His Mercy and Forgiveness

Heb. 11:1,6

What sin have you committed or let’s put it this way, has anyone sinned against you or done you wrong? What did Jesus command in Luke 17:3-5 “…Increase our Faith.” This is tough because not only were we commanded to forgive someone if they wronged us but if they did it again we were to forgive them again as the scriptures state 7 times or in other words to forgive them over and over again. Just like Matt 18:21,22 stated ‘…until seventy times seven..”

If Jesus wants us to forgive 490 times as humanity how much more will He forgive us? He will not require from us something He hasn’t already done! Think of the times we have messed up, how many of those times were the same problem over and over again? He is willing to forgive you over and over again if you are sincere and humbled before Him. (If you are ready and willing to repent).

One may tell me “…but you don’t know what I’ve done…” No I don’t know but He does and He wants to hear it from you. Pr. 28:13 “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”

Sometimes it seems that no matter what we do, we can not seem to have faith in God to pull us through, or we just have days of absolute depression, or for lack of a better word, unbelief or fear. The opposite of faith is fear, it can be so overwhelming that is can paralyze your whole mind, soul and spirit. That is when we do what we can to pray, pray when it’s hard, pray when you don’t feel like it, pray when EVERYTHING in life is going wrong. Remember, He is the God of your situation, no matter how bleak it may appear, or how impossible a situation may seem to you. He understands, but He wants to hear it from you, He wants to hear His name proclaimed in worship. Remember we can’t go by feelings in our walk with God, we need to have faith kick in when it seems everything is hopeless. He is our hope, He is our strength, He is our source of contentment. It’s all about Him and what He did on the Cross. That is our Hope! That is where our victory lies, The Name of Jesus is Greater and His Blood is more Powerful!
We as humans at times have so much unbelief or doubt, that we can’t focus on anything but our own needs, our own desires, our own problems. When there is One who can carry it for you, He already carried it for us and all He is asking is that we have Faith in Him to follow through with His promise to us that there is Hope. Jesus Christ isn’t going to force His way into our lives, He’s a gentleman, but He is there waiting patiently for us to make the move toward Him.

There are times when we can’t see Him, there are times when it seems like our prayers are bouncing back to us from the ceiling, there are times when it seems God isn’t listening. There is a song “Sometimes He comes in the clouds:”

(Steven Curtis Chapman)

These are the places I was so sure I'd find Him
I've looked in the pages
And I've looked down on my knees
I've lifted my eyes in expectation
To see the sun still refusing to shine, but...

[Chorus:]
Sometimes He comes in the clouds
Sometimes His face cannot be found
Sometimes the sky is dark and grey
But some things can only be known
And sometimes our faith can only grow
When we can't see
So, sometimes He comes in the clouds

Sometimes I see me, a sailor out on the ocean
So brave and so sure as long as the skies are clear
But when the clouds start to gather
I watch my faith turn to fear, but...

[Chorus]

Sometimes He comes in the rain
And we question the pain
And wonder why God can seem so far away
But time will show us
He was right there with us, and...

[Chorus]

As one part of the song states, “…And sometimes our faith can only grow…” There are times in life when that is ALL we have and God is seeing if we will allow faith to grow in Him, to see if we are truly committed to His cause in our life and in the lives of those that we may come in contact with. Sometimes He wants to see if we will love Him for who He is and not only what we can try to get out of Him, or see what He can bless us with. He just wants to see if we love Him and have faith in Him that He will carry us to the end.

He has so much more for each one of you, even when it doesn’t seem possible to us, that is where faith can grow! One of the purposes of this class is to help you build on the foundation that is laid in your life and your desire to live for Him, before you ever came to this class. We are here to help build on that foundation Biblical truths that will only draw you closer to God.

How many want the Holy Ghost? How many feel like you have issues in life that are holding you back? Remember this, and I’ve said it several times before and I will continue to say it, close your eyes and think of the worst sin or sins you have commited? That is what Jesus died for, He looked ahead in time as He prayed in the Garden and hung on the Cross, to you and the very sins you think can not be forgiven, and stated that is why I’m dying! That is HOPE, He died that we might have HOPE!

The Crisis Point

The Crisis Point

Before we choose to follow God’s will, a crisis must develop in our lives. This happens because we tend to be unresponsive to God’s gentler nudges. He brings us to the place where He asks us to be our utmost for Him and we begin to debate within ourselves and doubt and fear sets in. God then providentially produces a crisis where we have to decide - for or against- sometimes we bring a crisis upon ourselves, but God will turn the situation in our life so that it can revolve around Him and the Cross. That moment becomes a great crossroads in our lives. If a crisis has come to you in any form or fashion, surrender your will to Jesus Christ absolutely and irrevocably.

