A series of 5 short lessons on prayer.
An audio lesson.
A big part of the problem is that we simply do NOT know how to pray as we ought!
Listen to this audio lesson here, or click on the Audio Player to download as an MP3 file.
Sometimes we are apt to completely lose sight of how vulnerable we are.
An audio lesson.
How we have missed it in our values about love and marriage.
Abraham is old now, but needs a wife for his son Isaac. He doesn’t seem to trust Isaac to pick a wife for himself, after all he is only about 37 years old! Oh, my!
Many of our problems in life and in Christianity derive from our misconceptions about love, and about the human heart. These then distort our visions of life and prophecy, and a little bit of everything else.
An audio lesson.
The Testing of Abraham and the role of testing in our lives. Even the Christ was tested.
The real surprise is that some testing can be avoided. The details are within.
An audio lesson.
The Real Masters of the Universe will be those who are followers of the Jewish Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth.
Man’s true destiny is only fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth.
This is a short intermission in the relatively short history of our present heavens and earth, and a short time of amnesty from all of our wrongs, before Jesus brings this disintegrating universe to a close. Jesus now has all authority in both heaven and earth, Mtt 28:18. He is now working to put down all opposition.
“25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death.”
1Cor 15:25-26
This short time just before Jesus comes again, is time for us to repent, and come to our senses.
“The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but is patient with US, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
2Pe 3:9
Paul speaks of these things in a general sense in his letter to Timothy.
“But the Spirit says expressly that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons”
1Tim 4:1
“But know this, that in the last days, grievous times will come.”
2Tim 3:1
The details are given in both the Old and the New Testaments. A war will come by “the little horn,” “the abomination of desolation,” the living corpse, “the man of lawlessness,” “the beast,” against all righteousness and goodness and holiness in the entire world.
Moses tells us both when the Jews will turn to Jesus of Nazareth, and when Jesus will come again.
“For Yahweh will judge his people,
Repent himself for his servants;
When he sees that their power is gone,
There is none remaining, shut up or left at large.”
Deut 32:36
When all is lost and there is no hope, and strength to oppose evil, THEN Jesus will come
“25 There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and on the earth anxiety of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the waves; 26 men fainting for fear, and for expectation of the things which are coming on the world: for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 But when these things begin to happen, look up, and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near.”
Lk 21:25-28
Prophecy is pertinent to our lives throughout all history. We are truly on the edge of forever.
If you believe this, you will try to be ready for this. It will change how you live, it will change your ethics. Prophecy is NOT an optional extra. Believing what God says in prophecy does matter! It is an ethical matter.
Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901
Job in the book of Job had seen much good in this life, and was a respected and successful rancher, by any standards, ancient or modern. Also he was a godly man, and was indeed protected by God, as is pointed out in Job 1:10. Despite that, Job’s long discussion with his friends deals with many of the troubles and injustices of life.
“Man, who is born of a woman,
Is of few days, and full of trouble.”
Job 14:1
Or again,
“But man is born to trouble,
As the sparks fly upward.”
Job 5:7
“That which fell among the thorns, these are those who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.”
Lk 8:14
What is Jesus talking about here? The ordinary ups and downs of life. These things are often self inflicted, much as it is for you and I. Not all of it, but some of it is about our choices.
“41 Jesus answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
Lk 10:41-42
Jesus as a man had troubles. In the end, though innocent, He was condemned to die in courts rigged by the leaders of the Jews. Also He had deep compassion for those having troubles.
“When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews weeping who came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,”
Jn 11:33
Much as it would be for us, Jesus was personally troubled by Judas unwarranted treachery.
“When Jesus had said this, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, “Most assuredly I tell you that one of you will betray me.” ”
Jn 13:21
He was tested in all points are we are, Heb 4:15.
“35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Even as it is written, “For your sake we are killed all day long. We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
Rom 8:35-37
Jesus also acknowledges that we will have trouble because of our faith. To what end does He instruct us?
“I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have oppression; but cheer up! I have overcome the world.”
Jn 16:33
So He says to us,
“… Don’t let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful.”
Jn 14:27
All of this is for sure prophetic instruction. Teaching about how it will be for you and I in the world. Believing what God says in prophecy does matter! It is an ethical matter.
Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901
Time after time Jesus speaks with certainty of the fact of coming Judgment of all men for their sins. Of those who will not listen Jesus says,
“Most assuredly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.”
Mtt 10:15
Jesus points out that men of ALL generations will stand before the Lord to answer for their sins, and that they will also see and comment on the answers of others.
Jon 3:3 says that Nineveh “was an exceedingly great city,” and that it took three days to just to walk across it. The prophet Jonah with perhaps a bleached acid washed look to him, as it has been with other men through history who have been swallowed by “a great fish,” began his preaching.
“Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried out, and said, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” ”
Jon 3:4
Then a strange thing happened.
“and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.”
Jon 3:4
Even the king heard and fasted and prayed, Jon 3:6. The King proclaimed,
“8 … Yes, let them turn everyone from his evil way, and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who knows whether God will not turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, so that we might not perish?”
Jon 3:8-9
“The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, someone greater than Jonah is here.”
Mtt 12:41
This is prophecy which even some twenty-seven-hundred years later has not been fulfilled, yet! So it is pertinent to those Jews of the first century who were hearing these words of Jesus, and is also pertinent to you and I ! Knowing and believing these prophecies should change our behavior, and if we truly believe these things, it will change our behavior.
They are prophetic statements by the greatest prophet of all times. The prophet who was to be like Moses, Deut 18:15. His name is Jesus of Nazareth.
