Exploring God’s Word with Brad Thurston

Great – Greater – Greatest      John 3:22-36IntroductionOld Weddings – the best man and the cultural differences… Then and now! Daniel and Mark as opposed to other traditions?The Continuity of Baptism looking at inward and outward expressions of faith.Is baptism a ritual without reality? Or is it a death to self and a transformation into life eternal? Is life the same after baptism as before? Or does the Holy Spirit take control?Charles Swindoll said: ‘As theologians and teachers of the Word we study the Holy Spirit from a safe doctrinal distance; we are loath to enter into any of the realms of His supernatural workings or even to tolerate the possibility of such.  Explaining the Holy Spirit is one thing: experiencing Him another’”Competition in ministry is a good example of how we need to see the growth and constant development in character.  Here the question is who is greater, and the influence we thought we had, is waning. See 1 Corinthians 1:10-15:“NowI exhort you,brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you allagree and that there be nodivisions among you, but that you bemade complete inthe same mind and in the same judgment.For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’speople, that there are quarrels among you. Now I mean this, thateach one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I ofApollos,” and “I ofCephas,” and “I of Christ.” Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were youbaptizedin the name of Paul?I thank God that Ibaptized none of you exceptCrispus andGaius, so that no one would say you were baptizedin my name.”Great to GreaterPsalm 96:4Forgreat is theLordandgreatly to be praised;He is to befearedabove all gods.Matthew 11:11Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisenanyonegreater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who isleast in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.Who is the greatest? Luke 9:46;48An argumentstarted among them as to which of them might be the greatest.Jesus’ reply to such questions?Then he said to them,“Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”John’s answer is thought provoking: Jesus is the greatest because:The Supremacy of Jesus focuses on his OriginThe Testimony of Jesus focuses on his first-hand knowledgeThe Authority of Jesus focuses on the fullness and power of the Holy SpiritOur response to these things is important:  Pointing people to Jesus Receiving the Holy Spirit  

The thing about snakes – why put it up on a pole? And why does it bring healing? What is the type in the OT that Jesus wants us to be aware of? Is there a connection to the Passover feast that they are celebrating? Would Nicodemus have a different understanding about this from his historical and cultural background that we in our era and culture may have difficulty relating to?The snake, the devil and the bite of sin that brings destruction and death compared to the one who takes that sting of death away! It is a type of the cross and a prophetic view of what was to come with the real exodus from slavery to sin in the world of the flesh. The abundant nature of God’s generosity to those who believe in him. Condemnation and believing in JesusThe love of God for humankind is contrasted by our love of darkness. How do we identify darkness? By deeds that are evil – by God’s definition, which is the only one that counts in the face of eternity!The focus on truth as the means of coming to the light.Matt Carter: The reality of God’s love – 14-16 for us and so reveals the need, the reason,  the intensity and the demonstration of God’s love. The proof of the Love of God is in the giving. The demonstration proves the intensity and assurance of love, not just the words. The sacrifice is the proof more than time or money. Compare gave to sent in 17!The reason Jesus came – 17 sent not to condemn Romans and liberate Jews. To condemn means to judge a person guilty and liable to punishment. The result of belief – 18 the message of the Bible is about God’s love and mercy and about man’s sin and need leading to the rescue found in Jesus ChristThe response of man – 19-21 our choice

