Approaching Easter... thoughts...

In the Old Testament, when God was having a place built, where He could have His shekinah glory rest, and mankind could approach Him, God had them cleanse that Temple. The cleansing of the Temple in O.T. was done so God’s presence could dwell there. We are the Temple now, and we need to keep ourselves cleansed so that God can give us the full presence of His Person.


We are to ‘gather together’ so the Temples of today, can jointly praise and worship our wonderful Savior.


Jesus expelled the moneychangers from Temple. He did this more than once. We find it during the passion week, but we also find He did it in His first year of His three year ministry.


John 2:12-16 (KJV)
12 After this He went down to Capernaum, He, and His mother, and His brethren, and His disciples: and they continued there not many days.
13 And the Jews' Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,
14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
15 And when He had made a scourge of small cords, He drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;
16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not My Father's house an house of merchandise.


Verse 12-13
After this He went down to Capernaum, He, and His mother, and His brethren, and His disciples... And the Jews' Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem


Jesus had been in Cana, 700 feet higher than Capernaum, which was next to the Sea of Galilee. This was a separate time Jesus cleansed the Temple, a time in His first year of ministry, not His last, a time after coming from Capernaum, not this later time of having come from Ephriam.


Notice it calls it the Jew's Passover. It originally was called "the Lord's Passover" (Ex. 12:11,27; Lev. 23:5; Num. 28:16). It had degenerated due to the sins, due to the defiling of the purpose of the holy days to be the ‘Jews' Passover’. The worship days, the worship sites were being invalidated, and nullified by sins of the leaders of their religion.


Verse 14
And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:


Sheep, oxen, and doves were suitable for sacrifice. But the ‘changers of money’ were selling lambs with spot, oxen that were old and useless now, and doves that were not to be sold at all, but freely given to the poor, so even they could sacrifice. Jesus saw this in His first ministerial trip to Jerusalem.

According to Josephus, 256,500 animals were sacrificed on Passover. The priests sold licenses to the moneychangers, and to those who brought animals to sell, so they were co-conspirators in the fraud.


Verse 15
And when He had made a scourge of small cords, He drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;


Jesus made a whip of small cords. Interwoven rush-ropes were made into something, not deadly, but something that would make the fraudulent thieves flee, rather than being struck with it. These moneychangers, and sellers were unpopular due to their extortion. The people were conscious that these people were cheating them, inside the place of worship.


Verse 16
And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not My Father's house an house of merchandise


Note that it is to the ones that ‘sold doves’ that Jesus makes this final decree. They were the ones that were selling what was to be given the poorest freely. There are many who could not purchase blessings today. Yet, they starve, do not pay their electric bill, or suffer in some other way to pay some ‘minister’ his demanded amount of money, thinking God told Him to demand it to pay for the blessings, the miracles needed by the poor person. All of God’s gifts are from grace, unmerited favor. Nothing needs purchased. ‘By His stripes’ they can be healed. Jesus has already paid the price. No offering should ever be collected with the purpose of being payment for what Jesus already paid.


Jesus calls this Temple, wherein were all these sins, to be ‘My Father's house’. Jesus used that term, ‘Father’, 60 times of God. We are to have a ‘Father’ -child relationship with God. We come to Him as children, able to ask and freely be given, due to our relationship of now being His family.

　



The House of God, which we now are, needs to be pure, cleansed. The devil assaults in many ways, just as the devil assaulted the Temple there in Jerusalem, defiling it, angering the Lord. The devil assaults with many things. When we accept the Lord, we are made into ‘new creations’. As a new creation, we have all the fruit of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law .


Those were in me, in you, in all of the saved. Yet, what has happened? Why do some Christians have no ‘joy’, little ‘love’, fleeting ‘peace’? We find that happens in most Christians, and few have those fruit of the Spirit continuing on and on. We are supposed to have them.


The devil assaults Christians. His attacks are merciless. Other times, he is sly and cunningly slips in attacks. Yet, all these attacks are assaults on our spirits, on our bodies, on our persons.


The television programs glorify selfishness, lusts, greed, avarice, and perversions. We walk through a shopping mall, and hear words that assault our spirit. We see attitudes in the neighborhood which shake our faith, our temperance. We are confronted by the angry, by the ones upset in life, and our meekness and longsuffering are assaulted. The curse upon this world assures that weather chaos, job insecurity, personality conflicts, physical weaknesses, etc cause us to feel assaulted, and battered.

SEE PART 3 NEXT

PART 3 OF 'MONEYCHANGERS'

The assaults upon mankind are against our bodies, our souls, and our spirits.


The food we eat has been genetically changed and who knows what we eat. . Society demands prepared, processed foods for ease of meal preparation. Yet, the processing removes the necessary vitamins, nutrients. Society demands lessen our sleep and our rest is not sufficient. Our modern conveniences make exercise to be optional. The body is assaulted by non-nutrient food, insufficient rest, insufficient exercise. The pills mankind has devised to counter those, are full of side effects, requiring more pills with more side effects. The assaults against our bodies are all encouraged by the devil, and seldom fought by the Christians.


The assaults against our soul involves the inappropriate contentographic world that has filled the magazines, the television programs, the bill boards, the theaters, and the most every venue out there. The soul is also attacked by the language, the vocabulary of the society. The words include blasphemy, cursing, insults, vile humor, insults, and anger.

The words fill our ears, pass through our mind. Even when disdained, the words have become so common, our minds are tainted by them. The soul is flooded with the news events reported on television, internet, and in newsprint.

The violence, vile and evil actions of man against man, fill the news.


The assaults against our spirit are ‘other gods’ that try to take place of real Lord and Savior. Sports, athletics, education, money, power, fame, in all their forms, are vying for the number one position in your life. Jesus wants and demands to be our only "Lord" in our lives, but other things, many are socially and politically correct, seek to be our lord.


The assaults come daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, to all of us. We wonder why the Lord is not as real to us, we wonder why we have physical and spiritual trials. The assaults need identified, and fought.


Instead, many come to times of fear and loss of control. There is sometimes not even time to figure out what is happening. We may panic, we may lose focus of what is important. We can grow cold and calloused, we can feel physical and mental changes in our person. Yet, we are saved, but still assaulted. In some ways we are helpless, we cannot leave this world yet. The assaults are going to continue till we meet Jesus in heaven.


The curse upon this world, the oppression by devils, the weakness of our flesh all bring assaults on the love, joy, peace, longsuffering, etc. that we had the moment of salvation. We need to have catharsis of our spirit to cleanse out the assault damages. These are not random events, but a daily confrontation, impossible to totally avoid. If we don’t want to live a Christian life that is missing much love and joy, we need to face these troublesome ravishments of our spirit.


When facing the assaults of the devil, our heart rate may quicken, our blood pressure may rise, our throat may choke, and our hands and feet may tingle. The assaults on our spirit are no laughing matter. We may feel like we are unsaved, or we may feel this is really what the Christian life is. Both those are incorrect. God wants us to be ‘more than conquerors through Christ.’ The Lord wants us to have ‘life abundantly’. We are told to ‘walk in the Spirit’. It is time we get a handle on the kind of daily healing we need to face the ‘facts’ of life on a cursed world.


The devil would like to make us feel as though we are helpless, and that impending trouble and its resulting effect on the fruit of the Spirit in our lives is inevitable. The assault may be inevitable, the loss of joy, peace, love, etc is not inevitable. We do not need to awaken every morning in a state of fear and stress.


Some Christians have resorted to prescription drugs and alcohol to settle their stress. That adds another assault to our lives. Emotions get out of control, with anger, depression, stress, panic attacks, and sullenness to be where joy in the Lord should be. Some, if not most, begin to live a worldly life, feeling the joy they thought they would have when becoming a Christian. Drugs and alcohol never help. In fact, they are a big part of the devil’s plan for his assault on us.


The assaults cause many to live in disregard to what God wants for us. God still wants His Temples, i.e we the saints, to be places of worship, of love and adoration. He wants us to be filled with a life of miracles.


