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OUTLINE FOR SUNDAY MESSAGE, 5-25-25

“THE NEW YOU, PT. IV,”

IS. 1:10-20 (KJV)

 

Isaiah 1:10-20 (KJV)
10  Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.
11  To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.
12  When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?
13  Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.
14  Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.
15  And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
16  Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
17
 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
18  Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
19  If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
20  But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

 

 

 

In the days of the kings of Judah, Kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, came the Word of the Lord to Israel and Judah, and because of their sin and rebellion against God, they are called Sodom and Gomorrah. The situation is dire for Israel and Judah. The people had sunk to outward worship to God, but their hearts were far from Him. They had learned just how to have Church and go through all of the ecclesiastical formality of outward worship, but ecclesiastical formality does not take the place of genuine heart worship.  John 4:24 (KJV): 24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. We can get so caught up in formalities, Church work, even the duties of Christianity such as prayer, Church attendance, Bible study, the outward things that we do, and assume that because we do these things then we automatically are spiritually mature, but that’s not necessarily true. Church attendance, Bible study, prayer, fasting, and all of the outward Church things that we do are nothing if we’re not doing it from the heart, or the spirit, the inner-man. Though the ages are different, the Old Testament time of our text and this present day, the moral of the text is the same.  

 

We fall into the trap of the enemy when we are lulled to sleep by thinking that Church work takes the place of heart worship. The Lord confronted the scribes and Pharisees for their outward hypocrisy yet inwardly were not what they were projecting themselves to be,  Matthew 23:25-28 (KJV): 25  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26  Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
28  Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.  


Hypocrites, Matt. 23:25, 27, Defined

Greek Strong's Number: 5273

Greek Word: ὑποκριτής

Transliteration: hypokritēs

Phonetic Pronunciation:hoop-ok-ree-tace'

Root: from <G5271>

Cross Reference: TDNT - 8:559,1235

Part of Speech: n m

Vine's Words: Hypocrite

 

 

Usage Notes:

 

English Words used in KJV:

hypocrite 20
[Total Count: 20]

 

from <G5271> (hupokrinomai); an actor under an assumed character (stage-player), i.e. (figurative) a dissembler (“hypocrite”) :- hypocrite.

 

The Lord warned against outward focus when it takes priority over the focus being on the inner-man, 1 Peter 3:1-4 (KJV): 1  Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;
2  While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. 3  Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 4  But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

 

Heart worship is what God desires from His people, not outward formality, religion, without inward change. In our last Bible study we studied repentance and conversion, Acts 3:19 (KJV):
19  Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Repentance means a change of mind and purpose. Conversion means making a 180-deg. turn and going in the opposite direction, and as it relates to the things of God it means changing our minds about God for the better and turning our lives around for His glory, and staying changed and converted. The genuineness of our repentance and conversion will be tested by trials, everyday challenges of life, and by the enemy of our souls, that old serpent, Satan, the devil. The genuineness of our faith will be tried and tested. Genuine, Bible believing faith will glorify God regardless of what it may look like to men. Everyday life will test our faith, whether or not we’re trusting God. Family challenges will test our faith. Relationships will test our faith. Current events will test our faith. Friends and enemies will test our faith. I look at it also as stretching our faith, because a test or trial is of no benefit to us unless we trust God in the midst of it to bring us through. All of these things are indicators of where we are in our faith walk. The two requirements for genuine worship unto God is that we worship Him in spirit and in truth. Heart worship, true worship, is worship in truth, not outward worship without the inner-man, the heart and spirit of man. Jesus called the scribes and Pharisees hypocrites. Again, the word hypocrite means “a stage actor.” We don’t want to be stage actors, but true Christians worshipping the Father in spirit and in truth, John 4:21-26 (KJV):
21  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22  Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
25  The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
26  Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.


In our text the Lord does not mince words when revealing the spiritual condition of His people Israel. Amos 5:21-24 (KJV) has very similar rhetoric to Isaiah 1:10-20, Amos 5:21-24 (KJV): 21  I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.
22  Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. 23  Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. 24  But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. In Jeremiah 4:3 (KJV) the Lord goes to the root of the matter, Jeremiah 4:3 (KJV): 3  For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.

