are you depending on your own strength or God’s strength for the victory?

1. Our salvation is all HIS grace and not our works.

2. Only when we see our weakness do we become thankful and love the Lord.

3. We grow in our Christian faith when we recognize “we can’t” but “He can!”

II. Gideon seeking glory for God’s victory – Judges Chapter 8

This chapter began with the children of Ephraim. They were upset with Gideon because he did not call them, initially, to the battle. Fortunately, and unfortunately, some people really enjoy a good fight, battle, or war. Gideon settled their frustration; he also continued to pursue the kings of Midian, namely Zebah and Zalmunna. Gideon asked the men of a town named Succoth to provide food for his small army. They refused, and they demanded he first captures the kings of Midian. This was a way of saying, “finish the work, then get bread.” It also screamed, “we don’t think you can do it.”

Gideon, wasn’t happy about that and responded by saying, ‘when God delivers these kings to me, I will come back and tear your flesh apart.” Gideon proceeded to ask another neighboring town, the village of Penuel, and they said the same thing as Succoth. Gideon responded that he would break down their towers when he returned in victory. So far Midian had lost 120,000 men in the battle against Gideon, most of the damage was from the LORD, entangling them to war with themselves. Gideon then captured the two kings of Midian and paid a return visit to the men of Succoth and Penuel. He taught the men of Succoth not to doubt him or the LORD. He tortured 77 princes and elders and destroyed the men of Penuel as well. This was not a justified war for God had not called him to attack these people.

After this, the men of Israel requested Gideon to become their ruler. He refused and responded that God the LORD would rule over them. All Gideon wanted was the golden earrings the Ishmaelites (Midian) wore to make a ephod (sleeveless garment). But he acts like a priest and king.

Key Passage: [Jdg 8:27 NLT] 27 Gideon made a sacred ephod from the gold and put it in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all the Israelites prostituted themselves by worshiping it, and it became a trap for Gideon and his family.

The end result, Israel had peace for 40 years while Gideon was alive. The chapter ended with the downfall of his (Gideon) household. Gideon had many wives that produced 70 sons for him. He had one son named Abimelech (My father is king) from a concubine. Gideon died a good old age and Israel went back to worship Baal, forsaking the God who just delivered them through the hands of Gideon. Further, Israel didn’t even show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (Gideon) for all he did for Israel.

Big Idea: [1Co 3:6 NLT] 6 I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow.

Are there aspects of your life and work you think you should get more recognition and honor for from people? How will the gospel of grace help you deal well with your successes?

Gideon and Finding God’s Will

Have you ever wondered what is God’s will for your life?

What methods are acceptable?

Fleeces?

          Dreams?

Circumstances?

LUCKY DIPPING – BAD!

            Judas went out and hanged himself Matt 27:5

            “Go and do likewise” – Luke 10:37

            NO!

Judges 6:1–6 (ESV)

1 The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Midian seven years. 2 And the hand of Midian overpowered Israel, and because of Midian the people of Israel made for themselves the dens that are in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds. 3 For whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them. 4 They would encamp against them and devour the produce of the land, as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel and no sheep or ox or donkey. 5For they would come up with their livestock and their tents; they would come like locusts in number—both they and their camels could not be counted—so that they laid waste the land as they came in. 6 And Israel was brought very low because of Midian. And the people of Israel cried out for help to the Lord.

Midian –  RELATIVES! (ABRHAM’S OTHER SONS WITH KETURA)

Judges 6:7–10 (ESV)

7 When the people of Israel cried out to the Lord on account of the Midianites, 8 the Lord sent a prophet to the people of Israel. And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I led you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of slavery. 9 And I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land. 10 And I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.’ But you have not obeyed my voice.”

Isaiah 59:1–2 (CSB)

1 Indeed, the Lord’s arm is not too weak to save, and his ear is not too deaf to hear. 2 But your iniquities are separating you from your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not listen.

Judges 6:11–12 (ESV)

11 Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of the Lordappeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.”

Winepress – don’t do it that way – living in fear

Angel calls him “O mighty man of valor” –

            NOT YET!