We are Christians. We are different. We are not citizens of this world anymore. We are sojourners here, waiting for our Father to call us home to heaven. We are His Temples, where worship, honor, gospel speaking, and miracles are to be.


The world should notice a difference in us. Our whole life should reflect Jesus. We should not watch the lustful movies, speak the curse words heard from others, think the angry and selfish ways the world does. Anything that separates us from Jesus’ presence is an assault. Anything that defiles His Temples angers Him. He wants to chase the moneychangers, the fraudulent things from us.


Romans 12:2
"Be not conformed to the world..."


Some want to be a little like the world, and a little like the Lord. They try to be on both sides. Their escape from the assaults of the devil, is to join his ranks, allow sin to be a normal in their lives. They let worldliness be their way of life.


The awful truth, that new converts must be forewarned, is that in churches, in places where the Temples of the Lord are to gather and worship together, there are some who make a profession of Christianity who no longer, or who never did, have a real relationship with Jesus. Some maintain the outward profession. Some hold high positions in the church. Some have much Bible knowledge.

Somewhere in their Christian life, they lost the real relationship with Jesus. The actions of these persons are often an assault. Christianity is not a church membership, it is a relationship with the eternal God. Some in the churches, living worldly, carnal lives, assault verbally, socially, the saints in the church. There are modern day ‘moneychangers’. There are modern day Pharisees, and scribes who preach a defiled message.


We, as the Temples of God, are to ‘cast all our cares upon God.’
1 Peter 5:7 (KJV)
Casting all your care upon him; for He careth for you.


Then we are to ‘make our requests known to God.’
Philippians 4:6-7 (KJV)
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.


The moneychangers of today are to be chased form our places of joint worship, we the Temples of God are to freely enjoy the blessings of being in God’s grace and mercy.

We need to do as did the Lord, and take a ‘whip’, a spiritual whip, and ‘assault’ the devil. The praise, the worship, the thinking of good thoughts about the mercy of God, all assault the devil. He wants to discourage us with bad thoughts, we discourage him with good thoughts.

Philippians 4:7-8 (KJV)
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.


Matthew 6:25-26 (KJV)
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?


Jesus took a whip, and chased from the Temple the moneychangers. We are now the Temples of the Lord. We need to chase from ourselves the doctrines, the evil money grabbing schemes of frauds in the churches, frauds on television and radio, and frauds in the mailings we receive.

We need not heed their extortions of selling blessings they do not possess, nor can truly provide. We need to clean up our Temples, and our places where the Temples gather to worship together.

JESUS CURSES THE FIG TREE

First, Jesus leaves town and goes toward Bethany. At Passover time, lodging would be difficult to find about Jerusalem. The house of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus was available to Jesus. Then on the next morning, He returned to Jerusalem. He approaches a fig tree and desires to eat thereof. This cursing occurs on Monday morning.

Matthew 21:17-20 (KJV)
17 And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.
18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
20 And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!



On the fig tree, the fruit appears before the leaves. It was in leaf, and means it was in a sense, proclaiming it had fruit. This fig tree was barren, and had leaves only. Israel was that barren fig tree. Christ's word caused the fig tree to wither.


To profess something, and not have it, angers the Lord. God wants fruit from this world. Israel proclaimed to know Jesus as the Messiah, and to give honor to Him. Yet, they would shortly crucify Him. Likewise, many profess to be Christians in our day. Some of these ones do not really have fruit to prove their profession. We have ministers, board members, teachers, song leaders, etc. who are hypocrites, abusers, and false prophets. They offend and do iniquity, and yet call themselves to be Christians. Jesus is still angered at such, and a curse that will cause them to wither and die is soon to come!



Many more people claim to be saved, than are truly saved. I do believe that salvation is made so easy, that even the thief on the cross in the last moments of his life, could call out to Jesus in faith, and receive salvation. Yet, there are some who claim to serve the Lord, but have not truly extended their heart and life to Him as Lord, and are only selfishly seeking power, fame, money, health, etc. Their claims of salvation are empty, void of reality.


Matthew 7:21-23 (KJV)
21 Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father Who is in heaven.
22 Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.


It is possible, though unlikely, to totally choose to leave the Lord once saved, but I also believe that many who claim to have been saved, yet live lives errant from truth, void of love and fruit of the Spirit, were never truly saved in the beginning.


The ones who ate the loaves and fishes, who called Jesus ‘rabbi’, and ‘prophet’, were not truly saved. They wanted daily sustenance, they were seeking prosperity not a Lord, not a King of kings. They had not come into the kingdom of heaven, but had only sought help from the One Who could have saved them, had they truly accepted Him.







Jude 17-18
"But, beloved, remember ye the words (rhema) which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts."

Jude was likely referring to II Peter 3:3, which was Peter’s rhema word concerning ones thinking themselves saved, but not truly saved.
"Knowing this first, that their shall come in the last days, scoffers, walking after their own lusts, ...saying, Where is the promise of His coming..."


Jude could also have been referring to Paul’s rhema word found in:
I Timothy 4:1-3:
"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils."






1 Timothy 4:1-3 (KJV)
1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.


The word ‘hypocrisy’ comes from the Greek word ‘hypocrisis’ meaning ‘acting in deceit’. The word ‘speaking lies’ is ‘pseudologos’, meaning speaking false words’. What Paul teaches here, is the putting on an act of self denial, a claim of revelation to prove their false teaching. Some go beyond simple deception, but through greed, power seeking, willingly deceiving others, speak words that do not originate from God. We see them on Christian television speaking lies, without guilt, having money sent to them with promises that God is ordering such offering to purchase His gift for them. This is blasphemous, and they are not hearing that greedy message from a God Who gives all things by grace.


Hypocrites claim holiness, but are evil. Hypocrites claim to be clean, but are unclean. Hypocrites are persons used by deceptive spirits. Like the pharisees of the New Testament time, they are white vessels that are filthy inside, or whited sepulchres full of dead bones.


Many today, in the churches, in pulpits, and on Christian television programs spend most of their time raising their money to be on to again raise money. Their mansions and jet planes do not show poverty, but they fleece the pockets of many poor. The hypocrites of prosperity preaching do not ask if the giver is a Christian, the promised vision is given for anyone who gives money, regardless of their faith or standing with the Lord. Hypocritical pretense, lying deception, all aimed at raising money is their message.




Romans 12:1-2
"I beseech ye therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present yourselves a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable, unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God."


Romans 12:2 says not to be conformed to this world. If we are ‘conformed’ to the world, still living in the world, still seeking Jesus for the natural bread and fishes, we will never reach a goal is to ‘prove’ what is the will of God.


Salvation takes that ‘conformed’ person, and transforms them into a child of God, brings them into the kingdom of heaven. The word ‘prove’ is ‘dokimazo’ in the Greek, and it means ‘to discern, to approve’. We need to know God’s will, God’s thinking, God’s ways. We can only do know His will, understand that it is perfect, good, acceptable, if we let God TRANSFORM our mind, by ‘RENEWING’ it.


We must resist being ‘conformed to the world’, and resist having the deceptions that they believe be a part of our thinking. "Conformed’ is from the Greek word, suschematizo (G4964), meaning to conform to another's example. We are not to still be like the world, not be like the sinners on the block, we need to be transformed.


Romans 12:2 says to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. If we make that choice to not be conformed, and to let the new birth in us start a transformation of our person, we can be in God’s kingdom, we can partake of the spiritual bread of life.


It is a miracle, the Bible calls ‘transformed’. That is the Greek word, metamorphoo (G3339), meaning ‘transfigured by a supernatural change.’ If we choose to partake of the Bread of life, i.e. Jesus, we are transformed, by this ‘renewing of our mind.’


The fruit of a new Christian, is seen in watching their mind be transformed, changed, renewed to be like that of Jesus’.

part 1 of 2

BECAUSE OF THE RESURRECTION
SORROWS TURN TO JOY




John 16:

16 A little while, and ye shall not see Me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see Me, because I go to the Father.

