Category: New Testament

God’s Kingdom Cannot Be Shaken

Scripture: Hebrews 12: 27-29

27 Now this [expression], “Yet once more,” indicates the removal and final transformation of all those things which can be shaken—that is, of that which has been created—so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, and offer to God pleasing service and acceptable worship with reverence and awe; 29 for our God is [indeed] a consuming fire.

Scripture Commentary:

Eventually the world will crumble and only God’s kingdom will stand. Those who follow Christ are part of this kingdom which cannot be shaken. They will withstand the shaking, sifting, and burning.

No matter what happens on earth, our future is built on a solid foundation.

When we feel unsure about the future, all we have to do is believe in Our Lord Jesus Christ. In John 14: 2, Jesus tells us, ” In My Father’s house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you.” No matter what happens here, our future is built on a solid foundation that cannot be destroyed.

Don’t put your confidence in what will be destroyed.

Instead, build your life on Christ and His unshakable kingdom. Do not let sin block your vision of God. Renounce sin and accept Him into your life.

When your earthly life ends, are you going to Jesus’s kingdom or Satan’s hell? You have only two choices. After Jesus came, God welcomed us, through Christ, into His presence. Accept His invitation.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scriptures Referenced:

Hebrews Chapter 12

John Chapter 14

Read Other Commentary From the Book of Hebews:

Faith is the Substance of Things Hoped For

What is the Evidence of Your Faith?

Be Constantly Striving Against Sin

Scripture: Hebrews 12: 4-8

You have not yet struggled to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; 5 and you have [c]forgotten the divine word of encouragement which is addressed to you as sons,

“My son, do not make light of the discipline of the Lord, And do not lose heart and give up when you are corrected by Him; 6 For the Lord disciplines and corrects those whom He loves, And He punishes every son whom He receives and welcomes [to His heart].”

7 You must submit to [correction for the purpose of] discipline; God is dealing with you as with sons; for [d]what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 Now if you are exempt from correction and without discipline, in which all [of God’s children] share, then you are illegitimate children and not sons [at all].

Scripture Commentary:

God is not only a disciplining parent but also a demanding coach who pushes us to our limits and requires our lives to be disciplined. Although we are constantly striving and may not feel strong enough to push on to victory, we will be able to accomplish it as we follow Christ. Draw on His strength! Then we can use our growing strength to help those around us who are weak and struggling.

We may respond to discipline in several ways:

  • We can accept it with resignation
  • If we think we don’t deserve it, we can accept it with self-pity
  • We can be angry and resentful toward God
  • Or, we can accept it gratefully, as the appropriate response we owe to a loving Father.

Do you love and obey your Father or are you not listening?

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Hebrews Chapter 12

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Hebrews:

Faith is the Substance of Things Hoped For

Jesus Is the Perfect Forever Sacrifice For Our Sins

Wait Patiently for God’s Promise

Scripture: Hebrews 6: 13-15

When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.”[d] 15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.

Scripture Commentary:

Abraham waited patiently 25 years from the time God promised him a son until it came to pass. Because our trials and temptations are often so intense, they seem to last an eternity. Both the Bible and the testimony of mature Christians encourage us to wait for God to act in His timing even when our needs seem too great to wait any longer.

God’s promises are unchanging and trustworthy. That’s because God is unchanging and trustworthy. God took an oath on His own name when he promised Abraham a son. God embodies all truth; therefore, He cannot lie.

God is truth.

And because He is truth, you can be secure in His promises. You don’t need to wonder if He will change His plans.

Are you true to your promises to God? Our hope is secure and immovable when anchored in God. To the true seeker who comes to God in belief, God gives an unconditional promise of acceptance.

When you ask God with openness, honesty and sincerity to save you from your sins, He will do it. This truth should give you encouragement, assurance, and confidence.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Hebrews Chapter 6

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Hebrews:

Jesus Freed Us

You Cannot Please God Without Faith

Stand on the Assurance of God

Scripture: Hebrews 11: 1-3

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Scripture Commentary:

We read about people who had the assurance of God. How is our faith? Is it like Abel who offered God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain? Note that it wasn’t about the gift itself … it was about Abel’s heart which was true.