 

FALLOW, JER. 4:3, DEFINED

Hebrew Strong's Number: 5215

Hebrew Word: ‏נִיר

Transliteration: nîr

Phonetic Pronunciation:neer

 

Hebrew Word: ‏נִר

Transliteration: nîr

Phonetic Pronunciation: neer

Root: from <H5214>

Cross Reference: TWOT - 1360a

Part of Speech: n m

Vine's Words: None

 

 

Usage Notes:

 

English Words used in KJV:

fallow ground 2
tillage 1
plowing 1
[Total Count: 4]

 

or nir, neer; from <H5214> (niyr); properly ploughing, i.e. (concrete) freshly ploughed land :- fallow ground, ploughing, tillage.

 

 

 

Fallow ground here is an analogy between soil that needs attention of weeds needing to be cleared, overgrown brush to be cleared, further breaking up of the grounds for receiving seed, and the heart of Israel being not prepared to receive the Word of God. God is simply saying to His people, “Just be real!” The word real according to Webster’s New World Dictionary means existing as or in fact; actual; true. Authentic; genuine. Law of or relating to permanent, immovable things, and in the case of our text, as well as the scripture in Amos 5:21-24, it’s implying to be genuine in our hearts toward the things of God. Solid in our resolve to serve the Lord with a clean heart and a right spirit. Live our lives in truth and not a lie, hypocrisy, stage acting, but in sincere reverential respect for God and His Word and that being reflected in our character and actions. That being reflective of the “new man” which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.


OUTLINE FOR BIBLE STUDY MONDAY, 5-26-25

“PILLARS OF THE FAITH,”

MATT. 20:28 (KJV)

 

Matthew 20:28 (KJV)
28  Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

 

The 42nd. Pillar of the Faith, “Ransom.”

Ransom – Strngs. 3083, Greek Lutron “A means of loosing” (from luo, “to loose”), in the NT it occurs in Matt. 20:28 and Mark 10:45, where it is used of Christ’s gift of Himself as “a ransom for many.” Some interpreters have regarded the “ransom” price as being paid to Satan; others, to an impersonal power such as death, or evil, or “that ultimate necessity which has made the whole course of things what it has been.” Such ideas are largely conjectural, the result of an attempt to press the details of certain Old Testament illustrations beyond the actual statements of New Testament doctrines. That Christ gave up His life in expiatory sacrifice under God’s judgment upon sin and thus provided a “ransom” whereby those who receive Him on this ground obtain deliverance from the penalty due to sin, is what Scripture teaches. What the Lord states in the two passages mentioned involves this essential character of His death. In these passages the preposition is anti, which has a vicarious significance, indicating that the “ransom” holds good for those who, accepting it as such, no longer remain in death since Christ suffered death in their stead. The change of preposition in 1 Tim.2:6, where the word antilutron, a substitutionary “ransom,” is used, is significant. There the preposition is huper, “on behalf of,” and the statement is made that He “gave Himself a ransom for all, “ indicating that the “ransom” was provisionally universal, while being of a vicarious character. Thus, the three passages consistently show that while the provision was universal, for Christ died for all men, yet it is actual for those only who accept God’s conditions, and who are described in the Gospel as “the many.” The giving of His life was the giving of His entire person, and while His death under divine judgment was alone expiatory, it cannot be dissociated from the character of His life which, being sinless, gave virtue to His death and was a testimony to the fact that His death must be of a vicarious nature.


Expiatory – Having the power or character of an expiation; offered in atonement.

Atone – To make expiation, as for sin or wrongdoing. To make amends.

Vicarious – Endured of performed by one person in place of another. Shared in by imagined participation in another’s experience.


Mark 10:45 (KJV)
45  For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

 

1 Timothy 2:6 (KJV)
6  Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

 

Romans 6:3-6 (KJV)
3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.