17 Then said some of His disciples among themselves, What is this that He saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see Me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see Me: and, Because I go to the Father?

18 They said therefore, What is this that He saith, A little while? we cannot tell what He saith.

19 Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask Him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see Me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see Me?

20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

Jesus did not promise us we would not see trouble and sorrow, but He did promise us that ‘all things work together for good.’ Jesus did not promise that we would not have times of ‘tears’, but there is coming a time when He will ‘wipe away all tears’. Jesus did not promise that we would never be persecuted, tried, and abused, but He did promise to never leave us, never forsake us, and to bear our burden. Jesus told us the right path was ‘straight and narrow’, but it would lead to heaven and eternal victory.



JESUS WAS ABOUT TO FACE

GREAT TRIAL, PAIN, AND DEATH

Psalm 69:20 (KJV)

20 Reproach hath broken My heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.

These are the words of Jesus, given long before He said or thought them, to David, a ‘man after God’s own heart.’ David wanted to know and understand the thoughts and feelings of God, and many of his psalms show God’s revelation to him of what God, and Jesus, would be feeling at various times in the future. These words of Jesus at the crucifixion time show a ‘broken heart’ due to the ‘reproach’ that He was suffering from friend and foe.

The words ‘broken heart’ are figurative language. It is not speaking of a literal ‘heart’ that was ‘broken’. The words rather express of one who is suffering deep inside from pain and sorrow over the hurtful deeds of another. One’s life feels shattered, and hence the ‘broken’, one’s love has been rejected, hence the word ‘heart’.

God expresses that He even is brokenhearted due to mankind’s behavior and their unfaithfulness to Him. Jesus was brokenhearted when He came to the night of the betrayal, the arrest, trial, crucifixion, and especially from the disciple who denied Him. God understands brokenness due to the sins of others.

Jesus understood that the disciples, in a matter of hours, would be ‘sorrowful’, brokenhearted, and under great threat of their own lives. Jesus speaks here in this sermon on the way to Gethsemane, wanting to help them in their sorrow, by speaking prophetically, that their joy would soon turn to joy.

Verse 16

A little while

Jesus was emphasizing to them in the last days before the crucifixion that He would only be with them for a short while.

John 13:33 (KJV)

33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come...

Jesus tried over and over to let them know that He would be crucified, and remain dead three days. Jesus would then be with them for 40 more days, and then ascend to heaven for all of us to await the rapture/resurrection when He will return in the clouds.

Matthew 12:40 (KJV)

40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Acts 1:3 (KJV)

3 To whom also He shewed Himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

Acts 1:11 (KJV)

11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.

John 7:33-36 (KJV)

33 Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent Me.

34 Ye shall seek Me, and shall not find Me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.

35 Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find Him? will He go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?

36 What manner of saying is this that He said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find Me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come?

John 8:21 (KJV)

21 Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek Me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.

John 13:36 (KJV)

36 Simon Peter said unto Him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow Me now; but thou shalt follow Me afterwards.

John 14:1-3 (KJV)

1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me.

2 In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.



The message was well spoken, often re-iterated. They had no excuse to not understand better than they did. The fact that Jesus needed to ascend to the Father, so that certain things could happen, was not easily comprehended, and facing the loss of Jesus’ literal presence was not easy to accept.



because I go to the Father




Promises of benefit of Jesus’ departure



1. Believers will be able to do the works of Jesus, and even greater works, if Jesus departs to the Father.

John 14:12-14 (KJV)

12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father.

13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

14 If ye shall ask any thing in My name, I will do it.

2. The Holy Spirit will come to convince sinners of their sinfulness, and show them that their only hope is Jesus.

John 16:8-10 (KJV)

8 And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

9 Of sin, because they believe not on Me;

10 Of righteousness, because I go to My Father, and ye see Me no more;





　

CONFUSED DISCIPLES

Verse 17

What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see Me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see Me: and, Because I go to the Father? ... What is this that he saith, A little while? ... Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see Me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see Me?

This same night, Jesus would be removed from their presence. That ‘little while’ was far shorter than they expected. Still, in a bit over three days, Jesus would be back for 40 days. So, the first return from absence was also just a ‘little while’. The second removal from their presence has lasted a ‘long while’. So, Jesus is the ‘Truth’, so I believe, that He spoke of this current removal, and giving them hope for those ‘three days’ that He would be back, in a ‘little while’ for a ‘little while’, so they would be far more ready for that ‘long while’ departure to come later.

THE WORLD REJOICES AT THE REMOVAL OF JESUS,

BUT THE JOY OF THE DISCIPLES

REPLACES THEIR INITIAL SORROW



Verse 20

Verily, verily, I say unto you ...That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

Luke 23:27-28 (KJV)

27 And there followed Him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented Him.

28 But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.

Joy came soon, the empty grave caused them to think back, of all these times Jesus had told them that He would be back. They soon were rejoicing, seeing the nailprints, touching the literal resurrected body of Jesus. It changed their lives. Their testimony of Jesus was then strong, and they could face martyrdom with faith, for they knew that Jesus was alive and the Conqueror of sin and death.



An illustrated lesson describes

the kind of sorrow to joy transformation

Verse 21

A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

John 16:22 (KJV)

22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

PART 2...
OF
'ON THE WAY TO GETHSEMANE,
JESUS GAVE US HIS POWER OF ATTORNEY

All believers have full, legal, redemptive, gospel, blood-bought, promised, and family rights to use the name of Jesus in:

1. Salvation

(Mt. 1:21; Acts 4:12)

2. Baptism

(Mt. 28:19; Acts 8:16)

3. Fellowship

(Mt. 18:5; Lk. 9:48)

4. Worship

(Mt. 18:20; 2Cor. 1:10)

5. Good deeds

(Mk. 9:41)

6. Combat

(Mk. 16:17; Lk. 10:17)

7. Preaching

(Lk. 24:47; Acts 8:12)

8. Healing

(Mk. 16:18; Acts 3:6,16; Jas. 5:14-16)

9. Judgment

(1Cor. 5:1-5; Acts 13:6-11; 2Th. 3:6)

10. Prayer

(Jn. 14:13-15; 15:16; 16:23-26)

11. Praise

(Eph. 5:20; Heb. 13:15)

12. All things

(Col. 3:17)

13. Receiving the Holy Spirit

(Lk. 11:13; 24:49; Jn. 7:37-39; 14:26; Acts 1:4-8)

14. Doing the works of Christ

(Mk. 16:17-20; Jn. 14:12-15).​

Free, umlimited, and unqualified use of His name is the church's deposit. Checks will be honored in the amount signed with a steady and unwavering hand (Jas. 1:5-8).





Verse 24

Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name

Up to this time, the disciples had not needed to pray ‘in Jesus’ authority’ for the disciples had Jesus Himself standing right there. But after His departure, they would need to speak with His authority to have the same kind of miracles they were seeing then that Jesus did for them.


ask, and ye shall receive

The disciples tuned out all that ‘in My name’ part, and heard only this phrase. We see that same tendency today in the congregations. People want to ‘ask’ for personal riches, and receive. They want new cars, mansions, wealth, perfect health, and vacation spots. They forget to be in the ministry of the kingdom, and want to make God their personal butler bringing them their every whim.

Jesus requires a totally committed life. He does not want partial converts, but He wants "living sacrifices." Too many in the Christian movement are like the rich young ruler, and want eternal life, but not at the cost of giving everything. I have no doubt that he would have made a sizeable gift to the Lord for eternal life. Jesus could have named 10%, or 23 1/3% Yet, the Lord said that this was insufficient. 100 % must be given, for eternal life.

To follow Jesus is not an avocation... it is not an additional challenge in life... it is a total life change, a totally new direction... a total commitment... We give our lives, our possessions, our talents, our whole being to Jesus when we become a true Christian. There are many counterfeit Christians out there who are not so committed... and definitely need this exhortation.

The Lord told us to not be concerned with treasures on this earth. Our whole concept must be on heavenly reward, not earthly reward.

Matthew 6:19-34

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye; if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness... No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (riches). ...Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on... But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."