Enoch’s faith was so that God did not let him see death. On faith, Abraham left his home to go to a strange land, taking Isaac and Jacob because God told him to do so. Sara believed God when He said she would have a child although she was old.

By faith Abraham offered up Isaac to God as a sacrifice. God gave Abraham a nation instead. And then there’s Moses who took God’s people out of Egypt, passing through the Red Sea to safety.

God’s people had confidence that the walls of Jericho would fall. And the harlot, Ra-had was saved for doing what God told her to do.

There are so many more people we can point to who stood on the assurance of God.

Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephunneh , David, Samuel, and the prophets. They did what God told them although they did not see God. What faith!

Take courage from these people. They lived and died without seeing the fruit of their faith on earth and yet they continued to believe. Serve the Lord, Jesus Christ. Our best and greatest rewards await in heaven!

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Hebrews Chapter 11

Read Other Commentary from Hebrews Chapter 11:

You Must Believe That He Is

Faith Is the Confidence In What We Hope For

Endure: Faith Produces Patience

Scripture: James 1: 3-6

Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

Scripture Commentary: Tested Faith Produces Patience and Endurance.

What is your relationship with Jesus Christ? And do you really believe that God listens to your prayers? Do you pray only for the things you think you need? Or do you pray for the patience to wait on God, and the wisdom to obey His Word?

Have faith in God and do not doubt.

At times we expect God’s answer to come right away. God will always give us what we need, when we need it. He does not grant every thoughtless or selfish request. We must have faith and confidence that God will align our desires with His purpose.

Remember that a mind that wavers is not completely convinced that God’s way is best. When you pray and ask God for advice, do not treat it as you would human advice. This would give you the option to disobey.

In asking God for wisdom, you show your faith and trust in Him. And then your decisions are sure and solid.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

James Chapter 1

Other Commentary from the Book of James:

To Know the Gospel is Different From Living It

Be Humble – Do Not Judge

Idols Can’t See Nor Hear Nor Walk; Worship the Living God

Sermon, Part Five (Final): The Final Destination

Revelation 9: 20-21

And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood; which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk; Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their thefts.

No one suddenly falls into immorality; it happens a little bit at a time.

These people were so hardhearted that even plagues did not drive them to God. People don’t usually fall into immortality and evil suddenly. They slip into it a little at a time, and when they realize what has happened, they are irrevocably mired in their wicked ways.

People who allow sin to take root in their life will find themselves in a predicament. Temptation entertained today becomes sin tomorrow. From there, it turns into a habit, leading to death and separation from God forever. To think you could never become this evil is the first step toward a hard heart. Go to God and confess your sin. Ask for His forgiveness.

Psalm 23:6

Surely Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

When you hear your name called and you take your last breath, what will be your final destination? Will you be the rich man in hell or will you take the same path as Lazarus, the beggar, and be in God’s House? You have a choice and a chance.

2 Corinthians 5:1

For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house mot made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

The doors of the church are never closed.

Jude 1:24-25

24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scriptures Referenced:

Revelation Chapter 9

Psalm Chapter 23

2 Corinthians Chapter 5

Jude Chapter 1

Read the Other Parts of the Sermon, The Final Destination

Do You Know the Way to Heaven? (Part One)

Love Each Other As God Loves You (Part Two)

Don’t Be Ruled By Your Lusts (Part Three)

Disobedience Is the Devil’s Playground (Part Four)

Disobedience Is the Devil’s Playground

Sermon Part Four: The Other Destination for the Children of Disobedience

Ephesians 2: 1-2

And you [He made alive when you] were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you once walked. You were following the ways of this world [influenced by this present age], in accordance with the prince of the power of the air (Satan), the spirit who is now at work in the disobedient [the unbelieving, who fight against the purposes of God].

You are fresh meat to Satan.

To be in Satan’s family you have to be living in disobedience to God. Satan will not correct you if you are wrong. If anything, he will encourage you to be worse. Satan tempted Jesus. (Read Matthew 4: 1-10.) So you are not off limits to him. If anything, you are fresh meat.

Satan is in his last days so he is intensifying his recruiting. You’ve heard the saying, “misery loves company.” No one wants to be alone and Satan is a lonely creature.