Romans 6:11-23 (KJV)
11  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12  Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15  What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17  But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18  Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19  I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
20  For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21
 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22  But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.


Romans 8:1-13 (KJV)
1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4  That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5
 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10  And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11  But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.


OUTLINE FOR SUNDAY MESSAGE, 5-15-22
“THE SHIFTING OF GOD, PT. II,”
1 COR. 14:33, 40 (NLT)

 

Holy Bible, New Living Translation
 

1Co 14:33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the other churches. 7
 

Holy Bible, New Living Translation
 

1Co 14:40 But be sure that everything is done properly and in order.
 
Shifting defined (Webster’s New World Dictionary)
– To change the arrangement of (gears). To change direction, position, etc.

Order defined – from 
<G5021> (tasso); regular arrangement, i.e. (in time) fixed succession (of rank or character), official dignity :- order.
 

Shifting, or another word that we may use is changing, is a part of life.
We’re constantly shifting, and changing as we go through life, especially if you’re set on accomplishing something, being an achiever, bettering yourself, educating yourself, excelling on your job, your business, etc. We are constantly shifting and rearranging in our environment. Biblically, one of the greatest shifts was when the Lord was transitioning His people from the Old Testament Law under Moses, to grace and truth under the New Covenant through Christ. The Jewish people truly were challenged in making that shift as witnessed by the preaching of Dea. Stephen in Acts 7: 51-53 (KJV): 51  Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. 52  Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: 53  Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. Since Adam’s sin there have been divine shiftings to the order of God. The flood, the Egyptian exodus, the Jewish diaspora, the Law of Moses, the New Covenant, and to this day, God’s divine shifting and rearranging to His order is going on in the earth. We may not call it divine shifting, we may not recognize it as divine shifting, nevertheless, divine shifting it is. With His people, the Jews, God had to reveal to them that divine shifting was happening in their generation, Matt. 9:14-17 (KJV): 14  Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not? 15  And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast. 16  No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. 17  Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved. Jesus was revealing to His disciples that while He was with them there was no need for the outward religious formality of fasting, which was a type of mourning, when His ministry was the answer to the dilemma of man and the fulfillment of all that the law pointed to. He drew an analogy between Himself and the bridegroom of a marriage feast. While the wedding party was with the bridegroom it was a time of celebration. So too, the disciples were to celebrate the divine shifting of God in their generation as God was preparing His bride, the Church, for their wedding feast future. Also, to further reveal the divine shifting of God in that day, the Lord explains that no one would attempt to sew new pieces of clothing to old clothing because the new would take away from the old creating a worse situation. So also putting new wine into old bottles, since the violence of the fermentation would burst the old bottles, therefore you must put new wine into new bottles, and the new bottles would be viable enough to stretch with the fermentation. These have been interpreted as you can’t mix Judaism with the gospel message of grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and that the gospel message will not mix with the old unregenerated mindset, but the message of grace can only mix with that spirit and mind that has been born again. The focus being that there was a divine shifting and in order for the people of God to flow with the divine shifting of God they had to shift as well.
 
WE’RE CONSTANTLY SHIFTING
The Amplified Bible

 