We are commanded to seek heavenly treasures. We are likewise commanded to not, definitely not, be concerned with gaining earthly treasures. Then why are many ministries trying to tell the saints how to gain in earthly riches? Why all the emphasis on 100 fold returns? How did we get so far from the message of the Lord?

Luke 12:33

"Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where you treasure is, there will your heart be also."

We are to use the ‘power of attorney’ when we in His work, ministering in His kingdom, and doing His will. This ‘ask... receive’ is not for personal gain, but for spiritual gain in this battlefield of earth.



that your joy may be full

The success of Jesus work is what should make us happy. Our joy should be in seeing souls saved, lives changed, the gospel spread, and the devil defeated. Our use of the power of attorney should see answered prayers.



Verse 26

that I will pray the Father for you

Jesus is interceding, at the right hand of the Father, right now, for us to have the miracles and blessings we need to do His work. .



Verse 29-30

29 His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest Thou plainly, and speakest no proverb.

30 Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask Thee: by this we believe that Thou camest forth from God.

This is the humorous part. Before, when Jesus spoke of sorrow, of His departure, of trials and failures to come for them, they did not comprehend. Now, they hear ‘ask... receive’, and suddenly they claim to understand perfectly, and to seek Jesus as ‘all knowing, and certainly the One sent by God. LOL They were still in darkness, they were soon (within minutes) going to follow afar off, doubt what they had believed about Jesus, deny Him to others, and hide in fear !

These were empty claims of wisdom and understanding of the disciples. They were blinded by their self interest, wanting prosperous living, and forgetting all that Jesus had been trying to warn them of their failure about to occur.

Verse 31

Do ye now believe?



This was likely said with a sly, cynical grin. He was certainly saddened that they were not fully understanding what He was teaching, but He knew they would remember these things later, be further taught by the Spirit, and learn (eventually) of what He spoke. He asks this question, and then answers it Himself.

Verse 32

Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave Me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Jesus predicts their failure, their failure to understand what He just has been teaching. They were at this moment entering Gethsemane and were about to fall asleep until awakened by the soldiers arriving to arrest Jesus. Jesus assures them that the words that He just spoke would later bring them ‘peace’, and that when they remembered what Jesus has said, they could be ‘of good cheer’.



Verse 33

world ... overcome

We can be over comers. The word for ‘over come’ is the Greek word nikao (G3528), meaning conquered. The world is ‘conquered’ and we do ‘overcome’ if we learn to pray with Jesus ‘power of attorney’, i.e. ‘In the name of Jesus.

THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY
INTO JERUSALEM

Matthew 21:1-11 (KJV)
1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,
2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto Me.
3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set Him thereon.
8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
10 And when He was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.



Verse 1
drew nigh unto Jerusalem... were come to Bethphage


Bethphage (which means ‘house of figs’) is about one mile from Bethany, and obviously a town where Jesus had met someone who had some donkeys. Perhaps the man was hoping that when the coming Messiah rode into Jerusalem, it would be on a donkey that he had raised. We do not know if that is the case, but Jesus and he did have an understanding, and the disciples were told to feel free to go, give the message pre-ordained by the Lord and this man, to indicate the time was now for the need of the animals.

The disciples were dispatched to get a colt and its mare, and their excitement likely grew. They forgot the warnings of the Lord concerning His impending death and His promise of the resurrection. Their long held beliefs that the Messiah would expel the Romans, and bring prosperity to the nation began to override all other information in their minds.



Verse 2
Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto Me ...

The Lord had a formerly made agreement with the owner of the colt and mare. The owner likely knew the impending coming of the Messiah and the prophecy of Zechariah. He had the animals tied and waiting the Lord to say that He was ready to use these animals.

When the animals were picked up, the word began to spread that the Messiah was about to proclaim His arrival. The crowd became excited, and the One Who had resurrected Lazarus, and was healing the blind, the lame, etc. as He traveled to Jerusalem, was the obvious Messiah.

This day of entry into Jerusalem was a fulfillment of Daniel's prophecy. Daniel had prophesied (Daniel 9:25) that from the giving of the commandment to return to Jerusalem until the coming of the Messiah would be 69 weeks of years.
69 times 7 = 483 years
The command was given in the 20th year of Artaxerxes' reign. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica this was 445 BC, the first of Nisan which was March 14, 445 BC.
483 years times 360 days each is 173,880 days
From March 14, 445 BC until April 6, AD 32 is exactly 173,880 days.

The book called "The Coming Prince" by Sir Robert Anderson tells us that on April 6, AD 32, on the tenth of Nisan, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey, and offered Himself as King and Messiah (Zechariah 9:9, Luke 19:28-44, Matthew 21:1-11).

Zechariah had predicted the ‘how’ that He would come:
Zechariah 9:9 (KJV)
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.



Verse 5
Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass

Matthew loves to record the many Old Testament prophecies that the Lord fulfilled in His first coming. This is one that woke up the city, confirmed what many had begun to believe, that Jesus is the promised Messiah.



Verse 8
And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strewed them in the way

This was common in parades of conquerors, being honored by the people. Yet, many were being reminded of the prophecy of Zechariah, and were seeing this as Jesus announcement to them, of Who He is. So, the crowd began to lay their outer garments and branches broken from the trees into the pathway of Jesus. They boldly called Him to be the "Son of David", which is another term referring to the Messiah.

Jesus rode both a colt and a mare. There has been much argument concerning this, but it is not worth a long debate. Zechariah 9:9 seems to answer the debate of whether Jesus rode one or both.

"Rejoice, greatly, O daughter of Zion, shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee, he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass."




Verse 9
Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest

This same phraseology was said once daily, for seven days, during the feast of tabernacles. They said it as they marched with palms around the altar. On the eighth day they marched seven times, and called it the ‘great hosanna’.

This crowd on what we call ‘Palm Sunday’, expected Jesus to save them from human enemies, but Jesus had come to save them from sin, death, and the devil. Some of them may have, two days later, cried out for His crucifixion.

The term "HOSANNA" expresses hope and triumph. The basic meaning of such is "SAVE NOW" or "HELP NOW".

Perhaps they had the verse in Psalms 118 in mind, and were quoting it:
Psalms 118:25
"Save now (hosanna) I beseech Thee, O Lord, I beseech Thee, send now prosperity."

The terms "SON OF DAVID" is equivalent to "MESSIAH" or "ANOINTED ONE". The crowd was accepting Jesus as the Messiah, the Sent and Anointed One Who had come to bring them help and prosperity. Their eyes was on the carnal prosperity, and not on spiritual prosperity though.



Verse 10
And when He was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?

The word moved is the Greek, seio (G4579), meaning to be agitated.

Who is this? The agitated crowd, the pharisees and scribes who days earlier had tried to stone Him, question the crowd. They knew it was Jesus, but they are intimidating the crowd, letting them see their agitation, to make the crowd fearful to admit what they had just acknowledged.



Verse 11
And the multitude said, This is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee

The crowd who moments before had said Jesus was the "Son of David" now comes upon the crowd in Jerusalem, which was "moved", ie. agitated by the arrival of Jesus. The ones who had called Jesus to be "the Son of David" now waver in faith, and announce Him to be "the prophet".

Jesus noted their wavering, their backsliding from the revelation they had. This, amidst the hatred of the pharisees, the desire to steal money by Judas, and him impending betrayal of Jesus, breaks the heart of Jesus.



THE SHORT LIVED ‘HOSANNA’ BROKE THE HEART OF THE LORD JESUS

Elijah hid beneath a juniper tree. He felt discouraged, alone, feared being killed by Jezebel, and was weary and tired. God knows when we are physically and mentally drained. He is merciful in those times. God sent an angel to Elijah, provided food, and had Elijah rest. then Elijah was sent to a cave, and there he heard the ‘still small voice’ of God. Elijah, despite his inclination to hide and pout then, was still chosen to return to finish his ministry during the tribulation.