It is an ethical matter. We should seek to know what will happen. These things are of eternal importance to us all. As Paul says,
“Don’t despise prophesies.”
1Thes 5:20
It seems to be a common failing of fleshly men to despise what he cannot immediately see. However, if we are walking after the Spirit,
“Therefore we know no one after the flesh from now on. Even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know him so no more.”
2Cor 5:16
Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901
There is a long discussion by Jesus in Matthew 12 about how we talk and the things we might say. At the center of the discussion is questions about the Spirit that is behind Jesus works. Both Jesus and His opponents acknowledge that there is a spiritual power behind His ministry. His opponents said that Jesus is working by the power of the devil. They say,
… “This man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons.”
Mtt 12:24
Jesus went on to show that this was not a reasonable proposition, the idea that Satan would oppose his own destructive work. Then He went on to warn of ominous future consequences.
“31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. 32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in that which is to come.”
Mtt 12:31-32
A scary prospect to say the least.
“34 You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. 35 The good man out of his good treasure brings out good things, and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings out evil things.”
Mtt 12:34
Again here Jesus is commenting that if we store evil and wicked things in our hearts, they will without fail tend to come out of mouths.
“36 I tell you that every idle word that men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Mtt 12:36-37
Jesus tells us that there IS a record of all of our activities and all of our speech. This is testified to more than one Scripture.
“I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and they opened books. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works.”
Rev 20:12
More than that, we will have to give an account for ALL of those stupid and senseless things we may say from time to time. That should be a scary thought to all us. Who of us would not be caught in such a net.
These are prophecies springing from that same Holy Spirit of God that Jesus opponents were slandering. Prophetic statements of the nature of things in our world. Statements, which if we believe them, and we should, SHOULD change our conduct and our speech.
Prophecy is NOT an optional extra! Believing what God says in prophecy does matter! It is an ethical matter.
Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901
Sometimes disasters are very directly related to our sins. Lying can very often directly lead to troubles for us. Immoral sex quite often leads to direct problems for us. Paul says of such things,
“Flee sexual immorality! “Every sin that a man does is outside the body,” but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.”
1Cor 6:18
Sometimes it is so direct that we have sexually transmitted diseases from our sins, and we are in direct agony from our sins. At other times it is more indirect, but it is still there, in the form of troubles with our sexual partners, or destroyed homes, of the fathering of children who bear part of the curse of our sins, even as it is with all sin. Or even further, possible damage to our own genome, so that years later we have premature aging and health problems that no one can heal.
King Ahab clearly comes to an early death in battle, because of his many sins. This death was by the direction of the Lord, as told in 1Kings 22. On a more personal level we see the story of one of Judah’s sons, a man by the name of Er. Simple statements are made, without explanation of where or how.
“Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of Yahweh. Yahweh killed him.”
Gen 38:7
Such things happen all the time. We often hear it on the evening news.
Jesus is an example, and Job is another example, and there are many others we can see both in life and in Scripture.
Some men came to Jesus telling stories of men dying in horrible and disastrous ways.
“Now there were some present at the same time who told him about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.”
Lk 13:1
Many might assume they were worse sinners than others, and that is why they died. It is true that God sometimes takes men early because of their sins, as is documented time after time in Scripture. However, Jesus says that not all calamities are because of our sins.
“Jesus answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered such things?”
Lk 13:2
Jesus gave another example, then Jesus tells us,
“I tell you, no, but, unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way.”
Lk 13:3
Unless we repent? Perish in the same way? What does that mean? I guess it means we will all die a violent death unless we repent?
Jesus is forecasting what “will” happen. If we believe this prophecy, it will indeed provide powerful motivation to repent, and be reconciled to God. Prophecy is never a neutral informational matter. Believing what God says in prophecy does matter! It is an ethical matter, and indeed an eternal matter.
Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901
It was said of Abraham and the ancient fathers,
“But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. …”
Heb 11:16
A real country, from a new creation; untainted by sin and death and decay. A heavenly country. It is described in this way.
“1 I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away, and the sea is no more. 2 I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready like a bride adorned for her husband.”
Rev 21
Further, as we know more about the material world and its components, the more obvious it is how vulnerable it is.
Many misquote the second apostle James to say that we are like a vapor. Rather he says we are a vapor,
“Whereas you don’t know what your life will be like tomorrow. For what is your life? For you ARE a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.”
Jas 4:14
The physicists have known for sometime that such is literally true. Knowledge of such things came about with the early experiments with nuclear radiation. The ratio of particles able to pass through our bodies without hitting anything was very high, meaning that we were mostly empty space! Sometimes they have given analogies such as, if an atom was the size of a football stadium, the nucleus would be the size of a basketball at the 50 yard line, and an electron would be size of a golf ball, way out in the bleachers. But those electron shells move fast enough that light bounces off our bodies and we “look” solid.
And those electron shells, they too are subject to the Second Law of Thermodynamics, that “things run down.” At our present time Jesus sustains them, and you and I and everyone.
“His Son is … upholding all things by the word of his power, …”
Heb 1:3
But such is not forever, and “things” and our bodies do still “run down.”
In 2Corinthians 5 the comparison is made between a tent versus a building.
“For we know that if the earthly house of our tent is dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens.”
2Cor 5:1
Paul is talking about our present bodies and comparing them to a mere tent, which is at best a flimsy and vulnerable shelter. It is not that we would like to be without a body, and we won’t be.
“For indeed we who are in this tent do groan, being burdened; not that we desire to be unclothed, but that we desire to be clothed, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.”
2Cor 5:4
Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901