Jesus can do anything but you have to believe and have faith.

Satan’s followers are the ones who possessed the two men in the tombs who Jesus met in Gadarenes. The demons cried out to Jesus, “What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?” These demons are fallen angels who joined Satan in his rebellion against God. They are evil spirits under Satan’s control. But we see here, when they are confronted by Jesus, they lose their power. Jesus doesn’t destroy them, but He will remove them, but only if you have faith in Christ. Jesus can do anything but you have to believe and have faith.

James 2:19

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well; the devils also believe, and tremble.

True faith involves your total commitment to God. The people of Gadarenes asked Jesus to leave. They were more upset because they lost a herd of pigs and feared His supernatural power than they feared the healing of the men in the tombs.

Even the demons know their ultimate fate.

The demons asked Jesus if He came to torment them before the appointed time. They showed that they knew their ultimate fate. The people of Gadarenes are like people today. They are more concerned about property than people.

Each of us is unique. No two are the same. How foolish of us to value possessions, investments and even animals above human life. True faith is nothing if we are contaminated with earthly values.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scriptures Referenced:

Ephesians Chapter 6

Matthew Chapter 4

James Chapter 2

Read the Other Parts of the Sermon, Your Final Destination

Do You Know the Way to Heaven? (Part One)

Love Each Other As God Loves You (Part Two)

Don’t Be Ruled By Your Lusts (Part Three)

Return later this week for the conclusion of the sermon, The Final Destination.

Don’t Be Ruled By Your Lusts

Sermon, Part Three: The Final Destination (The Other Destination)

John 8:44

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and a bode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar, and the father of lies.

Deuteronomy: 32:17

They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.

If you are moving to the alternate destination (to heaven), you are ruled by your lusts. This destination is the party of flashing lights and loud, provocative music. The women are made up, the men are dressed to impress. The person at the entrance is none other than Satan himself, selling you whatever you want to hear.

In the other destination life is a party … for now.

He tells you to look out for yourself, nothing and no one else matters. Do it your way; no one cares about what you say or do.  He says that life is a party. “Worship me and I will give you anything your heart desires. The price for my party is your soul.”

He is selling his tickets to anyone who is ready to live his lifestyle. Qualifications are, me, myself and I. Disrespectful, corruptible, slanderous, issuing damaging gossip about people, being useless, miserable, and contemptible are some of the characteristics of a place in Satan’s hell-hold.

Don’t be mislead.

If Satan was to be truthful (but he cannot be truthful), he would want to be back in the Kingdom of God, the Father. Satan will mislead you into thinking he has everything you want. But there is a difference in want and need.

God gives you your needs; Satan gives you your wants, like one-night stands. In the morning you say, “What have I done? Why am I here?”

Satan started recruiting in the beginning of the Bible in Genesis 3:1. He tempted Eve and succeeded, and ever since then he has been busy. His mission is to fill his house with as many of us as possible. To be tempted by Satan is not a sin, to give into him is the sin.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scriptures Referenced:

John Chapter 8

Deuteronomy Chapter 32

Genesis Chapter 3

Read Parts One and Two of the Sermon, The Final Destination

Part One: Do You Know the Way to Heaven?

Part Two: Love Each Other As God Loves You

Return next week for Part 4 of the Sermon, The Final Destination

Love Each Other As God Loves You

Sermon, Part Two: Love is Key to the Final Destination

John 15: 12

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

Think of someone in particular who needs love. Give all the love you can, and then try to give more. How do we get to the final destination? Love each other, help each other, accept Jesus, and repent.

God doesn’t make it hard or even complicated.

All you need is faith, trust and the willingness to believe. In John 14:6, Jesus saith to Thomas, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Knowing Peter, Paul or Mary will not get you into heaven. Knowing, accepting Jesus, and repenting will get you into the Kingdom of God.

Well, you may say I have done good by my fellow man; I have put money in church; I have given to those in need. This is all good, but it will not give you the keys to eternal life in God’s Kingdom.

By uniting our lives with Jesus, we are unified with God, the Father. Some people may say that this way is too narrow. The way to God through Jesus is wide enough for the whole world, if the world chooses to accept Jesus.

God loves us so much.