Ro 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].
Change moves us out of our comfort zone. Most people do not like change for that reason. Comfort is an enemy to change. Shifting is changing and changing is shifting. Just like the gears in a transmission when a vehicle gets to a certain speed, in order that that vehicle ride smoothly and flow with the faster speed, that transmission must shift. If it does not shift, it may get you to your destination but it will take much longer, not to mention, you could burn up your engine or transmission or both trying to run a faster speed in a gear that was not designed to run at faster speeds for long periods of time. The transmission shifts in order that you travel smoothly at faster speeds. It’s less wear and tear on the engine, transmission, and burns less gas when shifting to the proper gear. The vehicle runs smoother. Life is a series of shiftings and changes throughout, and if we are to flow smoothly in life then we must be able to shift with it. For instance, if I’m expanding in my business then I must also shift mentally to accept more responsibilities, possibly hiring more people to cover the extra business now coming in, be prepared for more hours working during the transition, perhaps training to learn how better to handle the expansion, and everything that comes with growth. You’ve got to make that shift to keep up. When a person desires to become, lets say, a doctor, then they invest into a College tuition in order that they shift their education to receive the learning for that field. As we go through life we’re constantly shifting and changing to accommodate for our destinies, and purposes that we have been placed on this planet for, and our choices. As Rom. 12:2 above reveals, that God is shifting and changing our thinking to be able to flow with His will, purposes and plans for our lives. The Jewish people struggled with shifting with the plans and purposes of God. Men, as a whole, have struggled with shifting with His will as well. There were those though, that God always had reserved to Himself, who were always able to make that shift with Him so that when He moved they moved. When He stopped, they stopped. When God said now, they moved. When God said not now, they didn’t move. As the fire by night and the cloud by day led the Israelites in days of old, His remnant was always able to shift with His will. The Lord recorded many of these in Heb. 11, the hall of faith and a commentary on their faith, Heb. 11: 13-16 (NIV): Heb 11:13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; i  they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. j  And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. k  Heb 11:14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. Heb 11:15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. l  Heb 11:16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. m  Therefore God is not ashamed n  to be called their God, o  for he has prepared a city p  for them. In this year of 2022, the shifting continues. Let us be that remnant that shifts with Him. 


OUTLINE FOR BIBLE STUDY MONDAY, 5-9-22
“KINGDOM VISION, KINGDOM GIVING,”
PR. 29:18 (NKJV)

 
Proverbs 29:18 (NKJV)
18 
 Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law.
 
Without a vision of where we want to go, where we want to be in the future, and a picture in our minds of that destination, giving will also be affected because the question is what are we sowing toward? What are we sowing into? What are we sowing for? That’s why casting the vision for any visionary is so important. The focus from the start of my ministry here at CCC has been the same, “Building Lives Through The Message of Christ.” Of course I understand that there’s more to vision than just a slogan, but from the beginning I have based whatever we do in ministry around building the people. The people are the vision from the standpoint of encouraging faith, the Word, a personal relationship with the Lord, walking in love, excellence and integrity, walking in the Spirit, and from the cradle to the grave, providing Biblical based activities, teachings, ministries, worship services, Bible studies, etc., for the spiritual upbuilding of God’s people. Vision, as it relates to the Church, must be centered around the Word of God, the Bible. The message of Christ must be the center of attraction. Having vision drives everything else that will be necessary for bringing the vision to pass. Vision is the drive, the engine, the pusher and puller, the motivation, the fire, the pick-me-up, the lightning rod, that will buoy us until the vision is brought to pass. Vision is everything that it will take to make it happen.
 
CATCHING THE VISION
Catching the vision, or getting people to buy into the vision and taking ownership of the vision themselves is key to getting people to sow into the vision of their own resources. In order that that may happen there are 3 things that are foremost to get others to catch the vision. 1. For Christians, first and foremost, did that visionary hear from God on the direction that he wants to go, 2. What’s in it for those that he’s asking to accept the vision, and 3. How will that vision impact the immediate world around them and those they love. So let’s take these one at a time and I will give my view on each.
 

  1. Did the visionary hear from God on the direction that he wants to go?

I know that God called me into ministry as I have shared many times to the Partners of CCC. I believe that God led me out to Calvary and that the vision that I have shared with the Partners of CCC is what God has placed in my heart long before I ever came to Calvary. I’m doing what God called me to do, whether it would have been at Calvary or wherever the Lord would have sent me. It just so happens to be Calvary Christian Center. Therefore, the answer to #1 is yes, I heard from God on the direction that I am headed in the ministry.
 

  1. What’s in the vision for those that I’m asking to accept it?

Building a ministry that our children’s children will be blessed by. If God is with us, and I believe He is, then the vision for our personal lives will be intertwined with the vision for the ministry and that these will be a testimony to our faith, that we believed God and brought the vision for our personal lives and for the ministry to pass. Our children will be inspired by our faith and in turn do greater things in their generation all to the glory of God. And then finally, the greatest blessing will be that we obeyed God and glorified Him in order that His will be done in earth as it is in Heaven. Amen!
 