The Three “R’s” - John 3:1-15The 3 Rs in school. Helps us to remember. Many preachers like to use the same alliterative method in their preaching to help folks remember their sermons. I have found that it does not really work like that. If you want folks to remember something, it has to be short and really memorable, (like “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country!”) or you need to repeat it so often that at least the preacher can remember it. Usually, what people remember is how you made them feel, not what you said. The proof is not in specific words, but in what is printed in your heart! What you experience. Selwyn Hughes: l knowing the Psalm (23] is one thing – hearsay – but knowing the Shepherd is quite another – heart-say.Read textLet’s look at the three Rs in this passage: Selwyn Hughes: “make no mistake about it – the image of God that you carry in your heart is the one that you will relate to in a moment of crisis.”   Repentance Repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit Acts 2:38David Pawson: “Do you realize if you are ever going to start on the road to the kingdom of heaven you have got to repent of your good deeds as well as your bad deeds, if you’ve been putting your trust in them?”Rebirth Titus 3:5 NIVRevelationFlesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven. Matt. 16The picture of the snake Numbers 21:4-9 and Jesus quotes this now.The discussion with NicodemusTroubled by what he sees and knows and is honest enough to seek out answers  despite the perceived opposition, he takes a risk to seek out Jesus.As a teacher in Israel, he knows the laws that govern and how they are interpreted.  Do good deeds, do the religious things and then you will be acceptable in God’s sight. But he obviously doesn’t know about the assurance of salvation, and the actions of Jesus, disturb him, even though he can see how those deeds were contrary to what they believed. But it was going to affect his as well as their income, lifestyle, teaching, and their way of life that they had become accustomed to. Was it worth it? Is what Jesus brings worth the price of every one else’s wrath? Isn’t what we do, perhaps with some alterations here or there enough? Why this dramatic confrontation and change? Aren’t we all the children of Abraham? Are we not on the right path? We are doing what we are supposed to do with the offering, sacrifices and the religious zeal for the Words of the law and prophets? We memorize it, we teach our children, we do our best to be kind and good people. Okay we mess up sometimes, but we all do it, but at least we belong to the right family!Jesus cuts right through all his questions and his dilemmas and comes straight to the point: “You must be born again.”This means, Jesus is saying you are not in the right family at all. Being a descendent of Abraham does not make you righteous. Keeping the laws to the best of your ability does not make you righteous. Your basic problem is: You have the wrong nature. Your good deeds are like filthy rags to God. He is not pleased with you because you try harder to please him. There is only one thing you can do with your nature, and that is it must die. If you want live, you must be born again.Nicodemus: What do you mean? What are you talking about? How can you be a teacher in Israel and not know this? Abraham lived by faith in God! Jacob lived by faith in God. Joseph lived by faith in God. Moses lived by faith in God! All of them lived in faith before the law came! They understood their nature was the nature of sin, death, darkness and evil.  It is not about religious activities; it is a matter of a transformed heart. A birth where God Almighty is your father.Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, as a matter of fact, if you are not born again of the spirit of God you cannot even see the kingdom. Worshipping God is not about religious activities, it is something we do in Spirit and in truth! The breakthrough comes when God enters you like the wind and directs you in your faith and your life.Wow. Jesus must have loved him a lot to confront him so directly.Now the matter of being born of water and the Spirit: Some think it means the passage of water when you are born the first time. Birth of the Spirit comes when you believe in Jesus.Most say it can be a dual understanding.  You see John has just spent time with John the Baptist and following this encounter Jesus and the disciples go baptizing as well.  The focus really is on what happens in Baptism:The First R is Repentance. Repenting from bad deeds and good deeds as well if they are what you are depending on for God’s pleasure and acceptance. The focus on repentance is critical for a spiritual life. It is the forerunner of moving into God’s Kingdom. Learning to be humble and repent before God. Being able to see when we do wrong to others and apologize to them. Letting the Holy Spirit show us just how frail we are and how vital and eternal the Kingdom of God is. It shows us that it is not about us, it is all about him!The second R is Rebirth: That is when the Holy Spirit enters our lives to take up residence within us. We become Children of God. Our nature changes from sinner to sons and daughters of the Most High God! Make a confession: I am a child of God because I believe Jesus, I trust Jesus, and I will follow Jesus. The third R is Revelation: The snakes on a pole did not save the people, it was their obedience in Number 29.Nicodemus remembered his discussion with Jesus when he came to take him down from the cross with Joseph of Arimathea. 

IntroductionThe picture in our home of Jesus knocking on the door – all the hidden messages! No way to open the door from the outside - “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”Revelation 3:20 the heart of Jesus – the darkness on the inside, a ram’s head? rose of Sharon? “I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys. Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the young women.” Song of Songs 2:1-2 NIV Read Text - John 2:13-25  The pictures in the storyThey point to the big event setting the stage for the main Passover eventThe 3rd day reference to the resurrectionThe Passover, the Lamb of God here, John 7 and later comes the climax of salvation…The whip and purificationSigns of authority – Jonah Crowds that believeThe staircase events of John 1:51- heaven touching earthPreparation for persecutionHow does this fit in with the image you have of Jesus?An angry guy? With your image of the loving gentle Jesus?Notice the whip?Understanding the situation: the influx of people to the Passover ca. 2 million and the temple tax – ½ shekel was worth 2 weeks labor for a common laborer, or a ½ week for a skilled laborer. (50 shekels was a good wage.) Today a comparison would have been ca. $2000 plus an animal from dove to sheep and goats or oxen. Imagine the noise, the smells, the bargaining, and the shouting going on in a marketplace! Photos! Bargaining and kickbacks in the marketplace that was to be a house of prayer for the nations! David Pawson suggests 4 reasons why Jesus was so angry:Laziness and convenience?Exploitation?Nationalism?Misappropriation? – And, and: “for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”” Isaiah 56:7 What authority did Jesus have?He is the Son of God, the real High Priest: “It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.” Hebrews 9:23-24 He is the Messiah of Israel: Malachi 3:1-4    ““I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.” Malachi 3:1-4  He is the temple of God – that is his authority to cleanse How does it affect us? We become believers when we see the signs“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19) “In (him) you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:22) Jesus has authority to cleans the temple! Is he cleansing your temple? What are the hindrances? David Pawson writes: “is your body just a library to be stuffed with knowledge? Is your body a bank, a place for gathering money? Is your body a playhouse, simply for pleasure? Is your body a pigsty where slimy passions rule? Or is your body a temple where God lives?”Let’s examine the 4 possible reasons why Jesus cleansed the temple:Convenience - Exploitation – Nationalization - Misappropriation