PINE CONE ILLUSTRATION

Judges 6:13 (ESV)

13 And Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.”

If God is with us, why is this happening? Ever feel that way?

Judges 6:14 (ESV)

14 And the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?”

NOTICE: THE LORD – previously The Angel of the Lord, hear THE LORD.

            Angel of the Lord = Jesus pre-incarnate

God is telling him Go in this might of yours and save Israel. – YOUR MIGHT???

Judges 6:15-16

15 And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” 16 And the Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.”

HOW? I’m weak, my clan is weak, I’m poor, I’m nothing.

1 Corinthians 1:27–29 (NLT)

27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29 As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.

1 Corinthians 1:31 (NLT)

31 Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”

Judges 6:16

16 And the Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.”

“I WILL BE WITH YOU”

“you shall strike the Midianites as one man” – “ONE” – ehad – one unified whole

IF GOD IS WITH US

Romans 8:31–32 (ESV)

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

Judges 6:17–18 (ESV)

17 And he said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me. 18Please do not depart from here until I come to you and bring out my present and set it before you.” And he said, “I will stay till you return.”

LOOKING FOR SIGN/CONFIRMATION

What are some of the ways that God gives us confirmation?

            Through his word

            Through other Christians

            Through peace

            Through circumstances

Judges 6:19–21 (ESV)

19 So Gideon went into his house and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes from an ephah of flour. The meat he put in a basket, and the broth he put in a pot, and brought them to him under the terebinth and presented them. 20 And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and put them on this rock, and pour the broth over them.” And he did so. 21 Then the angel of the Lord reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes. And fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes. And the angel of the Lord vanished from his sight.

Judges 6:22–24 (ESV)

22 Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the Lord. And Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.” 23 But the Lord said to him, “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.” 24 Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites.

Judges 6:25–27 (ESV)

25 That night the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s bull, and the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it 26 and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of the stronghold here, with stones laid in due order. Then take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah that you shall cut down.” 27 So Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the Lord had told him. But because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night.

Judgment begins with house of the Lord –

GIDEON’S FATHER HAD OWN ALTAR OF BAAL

            Obedience begins with our own home

            God calling you as a dad or boss to do something in your family or business?

God tests obedience with small things

Judges 6:26

26 and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of the stronghold here, with stones laid in due order

Altar on top of the stronghold

Gideon – does it, but at night. And gets people to help.

Judges 6:27

But because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night.

Do you fear your family? You are like Gideon and most people. WALK BY FAITH

Judges 6:28–30 (ESV)

28 When the men of the town rose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar that had been built. 29 And they said to one another, “Who has done this thing?” And after they had searched and inquired, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.” 30 Then the men of the town said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has broken down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah beside it.”

Gideon in TROUBLE

Judges 6:31–32 (ESV)

31 But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been broken down.” 32 Therefore on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend against him,” because he broke down his altar.

GIDEON inspires his dad.

Sons an daughters can bring faith to parents!

Judges 6:33–35 (ESV)

33 Now all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the East came together, and they crossed the Jordan and encamped in the Valley of Jezreel. 34 But the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon, and he sounded the trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called out to follow him. 35 And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, and they too were called out to follow him. And he sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they went up to meet them.

Midianites camp at valley of Jezreel – valley of Armageddon. 

The opposing army comes in and Gideon sounds the trumpet to summon the Israelites

Judges 6:36–38 (ESV)

36 Then Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said, 37 behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said.” 38 And it was so. When he rose early next morning and squeezed the fleece, he wrung enough dew from the fleece to fill a bowl with water.

FLEECE – make dew only on the wool – was and rung out bowl

Judges 6:39–40 (ESV)

39 Then Gideon said to God, “Let not your anger burn against me; let me speak just once more. Please let me test just once more with the fleece. Please let it be dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground let there be dew.” 40 And God did so that night; and it was dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew.

Gideon asks again

SO how do we discern God’s Will?

FLEECE

Looking for signs vs. confirmation

Wicked and adulterous generation seeks for a sign

FLEECE – supernatural event

            Not a phone call at 3:35 pm – what if comes at 3:45?