  1. How will that vision impact the immediate world around them and those they love?

Our light will shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father which is in Heaven, Matt. 5: 13-16 (KJV):
 
Matthew 5:13-16 (KJV)
13 
 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
14 
 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 
 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 
 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
 

We will have fulfilled our commission as the Church, and preached the gospel to a dying world,
Matt. 28:18-20 (KJV):
 
Matthew 28:18-20 (KJV)
18 
 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 
 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 
 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.       

And we will have been the witness that God called us to be to the world in these last days,
Acts 1:8 (KJV):
 
Acts 1:8 (KJV)
 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
 
As our text reveals, without a vision the people cast off restraint, discipline, limits, restrictions, guidelines, laws, and the character necessary to bring the vision to pass.
 
Habakkuk 2:2-4 (KJV)
 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. 

OUTLINE FOR SUNDAY MESSAGE, 5-8-22
“THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE,”
EPH. 6:1-4 (KJV); PR. 31:10, 25-31 (KJV)

 
Ephesians 6:1-4 (KJV)
 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)
 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
 
Proverbs 31:10 (KJV)
10  Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
 
Proverbs 31:25-31 (KJV)
25  Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
26 
 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
27  She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
28 
 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
29 
 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
30 
 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
31 
 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
 
 
Today is a very special day for so many since we celebrate the givers of life, our Mothers.
The blessedness of honoring our parents is witnessed in our text, Eph. 6:1, the first commandment with a promise, that if we obey this commandment of honoring and obeying our parents, the results are longevity of life. We’ll receive much of that longevity just by the wisdom of their advice. Divine providence though, dictates longevity of life to those who will obey God’s Word, and honor their parents. Today, though, we celebrate a Mother’s love.
 
A VIRTUOUS WOMAN
As we celebrate today, my own memories of my Mother are nothing but a Pr. 31 Mother. My Mother is all that Pr. 31 says about a woman of God. As a young man growing up with my 3 brothers Vincent, Terry, and Chris, and my 2 sisters, Carol, and Denise, my brothers and I would play in the woods for hours at a time. We would play army, build make-shift tents, with our dogs, whom we loved being with. We would eat the berries, grapes, and enjoyed one another’s companhy and adventurous ideas. But if we got a whiff of Mama’s fried chicken cooking, then it was time to go, and we would be on our way home to eat. Times were so innocent then. We didn’t think much of politics, racism, or what was going on around the world. We were just enjoying each other and enjoying life. As we got older, we all went off into the military. Vince & myself joined the Army, Terry, the Marines, & Chris, the Air Force. When we would come home, Mama would fix whatever each one of our favorite dishes were. My favorite was her pot roast. It was so tender, when a fork got close to it, the meat would just separate. It was delicious. On Sundays, after Sunday dinner, we would all watch whatever football game was playing, and before it was over, the football game was watching us. We’d all fall asleep. But these are the memories that I have of my childhood and youth growing up to adulthood. I always have fond memories of my Mama and how she is a Pr. 31 Mother. 
 
HONORING OUR PARENTS
As we celebrate Mothers today, we celebrate every time they were there for every important event of our lives, how they loved us through the years, unconditionally, always there, always understanding, always seeing the best in us. Mothers are the gift of God to us. The greatest way that children can honor their Mothers is to listen to what their Mothers are telling them. God’s love can be seen through a Mother’s love. He loves us unconditionally, always there for us, always believing in us and seeing the best in us. Those of us who are blessed to have our Mothers with us should love on them and plant their flowers on them while we have them with us. I truly thank God for my Mother, and all of the sunshine she has brought into my life and continues to bring in my life and I say to her and to all of the Mothers today, happy Mothers Day, and may the Lord bless you to see many many more. 