This wedding is a foretaste of the wedding feast of the Lamb to be held in the future in heaven.There is a need to understand the social aspect of weddings to know why Jesus did this.There is the transformational aspect of purification seen in this actThere is a sign of Jesus' declaration of love in the overabundance of his provision

The calling of the first disciples has an impact for the rest of the book. In Jesus we see heaven touching earth in real ways throughout the story. It starts with Nathaniel meditating on Jacob's ladder and getting a new insight as to its meaning. This message is from John 1:35-51

This episode explores the testimony of John the Baptist concerning Jesus in John 1:19-34

From John 1 concerning the Christmas story part 2

This Episode is for the first Sunday in Advent 2024. It is from John 1:1-15

Exposition of John 5:15-30

This episode is an exposition of John 5:15-30

Acts 17:10 ff God uses His Word to bring life to those who earnestly seek Him. Studying the Old Testament leads to seeing how Jesus fulfills the Scripture confirming he is the Messiah.

Verses for the Power of the Gospel “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”Romans 1:16 ESVhttp://bible.com/59/rom.1.16.esv “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."”Matthew 19:24-26 ESVhttp://bible.com/59/mat.19.24-26.esv “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame." How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?" So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”Romans 10:9-11, 14-17 ESVhttp://bible.com/59/rom.10.9-11,14-17.esv “And he answered them, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them.”Luke 7:22 ESVhttp://bible.com/59/luk.7.22.esv “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”1 John 3:8 ESVhttp://bible.com/59/1jn.3.8.esv “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”1 Corinthians 1:18 ESVhttp://bible.com/59/1co.1.18.esv “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.”1 Corinthians 1:21 ESVhttp://bible.com/59/1co.1.21.esv “And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”1 Corinthians 2:3-5 ESVhttp://bible.com/59/1co.2.3-5.esv “To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power,”2 Thessalonians 1:11 ESVhttp://bible.com/59/2th.1.11.esv “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”1 Peter 1:3-5 ESVhttp://bible.com/59/1pe.1.3-5.esv “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,”Ephesians 6:13-18 ESVhttp://bible.com/59/eph.6.13-18.esv “for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”Matthew 26:28 ESVhttp://bible.com/59/mat.26.28.esv “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”Hebrews 9:22 ESVhttp://bible.com/59/heb.9.22.esv “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,”Ephesians 1:7 ESVhttp://bible.com/59/eph.1.7.esv “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”1 John 1:7-9 ESVhttp://bible.com/59/1jn.1.7-9.esv“And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,"”Hebrews 10:10, 16 ESVhttp://bible.com/59/heb.10.10,16.esv “knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”1 Peter 1:18-19 ESVhttp://bible.com/59/1pe.1.18-19.esv “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.”Romans 5:9 ESVhttp://bible.com/59/rom.5.9.esv “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”Colossians 1:13-14, 20 ESVhttp://bible.com/59/col.1.13-14,20.esv “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”1 Peter 2:24 ESVhttp://bible.com/59/1pe.2.24.esv “Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.”John 6:54-56 ESVhttp://bible.com/59/jhn.6.54-56.esv “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.”Acts 20:28 ESVhttp://bible.com/59/act.20.28.esv “And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”Revelation 12:10-11 ESVhttp://bible.com/59/rev.12.10-11.esvVerses for Power of Gospel “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”Romans 1:16 ESVhttp://bible.com/59/rom.1.16.esv “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."”Matthew 19:24-26 ESVhttp://bible.com/59/mat.19.24-26.esv “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame." How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?" So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”Romans 10:9-11, 14-17 ESVhttp://bible.com/59/rom.10.9-11,14-17.esv “And he answered them, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them.”Luke 7:22 ESVhttp://bible.com/59/luk.7.22.esv “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”1 John 3:8 ESVhttp://bible.com/59/1jn.3.8.esv “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”1 Corinthians 1:18 ESVhttp://bible.com/59/1co.1.18.esv “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.”1 Corinthians 1:21 ESVhttp://bible.com/59/1co.1.21.esv “And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”1 Corinthians 2:3-5 ESVhttp://bible.com/59/1co.2.3-5.esv “To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill ever

