Sunday School lesson(s) 2017

In a few weeks time we will be into another year.  2017!  Who would've believed it?  As we end the year, we will also be ending lessons from the Beatitudes in Matthew 5. The Lord has graciously allowed this blogger to teach the Junior class, 10-13 year olds. In the heart of this blogger has been to give the students opportunity to memorize scriptue. They have diligently worked on Isaiah 53, Ps 119.89, 2 Pet 1.21 and 2 Tim 2.15, among others.  It is now on this heart to begin learning, via song, Psalm 19.7-10.  This "song" was taught to me years ago and an inspiration as to a wonderful technique of memorizing scripture. Along with the memorization of this Psalm, it is strong on the heart of this blogger to begin a study on the names of Jesus.

MAKING MUCH OF JESUS

At our Camp Meeting in October of this year, a preacher was asked to testify of the message the Holy Ghost gave his heart many years ago, titled, "Making much of Jesus."  I could not get away from this.  Memorizing scripture is good.  Scripture, of course, is inexhaustible in all but the REASON, it is all there in the first place, is "HIM!"
With that in mind, as time and space permit, successive blogs will elude to what is going on in the Junior class as they memorize Psalm 19.7-10 and learn of HIM by "Making much of Jesus."
I can't wait!
Stay tuned...

Is this the man?

Current morning devotion finds us in the book of Matthew 4.1-11.
The temptation of Jesus by the devil.
Key points to start:

"Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil."

The Lord was not driven, He was "led of the Spirit..." - in my mind, indicating there was a point to the difficult test.


^2" And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered."
One may know how very man He was by this verse, "He was afterward an hungered."  
You would be also if you had not eaten for 40 days/nights!

³ "And when (not if, trust he will get to you too!) the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread."
Now the devil is called "the tempter."  He is predictable in this, he ALWAYS comes at one's weakest, most vulnerable time.  When you are at your lowest point physically, spiritually or mentally, beware. It has been preached by the old man of God that all three parts are very connected.  Thus, he has three venues in which to operate!
His first verbal/mental tactic is to question one's faith; "If you are who you say you are..." He is also predictable in this, when questioning the Lord Jesus Himself, or a believer.

• In response, the devil is given scripture.

⁴ But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
But wait!  That's not all the tempter will do. 

⁵ Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
⁶ And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Next question, a little more intense this time.  In questioning the Lord's Deity, he also sets up a prideful taunt:
"If you are really the Son of God, you would have no problem delivering yourself of such a physical catastrophe."  He attempts to get Jesus to PROVE He is who He says He is.  

• He completely ignores scriptues and attacks one's pride.  All the more reason to keep an    humble spirit.  You know, "the battle's not mine," said little David.

The Lord is not swayed by this taunt.  He says;"v⁷ ... It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Remember, it is not in his arsenal of weapons to show ANY mercy.  No watch what satan does.

⁸ Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
⁹ And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

"All these things WILL I give thee...!!!"  Absolutely incredible that the devil would promise the Creator of everything, including the Tempter himself, 'all the kingdoms of the world.'"

• The final weapon; the promise of wealth and power, fame and fortune.

Our precious Saviour, always magnifying the Father, is very plain in what should be the believers only consideration in the day of temptation;

¹⁰ Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
¹¹ Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

To sum up:
We understand that the Tempter is a mighty adversary (I Pet 5.8) and we are certainly no match for him.  However, when one follows scriputre as the Lord demonstrated in this account, then we can one day walk by the devil and say, "..is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;..."(Isa 14.16)

How can you know God's will?

The title of today's thought is indeed provoking.  It has been stated that "the will of God is the

hardest thing one can know."  Some things regarding His will are obvious, as seen in the Law
and the Commandments.  Other choices and decisions in our lives are not so clear.

So built we the wall;...for the people had a mind to work. 4.6

To open this study, let's turn to the book of Nehemiah.

How in the world, did Nehemiah know it was God's will for him to build back the walls of Jerusalem?

In a word, he didn't. Events just "played out" that way.   Take a look at the circumstances that brought him to this conclusion;

In Nehemiah 1.2, clearly, he was homesick and inquired after his fellow countrymen.  In addition to being told in 1.3, "the remnant were in great affliction," he is also told that "the walls were broken down and the gates burned."

1. In his initial response to this report Nehemiah, "wept, mourned, fasted and prayed."  He did this because he knew the reason for such calamity was the sins of the people. So, he begins to pray that the Lord in 1.4-10, would be merciful to this people.
2. Being the "king's cupbearer," he was in the presence of the king, probably daily.  Because of being frequently in the king's presence, the king notices this usual content servant is sad and wants to know why.  Nehemiah explains about his country and his desperation to help.  Being a favored servant, so it seems, the king grants Nehemiah his desire.  Arrangements are made and off he goes to rebuild the wall.  2.1-8.