What crisis has come to your life, what has happened that has awaken you out of your stupor, we all have either had a life changing crisis or one will happen. Has God tried to get your attention? At that point were you too busy with your own life, your own desires, and your own abilities to work those situations out?

Men of God who had a major crisis in their lives had situations that changed the entire course they were on.
David was a man who was passionate about the things of God. His hearts desire was to build a House for the Lord, he wanted more than anything to please God!
1 Kings 8:18
And the LORD said unto David my father, Whereas it was in thine heart to build an house unto my name, thou didst well that it was in thine heart.

From his youth He loved the Lord, when he was only a shepherd boy out in the hills tending to his father’s sheep. The Bible states that David was a man after God’s Heart.

I Sam. 16:7
But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

Acts 13: 21,22
21. And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years. 22. And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.

David loved the Lord. He would spend hours singing psalms and songs to the Lord of his life! He prayed unlike so many others that prayed more out of habit than out of a sincere love for God. David was a man after Gods own heart. He ended up being the best and most loved King of all time for the nation of Israel. Even in this great man’s life a crisis came that David brought upon himself, it was the issue of Bathsheba. David should have been in the battle leading the people of Israel to victory, but instead David decided to take it easy, he became lazy for lack of a better word, and he stayed home. David fell into adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah the Hittite which was one of David’s mighty men of valor. This particular story is in II Sam. 11 and 12. I want to point out the last part of this passage. I Sam 12:1 – 14.

1 And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. 2 The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: 3 But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, F61 and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. 4 And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him. 5 And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: 6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. 7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; 8 And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. 9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. 10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. 11 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun. 13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. 14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.

As a result of this situation David wrote Ps. 51:

1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. 13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. 14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. 15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. 16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. 18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

God turned this situation around

Even when all seemed hopeless, David from this point until the end of his life did not waver in his love for God. Yes, it had major implications once his children were grown, but David had a deep seeded faith that was unmoveable after this crisis point, he was judgmental toward the fictitious rich man and demanded he be put to death, but out of a true humility toward God and a repentant heart, God had mercy on him and brought about that Crisis point to know whether or not David really loved Him.

Paul a very learned man, one who was an intellectual, one who desired to serve his God faithfully, by ridding the country side of heretics. Everything was going along well he had letters written to abolish “Christians.” On his way to a great city of that time, he had a major crisis take place,
Acts 22: 1-16
1 Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you. 2 (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,) 3 I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. 4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. 5 As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished. 6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. 7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. 9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me. 10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do. 11 And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus. 12 And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, 13 Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him. 14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. 15 For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard. 16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

Once Paul came to this crisis point in his life he was never the same. He preached to all that would listen, especially the Gentiles. He became a Man of God that did mighty things in the Name of Jesus!

Jesus Christ, our savior, our hope in Glory! God himself robed Himself in flesh and made the most major “crisis point” decision in all of history, and that was to bear and die on the cruel cross for you and me. The complete undertaking of humanity vs. deity took place in the Garden of Gethsemane even before he was crucified. Matt. 26:36-46
36 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. 37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. 38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. 39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. 40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. 43 And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. 44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.

From this point Christ fulfilled all that was prophesied and went on to complete the finished work He set out to do and that was to bring forth the Gospel (I Cor. 15:1-4) unto all men that we might have hope! He is OUR HOPE in Glory.

What are you going to do when that point of crisis comes to your life? For some, you are at that point, what are you going to do?

The most important thing we have.

Relationship, THE most important thing we have in this life! Men, sometimes relationships get in our way of achieving the goals that we have planned for our lives and our futures. This applies to the workaholics, the Pastors/ministers/lay members that are continuously working in or around the Church, the men who feel like if they don't do a certain jobs then it will not get done, etc.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself:How is the relationship with:
My Lord
My Wife
My Children
My Parents
My Church Family
My Friendships
My Family (Brothers, Sisters, Grandparents, Uncles, Aunts, etc)
My Co-workers
My Neighbors

What are you doing to cultivate the relationships you have with those around you? There is nothing more important than relationship. If you are in “dire straits” with someone, do what you can to resolve the conflicting issues that are separating those that are closest to you. There are times when you’ve done all you can to remove any obstacles that are hindering the relationship between you and another person. When you’ve sincerely done that, then lay that particular Relationship in the Hand of the Lord.

