GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

MATTHEW

"Ancestors, Concerning Jesus Christ, Royal Line."

This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson.

Matthew in the Hebrew tongue means "the gift of Yah [God]". The word "Gospel" is from the Greek, and in the English means "the good news". In Mark 2:14 Matthew is called Levi, and many feel this is in reference to his tribe.

Matthew is the first of the four Gospels, and starts out in the generations of Jesus Christ. Matthew covers His genealogy, and the mission that He would accomplish as foretold by the prophets of the Old Testament. This is why Jesus said over and over; "Have you not heard, it is written...", and then He quotes one of the prophets.

Matthew 1:1 "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham."

This would be the book of the pedigree of Jesus Christ. We will see that the New Testament is a replay of the Old Testament. In II Samuel 7:12; the prophet Samuel gives record that the Messiah shall come from the seed of David. "And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom."

Samuel the prophet is telling David that when he is dead and gone to be with his fathers, God will "set up", as to place one on a throne, a seed or children of his.

II Samuel 7:13; "He shall build an house for My name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever."

In this prophecy that was written to David, that in his pedigree one would come that would establish His kingdom, and that kingdom would be forever; and that person to come is Jesus Christ. And so it is.

Matthew 1:2 "Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;"

Jacob's name was changed by God to Israel, and though the seed line of the scepter was coming through Judah [Judas], he also had eleven other brothers, and the offspring of Judah and all his brothers are called the whole house of Israel. They are the Israelites that grew from one family of twelve brothers, to twelve tribes [later thirteen], and in captivity in Egypt grew into a nation that Moses would later lead to the promised land.

Genesis 48 records how the Abrahamic covenant, or blessings were passed to Joseph, but the scepter and law giver rights went to Judah. It is from Judah, the son mentioned in Matthew 1:2 that Jesus Christ would come, and this establishes His right of Ruler ship.

The word "begat", in the Greek means to engender. It shows the "father to son relationship"; to sire. This then, is the following of the family tree directly from Abraham to Jesus, as years would go by.

We will see a difference in the spelling of names between the Old Testament, and the New Testament, and this is because the New Testament is from the Greek form, while the Old testament, the Hebrew language.

Matthew 1:3 "And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;"

Matthew 1:4 "And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;"

Matthew 1:5 "And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;"

Matthew 1:6 "And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;"

Matthew 1:7 "And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;"

Matthew 1:8 "And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;"

Matthew 1:9 "And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;"

Matthew 1:10 "And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;"

Matthew 1:11 "And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethern, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:"

Matthew 1:12 "And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;"

Matthew 1:13 "And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;"

Matthew 1:14 "And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;"

Matthew 1:15 "And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;"

Matthew 1:16 "And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, Who is called Christ.

Well we have gone through this long genealogy, and now we have found that this is the genealogy of Joseph, the husband with Mary. Joseph was not the father of Christ, but the husband of Mary. Mary had already conceived by the Holy Spirit of God when Joseph married her. We know that Almighty God was the father of Jesus Christ. So we see that Joseph's genealogy has nothing to do with the pedigree of Jesus Christ, with the exception of one thing. This blood line is the adopted lineage of Jesus Christ, through His adopted father Joseph.

If you have an adopted son, you could be German, and your adopted son could be Jewish. There is no connection whatsoever, as far as bloodline is concerned. Therefore the bloodline in this first chapter has nothing to do with the bloodline of Jesus Christ.

However, when we see through this adoption, we get a better view of what Christianity is all about. Those that believe upon Christ, are automatically the stones raised [children] unto God. The actual date of Jesus birth is represented to be December 25, However this is assumed, and placed there for the convenience for the old Roman Empire. Lets go to Luke 1:5 and see what the scriptures have to say about this.

Luke 1:5 "There was in the days of Herod, the King of Judeas [a wicked king], a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth."

Zacharias was John the Baptist's father. Elisabeth had to be a full blood daughter of Aaron to be a priest's wife, this is to say, a full blood Levite. What is important in this verse is the identification of the birth of John the Baptist through the feast date that John's father [Zacharias was serving. The "feast of Abia" was the eighth of the ministration in the Temple [I Chronicles 24:10], and occurred twice a year.

The conception of John the Baptist was the night following the feast date, or to place that to our calendar, June 24, 5 B.C. Now lets skip on to verse thirty six, in documenting Jesus genealogy. Luke 1:36; "And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. If Elisabeth is a full blood Levite, and Mary is her cousin, then Mary is also of the blood line of Aaron. We see also that there was a marriage, because the actual genealogy is given in Luke 3:24-38.

In Luke 3:23; "And Jesus Himself begin to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the Son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli," The phrase, "as was supposed", should read, "as reckoned by law", or in another way to put it, "to lay it down by law". If you are married, then your spouses mother is your mother in law. Do you get the point. This genealogy given in the next fifteen verses is Mary's genealogy.

There is one point that should be pointed out, because there is an error made by an Kenite scribe, and that error is because Cainan simply does not exist here in the Massorah text, Cainan was Ham's son that was cursed by Noah. In Genesis 11:13 we read, "And Arphaxad lived after he begat Salah four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters."

This was the custom that if there were no sons born to a family, then the lineage would be passed on to the daughters husband, in that marriage, as by law. Therefore Joseph took on the genealogy of Mary. Then through Joseph the seed, or genealogy would continue; the seed of the family. There is another thing to pay attention to here; Do you see any "begats" in this lineage? Of course not, because this is Joseph's lineage by his legal wife, it is his wife Mary's lineage. This lineage is by law, and not by siring, through the marriage. This bloodline is through the tribe of Judah.

Mary's father was of the tribe of Judah, and he married a Levite, therefore Mary was a mixture between the tribe of Levi, and Judah. So we see that Jesus was of both houses, that is to say the King line, and also of the Levitical priest line of Aaron. This is the priest line after the order of Melchizedeck, the king of the elect [just], as also given in Genesis14:18-20.

When our Lord comes as the King of kings and Lord of Lord, he carries the full title by lineage of the authority that God gave to Abraham, and passed on to Jesus Christ.

So we can see by all this that the conception of Jesus Christ on December 25, is not His birth. There is no problem with this, for this also establishes that God began to dwell with man at the time of conception. The spirit of the baby [soul] in Elisabeth [John the Baptist] was six months maturing; and when Mary entered the room following the conception of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit, John leaped at the presence of the Christ in the womb of Mary.