BAD SOURCES FOR FINDING GOD’S WILL

1.     Horoscopes, Astrology, Tarot Cards, Psychics, Spirit Guides

Deuteronomy 18:10–14 (NLT)

10 For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, 11 or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord…14 The nations you are about to displace consult sorcerers and fortune-tellers, but the Lord your God forbids you to do such things.”

2.     Social Media – crowd sourcing – tell you what you want to hear or their experience

3.     YouTube and Google

      Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints = Mormon

      Jehovah’s Witness

      Other cults, and twisted versions of Christianity

      Google – sometimes answers are out of context due to algorithm; or wrong

UNRELIABLE SOURCES FOR GOD’S WILL

1.     Fleeces

2.     Dreams (21 in Bible, 10 in Genesis)

a.     Jacob, Joseph, Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar, Pharoah, Pontius Pilate’s Wife

3.     Casting Lots, flipping a coin (Matthias Acts 1:26, Jonah 1:7, Prov 16:33)

a.     Dave calls it “going to Las Vegas”

4.     Circumstances and Open Doors

a.     Garden of Eden didn’t have a fence around Tree of Knowledge

b.     Tye and Lori deciding to homeschool (and God providing)

5.     Prophets and Pastors

1 Corinthians 14:29 (ESV)

Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said.

“weigh” – judge, evaluate

HOW TO FIND THE WILL OF GOD

1.     The Word of God

1 Thessalonians 4:3–5 (ESV)

3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV)

18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Peter 2:13–16 (ESV)

13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.

DON’T KNOW WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS? GO TO

GOTQUESTIONS.ORG

1 John 2:15–17 (ESV)

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.

HOW TO FIND THE WILL OF GOD

1.   The Word of God

2.     The Spirit of God

John 16:13a (ESV)

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth…

Ephesians 5:17–18 (ESV)

17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

HOW TO FIND THE WILL OF GOD

1.   The Word of God

2.     The Spirit of God

-       Know His voice (1 Kings 19:12 – sound of silence)

Romans 12:1–2 (ESV)

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

TEST THE WILL OF GOD (mind renewed; Romans 8 – walk in the Spirit)

2.     The Spirit of God

-       Know His voice (1 Kings 19:12 – sound of silence)

-       Examine your heart

Psalm 139:23–24 (NLT)

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

 George Müller (evangelist and director of orphanage in England in 1800’s) - “I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter. Nine-tenths of the trouble with people is just here. Nine-tenths of the difficulties are overcome when our hearts are ready to do the Lord’s will, whatever it may be. When one is truly in this state, it is usually but a little way to the knowledge of what His will is” (Answers to Prayer: from George Müller’s Narratives, compiled by A.E.C. Brooks, Lector House, 2020)

JESUS PRAYER – NOT MY WILL BUT YOURS BE DONE

HOW TO FIND THE WILL OF GOD

1.     The Word of God

2.     The Spirit of God (examine your motives)

a.     Can speak through verse, pastor/counselor/friend

3.     The Peace of God

TRUE TEST - PEACE

Colossians 3:14–16 (ESV)

14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

You can have a false peace when steps out of order (vomit letter)

PAUL’S APOSTOLIC PRAYERS

Colossians 1:9 (ESV)

9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

Ephesians 1:18-19 (ESV)

18that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might

NOT ABOUT YOU! ALL ABOUT HIM!

God chooses to use us, then blesses us for the work He did through us.

ADDITIONAL VERSES ON THE WILL OF GOD

2 Peter 3:9 (ESV)

9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Ephesians 5:15–18 (ESV)

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

Micah 6:8 (ESV)

8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

1 Timothy 2:3–4 (ESV)

3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Proverbs 3:5–6 (ESV)

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

How Do I Get Rid of my Idols & Find Jesus? A meditation on the book of Judges

[Jdg 2:11 YLT] 11 And the sons of Israel do the evil thing in the eyes of Yahweh, and serve the Baalim,

[2Th 2:3 NASB20] 3 No one is to deceive you in any way! For [it will not come] unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,

Big Idea:  The root of every sin in our lives is idolatry.