We need relationship!

Relationship with the Lord is what our primary focus in life should be, then after that we can look to the above list or one that you have constructed in your mind.

Relationship is a state of “connectedness.” We can not have relationships, if we are only concerned with ourselves, or with the issues that only affect us. Relationship is a giving experience; we are to prefer others, instead of ourselves. We are to help those who can not help themselves. We are to feel the need of those in pain, whether it’s emotional, spiritual or physical.

Relationship breaks the boundaries of selfishness. Relationship is what can heal deep emotional wounds and scars. Relationship is what can bring a smile to a broken person. Relationship is what can dry the eyes of a child who has been through a divorce. Relationship is what can walk with a Brother or Sister in the darkest of trials. Relationship is what can mend rifts between to opposing parties. Relationship is what can hold the hand of the elderly. Relationship is what can bond a Husband and Wife for eternity. Relationship is what can support a prisoner when all hope is lost. Relationship is what can gently support the individual who has lost all of their family. Relationship is what can calm the troubled teen, or the runaway that feels all is lost. Relationship is what can bring joy to the mother and her newborn. Relationship is a list that can go on and on.

Is Relationship easy? No. Does it come quickly? Sometimes, but most of the time it’s something that is cultivated.

Relationship, THE most important thing we have in this life.

The Powerful Name of Jesus Christ!!!

The Powerful Name of Jesus Christ!

(I did this Bible study based upon Talmadge French's "Jesus' Name Baptism" tract.)

What the Apostles did in the Name of Jesus. The miracles, the deliverance, etc.
Acts 3:6; 4:7-10; Acts 16:18

The Power of the Name Luke 10:17; John 14:14;

Hated for the Name Matt. 24:9; Mk 13:13; Luke. 21:17; Acts 4:18; Acts 5:28; Acts 9:11-14

His Name is inseparable from His authority and person Acts 5:40-42 (segway into the next section)
The Church boldly used and magnified the name of Jesus Acts 19:17; 9:27-29; II Tim. 2:19; Acts 15:25-26; Acts 21:13

His Name was so exalted and honored that it could be referred to simply as ‘the Name” or “that worthy name” James 2:7; III John 1:7; Acts 9:14, 21; Heb. 1:4; Ph. 2:9-10

Every knee bows to the Lord God Himself “at the name of Jesus” Is. 45:23, 21; Rom. 14:10-11; Eph. 3:14-15; Phil. 2:11; Matt. 1:21; Isa. 7:14; Luke 1:31; 2:11

Neither is There Salvation in Any Other. Baptism is always with reference to Jesus Christ alone, His saving work and name, and, thus, an aspect of the believer’s own identification with Christ and the Gospel. Because Jesus is truly the “only wise God our Savior,” the efficacy (power or capacity to produce a desired effect; effectiveness) of baptism lies, not in the water, nor in any other name, but in the power of the name of Jesus. Jude 25; Titus 2:13; 3:18-21; Heb. 10:22 Baptism, therefore, is, itself a profound affirmation of the Oneness of God
Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Acts 4:12; Hebrews 2:9; 17-18; Phil. 2:8-10; Eph. 1:21

Salvation is “in” the name! Baptism is, therefore, ‘in the name,” and with respect to the One Lord, the Savior Luke 2:11
One Lord, one faith, one baptism Eph. 4:5

Jesus is the all- encompassing “name” comprising “the name (singular) or the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” -- for He is the fullness of God incarnate (Mt. 28:19; Col 2:9, I Tim 3:16). One name because of one authority, Matt. 28:18, All power in heaven and earth is given unto Me. Jesus did not intend the titles in Mt. 28:19 to constitute a formula, but “the name” they signified. The Apostles, including Matthew, obeyed Jesus’ command by baptizing exclusively in Jesus’ name. Mt.16:13 – 20; Acts 2:37; Matt. 18:16

I would like to ask a question, if the name of Jesus is All powerful as we have just read in scripture that we end our prayer in Jesus’ Name, we go and pray for the sick in Jesus’ Name, we encourage each other in Jesus’ Name, why would we baptism any other way but in Jesus’ Name? We just referenced Matt. 28:19, but I want to see how the Apostles, who Jesus was talking to in that setting, how did they baptize and in what Name or titles did they use?

Acts 2:38, Acts 8:6; Acts 10:48; Acts 22:16; Acts 19:5