Matthew 1:17 "So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations."

This genealogy is divided up into three parts. These divisions are the periods marking the times before, during and after king David's families.

Matthew 1:18 "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: when as His mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit."

"Was on this wise", states that this is exactly as it happened. When Jesus' [Jesus'] mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, and before they were married, Mary, the virgin was conceived by the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 1:19 "Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily."

Joseph, the man engaged to Mary, was a just man, and had no desire to ruin Mary's reputation. He did not want Mary to be held up to public ridicule, decided to put her away privately, so she would not be embarrassed in public. Joseph did not want Mary's child to be a illegitimate child.

Matthew 1:20 "But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that Which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit."

As Joseph was considering what to do about all this, at night an Angel of the Lord God came to Joseph, and revealed to him exactly what had happened between Mary and the Holy Spirit. Keep in mind that the entire society were students of God's Word, they knew the Old Testament of the prophets. He understood exactly what this meant in the term; "for that Which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit." This was the Messiah that they were all looking for, that was prophecied from the very beginning in the Garden of Eden.

Genesis 3:15; "And I [God] will put enmity between thee [Satan] and the woman, and between thy [Satan's] seed [the Kenites] and her Seed [Eve's Seed who is Jesus Christ]. It [Jesus] shall bruise thy head [put Satan to parish], and thou shalt bruise His heel." The bruising of Christ's heal was done at the cross of Calvary by Satan's offspring the Kenites. All the books of Moses were well known to all, and especially to Joseph. Joseph know what it meant to be "conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost."

Matthew 1:21 "And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His People from their sins."

In the Hebrew language "Hoshea", and Greek language, "Jesus" means "Yah [God] Savior", or "God Who is our salvation" to man.

Matthew 1:22 "Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet, saying,"

This is prophecy that was written by Isaiah saying;

Matthew 1:23 "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."

In other words, God with us in the flesh. Let's go to Isaiah 7:14; "Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Isaiah was a well known prophet, and all his writings, and this Angel of God repeated exactly what the prophecy of God was from Isaiah. Joseph knew exactly what that Angel was telling him, for it was well written, and prophesied. That sign was given through Joseph to Mary.

This is only one case where the virgin birth was written of in the Old Testament, by the prophets of old. As we continue studying the words and works of Jesus Christ, it has to be completely obvious that a supernatural person had to have walked on this earth, to accomplish the things that Jesus did. Jesus conquered death so that we could have life, eternal life. This eternal life starts at the instant you repent, for should death come to the flesh today, the soul continues eternally with the Father in Heaven.

The New Testament is the fulfillment of the Old Testament, and though we call it "New", it is the continuation of the promises of the Old Covenant. What is interesting is that most of the New Testament is history to us today, whereas most of the Old Testament is still prophecy that is future to us living in this final generation. The Old Covenant [Testament] is alive today, and don't let others rob you of the wealth of information that we need to stand against the Antichrist in these serious times ahead.

Matthew 1:24 "Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:"

Joseph did exactly as the angel of God had told him to do. He went right out and married Mary. Joseph had no problem with doing this, because he understood what was about to happen with Mary. She was going to give birth to the promised Messiah. He now understood that Mary's pregnancy was of God, and Mary would be the mother of our Savior.

Matthew 1:25 "And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn Son: and he called His name JESUS."

There is so much truth jammed into this one chapter, that volumes of books could be written, with all the prophecies surrounding it. This chapter relates Joseph's relationship to Mary, and to our Heavenly Father.

Matthew Chapter 2

"Concerning the Wise Men; Jesus Christ's Flight to Egypt"

This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson

Matthew 2:1 "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem."

"From the east" in the manuscripts is including the north and the south, and is singular. East and west are also relative to the north and therefore occur in the plural. This name Bethlehem in the Hebrew means "House of Bread", and Jesus Christ our Lord's body has become the very "Bread of Life" that we place on the sacrament table to represent His body, along with the wine, the blood of Christ.

Matthew 2:2 "Saying, "Where is He that is born King of the Jews" for we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him."

It is not important to know the number of wise men, however "His star", is the light to show the way. Christ is called the "Morning Star", and to understand this a little better, let me draw your attention to the fact that the prophecies in the Massoretic text relating to the star that was seen, was not a star in the sky, but a the vision of the Christ child, as recorded in Numbers 24:15-19.

The location was given in other prophecies, so that the wise men already knew the location to be in Bethlehem. This is why these wise men went to Herod, for Herod's palace was very close to Bethlehem. By today's standard, a five minute drive. They came to Jerusalem two years after the birth, and this fact was related by the wise men to Herod.

The star that brought them finally to the location of the house where the young boy was, could have been another vision, for their knowledge of Christ's birth in Bethlehem was well known, and well versed among all people of the day. The text is as follows:

Numbers 24:15-16; "And he took up his parable, and said, "Balaam the son of Beor hath said, And the man whose eyes are open hath said: [15] He hath said, which heard the words of God, And knew the knowledge of the Most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:" [16]

The words and the knowledge of the most High is the parable of God telling of this same thing.

Numbers 24:17 "I shall see Him, but not now: I shall behold Him, But not nigh: There shall come a Star out of Jacob, And a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and Destroy all the children of Sheth." [17]

It wasn't time for the Savior to come, however, here is that Star that the wise men saw. "Sheth" should be translated "all the children of confusion."

Numbers 24:18 "And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; And Israel shall do valiantly." [18]

Edom is Russia of today. Israel is the true House of Israel, and they are the Christian nations of today.

Numbers 24:19 "Out of Jacob shall come He that shall have dominion, And shall destroy him that remaineth of the city." [19]

The builder of cities was Cain and his children.

Numbers 24:20; "And when he looked on Amelek, he took up his parable, and said, "Amalek was the first of the nations; But his latter end shall be that he perish for ever."

Remember that it was the sons of Cain that were the first city dwellers, that first of the nations this is aimed at those city dwellers called Kenites.

Numbers 24:21; "And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable and said, "Strong is thy dwelling place, And thou puttest thy nest in a rock."

Kenites is a Hebrew word that is only transliterated here, it means "sons of Cain". God is saying that they think that they are so well protected that even a lion cannot dig into your nest through a solid rock.