Nicodemus came to talk to Jesus in the darkness of night, in the seclusion of a private area. He was fearful of being seen with Jesus. He was scared to look ‘dumb’. Jesus met with him, and explained ‘born again’. Later Nicodemus was saved, and became a great witness for the Lord. His fear was gone, he could speak of Jesus in the daylight. Even if you are fearful, still, like Nicodemus, talk with Jesus. In the car when alone, on a walk alone, when doing chores alone, talk to the Lord. He will speak powerful messages to you when you are alone


Peter hid by the fire, ‘afar’ off from the trials and beatings of Jesus. He was fearful of ridicule, and of the same fate that Jesus was suffering to come upon him. Many try to blend in with the devil’s crowd today also. Some can say a few curse words, tell a dirty joke or two, and no one will suspect that they are religious.

The crowd will be more comfortable, if they think one is as hell bound as are they. The Lord forgave Peter. He ceased from his hiding ways, and began to stand up for Jesus, even if it meant prison and crucifixion.

The disciples hid in a room, the doors and windows being locked, afraid of suffering the same death as did Jesus. The hatred of the world can be so intense upon we Christians, that we may think to hide from it. The disciples locked the door, locked the windows, and still Jesus paid them a visit. The fear and hiding were unnecessary, but they let their rebellion against the truths that Jesus had told them about the reality of the crucifixion, to blind their hearts from faith. They thought denial of the facts that we suffer if we are Christian from attacks from the devil would save them. It did not, so then they hid. There are many today, not getting stronger to fight the devil, not resisting in faith against his attacks, but simply wanting to deny that there are any attacks. When the attacks do come anyhow, some hide.

All but one of the disciples were martyred. Even that one, John, suffered, for he was put in boiling oil, and did not die, and he was exiled to Patmos, a prison island, and still survived. So, the wrath of the devil and the world can come upon us. The wrath of God will not come to us, we have His love and care. So, we seek the Lord, and reverence only Him.

Anna and Simeon did not hide. They were at the temple daily watching and waiting for revelation, so that they could see the Christ when He would be brought to the Temple for dedication.

John the Baptist did not wimp out. He gathered a crowd wherever he was, and preached repentance, and mentioned by name the sins that needed repentance, even the sins of Herod. It cost him his head, but it gained him the title of the ‘greatest’ of all the Old Testament prophets.

John the Baptist was given revelation about Who the Lamb of God, and His arrival. He had a great number of disciples. The crowds were huge, and many were repenting and being baptized. Then he was suddenly arrested, imprisoned, and was to face the ‘beheader’. Why? He had fulfilled his mission, and had become the ‘greatest of all’ the Old Testament prophets. His honor for eternity is great, due to these trials he had faced.

Paul had revival or riot in his ministry. He started many churches. Yet, he was beaten many times, stoned once, imprisoned often. Finally, he was beheaded. Yet, during all that time, he had visions or visits to paradise, revelations from the Lord aplenty. The troubles of his life, were faced with contentment, and he rejoiced in these troubles, for he saw the great blessings that came with them.
So, we may suffer things that will make us be intimidated by the sinners of this world, and some may be tempted to hide. It would be easy to hide. But, if we stand firm, fight the enemy in faith, we will find miracles and be overcomers for the Lord.

Why do we face trials, persecutions, mockings, and battles? We face them so we can be overcomers. We are told that ‘all things work together for good to them that are called of God and working according to His will.’ That describes what we are to be.

The messages to the seven churches in Revelation 2 & 3 says ‘to him that overcometh will.’ God has ‘will’ for each overcomer. The overcomer will receive great blessings for their stedfast faith, for their willingness to not hide.

If there were no mountains, not barriers, no burdens, no trials, no persecution, no battles, there would be nothing to overcome. God gave us armor, not tuxedos and wedding dresses. God gave us a sword, not a lazy boy chair. God gave us a shield, not a ping pong paddle. God said we would be hated, not loved. God said ‘many are the afflictions’ not many are the carnal rewards.

Paul and Silas sang in the dungeon. Job said ‘though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.’ Peter said to Jesus ‘bid me come’ when the Lord was walking on the water. Elijah heard the still small voice, Joseph was made second to pharaoh in Egypt. Why? They were not hiders, they were overcomers.

Why do some saints have bland, pew sitting existences? They have no victories to report, no overwhelming joy to express because they are hiders, not overcomers.

To avoid battle, Jonah took a ship of flight and hiding in it from the storm. Saul hid in baggage. Prophets hid in caves. !3,000 of Gideon’s army would rather be hiding from battle, and 9700 more would like to delay battle for a while so they can refresh themselves. They were rejected from Gideon’s army.

The ones at the triumphal entry were crying ‘hosanna’, but moments later were too scared to speak the same revelation to those who did not want to hear it. We need to beware lest we break the heart of our Lord, He is still deserving of praise, worship, honor, and witness from us.

PART 2 .... of JESUS WEPT OVER JERUSALEM...



]WHAT ARE WE TO DO,
WHEN BROKENHEARTED?

LOOK WHAT JESUS DID... AND HOW HE DID IT

Hebrews 12:2-3 (KJV)
2 Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider Him Who endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Jesus, had a ‘joy set before Him’. He knew that this rejection, the coming death on the cross, would being ‘joy’, for sin would be defeated, death would be destroyed, and those who accept Him could have eternal life. That joy, in the thoughts of Jesus made Him able to suffer the pain of the broken heart.

The joy that was set before him was the redemption of all who choose to accept His work on the cross, and so Jesus could ‘endure the contradiction of sinners against Himself.

So, we too should learn how to conquer the broken heart, by the same way Jesus did. He endured, He suffered, He even wept, but the ‘joy’ in knowing that this was the Father’s will, and great good would come from Him doing the will of the Father, so He could endure the suffering. Whereas, we may often be brokenhearted in a damaging situation with humans, we now have a divine relationship with a God Who loves us tenderly and completely, and shows us joys to come.

Hebrews 4:15-16 (KJV)
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

God understands, has felt the same kind of pain as the brokenhearted. He has an answer, He knows how to heal.

Hebrews 7:25 (KJV)
25 Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.

God asks of the brokenhearted, to have ‘faith’ in Him. The brokenhearted need to realize that He will ‘reward’ those who come to Him for their healing.

Hebrews 11:6 (KJV)
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

There is no need for loneliness, for being in the presence of the Lord makes a difference in the life of the seeker.

Acts 4:13 (KJV)
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

God has riches of His glory, ready and prepared to give to the brokenhearted.

Romans 9:23 (KJV)
23 And that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had afore prepared unto glory,

Therefore, the brokenhearted should draw near to God. We can have ‘full assurance’ that He will wash us with ‘pure water’. Hold fast to this healing of your broken heart.

Hebrews 10:22-25 (KJV)
22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed pure water.
23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised
24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

We can pray for the ‘mountain’ size problem to be healed, and the Lord does answer.

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.

Jesus wept over Jerusalem. He felt grief, and so do we. It is not sinful to weep, to feel a broken heart. It is normal, and yet, we must endure the pain, and look forward with joy, for that is how Jesus did it.

SINNERS WITHIN THE TEMPLE ANGER JESUS

Matthew 21:12-16 (KJV)
12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
14 And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple; and He healed them.
15 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,
16 And said unto Him, Hearest Thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?


A half shekel was to be paid by all on the 15th of Adar (March). And regular offerings of tithes were collected there at the Temple. They were not allowed to give ‘foreign’ coins, or coins with Caesar, or some false god, imprinted upon them. Collectors received the money in every city, and transported it to the Temple for the people.

Moneychangers exchanged Jewish coins, for foreign coins, here in the outer realms of the Temple. It was not the exchange that bothered the Lord, but the fact that the people were being cheated by the moneychangers. Fair value for the foreign coins was not being done. Some took advantage, and were committing fraud, in order to enrich themselves.