OUTLINE FOR BIBLE STUDY MONDAY, 5-2-22
“KINGDOM VISION, KINGDOM GIVING,”
MATT. 13:44-46 (KJV)

 
Matthew 13:44-46 (KJV)
44  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
45 
 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
46 
 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
 
The Parable of the Hidden Treasure & the Parable of the Pearl of Great Price are awesome analogies between them and the kingdom.
As in the parable of the hidden treasure, when the man discovered the hidden treasure in the field, understanding the value of it, and then selling all that he had to purchase that field, so is the Believer who, when he discovers God’s plan of salvation, he then seeks the kingdom of God and His righteousness, then all the other things needful in this life God would supply, understanding the value of his salvation in eternity. As in the parable of the pearl of great price when the merchant, searching for a good pearl, discovers a pearl of great price and realizing it’s value, sold all that he had and bought it, again, realizing it’s value, the same with the Believer, who when discovers God’s plan of salvation, sells out to God, putting Him first in his life from that day forward.

 
THE VALUE OF THE KINGDOM

The kingdom is called that because it is where the King has dominion. That King is Jesus Christ. He is Lord.
Both of these parables start out with the following: “The kingdom of Heaven is like unto,” therefore it’s drawing an analogy between how we value the kingdom and how the man who found the hidden treasure valued that treasure, and how the merchant man valued the pearl of great price. In both parables the men demonstrated how they valued these by making them priority to have in both their lives. They sold all that they had to purchase them. In other words, it meant more to them to have than all of their possessions.

 
THE KINGDOM

Is that now what the Word teaches us about the kingdom of Heaven? No doubt scripture clearly teaches us that the kingdom must be priority in the lives of Believers,
Matt. 6:33 (KJV), and that these possessions on earth are not to take priority over the kingdom, Matt. 19:16-29 (KJV):
 
Matthew 6:33 (KJV)
33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
 
Matthew 19:16-29 (KJV)

16  And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 
 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
18 
 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
19 
 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
20 
 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
21  Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22 
 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
23 
 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
24 
 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
25  When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
26  But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
27  Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?
28 
 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
29 
 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
 
I personally don’t think that the focus was so much on the young man’s possessions, but to reveal his heart condition, because later in the chapter when Peter mentioned to the Lord that he and the other disciples had left all to follow Him, Jesus replied that they would receive a hundredfold more possessions, and in the life to come, eternal life. The focus was to make the kingdom priority and this is what scripture teaches. Here lies the power of prayer. In prayer, God will reveal our true selves to us because prayer is so much more than petitioning God, but is a time of getting into His Presence and letting the Holy Spirit reveal to us those things that shouldn’t be and trusting those matters to God, and He, in turn, strengthens us, empowers us, leads us and guides us into all truth.
It’s the matters of the heart that is the central focus of these passages and where we are, as it relates to these. Our hearts must be pure before God if the kingdom is to be first. A God-first mentality is taught throughout His Word without which we would surely end up as the young man who’s possessions had him more than he had them.
 
 
WHAT IS THE KINGDOM WORTH TO US?

 
So, what is the kingdom worth to us? What kind of question is that? Everyone’s probably thinking, the kingdom of Heaven is priceless. Well, of course it is. It’s worth more than anything our little finite minds can think of. I’ll put it another way, in a more personal way.
What is the kingdom worth to you? How valuable is the kingdom to you? How valuable is my salvation, my relationship with God, His Holy Spirit, His Word, eternal life and all that makes up the revelation of the kingdom given to us by the Word of God? What is more precious to us than the message of the kingdom and it’s reality in our lives? Is there anything that has our hearts more than God? These are the questions we all should ask ourselves periodically and be honest to ourselves because God already knows. He won’t be anything but first in our lives, Ex. 20:1-6 (KJV):
 
Exodus 20:1-6 (KJV)
 And God spake all these words, saying,
 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

OUTLINE FOR SUNDAY MESSAGE, 5-1-22
“THE SHIFTING OF GOD,”
1 COR. 14:33, 40 (NLT)
 
Holy Bible, New Living Translation
 
1Co 14:33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the other churches. 7
 
Holy Bible, New Living Translation
 
1Co 14:40 But be sure that everything is done properly and in order.
 