Numbers 24:22-23; "Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive. [22] and he took up his parable, and said, "Alas, who shall live when God doeth this!" [23]

In the end, it will by Jesus Christ which will cause the Kenites to be wasted. Asshur, is Satan, the father of Cain the first murderer. That Star out of verse seventeen, is Jesus Christ.

Even as Jesus complimented the two churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia [Revelation 2:9; 3:9], for they knew who the Kenites are, and know and understand who those that say they are Jews [Christian] , but lie and are of the synagogue of Satan. Unless you know who the Kenites are, you will not be able to understand who they were that came against the Star, Jesus Christ.

The promise here in Numbers was that this Star, Jesus the Christ, would come and release the strangle hold that the Kenites have held on the Children of Israel for thousands of years. Spiritually it is completed, while it will be done for each child of God the moment that they receive Christ, and open their eyes to who the Kenites are. Satan has done a good job in hiding his children form the Christians, for it is almost never taught. No wonder they can stand up in the church houses and twist the truth, and never be challenged. Christians are ignorant of them.

Matthew 2:3 "When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him."

Kings get real excited when another king shows up in their territory unannounced. These three wise men have showed up looking for a king that Herod knows nothing about.

Matthew 2:4 "And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the People together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born."

Herod knew were to go to get the truth. Even a heathen king knew that it was written that Christ would be born of woman. So he went to the priests and demanded of them where the Christ child would be born.

Matthew 2:5 "And they said unto him, "In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,"

It is written in Micah 5:2 exactly where the Christ child would be born. "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." There is nothing new under the sun, for what will come to pass is written in His Word. Nothing happens by accident with respect to God's Word.

Matthew 2:6 "And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not the least among the princes of Judah: for out of thee shall come a governor, that shall rule My People Israel."

This is the promise of Messiah, our Savior and Redeemer.

Matthew 2:7 "Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared."

Herod wants to know just what time these wise men saw this star. The word "diligently", would be more accurate with "deceitfully". The reason that he wanted to know, is that He wanted to have all the little ones killed that were born in that time period of that sign.

Matthew 2:8 "And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, "Go and search diligently for the young Child; and when ye have found Him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship Him also."

Matthew 2:9 "When they had heard the king they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was."

Many people today just don't believe this report. However our Heavenly Father controls nature.

Matthew 2:10 "When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy."

There will also be great joy at His second coming, at the sounding of the seventh trumpet, when all the saints in Christ will be changed into the new incorruptible, and immortal bodies. this event is recorded by Paul in I Corinthians 15:50-54.

Matthew 2:11 "And when they were come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh."

The fact that there were three wise men is not written, but the idea is given because their were three gifts. The number of wise men is not important.

Matthew 2:12 "And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way."

Notice God came to the wise men in a dream. They did not bring any report back to king Herod.

Matthew 2:13 "And when they were departed, behold, the Angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise and take the young Child and His mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him."

Notice that when God protects one of His own children, that protection is complete. He will let it be known what has to be done, when and how to do it, for the safe keeping of His own. Just as He protected the Christ child from Herod's sword, He will also protect His elect from the wicked one, the Antichrist Satan, in that day of deception. He knows the minds of our enemies, and His Spirit dwells in us with communion with our minds. The mind is the intellect of the soul, which houses our spirit.

God knows in advance all things that each of us will be confronted with, and when we are in His will and Spirit, He will control our steps and words. We do have free will, and He doesn't know or control that part of our free will, but when we study His Word, then His Word will direct our path. But God does know what the enemy shall bring against us.

Matthew 2:14 "When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night, and departed into Egypt:"

Joseph followed the Lord's instruction, and took good care of the mother and the Christ child.

Matthew 2:15 "And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt have I called my Son." "

This prophecy came from Hosea 11:1; "When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt."

Matthew 2:16 "Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men."

God's divine intervention had already taken the Christ child out of Herod's reach, when Herod had finally figured out that the wise men had no intension of returning. To make sure that this child had not escaped to endanger his throne, Herod gave the order to kill all the children in Bethlehem and the rural area around the town.

Matthew 2:17 "Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,"

Do you want to know what Jeremy said? Jeremy is the prophet Jeremiah, and this prophecy comes from Jeremiah 31:15; "Thus saith the Lord; "A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not." Ramah in the Hebrew means "the high place", evidently a high place near Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 31:16; "Thus saith the Lord; 'Refrain thy voice form weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy." Your work is not in vain, is what he is saying to Rachel. Remember Rachel is the mother of both Joseph and Benjamin, the tribes of both Houses, Israel and Judah. Some day I'm going to join those children of the tribes of Israel back to Israel. We know that will be in the Millennium age, and it will be upon His return to Jerusalem, when His feet touch down on mount Zion.

Lets go back to Genesis 35:18; "And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin." "Ben-oni", in the Hebrew means "son of my sorrow", she named him that because his birth brought about her death. Jacob however, called him Benjamin, which is "son of my right hand".

Genesis 35:19; "And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem." Place where Rachel died weeping for her children, will be the same place where the Jesus Christ the Messiah would be born. The last of Jacob's sons was born where Jesus would later be born, and this is why the Lord said in Jeremiah 31:16; "Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears; for thy work shall be rewarded.

Matthew 2:18 "In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not."

Though the weeping for the small children that were slaughtered went on, our Lord is reminding us that the true eternal comfort will be coming at the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. God said, "Don't weep Rachel, it is going to be alright," and we know it will be. Jesus will gather them all back to Him.

Matthew 2:19 "But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,"

Again note the control of our Heavenly Father, He is in control of your future also, and once we repent and come to Him with a repentive heart, and believe on His Name, then God will direct our ways, through His Word, and with the dwelling of His Holy Spirit within us. Upon repentance, God stamps you with approval, as though you were perfect. With total forgiveness under the shed blood of Christ, you are clean in God's eyes, and that is where it counts.

Matthew 2:20 "Saying, "Arise, and take the young Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young Child's life."

Matthew 2:21 "And he arose, and took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel."