Some sold ‘doves’, which refers to small birds, easily caught, and this ‘sacrifice’ rather than a ‘lamb’ was meant for those too poor to afford a spotless lamb. This was meant by God to be sure that no one could be too poor to sacrifice for their sins. These ‘doves’ could be caught in the countryside, with very little effort. Yet, here the doves were being sold, a price too high for all to be able to afford, and perhaps some were not sacrificing, due to the expense being too high.

Jesus saw these ‘moneychangers’ as a ‘den of thieves.’


The ‘thievery’ was being condoned by the priesthood, the getting rich off those who came to pray, to honor God, to sacrifice for sins, was a horrible crime. They were doing it in the very presence of the God that many came to worship. Some have used this passage to deny the selling of cds, tapes, books, etc in a church. It is not the selling that is wrong here, but the cheating of the people, the hindering of the true purpose of the site. If our purpose in selling music or teaching is to get rich, we should not do it in the church. If fair market value is charged, and the goal is the spiritual good of the buyers, there is nothing wrong with this.

Jesus not only showed the wrong use of a worship site, but here He shows the proper, the Godly purpose of a place of worship. God wants to deliver people. The blind, lame, that were there, needing help, but few were helping, were able to make their way to Jesus, obviously needing help of other non-infirmed worshippers, and Jesus gave them a miracle. This should have confirmed that He is the Messiah, but the ‘leaders’ were not impressed. They preferred moneychangers to miracle workers. They saw money as being more important to the Temple than the Messiah’s arrival, the healing of the sick, the worship of the Lord.

Having condemned the sin of the place of worship, He now demonstrated the proper use of it.

In many places of worship today, we see ‘money’ being the main emphasis. Promises are made that are not from God, people are told to purchase their blessings by enriching the minister, and God is still not pleased with those moneychangers.

God does not sell the salvation of your loved ones, for that is their choice, and God will not take away their choice for money. God does not give blanket blessings, blessing all who give a certain amount, whether they be saved or not, whether they repent of their sins or not, whether they seek to find out if what they want is what God wills for them. Yet, moneychangers today will promise, claim God spoke this ‘deal’ to them, and then cheat the buyers, for they cannot force God to do what they promised to be done.

If Jesus visited that service, He would use a whip and chase them out today, as He did then. He is currently avoiding giving His presence, He is at the door knocking, but the moneychangers are sensing that they had better not invite Him into the site, for He is still angry at cheating moneychangers.


The spiritual leaders of that day, saw the ‘wonderful things’ and thought they were horrible, for they were not profiting from the miracles, and attention was shifted to their evil ways there, and the accepting of a Messiah that was not one of their group, not of their denominational beliefs.

This was Jesus’ further evidence of what He had proclaimed at and since the Good Shepherd sermon, that He is the Messiah, He has the power to do signs and wonders to prove it. His love for the worshippers, was not bought with a price, was of grace and mercy, and it was given freely.

The enemies translated those wonderful miracles to be horrible and displeasing. How can mankind become so hard hearted, so evil, that their only concern becomes self centered? They were rejecting the Savior, the Messiah, because they suddenly had been removed from their ways of gaining riches.

Verse 16
Hearest thou what these say? ... have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

They heard ‘praise’ of Jesus to be evil. They saw proof that day of His Messiahship, they saw wonders performed, they saw people blessed. They also had in their doctrines that a Messiah Who would be ‘God with us’ (Emmanuel), would someday come. Yet, He had come not praising them, not allowing them to make money off worshipers of God. So, they saw this all as evil.

True praise and worship can come from little children, who have no ulterior motive for their worship. We see many in our day, whose main goal in their ministry is the wealth they get from those thinking they are doing what the minister said God commanded. God wants worship. He is not hard up for money, but will accept some if it is ‘cheerfully given’. The money is to support the work of winning souls, of discipling more witnesses, of equipping more saints to be miracle workers for those who can’t afford to pay. Too often today, we see that the lame, blind, poor, and downtrodden are forgotten, while the widow’s purse is being robbed, and givers are cheated from the promised blessings of the minister, who is unable to do what he/she said God would do if they paid them the bribery money.


GOD WANTS PLACES OF WORSHIP, PLACES WE GO TO HONOR HIS NAME, AND DO IT AS A GROUP.

In the Old Testament, when God was having a place built, where He could have His shekinah glory rest, and mankind could approach Him, God had them cleanse that Temple. The cleansing of the Temple in O.T. was done so God’s presence could dwell there. We are the Temple now, and we need to keep ourselves cleansed so that God can give us the full presence of His Person.

We are to ‘gather together’ so the Temples of today, can jointly praise and worship our wonderful Savior.


Jesus made a whip of small cords. Interwoven rush-ropes were made into something, not deadly, but something that would make the fraudulent thieves flee, rather than being struck with it. These moneychangers, and sellers were unpopular due to their extortion. The people were conscious that these people were cheating them, inside the place of worship.

Note that it is to the ones that ‘sold doves’ that Jesus makes this final decree. They were the ones that were selling what was to be given the poorest freely. There are many who could not purchase blessings today. Yet, they starve, do not pay their electric bill, or suffer in some other way to pay some ‘minister’ his demanded amount of money, thinking God told Him to demand it to pay for the blessings, the miracles needed by the poor person. All of God’s gifts are from grace, unmerited favor. Nothing needs purchased. ‘By His stripes’ they can be healed. Jesus has already paid the price. No offering should ever be collected with the purpose of being payment for what Jesus already paid.

Jesus calls this Temple, wherein were all these sins, to be ‘My Father's house’. Jesus used that term, ‘Father’, 60 times of God. We are to have a ‘Father’ -child relationship with God. We come to Him as children, able to ask and freely be given, due to our relationship of now being His family.


WE NEED CLEANSING, WE NEED TO REMEMBER WE ARE THE TEMPLES, WE ARE THE DWELLING PLACE OF GOD.

The House of God, which we now are, needs to be pure, cleansed. The devil assaults in many ways, just as the devil assaulted the Temple there in Jerusalem, defiling it, angering the Lord. The devil assaults with many things. When we accept the Lord, we are made into ‘new creations’. As a new creation, we have all the fruit of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law .

Those were in me, in you, in all of the saved. Yet, what has happened? Why do some Christians have no ‘joy’, little ‘love’, fleeting ‘peace’? We find that happens in most Christians, and few have those fruit of the Spirit continuing on and on. We are supposed to have them.

The devil assaults Christians. His attacks are merciless. Other times, he is sly and cunningly slips in attacks. Yet, all these attacks are assaults on our spirits, on our bodies, on our persons.

The world should notice a difference in us. Our whole life should reflect Jesus. We should not watch the lustful movies, speak the curse words heard from others, think the angry and selfish ways the world does. Anything that separates us from Jesus’ presence is an assault. Anything that defiles His Temples angers Him. He wants to chase the moneychangers, the fraudulent things from us.

Romans 12:2
"Be not conformed to the world..."

Some want to be a little like the world, and a little like the Lord. They try to be on both sides. Their escape from the assaults of the devil, is to join his ranks, allow sin to be a normal in their lives. They let worldliness be their way of life.

We, as the Temples of God, are to ‘cast all our cares upon God.’

1 Peter 5:7 (KJV)
Casting all your care upon him; for He careth for you.

Then we are to ‘make our requests known to God.’

Philippians 4:6-7 (KJV)
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The moneychangers of today are to be chased form our places of joint worship, we the Temples of God are to freely enjoy the blessings of being in God’s grace and mercy.

We need to do as did the Lord, and take a ‘whip’, a spiritual whip, and ‘assault’ the devil. The praise, the worship, the thinking of good thoughts about the mercy of God, all assault the devil. He wants to discourage us with bad thoughts, we discourage him with good thoughts.

Philippians 4:7-8 (KJV)
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Matthew 6:25-26 (KJV)
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Jesus took a whip, and chased from the Temple the moneychangers. We are now the Temples of the Lord. We need to chase from ourselves the doctrines, the evil money grabbing schemes of frauds in the churches, frauds on television and radio, and frauds in the mailings we receive. We need not heed their extortions of selling blessings they do not possess, nor can truly provide. We need to clean up our Temples, and our places where the Temples gather to worship together.