Faithful HusbandHosea 1: 2,3, 6-9IntroductionFaithlessness is rampant. Who do we trust? People lie to protect themselves and hide their shame. In building teams, it is important that people are open and honest with one another. This helps me see the issues faced in interpersonal relationships:The fundamental attribution error is simply this:  human beings tend to falsely attribute the negative behaviors of others to their character (an internal attribution), while they attribute their own negative behaviors to their environment (an external attribution).  Why?  Because we like to believe that we do bad things because of the situations we are in, but somehow, we easily come to the conclusion that others do bad things because they are predisposed to being bad.  (Similarly, we often attribute other people’s success to their environment and our own success to our character.  That’s because we like to believe that we are inherently good and talented, while others are merely lucky, beneficiaries of good fortune.) from Patrick Lencioni.Read text.What a crazy event and explain. Why was it so important for the prophet to do this? And how does this show us Jesus in the OT?It demonstrates how people gradually move towards sin and get in deeper without recognizing it, and also feel justified in explaining it away.It shows how far we drift from a real and vital relationship with God, and each other.It shows the problems Jesus faced when he came.And it shows how he patiently dealt with our blindness of heart.Finally it shows his amazing love in redeeming us from the very sins that keep us captive.Hosea 1: 2,3, 6-9“Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.” “Abraham is our father,” they answered. “If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did. As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. You are doing the works of your own father.” “We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.””John 8:34-47 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.”Ephesians 5:25-32 “Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!””Mark 2:8-12 “Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?” He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.” “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.””Matthew 15:10-20 “This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, and says, “I have done no wrong.””Proverbs 30:20 “The Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and putting Jesus to the test, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. But He replied to them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but are you unable to discern the signs of the times? An evil and adulterous generation wants a sign; and so a sign will not be given to it, except the sign of Jonah.” And He left them and went away.”Matthew 16:1-4 Mark 8 – Blind man touched twice. And disciples see Jesus properly. “And they *came to Bethsaida. And some people *brought a man who was blind to Jesus and *begged Him to touch him. Taking the man who was blind by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting in his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “I see people, for I see them like trees, walking around.” Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly. And He sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.” Jesus went out, along with His disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them, “Who do people say that I am?” They told Him, saying, “John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” And He continued questioning them: “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and *said to Him, “You are the Christ.” And He warned them to tell no one about Him.”Mark 8:22-30 “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, and like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.”1 Peter 2:1-3 “For this is contained in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a choice stone, a precious cornerstone, And the one who believes in Him will not be put to shame.” This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for unbelievers, “A stone which the builders rejected, This became the chief cornerstone,” and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this they were also appointed.”1 Peter 2:6-8