Matthew 2:22 "But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:"

We see that Joseph followed immediately the directions given by God, and took Mary and the Christ Child back from Egypt to the land of Judaea, however the fear never came until Joseph got back to Judaea. God lead Him back, and when Joseph took his eyes off of God, the fear came. He looked and saw that the son of Herod was now on the throne. God however, gave Joseph more instructions, after he was back in Judaea, to pass right through Judaea, north to Galilee.

Everything that has happened in the lives of Joseph, Mary and Jesus took place exactly as it was written. When Joseph was in the reality of living out the prophecies that were written years before, the control came by God in the dreams.

We are living in the latter days of this earth age, and many prophecies that seem strange to us that apply to what we will see and hear, just won't make sense until we see them come to pass, and live through them ourselves. However when they do, as God's elect we should note them and find comfort in our Lord, for He does have control over all men at all times.

Matthew 2:23 "And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarrene." "

Joseph's trouble that caused him to leave Judaea was no accident, but a controlled event. This is because it was written that Jesus would be raised a Nazarene. This prophecy is given in several places; lets go to Judges 13:5; "For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no rasor shall come on his head for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines."

So we see that the Old Testament told us where He would be born, and the book of Daniel tells us the time that He would be born, and many things that Jesus Christ would do living the life as a man. Every detail surrounding Jesus last days, His death, resurrection, and Christ's ascension into heaven was given through the prophets hundreds of years in advance. This is all made possible so that we can have confidence in His Word, and know that He loves us and cares for us.

Matthew Chapter 3

"The Forerunner; Baptism, John's Threatening."

"In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea.."

This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson

Matthew 3:1 "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,"

So we see that many years have gone by since the births, between Matthew two and three. This is the John that was in the womb of his mother Elisabeth, the cousin of Jesus' mother Mary. The last time John was mentioned he was leaping for joy at the presence of the Christ child, Jesus Christ. The time was six months after the feast of Abia, and that made Christ's conception December 25. This now is thirty years later, and John is now out in the wilderness.

Matthew 3:2 "And saying, "Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

"Repent" means to have a change of heart and mind. To feel remorse for your sinning against God, and your turning from the things, and thoughts that will give you a new direction. It will change you for the better.

Many people today feel that if they become a Christian, they will miss out on all the good things of life, however that just is not true. Christians enjoy everything in life more, their entire life is more peaceful, and a more trouble-free life. The "do-this", and "don't do that" boys would like to regulate your Christian life, however the freedom that we enjoy in Christ excludes those boys. Instead, we can study to learn more about our Heavenly Father, and then His Holy Spirit will direct our path, and we become regulated by our own conscience, which is regulated and in tune with God's Spirit.

Instead of strife, regulation, and judgment from the Kenite type mind from without; theirs is a calmness, and peace that only Jesus can give, when we know that our sins are forgiven, and we are at peace with our maker. We have the assurance that God will pick us up when we are down, and build a wall of protection around our mind, and family when it looks like the road is getting a little tough. We become "can do" type people when we are in God's will.

Matthew 3:3 "For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.' "

This is but a part of the full quotation that John gave in his sermon. The quotation is taken from Isaiah 40:3-31.

Isaiah 40:3; "The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God."

Isaiah 40:4 "And every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:

Isaiah 40:5 "And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it."

John the Baptist's sermon went on to cover the rest of that the chapter, that announced the coming of and arrival of the Messiah. It told how all the nations will submit to him, and lives would be changed. It is well worth the time to continue to the end of the chapter.

Matthew 3:4 "And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey."

The camel's hair, leather girdle and meat of locust and honey were the identifying features of a prophet.

Matthew 3:5 "Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,"

Matthew 3:6 "And were baptized of him in Jordan confessing their sins."

Many felt that John was Elijah the prophet, and he was very successful in preaching and turning many to God. However John wasn't, and he never claimed to be Elijah. When he was asked once; "Are you that prophet?" His answer was No.

In Luke 1:16 we read that John the Baptist came in the spirit of Elijah.

Luke 1:17 "And he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias [Elijah], to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

Later in Matthew 11:14 Jesus was asked by the Kenites about John the Baptist, if he was Elijah, Jesus answered them. If they have believed, he would have been Elijah." However they did not believe, in fact they beheaded John the Baptist. They killed John, and they crucified the Lord. That very last promise that our Lord God made to us before closing out the Old Testament, was the promise of the return of Elijah before the end of this flesh earth age.

Malachi 4:5-6; "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: [5] And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."

Matthew 3:7 "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, "O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?"

The "generation of vipers" are serpents. They are the offspring of the snake. We are talking about the "Kenites", the Hebrew word that is properly translated, "sons of Cain". These are the same ones that Jesus spoke of in Saint John 8:44; when He said, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode 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 it.

This is not spiritualizing a truth, but stating a fact. The Pharisees and the Sadducees were Kenites, and were offspring from the Nethinims that took over the Scribes and priest's duties that Ezra and Nehemiah wrote about. They are of the lineage of Cain, their father, that was born through the seduction [beguiling] by Satan of Eve in the Garden of Eden.

Who was the first murderer? It was Cain of course. Genesis 4:8; "And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him." Jesus goes deep into identifying the Kenites, as to who they were in Matthew 23. We see that Jesus is addressing the Scribes and Pharisees, and giving a warning to them. Then in verse thirty three;

Matthew 23:33-35; "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" [33] "Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of the shall ye scourge in your syagogues, and persecute the from city to city: [34] That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Able unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the Temple and the altar." [35]

We see that though the religious leaders of today have turned their back on what Jesus told us to learn, both John and Jesus alike knew who the Kenites are, and where they came from. In that, they knew the mind of the Kenite was of their father, Cain the murderer, and Satan the Devil. This is the cause of most of our trouble today, just as it was then. The mind of the Kenite, of lies, deceptions, and even murder come straight from Satan, through his son Cain.

You must keep these Kenites identified as you continue to study the Bible, for they are the negative force, that has rooted themselves into the religious orders of Judaism from Babylonian captivity to our Lord Jesus Christ's time, and hold high positions in the Temple as well as the government. The position of the Chief priest was appointed by the king of Roman rule, and the Sanhedrim, or "council-chamber" of the Temple, and government, which was like the Supreme Court of the land, were filled with Kenites. Those around Jesus, knew who they were, and their identification is what the "parable of the fig tree" is all about. We will discuss this in detail in Chapters thirteen, and twenty three. The thing to remember is that though they claim to be of Judah, they lie and have no Israel blood in them. This is where the warning of Jesus is aimed in Revelation 2:9; 3:9.