IN HIS FINAL MESSAGES BEFORE THE CRUCIFIXION
JESUS DOES NOT BACK DOWN WHEN HIS AUTHORITY CHALLENGED

Jesus also stressed the authority that He had, and that we too should have in our preaching. When Jesus taught, He did not use words like, "maybe", "could be", "perhaps", etc. He had the authority and assurance to speak the assured word of faith. The Jews were not used to such authority. Many Christians are likewise not accustomed to having someone teach that way.

Matthew 21:23-27 (KJV)
23 And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto Him as He was teaching, and said, By what authority doest Thou these things? and who gave Thee this authority?
24 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell Me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.
25 The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe Him?
26 But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.
27 And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

These people came unto him in the wrong attitude. Jesus begs people to come to Him, if they need salvation, rest, comfort, assurance. Yet, many who do come to Him do it with attitude. They challenge, mock, berate, curse and blaspheme our precious Savior.

Their challenge was, that day, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? Jesus responds, and asked about the ‘baptism of John. Where did it originate, from heaven, or from men?

They answered: ‘We cannot tell.” This was lying, and only proved they were unwilling to search the Scriptures to prove John to be legitimate, or an illegitimate witness for God. They reasoned that if they accepted John as forerunner of the Messiah, they then would have to receive Jesus as the Christ. The Word of God, would have been their authority to test either John or Jesus, but they were unwilling to check it.

We often need the help of God’s angelic ministers, we often need the help of a mate, and we often need the help of co-workers. Also, the many empowerments from the Spirit, into our ministries, enables us to do God’s works in this desperate world. Still, there are more helps we need. We are but dust, we are sinners saved by grace, and the help we need is great. The Written Word of God enables us to feed our weak and frail human spirit, and to cleanse ourselves from defilements of the world. The Word of God will verify truth, condemn error, and lead us aright.

PREVIOUSLY, JESUS HAD STATED
THAT HE CAME ‘SENT’ BY THE FATHER,
AND
THE WORDS HE SPOKE WERE GOD’S WORDS

Jesus does not directly answer their question. They proved unwilling to trust the ‘authority’ by which He preached. Therefore, to them, He left the question unanswered. Yet, we know from previous words, words they rejected, what His authority was.

John 17:14-19 (KJV)
14 I have given them Thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17 Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth.
18 As Thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

We have the ‘Word’, the truth, the message from Jesus, to take to this world. The world therefore hates us, for the message is ‘not of the world’, and it was rejected when Jesus gave it. Unless we adulterate the message with other teachings to make it appealing to this world, it is going to be ‘hated’ and we are going to be ‘hated’ also.

John 20:19-21 (KJV)
19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
20 And when He had so said, He shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.
21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you.

Jesus spoke the Words of God. His utterances in His messages were rhema word from the Lord. His words have been recorded in part, and God’s Written rhema is copied by men of God, so that we have the AUTHORITATIVE WORD OF GOD for us to preach with authority.

GOD’S WORD IS INFALLIBLE
& AUTHORITATIVE.

The Bible contains the message and the mind of God. It is infallible in its original language. Therefore, it is a message we can trust. God is infallible, so His written Word is also infallible. We need to rightly interpret it, we need to correctly translate it from its original language, and we need to be sure our interpretation of it is consistent and harmonious with its entirety.

I Kings 8:56
“... there hath not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised by the hand of Moses His servant.”

Since the Author is God, the Bible is truthful, for He is Truth. The Bible is an accurate guide, for He is the Way. The Bible is an accurate revelation of the future, for the Author is the Light. The Bible is eternal, speaking to all generations of mankind, for the Author is eternal.

The Author of the Bible is the Creator of the universe.
Genesis 1:1
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth...”

The Author of the Bible is the Father of us all.
Acts 17:29
“Forasmuch, then as we are the offspring of God...”

Many question how much of the Bible has suffered from transmission errors of editors and copyists? How much is to be understood literally, figuratively, symbolically, historically, and poetically? If we read, study, and verify the harmonious interpretation of it, it is obvious that One mind inspired the whole of the Bible. The Word of God all harmonizes, and has one central theme.

The Bible is God’s attempt to reach mankind. That makes the Bible to be the rule of faith and rule of conduct. That makes the Bible to be the final authority, for it is from the Divine Mind. It also makes the Bible to be the hope of mankind in their search for God and salvation. It makes the Bible to be the test and standard by which to judge all other writings and things.

MANKIND’S ANSWERS
ARE SOURCED FROM THE DEVIL,
AND ARE TOTALLY FALLIBLE.

Yet, many to whom we minister always want to be the final authority, and to intellectually decide on their own, what to believe, and decide what is truth.
So mankind often see the Bible as foolish. Some mistranslate, misapply, misquote, and take a verse or two out of context. We can easily determine their inaccurate doctrines, due to the fact they have to ignore, shun, pervert, or deny many other passages of the Word of God. The Bible teaches the important truths over and over, in plain talk, in types, and in illustrated lessons. It is impossible take one misunderstood verse and undue the bulk of teaching on any important doctrine.

I Corinthians 2:14
“But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

Many today are challenged by the ‘satanic’ suggestion, that the Bible, today’s passer of the message of God, may not be accurate and truthful. As the devil challenged Eve, with ‘hath God said?’, many today believe that doubt that the Written Word called the Bible is truly ‘God’ saying what we need to know.

The devil went on to say ‘ye shall not surely die...’ (Genesis 3:4) The devil wanted to take the fear of judgment out of the equation.

The devil then said: “ye shall be as gods”. (Genesis 3:5). The gnostic dogma, the new age dogma, the majority of false religions all have this common teaching. It is the ‘man-centered’ philosophy that false religions offer to challenge the Bible’s message. They want converts to look inside themselves for the answers, for the power and wisdom. They do not want mankind to listen and read, accept and believe the message of the Bible, God’s Word. The written Word of God is God’s message to us, who are far from ‘gods’, far from omnipotent, omniscient beings. We need His message for any inner message from our soul will be errant and dooming. Any message from any outside source other than God, is also dooming to our souls. The Written Word of God, is our only hope of right understanding. We need that help.

Every conspiracy of the devil involves the plan to eliminate the idea of the atonement through Jesus’ blood, from the minds of mankind. The Bible which teaches that concept from beginning to end, must therefore be attacked, challenged, ridiculed, and belittled. Yet, the Written Word of God always stands the test! The Bible teaches truths often, and in many ways, so the truth is undeniably plain.

All confusion, all apparent contradictions and errors come from mankind, not from the Word of God. The Bible was written by 44 secretaries of the Author, over a span of 1500 years. The Bible claims to be authored by God in I Peter 1:10-11, Revelation 19:10, John 5:39, 46, and Luke 24:7.

The Bible is accurate. There were 25 specific prophecies concerning the betrayal, trial, death and burial of Jesus given over a period between 500 to a 1000 years before it occurred. Yet, Jesus fulfilled all of them in 24 hours.

THE PURPOSE OF THE BIBLE IS TO GIVE US
AUTHORITY IN OUR MESSAGES.

The written Word of God reveals God and His messages to us.

Hebrews 1:1-2
“God, Who at sundry times, and in divers manners, spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, Whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by Whom also He made the worlds.”

God revealed Himself by Jesus, by His deeds and His words. The Bible is the declaration of God about Jesus Who would come, and of His revelation of God’s plan for us would be written.

II Peter 1:21
“For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit...”

The prophecies from God of old, were written down, and many of them are contained in the Written Word of God called the Bible. The messages of the Holy Spirit today will harmonize with the Written messages in the Bible. Therefore, we need this ‘help’ from God, so that we can be sure the messages and voices we hear are truly God.
I Corinthians 14:37
“If any man think himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.”

We need to study the Word, and prove from its messages that these truly are the Written Word of God. God challenges us to do so, and any true study of the Word will come to that undeniable conclusion, that God’s Written Word, i.e. the Bible, is His infallible and true message to us.