There is, of course, much more to this story but the subject at hand is this; God did not tell Nehemiah specifically to do this thing.  Circumstances were so ordered from the High Courts of the Glory world that the man was moved in the direction His Creator ordained!

Next, let's examine the story of Esther.

The key verse in this book is,
"...and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" 4.14.
Esther, whose Jewish name was "Hadassah," would've been a captive in this foreign land called "Shushan." (which is believed to be modern day Iraq).  She would've been a beautiful young maiden when one reads how she came to the king's palace.  She had no choice in where she was brought up  She had no choice in being an orphan in the care of her older and much loved cousin, Mordecai.  She certainly had no choice in the king's problems that caused her to be taken captive to the king's palace. 1.1-22
Ahh, but this is where "the plot thickens" as the saying goes.

1. She is brought in the presence of the King and her character as well as her beauty caused him to choose this young maiden for his queen.  2.17
2. A Jew in the house of the Persian King?  How could this possibly be God's will?
3. 3.7-13 A plot is hatched to destroy the Jews!  All for pride, arrogance and vengance!
4. Esther learns of the plot to destroy her people.  4.4  What is she to do?
5. 4.16  Esther had learned the ways of her people to pray, fast and seek God's will.  
6. She prepares a feast for her King.  She reveals what she knows of the who and what regarding the plot to annhialate her people, including herself! 5, 6.14, 7
7. The King, hearing the entire truth of the enemies plot takes action and the Jews are spared!

How could Esther have known God's will in taking her from her home and family?  In a word, "she couldn't."  But given the circumstances before, during and after she was queen, it is revealed that
"...and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" 4.14.

To any reader of this blog entry, rest assured that if God's will is not direct to the heart, trust, by faith, circumstances may reveal it.  
Further, if one must make a decision, and there is no time to wait, then make the best decision available with the circumstances given, by faith.
Otherwise, "wait and live patiently."  (Ps 27.14)



 

Three strikes - and four, YOU'RE OUT!

Current morning devotion finds this believer in the book of Amos. 

When reading Amos 3.3, the familiar words begin to take on new meaning.  

Well, "CAN two walk together, except they be agreed?"  
(Amos 3.3)


This verse is sandwiched between the following:
"For three transgressions...and for four...I WILL NOT turn away..." 
(Amos 1.3, 6, 9, 11, 13; 2.1, 4, 6)

Most preach/say that Amos 3.3 is meant for repairing fellowship between Christians.  While that makes for good preaching, this voice is moved to dig a little deeper.
The verses quoted in parenthesis occur before and after Amos 3.3.  
In  vulgar vernacular terminology, "fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me."  So, whattya do with the third and fourth "transgressions?"

Well, lets look a bit at the meaning of numbers in scripture:

1. Unity, Beginnings 
2. Union, Division, Witnessing 
3. Resurrection, Divine Completeness 
4. Creation, World, Worldliness
   

Looks pretty simple to me:

One -    the One, the only Triune God is always right

Two -    Maybe one didn't comprehend the error/sin the first time.  Then, preaching of the  Word (which "does not return void (Isa 55.11) should move correction/repentance in the heart of the believer.  That is  "in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established."  (Mt 18.16, 2 Cor 13.1, Deu 19.15) 

Three -  If you have to be told a third time, then judgment will be "complete," swift and sure. (I Pet 4.17)  If judgement begins at the house of the Lord, i.e., if one repents and makes any restitution necessary to set all aright, then the severest punishment may be stayed.

Four -    If, a fourth warning is sounded, the only hope is by way of the grave.  The Lord will never allow His Name to be reproached by sinful behaviors in the believer.  (Mk 3.29), Thus stubborn, stiff-necked rebellion is "without remedy." (Prov 29.1)  


Conclusion:  This heart believes the familiar verse in Amos 3.3 refers to the relationship
between the Lord and His people.  If all scripture is given for "...doctrine and reproof," a whole new light is shed on this passage.  The only relationship of importance is that between the Father and His children.  If that relationship is right, others will follow suit or fall away because of the truth.  In any case, to God be the glory for His Word, Truth and Will!

	XXX X, you're OUT! Unlike the human heart, the Heavenly Father is slow to anger and full of mercy to allow such stubborn,  stiff-necked behavior.  However, heed the warning in (Deu 6.16); "Ye SHALL NOT tempt the Lord your God..."  Because, "the wages of sin IS death..." (Rom 6.23)

Psalm 100

Psalm 100
1. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
"Joyful noise:Happy sounds"
 What are we to do?  Make a joyful noise
To Whom should we do it? unto the Lord
Who should be doing it? all ye lands

2. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singing.
"Serve the Lord."  Sure but how? "with gladness"
What does one do to to "serve the Lord?" 
Put Him first in every decision. Think of others before oneself.  Then attend to one's personal needs.  In other words: "J(esus 1st) O (thers 2nd) Y (ourself, last).  Real, "JOY" is this formula.

3. Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is He that hath made us and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
"It is He that hath made us."  "The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."  Gen 2:7
So, who do we think we are to boast in anything?

Simple and succinct. 

Praise Him, Sing songs to/about Him, Serve Him.  

Why?  because "it is He that hath made us and not we ourselves..."

GOD, the SON

The next lesson in the Young Teen class is about, "God, the Son."  The first thoughts when teaching about Him are all His Names; "Messiah, King of Kings, Prince of Peace, the last Adam, Bread of Life, Chief Shepherd, Saviour..., to name just a few."  However, the name that we are to focus on, as noted in the title of this post is, "Son."  We would tell that He is the second person in the Godhead, which we discussed last week.  It is no surprise, then, in the Sovereignty of God, that the date we will be talking about the Lord Jesus Christ, is Valentine's day.

• What greater thought and emphasis on all that HE is, than LOVE?

With that established, it is also no coincidence that current morning devotion brings us to Isaiah 50.6; "I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair. I hid not my face from shame and spitting."
Love defined in Websters 1828 dictionary; "In a general sense to be pleased with; to regard with affection, on account of some qualities which excite pleasing sensations or desire of gratification."
In the Hebrew, love is seen as from human to human or "be attached to or long for."  In the Greek, love is defined as "affection or benevolence (disposition to do good will or be kind to with a desire to promote happiness).
Then, in the next verse (7), we read; "For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I 'set my face like a flint,' and I know I that I shall not be ashamed."
So, what do all the explanation(s) mean?
To think on the love of Christ, is to acknowledge that every human should have been destroyed, annihilated, cast into hell with no hope because we turned our back on Him.
To think on the love of the Lord Jesus Christ is to repent and humbly admit we deserved death and no hope.
To dwell on the love of Jesus is to realize;

• we have hope, we do not have to go to hell and 
• we have someone who promised to "never leave or forsake us."

1. His love in Salvation, is unparalleled
2. His love as the Saviour is unimaginable
3. His love as the Sinless one is uncomprehensible

One must ask:
"Why? Why would He go to Calvary, why was His lifeblood shed for me? Why did He suffer as no man has ever done? There's just one reason, I am the one!"  "He loves me, He loves me, Jesus loves me. He loves me, He loves me. Jesus, loves me." (Of course, that is the lyrics to a song) but still the question is, "Why would He love me?"
I had/have nothing to give. I am weak and helpless without Him. The scripture also tells us why we should love Him, "because He first loved us." (I Jn 4.19).  But "why," why would He love me? Ephesians 1.4, 2 Thessalonians 2.4, He "chose us" to Himself because He wanted to!  Amazing, incomprehensible thought that He would "include" me in His purpose, will and plan.  Thus acknowledged, what am I to do with such an love?
"Set my face like a flint (Isa 50.7)" and do His will as much as lieth in me, no matter the cost.  To understand His love will take eternity, to respond to His love will take my lifetime from the change at Calvary.  In my case, that will be 34 years, this June.
In a word, don't try to understand it, just enjoy it, respond to it and share it!

Quiet Confidence

So it is with a happy heart, I turn yet another corner on life's journey.  I want to post a little of my heart in these days.
Recently, devotion has led me to Isaiah 30:15; "...In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength:..."  Obviously, this is a prophetic text but I would share illumination as given by the unction of the Holy Spirit.

• 38 years finds me "back at the house of bread"
• 11 of those years brought me to the Lord's perfect will
• 5 of those years taught trust that He did know best and Ps 57.7 - "my heart is fixed, O God, I will sing praises, my heart is fixed."

Flash to recent days and Isaiah 30:15.  To be sure, 30.18 "...blessed are all they that wait on Him" but there is more in verse 15.  I have "returned" and begun to "rest."   Then, the truth resounding in the heart of this believer, "quietness and confidence is (my) strength."  The truth is, "I have no need nor should I want to struggle, worry or fret because I know where stillness and confidence lie, "in HIM."

Dear believer, you have already been given the promise that one is "blessed" who "waits for Him."  In that, you may;

1. return, to the place you left Him
2. rest, where you find Him
3. quietly, wait on Him
4. confidently, know you can trust Him

My Lord and my God, in the Name of Thine Only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, I humbly submit these truths and hope that whoever may find these words will be renewed, refreshed and helped in the daily walk with Thee.