These Kenites carry the negative spirit within themselves, and when you get near them, you can discern it.

Matthew 3:8 "Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:"

John the Baptist is saying, you can repent, and have salvation, but bring me the evidence of your repentance. The evidence is your love from the heart, rather then the deceiving, lying, and combative attitudes that were brought by these lawyers of that day. The Kenite Pharisees and Sadducees came out to rebuke and belittle John. John is saying to them, show me your evidence of repentance, if you claim to be of God.

Matthew 3:9 "And think not to say within yourselves, 'We have Abraham to our father:' for I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham."

There is quite a play on words here in the New Covenant. In the New Covenant it opens up that "whosoever shall believe on the Lord shall not perish, but have eternal life." This is everlasting life. The word "Abraham" in the Hebrew means, "father of many nations", and we see that in the word Abraham, are the many nations that will come forth as part of God's elect, to make up His people. They will come from all races, and tongues, and they all have one thing in common; "They all believe on the name of the Lord", and are raised up to Eternal life that God has extended to them.

This is where we get that Abraham is the father of all nations, for if he is, God can raise up any Gentile nation He pleases, and graft them to Himself. Why? Because Abraham had faith in God, and would offer even his own son up when He knew that He was too old to have another son. He knew that somehow God would restore Isaac to him, for God made a promise, and Abraham knew that God would keep that promise, even if God would turn the rocks into his children. With this faith, Abraham took the blade and was in the process of not even withholding Isaac, because God asked it of him.

It was by divine intervention that Isaac was born, when Sarah was years beyond childbearing, yet God promised that the seed [children] of Abraham would be as the sand of the sea shore, and the stars of the sky. On that day of sacrifice, God provided Abraham the ram in the bush as the sacrifice to Him; however, John the Baptist is now announcing that the true sacrifice that has come, and it will be Jesus Christ that would be the sacrifice for the sins of the World. Though God's hand held the hand of Abraham; God did not hold the hands of the executioners, as they slay the Son of God, and shed His blood. God did this because He loves you, and His Son Jesus Christ was in the will and obedience to His Father.

This is why John was able to say that God is able to raise up children to Him, from even these stones.

Matthew 3:10 "And now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire."

Trees are symbolic for people. The evil root of those trees that were in the garden of Eden, was the "tree of good and evil", and that tree is Satan, the Devil. It was Satan who God addressed as the serpent. The good fruit are those that have repented and know Jesus Christ as their Savior, however the fire that will consume the bad wood, or evil wood [Kenites and followers of Satan] will be consumed in the lake of fire. Jesus spoke of this time in Revelation 20:10-15.

Revelation 20:10; "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." This is following the time of the great tribulation of this earth age, Millennium age, and also the final Judgment. We see in verses twelve and thirteen that; "And they were judged every man according to their works." This is given twice. You will be judged by the things written in the Lamb's [Christ's] book of life, for the deeds and words spoken in this life.

Revelation 20:14-15; "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire, This is the second death." [14] "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." This my friend, is what John was talking about to those Pharisees. It is the parable of the tares, given in Matthew thirteen, and God tells us to leave them alone, it is not for us to judge them, for at the appointed time, it will be He and the angels that gather them and cast them into the fire.

These Kenites have grown to the point that their four hidden dynasties, Economics [banking and industry]; Education; Religion; and Politics are fused into one under their United Nations flag, and at God's appointed time, the gathering will take place. However, if one of those tares turn to Jesus Christ and repents, then he is no longer a tare, and this gathering of the wood to be burned does not apply to him. He is no longer a wicked one, but a son of the Living God by adoption, the same adoption that you and I claim in Jesus Christ.

Matthew 3:11 "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but He That cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:" "Holy Ghost" is better translated, "Holy Spirit" from the Greek..

This "fire" came on Pentecost day by the Holy Spirit of God, and those that spoke there on that day, spoke in that cloven tongue. That tongue was not the turkey calls babel that is mouthed these days, but it was a clear speech that needed no interpretation. Check it out for yourselves, by turning to Acts 2. Those that speak confusion, are from Babylon, which in the Hebrew tongue is "confusion". But the voice that came from their mouth, when the words of the Holy Spirit was given was understood by all men that were present from all over the world.

"Tongues" means "languages"; and Acts 2:7-8 reads; "And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, "Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? [7] And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?" [8] Did you get that, in the very dialect of the neighborhood that they were born in. There is no confusion to this tongue given by the Holy Spirit. That Spirit, which is the fire of God came down and entered into them. That fire warms the heart of them that love Him, and is a consuming fire to the wicked ones.

Matthew 3:12 "Whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

This fan spoken of here is a "winnowing shovel [fan]". God's fan gets rid of the chaff; while Satan sifts to get rid of the wheat [Luke 22:31]. The wheat is symbolic of the rich golden grain, that is God's elect. Those that have repented and turned their lives around. While the chaff are all those whose names are not written in the Lambs book of Life. Those are the tares and things that look like wheat when it is beaten out on the thrashing floor. God's winnowing shovel will seperate thase tares from the wheat, and the chaff will be cast into the fire. As the wheat is dropped to the floor, the chaff blows away.

Matthew 3:13 "Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him."

John knew and recognized Jesus as He walked up, for John and Jesus were cousins.

Matthew 3:14 "But John forbad Him, saying, "I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?" "

John was a very humble person, because in John's eyes it should be the other way around. John thought that Jesus should be the one to baptize him.

Matthew 3:15 "And Jesus answering said unto him, "Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he suffered Him."

John understood that it was necessary that Jesus be baptized, for His time had come, and so John went ahead and baptized Jesus. The word "baptize means to totally submerge. It comes from the word used to dye material. If you are going to dye a piece of material red, you have to have a container of water with red dye dissolved in it. The result then when the material is "baptized" or submerged, is that the material is completely red, inside and out.

When you ask, how do I know if and when I should be baptized? Well, Christ was, and baptism is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God, through your outward commitment, that shows the world, and marks you as Christ's. Baptism by submerging in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is the rite or ordinance by which you enter into the Body of Christ. It is your personal public profession of faith and discipleship to Jesus Christ. It shows your death to sin, and your washing afresh to a new life in our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Baptism we freely ask the Holy Spirit of God to enter and control our lives.