The Bible is intelligible. We can understand it. The Bible is a ‘revelation’, meant to reveal, not conceal.
Romans 15:4
“...whatsoever things were written afore time, were written for our learning...”

The mysteries of God are no longer to be mysteries. The Bible is God’s attempt to tell mankind what mankind is able to receive. God’s Word does not surpass mankind’s reason. God did not have the Bible written to tease mankind with ‘non-understandable’ truths.

Ephesians 3:4
“Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ.”

JESUS KNEW THE FATHER, SPOKE WITH THE FATHER,
AND PREACHED WITH THE AUTHORITY OF THE FATHER.
WE ARE COMMANDED TO STUDY GOD’S WORD,
SPEAK WITH THE LORD DAILY,
AND THEN PREACH WITH AUTHORITY.

II Timothy 2:7, 15
“Consider what I say, and the Lord give thee understanding in all things... study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of God...”


The Bible (rightly understood) is authoritative. We need to beware error, for some things do require a bit of study. But when we correctly have studied and harmonized the message of one part with the totality of the Bible’s truths, then we can trust this authoritative passage.

Some of the Bible is ‘hard to be understood’. Yet, if we learn and are stable in the Lord, the truths will be revealed by the Spirit of God.

II Peter 3:16
“...some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction.”

Many are unstable in their Christian lives, and these then wrestle with passages, allowing misconception and improper exegesis to bring them to error. Many have stumbled in understanding the real message of the Bible. The ones who questioned Jesus about His Source of authority, were proven to be unwilling to give Biblical proof for their accepting or denying John’s ministry. Their lack of understanding, or even respect for the Word of God, is what keeps men in false doctrines.

We used to have a saying, I do not hear it often any longer, and it was ‘CHAPTER?, VERSE?’ When someone would make a statement, of supposed fact, about spiritual matters, we would challenge them with ‘chapter? Verse?’ and if they could not give it, prove it in the Word, we rejected it kindly. We should not make statements like ‘God would not...’ or ‘God always will...’ unless we have chapter and verse to back it up. If we do have ‘chapter and verse’ it then can be tested by it harmonious agreement with other verses of the Bible. And then, if it proves that the ‘chapter and verse’ were misconstrued, misapplied, mistranslated, we have still to reject it. If we find their interpretation of such verse is harmonious with the rest of God’s Word, we accept it as truth.

Even in Jesus’ first coming, some listened to His message and ignored the truth of what was said.

Matthew 13:14-15
“For the people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest at any time, they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand, and be converted, and I should heal them.”

We find many today who do not truly hear with their hearts, nor open their spiritual eyes to see God’s revelation of the Word.

PART 2....


WE MUST SUBMIT TO THE AUTHORITY
OF THE WORD OF GOD.

The authority of the Bible demands submission. When God spoke, “Let there be light”... nature responded, and light came. When we read in the Word, study to verify its message, and know that God is commanding us to certain things, we must submit to it, or be judged for our errant decision.

The Bible speaks much of those who do not submit to the teachings of the Word.

Romans 2:6-9
“unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation, wrath, tribulation, and anguish”.

The Bible can be ‘light’ for us, and be ‘darkness’ to some others. We are to live in the light of the Words of God.

Psalms 119:130
“The entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.”

Some think they can just dabble in the Word, will ‘corrupt the Word’ (II Corinthians 2:17), and ‘pervert the gospel’ (Galatians 1:6-8). Some, we find,
will try to put darkness back on we who study the “light’ of the Word. They ‘lie in wait to deceive’ (Ephesians 4:14), ‘beguile you with enticing words” (Colossians 2:4), ‘spoil you though philosophy ... after the traditions of men’ (Colossians 2:8). Many will ‘consent not to wholesome words... doting about questions and strifes of words’ (I Timothy 6:3-5). They ‘strive about words to no profit” (II Timothy 2:14-16), ‘teach things which they ought not’ (Titus 1:10-14), and ‘bring in damnable heresies” (II Peter 2:1-3).

God allows people to do any of those things, if they persist. He has sent some prophets, apostles, teachers, etc., to attempt to persuade them from error, but often mankind resist the conviction of the Spirit through their words, and the end result is damnation. As ministers, we have that job of correcting the heresy of the Word of God, teaching mankind to find the Lord, to trust His rightly interpreted Words, and to be ready for His coming. That is a fantastic mission, not an easy one, and we need ‘help’. The Written Word of God is that AUTHORITY that we need.

Those who resist the AUTHORITY of the WORD OF GOD are given over to ‘strong delusion.’

II Thessalonians 2:10-12
“...because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause, God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie. That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

HOW DO WE USE THIS AUTHORITY
OF THE WRITTEN WORD OF GOD?

1. Receive the Word of God with reverence.

I Thessalonians 2:13
“...when ye received the Word of God, which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is, in truth, the Word of God, which effectually worketh in you that believe.”

2. Have a teachable spirit.

I Corinthians 2:14
“The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

So, to understand, we need to be open to the teachings of the Holy Spirit. We must know Him, as a Person, and be receptive of His teachings.

II Corinthians 4:3-4
“If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost, in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds.”

3. Be hungry for the truth.

Apathetic and carefree study is boring and unrewarding. Love truth, be zealous for truth. Do not be satisfied with your current knowledge, want more.

John 3:19
“Light is come into the world, but men loved darkness rather than light...”

What do you love more than Bible study? Work? Recreation? Wealth? Etc.? Lay those things aside, and seek to know God through His Word, as never before.

I Peter 2:1-2
“Laying aside all guile, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word.”

4. Be patient.

The Word of God is inexhaustible, profound, difficult to find all truth therein. John 5:39 says to ‘search the Scriptures’, and the word ‘search’ denotes labor of a miner who digs and searches the earth for the precious metal, a work that requires patience.

Acts 17:11
“...they received the Word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily.”

Notice, their search was ‘daily’, not once and for all, not finished long ago, but a constant, patient, continuing of study.

5. Begin with the simple, and move toward the complex.

This is how we learned mathematics. We did not start with geometry and calculus. We began with addition, and then subtraction. We progressed to multiplication and then division. We found the further we went, the more there was to learn. The same is found in Bible study. Begin with the simple, and it will be like stepping stones to higher and higher plains of understanding.

John 15:15
“All things that I have heard of My Father, I have made known to you.”

And then later that same hour, Jesus said:
John 16:12
“I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.”

The truths that the Father had Jesus speak, were preparatory for more truth to come. There is no contradiction in those verses, for Jesus had spoken all the things that the Father had told Him to speak, but the Lord knew there would be more truth to discover, when they were prepared for them by the Holy Spirit.

James 1:5,7
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God... it shall be given him...”

We need the help of the Written Word of God. It is an available ‘help’, and needs to be used.

Too many, in that day, and in our own, speak what people want to hear. Many will not teach anything with authority, but will present many possible ideas, and tell the listeners nothing with confidence. We are not to teach that way. We are to trust God's Word, and teach it with authority. The scribes of Jesus's day pronounced nothing with authority. The Pharisees and others shied away from authority statements. Jesus and we can and should speak authoritatively.

The false prophets, the tares, the troublemakers in the church would like to intimidate our proclamation of the message. Jesus did not back down, and spoke authoritatively in proclaiming the message. Jesus wept over their sins, but did not water down the message of truth. He preached with authority.

Too many in ministry think they are there to be honored. We shall be, but not here. If we get honor here, it is due to not preaching the right message with authority. The honor Jesus received, after all this merciful emptying, was a crown of thorns, a bloody robe, nails in His hands and feet.

Do we think the world has changed? Or have we tried to change? We have love for the world, like Jesus came with love for sinful mankind. We love enough to preach what they need to hear, and to preach it with AUTHORITY. What they need to hear is not wanted, not desired by them, and they reject it with hatred and violence. The message in these last days is going to be hated more than ever. The enemy will make these days to be ‘perilous times’, but we need not fear. We are on a hated road, but we are walking with Jesus, headed to our heavenly home, where much will be given to us, for walking this ‘empty’ life.