Shifting defined – To change the arrangement of (gears). To change direction, position, etc.
Order defined – from <G5021> (tasso); regular arrangement, i.e. (in time) fixed succession (of rank or character), official dignity :- order.
 
As we have already taught in our message on the theme for 2022, that 20 is the symbol of divine order and 2 is an emblem of unity, for instance, as the husband and wife are one. Our God is the God of order and we are His people, a people of order, 1 Cor. 14:33. Order is the life of the Believer. Whatever is out of order in our lives, as we walk by faith and not by sight, He brings in order. He’s bringing order in marriage relationships, relationships that have been fractured between parents and children, relationships between the saints with other saints, order in our Churches, our land, in our personal lives, our finances, in our relationship with Him, our relationship with others, loved ones, and all that is out of His order, He’s bringing in order to His glory. When we find ourselves in the order or God He’ll work all things together for our good, Rom. 8:28 (NLT): Ro 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together 11 for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.   
 
In Rom. 8:28 we have a promise from God that He will work all things together for our good, even those things beyond our understanding. Man is intrinsically sinful and from Genesis to Revelation always unstable apart from God. It is a mystery to how much God is involved in the everyday affairs of men, but one thing is for sure, the One who spoke the worlds into existence, that spun the stars into the sky, and breathe the breath of life into the man He created, is in control. Even when we think He’s not, God is still in control. When King Solomon had completed the building of the temple and dedicated it and prayed to God, the Lord responded to Solomon’s prayer in 2 Chron. 7:12-16 (KJV): 12  And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice.
13  If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
14  If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
15  Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.
16  For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.
This land needs healing, this country needs healing, people need healing. The Body of Christ is in the best position to affect that change as seen in 2 Chron. 7:12-16, through the power of prayer. God will bring order out of our chaos when we turn to Him trusting His wisdom above our own, understanding that God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent, and we’re finite in ourselves. We trust Him to bring order to our land, order to our personal lives, order to our Churches, that the Kingdom of God be established in the earth.
 
When God led the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage, He led them in a cloud by day and a fire by night, Ex. 13:17-22 (KJV):   
17  And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt:
18  But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.
19  And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.
20  And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness.
21  And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
22  He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.
 
Wherever the cloud moved the people of God moved with the glory cloud. The same with the fire by night. Whenever these picked up and moved then the people moved with them. To be more precise, they moved when God moved. We too, the people of God today, must move with the glory cloud. The cloud by day and the fire by night for the people of God today is the Word of God, Ps. 119:105 (KJV):
105
 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
 
The Word of God is our cloud by day and our fire by night. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter and our Guide. He will lead us into all truth. Faith in His Word will accommodate the necessary shifting and rearranging to His divine order. That order that the enemy have attempted to disrupt since the beginning of man’s sojourn on the earth and what has been the desire of the Father from the foundation of the world. That order is found in the Word of God and has not changed though much has changed in the world. Order comes to our lives when we walk by faith. With the order of God comes the blessings of God upon the lives of His people, 2 Chron. 7:14 (KJV); Josh. 1:8 (KJV); 1 Jn. 5:14, 15 (KJV); Mk. 11:22-24 (KJV).
 
2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV)
14  If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
 
Joshua 1:8 (KJV)
 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
 
1 John 5:14-15 (KJV)
14  And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
15  And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
 
 
 Mark 11:22-24 (KJV)
22  And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
23  For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
24  Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
The challenge for many Christians is the battle between our spirit man and our carnal man so that, if not careful, we’ll lean towards the scriptures that we like and shun the scriptures that shine light on our sinfulness, but that’s exactly the purpose of the Word. The Word illuminates the path ahead for us and reveals our wrongs and the devices of the enemy. God’s Word is His salvation plan revealed to us. Therefore we’ll always be shifting from one level of faith to the next level as we mature in the things of God. One thing is for sure, there is a shifting going on, and will always be going on, in the kingdom and we should welcome any shifting that aligns us more with the order of God.

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