Baptism is essential to the believer, of the head of the church, Jesus Christ was baptized, and it is your public confession to the world of your faith in Jesus Christ.

Matthew 3:16 "And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him."

This is recorded as prophecy is Isaiah 11:2. Lets start with verse one. "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:" This rod is David, and the Branch that came from the root of David is our Lord Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 11:2; "And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear [reverence] of the Lord." Here are the seven spirits of God. These are the gifts that are given by the Holy Spirit, and these are what God will give us, as He sees our need for them. These "Spirits" or gifts are not given alike to every believer, however we are to use the gifts that He gives each of us, according to our abilities. The gift of "fear, or reverence" before the Lord, is ones gift of intercessory prayer, and this gift should be held very high.

Matthew 3:17 "And lo a voice form heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Truly our Heavenly Father was well pleased in His Son, Jesus Christ, who filled that position of the God head, and made the pathway complete, whereby man can have a way back to the Father, in repentance for man's sins. The blood of Christ paid the price, and the name of Jesus is the only name on earth whereby we can be saved.

Every part of Jesus life was foretold in the prophecies of the Old Testament, and when confronted by the Kenites, Jesus response was always, "It is written"; "Have you not read?"; and so on, to show that what He did was in accordance with what was foretold.

This is also applied to us in these end times, what will happen will also be as it was foretold, and this is why we must continue to study God's Word, that we will not be deceived by the lies and wonders of the Antichrist.

Matthew Chapter 4

"Jesus Christ's Temptation; Beginning of Ministry."

This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson

The Messiah has been baptized, and anointed and is going to begin His ministry. Note where His ministry begins, and that immediately He went into the wilderness for this temptation. The first message that Jesus gave was to Satan himself. When your ministry begins, it's better that you come out ready to take on the enemy right at the first.

Matthew 4:1 "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil."

It was intended that Jesus would be tempted right from the start. Following the baptism of the Holy Spirit, it was the Holy Spirit that led Him to the area of temptation. Why would this be? Because Christ is setting the example for you to what you will face when you repent and are saved. Upon your repentance is not when your temptations are over, but the start of the most fierce spiritual battles that you will face.

Sometimes you will falter, miss the mark and yield to those temptations, and fall short. So we see that the first thing that Jesus shows us, in our walk as a Christian, is that the strongest temptations will come in the beginning. Just like Jesus had the victory over Satan, so also you can have victory over Satan, and this chapter is the demonstration showing us how we also will have victory over Satan's temptation.

Matthew 4:2 "And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward an hungered."

Fasting forty days would put the flesh in a very weak condition, it would give the advantage to Satan' over the flesh. There were probably many other temptations that came to Jesus, but those named here are most likely the strongest, and the ones we are to learn. The first Adam was tempted in the garden, while this second Adam was tempted in the wilderness. The first Adam fell to temptation, while the second Adam stood against all the temptations Satan sent His way.

The first Adam brought sin into the world, while the second Adam brought victory over Satan, and eternal life back to man. In I Corinthians 15:45-48 tells of this. "And so it is written, "The first man Adam was made a living soul;" the last Adam was made a quickening spirit." [45] The term "quickening spirit", means living spirit. "Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. [46] The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. [47] As is the earth, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly." [48]

When we believe in Jesus Christ, and are baptized into the new life, the Spirit of God quickens us, puts a new life in us, and that life is a Heavenly life, which is a spiritual life.

Matthew 4:3 "And when the tempter came to Him, he said," If Thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread."

The tempter, Satan is very wise, and notice that Satan will use the scripture in his attack on you. He knows the Bible more then you will ever; and this is why we must study, and go back to it when under spiritual attack. Satan loves the Scripture, but are you wise enough to know what he does with the Scripture. The Kenites are also are great twisters of the truth. God warns us in that in these latter days, "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ [claiming to be carrying a message from God]; and shall deceive many." Matthew 24:4, 5

Today the truth from God's word is presented in such a fashion that it sounds so good, but in many cases it is twisted to the point of becoming a lie. People are placing their eternal life on the words of these deceivers, and in the end, God will turn them to be turned over to the Antichrist. They have allowed themselves to be deceived. Watch and learn from the example given here by Jesus Christ.

Matthew 4:4 "But He answered and said, "It is written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God"."

Did you get that; "every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God". You have to take the entire Scripture, and not throw parts out, like is done in many churches today. Our answer to Satan, or any of those in Satan's service is what is written in God's Word. Jesus is quoting from the prophecy that God gave to Moses in Deuteronomy 8:3.

"And He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou kewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live." This is the first speaking of the teaching of the Scriptures, declaring "It is written", and we see that the first teaching is to Satan, and not man.

Matthew 4:5 "Then the devil taketh Him up into the holy city, and setteth Him on a pinnacle of the temple,"

This holy city is Jerusalem, and it is there that the Antichrist [Satan] will stand and declare himself to be God. This is the same type of temptation that we will see Satan in very shortly, which Daniel called the Abomination by the Desolator, in Daniel 9:27. Satan will commit his abominable act before the coming of the Lord, and most of the people living today on the earth will witness it, and believe that he is the true Messiah.

Paul writes in II Thessalonians 2:4; "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." This is exactly what Satan is tempting Jesus with. Though Satan will claim to have all the earth, and he will have. However, when he declares himself to be God, that is the abomination that will seal his doom. Jesus will be given the kingdom of the earth, but it will be at the appointed time, and that time has not come yet. In this earth age, Satan's is the prince of this world now. But his time of reign will end at the sounding of the seventh trumpet, and the return of Jesus Christ as the King of kings.

Satan is the prince of this earth age, and it is still given unto Satan to tempt man, and deceive man, if man will allow himself to be deceived. Each soul of man must make its own mind up whether he [she] will love and obey God, or yield to Satan. Satan is the prince of this world, and he will offer you what ever it takes to get your soul. Who do you listen to?

Matthew 4:6 "And saith unto Him, "If thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down: for it is written, He shall give His angels charge concerning Thee: and in their hands they shall bear Thee up, lest at any time Thou dash Thy foot against a stone."