The Covenant Keeper2 Samuel 9:6-8IntroductionJesus in Moses and the Prophets.  We get some beautiful pictures of Jesus that help us understand who he is, and how amazing his love for us is! Seeing him demonstrated through history in so many ways, not just through prophecies, but through the lives of those who believe and trusted in God long before Jesus came.  We can trust God’s Love, God’s Word, and God’s Character.  “We can see that his love is compellingly intentional. It is not random nor sporadic. It is utterly reliable and full of purpose.”Last week we saw in the life of David, that he foreshadowed Jesus by being a prophet, priest, and king. Today I want to look at how David was a covenant keeper.Read TextThe Story! It all starts with a relationship between David and Jonathan. After David kills Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, David and Jonathan enter into a covenant. “Now it came about, when he had finished speaking to Saul, that Jonathan committed himself to David, and Jonathan loved him as himself. And Saul took him that day and did not let him return to his father’s house. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his military gear, including his sword, his bow, and his belt.”1 Samuel 18:1-4The nature of a covenant is that all you have, all your potential, all your life, and all those who are in your seed, all you will ever be is given to your covenant partner. It was usually sealed by blood since life is in the blood. So, the death of Jonathan caused his son to grow up in fear of David, and believe his life was ruined by him. When he is found, he assumes he will be killed as an enemy who wants to subvert David’s kingdom.  Thus, his response is amazement.The focus though is for us to see Jesus as the covenant keeper.  Look at what Jesus does in creating a covenant with his father, in his own blood. That means that all who are in the blood of Jesus are recipients of all he gets from his Father! “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17The sign of the covenant – includes blood! Let it be unto me like this, if I do not keep this covenant!“It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God ordained with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ God raised up His Servant for you first and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.””Acts 3:25-26 “God said further to Abraham, “Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you.”Genesis 17:9-11“And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.” Galatians 3:29 The faithfulness of the covenant keeper – in word, including promises:“I will not violate My covenant, nor will I alter the utterance of My lips.” Psalms 89:34 “Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His faithfulness to a thousand generations for those who love Him and keep His commandments;” Deuteronomy 7:9 “¶He has remembered His covenant forever, the word which He commanded to a thousand generations, The covenant which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac.” Psalms 105:8-9Our signs of the covenant: baptism at the start and communion to constantly remind us of who we are!Baptism as a sign of entering the covenant. “Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”” Acts 2:38-39“And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup, which is poured out for you, is the new covenant in My blood.” Luke 22:20 Our confidence and role in the covenant - “Such is the confidence we have toward God through Christ. Not that we are adequate in ourselves so as to consider anything as having come from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” 2 Corinthians 3:4-6 Are you in Christ? You can’t fool God and you can’t pretend to be what you are not. You want the benefits of the covenant, then you must be born again.  

Prophet, Priest, King2 Samuel 7:12-16IntroductionThe mystery of 3 – everything seems to come in threes. David and Jesus are keenly related in the Messianic passages. Primarily in 2 Samuel as we continue from Moses to the Prophets.The Prophecy of Nathan that points to Jesus.The Threefold Anointing on David as Prophet Priest and King, as pointing to the Anointing on Jesus!They both are:PriestsKingsProphetsWhat this means to us!

Finishing the Race2 Timothy 4:7,8Liberty Church BirminghamSunday, October 8, 2023Appreciation for Liberty Church – John Snow, David and Betty McCutchen and Ferrell Maughan were my first supporters, and continued after I married Jan. Bill Stamp, Bruce, Jeff Cato, and Ferrell visited us. Many wrote encouragement. Bill introduced us to Globe International in 85 and Liberty Fellowship the next year at Norman Park. Thank you, Bruce, for helping me finish this book. He suggested we launch it here today. And will be in the back room to sign copies for those who wish to make a donation for one to reach an Unreached people group in northern Mozambique. Providing local evangelists, trained by our German missionaries, motors cycles and bicycles to reach distant villages where you follow goat paths and cross torrent rivers in a canoe. – this book includes several events from here including one of Jerry Strong. How a German youth help a WWII vet get deliverance.Finishing the race – a scripture for finishing well, spiritual warfare, and funerals.  What if it applies to God and is prophetic in a way that OT scriptures are? What if Paul writes it as pertaining to himself, but God inspires it because it also applies to Jesus and his work, specifically his work by the Holy Spirit in us? It could apply to his work on the cross, as well as his work through the church until the great and glorious day when he appears, and we all enter heaven. But that is a very western mindset to this problem. Always a focus on the winner! When you think of races like the Marathon, you don’t know many if any of the participants. Eliud Kipchoge from Kenya holds the world record and 2 Gold medals in the Olympic Marathon will try for a 3rd in Paris next year.  That seems to be focus of our society as we hold such accomplishments in high esteem. Selfish Ambition can easily become a downfall for anyone. But two races impress me and give me a new sense of understanding regarding Gods plans and intentions: the Iditarod race is a grueling difficult race in March in Alaska, and it is not over until the last team arrives at the finish line.  The concern is for all to reach the goal! The Dream Marathon is unique in the fact that the established runners train the new runners personally 22 weeks before the race and when the first ones reach the finish line they return to the last ones and run with them encouraging them to finish as well! Here the whole idea is that the whole group is involved in the whole group!  Look at this from God’s perspective it is not over until all ethnic people groups, language groups, cultures, races, are represented at the marriage feast of the lamb! Until All who call upon the name of the Lord are saved, it is not over! Until all have heard and have had a chance to respond, the race is not over! It will not be accomplished without more dedicated career missionaries that is for sure!  Pray to the Lord of the harvest that he will cast out more into the white, ready and prepared harvest fields! But we need more than those who will sacrifice to go, we need those who will commit to do the praying, encouraging, communicating, visiting, pastoring those who have gone! We need an army who see that church is not where we go to be entertained, but where we learn how to serve, how to invest in people, how to give what is needed in the Kingdom of God.  It is not about a few doing the most, it is about us all moving together as the Holy Spirit directs us. Not listening to the myriad of voices but following the one! The task of reaching the Lost is our task together. Wherever they are found.