Only by repenting of the idols of our heart and turning to Jesus Christ instead can we consistently overcome repetitive patterns of sin by the power of a real personal relationship with Jesus Christ based on his sacrificial death and resurrection from the dead.   

Only the Holy Spirit can give us such faith and repentance.   We need HIS revelation and power to stop believing in false “saviors” and trust instead in Christ Jesus alone to save us in all aspects of our lives.

Three options

1.      Idol directed life – Unbeliever.

2.      Double minded life – Unstable weak believer.

3.      Christ directed life – Mature believer.

Recommended Reading:  Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Mattersby Timothy Keller

“In the 1830s, when Alexis de Tocqueville recorded his famous observations on America, he noted a “strange melancholy that haunts the inhabitants . . . in the midst of abundance.”2 Americans believed that prosperity could quench their yearning for happiness, but such a hope was illusory, because, de Tocqueville added, “the incomplete joys of this world will never satisfy [the human] heart.”3 This strange melancholy manifests itself in many ways, but always leads to the same despair of not finding what is sought.”

Keller, Timothy. Counterfeit Gods . Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition

Summary of the book of judges:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOYy8iCfIJ4&t=449s

Commentary on Judges:  https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/commentary/judges/

OUTLINE of the book of judges: [1]

I. Introduction to era of the judges, Chapters 1, 2

II. Era of the judges, Chapters 3-16  - Seven Seasons of Apostasy

III. Results of era of the judges (confusion), Chapters 17-21

A. Religious apostasy (the temple), Jdg 17, 18

B. Moral awfulness (the home), Jdg 19

C. Political anarchy (the state), Jdg 20, 21

Apologetics Concerning Judges: 

Judges is an X rated book of the bible.  Just because God uses a man does not mean that he endorses all that the man does or says.   This is real history, but the point is that even the leaders God is using are very “double minded” and unstable in all their ways.

[Jdg 3:1-11 NLT] 1 These are the nations that the LORD left in the land to test those Israelites who had not experienced the wars of Canaan. 2 He did this to teach warfare to generations of Israelites who had no experience in battle. 3 These are the nations: the Philistines (those living under the five Philistine rulers), all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the mountains of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath. 4 These people were left to test the Israelites--to see whether they would obey the commands the LORD had given to their ancestors through Moses. 5 So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, 6 and they intermarried with them. Israelite sons married their daughters, and Israelite daughters were given in marriage to their sons. And the Israelites served their gods. 7 The Israelites did evil in the LORD's sight. They forgot about the LORD their God, and they served the images of Baal and the Asherah poles. 8 Then the LORD burned with anger against Israel, and he turned them over to King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim. And the Israelites served Cushan-rishathaim for eight years. 9 But when the people of Israel cried out to the LORD for help, the LORD raised up a rescuer to save them. His name was Othniel, the son of Caleb's younger brother, Kenaz. 10 The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he became Israel's judge. He went to war against King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram, and the LORD gave Othniel victory over him. 11 So there was peace in the land for forty years. Then Othniel son of Kenaz died.

First Apostasy: Judges 3:5-7

First Oppressor:  Cushan-rishathaim - 'Cushan' or 'Chushan' may indicate Cushite origins. 'Rishathaim' means 'double-wickedness'("resha" רשע - "evil" or "wickedness" + "im" יים - doubling suffix). -

The First Judge:  Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother

Results – 40 years of שָׁקַט shâqaṭ, - Rest, peace, and security – Yahweh is their KING and Othniel is HIS judge.

Second Apostasy - Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord. Judges 3:12

Application: 

Read the book of Judges prayerfully and carefully.   Note anything that strikes you while reading it. 

What sins do you find hard to release?   Remember they come in two forms.  Lawlessness and Legalism. 

What is the “idol” that is the source of this sin?   Apply the gospel to the idol. 

[1] https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mcgee_j_vernon/notes-outlines/judges/judges-outline.cfm