This is Satan talking to Jesus, and he has the gull to quote Scripture to Jesus the Messiah. Satan is quoting the Scripture like most preachers today, for he is misquoting it, taking it out of context, and using it for his own gain. Satan is garbling it by omitting the essential words. The quotation is found in Psalm 91:11, 12; "For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. [11] They shall bear thee up in their hand, Lest thou dash thy foot against a stone." [12]

Did you get what was omitted? "In all thy ways." A "way" is a path, or a course that you set for yourself. These verses are aimed to the person that sets a path that he will follow, and while following that path, God's angels will protect you along that path. When you leave that path then the angel will not necessarily give that protection to you. You must be obedient to the Word of God to expect this type of protection.

When you leave part of the text out, or take it out of context, you lie, and deceive others, just as Satan did here. Most of the quote is true, however what was left out made the entire quote void. It turned the quote form the authority of God, to nothing more then a selfish motive.

When people, or even your pastor quotes Scripture to you, do you have the knowledge to know whether they are lying to you, or if it is fact is it in God's Word. There is only one way to protect yourself, and that is to check it out for yourself. Satan does more damage from the pulpits, that from bars, or any place else.

Matthew 4:7 "Jesus said unto him, "It is written again, 'Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God'."

Christ is the Living Word, He is the Scripture, and that is why there is no way He could be tripped up by Satan on the Word. Know this, that Satan will tempt you also, exactly as he has tempted Jesus. If you have a weakness Satan will find it, and if you can be bought then Satan, will pay the price to get you, for he is the prince of this world, and his offspring, the Kenites are in control of the dynasties of this world. However when you set the course that is given in the Bible, then God's Spirit will protect your every path.

This is Jesus answer to Satan. Jesus again is quoting from the Word of God, and that passage is found in Deuteronomy 6:16. However let's start with verse 15. "(For the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you), lest the anger of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee form off the face of the earth." [15] "Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, as ye tempted Him in Massah." [16] "Massah" in the Hebrew text, is "desert".

Matthew 4:8 "Again, the devil taketh Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them ;"

We are in an age now that this verse is very important to us. This verse documents that Satan is the head of the fourth and final kingdom, that we refer to as the "Daniels image". It is the "non-descript beast". It is none other then Satan himself, because the nations of all the world, were not even known at this time, for all nations will be one. This verse is looking to the future, even in this final generation.

We are going into "One Worldism" and that is a fact. The entire world will be part of that system, and all of the power of the world will soon be wrapped up into one big lump, with Satan at the head. When Satan shows his world kingdom to you, will it be tempting to take part in it? God's elect will see it for what it is, just as Jesus did, and our response to Satan will be the same that we will see Jesus giving here.

Every one of God's elect know that Satan will come first, and they will see right through the lies and deceptions, and deceiving wonders that will be performed to deceive all of mankind. That knowledge in your heart, which is your mind and intellect, is the seal of God spoken of in Revelation 9:4. They also know that that time was cut short for their sake [the elect's], and the time of Satan's rule will be only five months, as recorded in Revelation 9:5, 10.

Revelation 9:5; "And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man." The ones doing the striking are Satan's locust army of followers during that great tribulation, and the ones that are being struck are all people that are not sealed of God in their foreheads, that are living in that day. The striking will be with lies and deceptions, and the entire world will believe them. This generation will face Satan's lies.

So now we will see the example that Christ sets for us.

Matthew 4:9 "And saith unto Him, "All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me."

Are you going to worship Satan? He is coming as the false Messiah, and if you are looking to fly out of here through some rapture theory, you will be deceived. Daniel tells us that when Satan comes, he will offer you peace and prosperity. The war that Satan brings as the Antichrist, is a spiritual war, and that is what will deceive all but the elect.

Daniel 8:24; "And his [Satan's] power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy People." We are told in Revelation 9:1, and in II Thessalonians 2:9, 10 that the power and authority that Satan has to deceive the world is given to him by God. Satan will use that authority to work wonders to convince Christians that he is their Messiah, and they will believe it. Why? Because they were taught such in their church houses, and led by the Kenites.

Daniel 8:25; "And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken with out hand." The policy are the limits that are set, and under the policy all matters dealing with the running of that company, or government are stated. In this case, the government is a religious beast system, that has Satan as it's head, and under Satan's control he can offer you whatever it takes to get your obedience to him, and to bow to him.

Notice that Satan, the Antichrist will come in and cause craft, or business to prosper. He will present himself to you as one who can satisfy all your needs, keep your business strong, and cause peace throughout all the world. However if you accept Satan's peace, even in ignorance, you will be destroyed, as the entire world will, except God's elect. It will be your soul that will be destroyed, and the destruction is spiritual, which is everlasting.

So you see that Satan will offer to you, exactly what he has offered to Jesus, now here is what Jesus tells us to answer, when we are given Satan's offer through his new world order.

Matthew 4:10 :Then saith Jesus unto him, "Get thee hence, Satan:: for it is written, 'Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.' "

Here it is again, friend, our defense is from the Word of God. This is why we need to get use to standing on it. This again come for Deuteronomy 6:13. Even though it looks on the surface that Satan has complete control over the entire earth; in the name of Jesus we have power over Satan and all of his forces. That power comes from the Holy Spirit of God, that came down and entered Jesus at the baptism, and there is no power anywhere that has authority over Him. When we repent, and call upon the name of Jesus we have that power.

Though mankind gets confused over who Jesus, God the Father and the Holy Spirit is, the demons, and Satan do not, they know exactly who He is, and they submit completely to God upon His authority. God allows them to exist, and tempt man, however man has free will to chose whom he will, and at the appointed time of God's choosing, they will all be destroyed.

Keep in mind that you have authority over Satan, and until you give in to him, he has no power over you. So your answer is the same one that Jesus gave. "Get thee hence, Satan", or in today's terms, "Get behind me, Satan." You order Satan out of your house, and your life. He must go. and you order it "in the name of Jesus Christ." That is how you anoint your house and your life.

Today there is a modern teaching that is promoted by some of the new versions of the Bible, and it is all part of this "New Age Movement". The new teaching is that there is no devil, and there is no Satan, and that the base root of word "Satan" in the Hebrew is "destroyer". They want you to use the word "adversary" instead. They want you to use the base word "adversary" rather then placing the name of Satan on a man; and as such they say that this "adversary" is just a negative part of you. If you are so ignorant to believe this, then you would believe that there was no one in the wilderness tempting Jesus, and then God's Word becomes a lie to you.