While Jan and I were visiting in Alabama, Bishop Malloy was our guest speaker at Long Creek Baptist Church

Jesus, Not Just Any PriestHebrews 7-11What do you think about when you hear the word “Priest”?Our picture is often marred by various movies, novels, and pictures.  Imagine Jesus being like a priest in one of those shows like Balleykissangel. The order of Melchizedek- righteousness and peace Gen.: 14:18-20 and Psalm 110:4See how Jesus is a high priest from a different law! Hebrews 8:1-6 a better priest!Jesus inaugurates a new Covenant like Jeremiah prophesied: Jeremiah 31:31-34 quoted in Hebrews 8, see last verse.The outer sanctuary and the Holy Place Hebrews 9:1-5The job of the high priest – replaced by Jesus! Hebrews 9:8,11,14-17The need for blood to activate the covenant. Hebrews 9:21-28The old law does not make perfect! Psalm 40 speaks of one to come later! Psalm 40:6-8Hebrews 10:1,4,9,10 shows the eternal work of Jesus!By faith the early believers were looking for a better country, an eternal one! Hebrews 11:13-16We have come to Mt. Zion and an unshakable Kingdom! Hebrews 12:22-24;Don’t mess it up – give him your acceptable service!  25-28!“And Melchizedek the king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has handed over your enemies to you.” And he gave him a tenth of everything.”Genesis 14:18-20 “The Lord has sworn And will not relent, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.””Psalms 110:4 ““Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.””Jeremiah 31:31-34 “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require. Then I said, “Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.””Psalms 40:6-8 

The Pattern of HeavenExodus 25:1-9IntroductionA trip through cathedrals – illiterate people and keeping the faith by art and sculptures.A lot of history in these amazing structures: major events, burials, events that moved the world to remember: Luther nailing his 95 theses to the church door in Wittenberg that began a reformation! Or the move in Leipzig that brought down the Berlin Wall? Or the simple pastor in Timisoara, Romania that brought about the downfall of the government there. The many small chapels across England as John Wesley preached up and down the land. Show pictures:Sistine Chapel at the Vatican- ItalyCathedral in Krakow, PolandCathedral in MilanCathedral in Salisbury – a worker who loved JesusCathedral in Wesel – Peter Minuit who bought Manhatten from the IndiansSt. Paul’s Cathedral London – taken into the Holy of HoliesBut all of these do not compare with what God gave to Moses!Then the Tabernacle – above all the othersRead TextThe Character and nature of God is revealedThrough the blood of JesusThe courtyard for sin, and the Holy place leading to the Holy of Holies.46x23 meters (150 feet X 75 feet) cf Biltmore is 175,000 ft2 CFNBC 11,250 ft2Outer Court and Inner CourtHoly Place – 10 X 5 meters 48x24Holy of Holies – 5 X 5 meters 24ftWorshiper could not go any further than bringing sacrifice to altar. Only priests could go farther to laver. Worth – Over 100 billion USD equivalent.See the Revelation 21 for the New JerusalemPrayers of incense Revelation 5:8 and 8:3,4Assumptions and shadows.  Solving the mystery and wanting to know all things. But there are issues that can develop because of this: the presence and leadership of God is replaced by dead works and dead traditions.  Where there. Is no life being infused, but the very condemnation that does not come from the Father:  ignoring him can lead to lifelessness. See what happens in Exodus 32.1See what is in Cebu or in Chichicastenango. The tents in the wilderness were facing the tabernacle.When we look forward to what Father intends for us both individually and collectively as a church, we can do a lot more moving forward in unity. “Therefore, no one is to act as your judge in regard to food and drink, or in respect to a festival or a new moon, or a Sabbath day— things which are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. Take care that no one keeps defrauding you of your prize by delighting in humility and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, and not holding firmly to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.”Colossians 2:16-19 “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it has run its course, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers and sisters. Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”James 1:14-17 “For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the form of those things itself, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually every year, make those who approach perfect. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”Hebrews 10:1-4