God loves us so much he sent his Only Begotten Son to give us salvation and deliverance from sin. Christ is the way, the truth and the life.

Do not be like the Pharisees who loved money. They took exception to Jesus’s teaching. Christ teaches that you cannot serve two masters: money and God. The love of anything that you place before God will only last a short time. People think that material things will give them praise, but it will not. They consider their wealth to be a sign of God’s approval. God detests selfish wealth because it causes us to abandon the true spiritual gifts that God has given to us.

Wealth won’t get you into heaven – Jesus is the only way.

Remember the rich man in Luke 16:19, who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury while at the gate laid a beggar named Lazarus. The beggar was covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. The dogs came and licked the poor man’s sores. Remember that he died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side.

The rich man died and was sent to hell. We do not know the rich man’s name but the poor man’s name is Lazarus. The rich man begged for mercy, but got none. While he was living, he did not repent. Now, he is dead and he cannot undo what he did while he was alive. He had no faith in God.

What is faith?

Faith is total dependence on God and a willingness to do his will. Faith is not something we put on to show others.

In this parable in Luke Chapter 16, Jesus tells us how people ended up in different places. If your life’s map is taking you to hell and you know it, and if you are here and have heard, then you still have time to make a U-turn and start on the road to God’s Kingdom.

God gives you a choice.

He doesn’t force anything on you. He is a merciful God, full of love and forgiveness. And He gives us grace, mercy, clemency, and his protection freely.

Now you have heard about the road to God’s Kingdom. You have been given the directions: repentance, love, and forgiveness. Live a Christ-like life. That does not mean to live a perfect life because none of us can be perfect.

By studying the Word, we will walk better than we have been doing. With God’s help, we will learn how to be better and do better. Faith in God will direct you to be the person that God made you to be.

Return later this week for Part Three of the sermon, The Final Destination. In Part Three we will focus on the other destination.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scriptures Referenced:

John Chapters 15

John Chapter 14

Luke Chapter 16

Read Part One of the Sermon, Your Final Destination

Do You Know the Way to Heaven?

Sermon, Part One: Your Final Destination

John 14:1-4

“Do not let your heart be troubled (afraid, cowardly). Believe [confidently] in God and trust in Him, [have faith, hold on to it, rely on it, keep going and] believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and I will take you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also. 4 And [to the place] where I am going, you know the way.” 

You are about to take a trip.

Do you know the way? You have no map quest or map, but someone has given you directions. You do not know the day or time you are leaving, but you know you are going away. This trip has been planned for a while. You know that you will be leaving but to where is the question?

When you plan your vacation, you pick the date, where you are going, and how you will get there. You pack your clothes and have your transportation ready.

You need no worldly possessions to get started.

But for this trip I am talking about you need no clothes, money, or ticket. There are two places to choose from. Let’s start with the first place you can go.

You started this trip when you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. The date of this trip started when you were conceived in your mother’s womb. That’s your date of arrival, and it was placed in the Book. Your date of departure was also placed in the Book.

Now your trip is when life begins.

At first, it may be fun and games or it may be hardships. In the early years you really do not have much of a choice. But then you reach adulthood. Now you can choose what kind of life you want to live.

Maybe you are still searching for what is missing. You are going through life with no purpose. If you are going through life without Jesus, then you have no purpose. You are an empty vessel that cannot be filled.

With Jesus you will have a purpose, a reason to get up in the morning. Your faith in Christ will deliver you from the emptiness you feel. Now you know where you are going and who you will be with.

A trip to Jesus Christ’s Father’s Kingdom is the trip to a place of eternal light with no darkness, no sickness, no pain, no rain, no tension, no fighting or disputes, no need to lie or be jealous of anyone. There’s pure peace, joy, and love everywhere.

Jesus says, “In my Father’s house are many mansions.”

His house is not built by hands. “If it were not so, I would have told you.”

Jesus is not lying; He cannot lie. Jesus’ death and resurrection gave us the only path to his Father’s Kingdom. The path is love.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

John Chapter 14

Read Other Commentary on John Chapter 14:

There’s A Mansion for You in Heaven

Will You Be Prepared When Christ Returns?

Please return next week for Part Two of the Sermon, Your Final Destination.