If you accept this doctrine of the "New Age" movement, then you would be saying that Jesus the Son of God had a negative side also, and sin could exist in Him, and this cannot be possible. It is a doctrine of the devil [promoted by the Kenites], and if it is taught in your church, run from it, for your very soul is in danger. If Christ had a negative side then Christ's death and resurrection would be of no value to sinning man, and Jesus Christ could not have been perfect. To say this is a lie, yet that is what will be believed largely by most, very shortly. When this is accepted by most Christians, salvation will be void to them.

Christ was a spotless sacrifice, and the many doctrines of demons that many churches entertain today, makes Christianity very confusing to those on the outside. Satan has many names, and each name identifies him by the many roles that he played in the Bible; however he is one person, he is real, and he will tempt you just as he did Jesus.

Matthew 4:11 "Then the devil leaveth Him, and behold, angels came and ministered unto Him."

After Jesus ordered Satan away, the angels came and ministered to Jesus. He hadn't had food for the past forty days. Ministered does not mean that they preached to Him, but tended to his physical needs. Notice that the first one that Christ ministered to was Satan, and now that this role of Satan is over. In the end of the Millennium age, Satan will be turned to ashes in the pits of Hell and be gone forever.

Matthew 4:12 "Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, He departed into Galilee;"

This is the start of Jesus ministry to mankind. The disciples have not been chosen yet, and in the word "cast", meant that John had been delivered up for his first trial.

Matthew 4:13 "And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:"

To explain what the words mean in the original text; "Nazareth" means "the guarded one". The word "Capernaum", comes from the Hebrew word, "Nahum" which is "to be given", or "consolation", and "Zebulon" means "habitation", and Naphthalim means "my wrestling's". These words were chosen, and gives prophecy within themselves.

So lets use the original test language. "And leaving the guarded one he came to the place of consolation, which is on the sea coast of the borders of habitation, and the start of His ministry [wrestling's]. Wrestling with Satan.

Matthew 4:14 "That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,"

Matthew 4:15 ""The land of Zabulon, and the land of Naphthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;"

This is a quotation from Isaiah 9:1, 2: Notice that Galilee at this time was the land of the Gentiles. The people living there were not of the House of Israel, which were scattered seven centuries prior, and they also were not of the Jews [The house of Judah].

Isaiah 9:1; "Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at first He lightly afflicted in land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and after ward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations."

Isaiah 9:2; "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined."

We know that it was written long before Christ came as a Child to the earth, that this Scripture would be fulfilled. That most of His teaching and ministry would be in Galilee, just as the Prophet Isaiah had prophesied from God.

Matthew 4:16 "The People which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up."

This prophecy was given over seven hundred years before it came to pass, and that is how you tell a true prophet from that false one. The test is if what he said comes to pass, and if it doesn't, then he is a fake. We have many so-called prophets today that write their books on prophecy each year, because they make their correction on an annual basis. Yet people buy the books and just can't wait until the next version of lies and disinformation comes out.

Isaiah was a true prophet, for what he said was of God, and did come to pass. The "Great Light" was Jesus Christ and wherever Jesus went He brought light, spiritual light to the souls that saw and heard Him. When He laid hands on them, they were healed, and shadow of death went from them. Jesus ministry has begin. There is nothing in that ministry that was not foretold, and written in the Old Testament.

Matthew 4:17 "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

"Repent" is not just a magic word, but a true change of heart and mind. It is being truly sorry for the sin that is in your life, and the wrong that you have caused others. It is setting a new course in your life, a new path and the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit will hold us up and give guidance and protect our minds, when that path is following the course set forth in His Holy Word.

A "Kingdom" is a "King and his domain", Christ is the King, and all those that repent are part of Jesus Christ's domain. God's dominion is where ever He chooses. The kingdom of Heaven is in your heart, which is the intellect of your mind. It is what you know to be true, and believe in. When you repent, your heart is clean and you enter into that kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 4:18 "And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers."

Peter and Andrew were not sports fishermen, but commercial fishermen. They made their living by catching and selling their fish.

Matthew 4:19 "And He saith unto them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."

"Fishers of men", means seekers of men's souls. Notice that when Jesus saw them, He called out and they came immediately. There was no altar call, and begging to come with Him. They heard, understood and came immediately. Did they wait to straighten up their nets, and think about it first? Was there even a choice given to them?

When the truth of the living God enters your heart and strikes your mind, you will hear Him say "follow me", and there is no hesitation. You go! You know you have a destiny and a purpose.

Matthew 4:20 "And they straightway left their nets, and followed Him."

Jesus just came out of the wilderness, and was tried by Satan; if you drop what you are doing and follow Christ in His pathway, will you be able to handle the strong temptations that Satan, and his band of Scripture lawyers can throw at you. That is why the first thing you must do when you follow Jesus is to get into His Word, so that you cannot be deceived.

Today there are many of Satan's warriors preaching from the pulpits to rip you off for your finances, and to gain control of your mind. Anything done to line ones own pockets, in the name of God is Satan's work. If you listen to them, you become their daily bread, and their pension fund. When you drop your old life of sin, and your mind is cleaned of those filthy ways, it must be filled with God's Word through study, or Satan's demons will come back and enter your mind, and you will be worse then before.

God expects for you to be intelligent and learn from His Word, and not allow some "snake charmer" [a dabbler in the Scriptures] to control your mind, with half truths and and distortions from the Bible. When Christ says to "follow Me", He expects you to take control and tell Satan to get off your back. He expects you to stand up and become one of His soldiers, in the service of the King. Physical health has nothing to do with this, this is a spiritual battle, and it is the preparation of your heart, by girding up your mind that prepares you for that spiritual battle.

Jesus Christ simply said follow Me.

Matthew 4:21 "And going on from thence, He saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them."

Matthew 4:22 "And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed Him."

Here again there is no altar calls, no time to consider "should I, or not?", they dropped what they were doing, and left their father in the boat, and followed Christ. When you have a destiny, and God touches your life, and gives you understanding, you will know it. Christ didn't fool around, and play games with them, He called them, and they responded "immediately". They knew the truth, and when the call came, like a true soldier, they went.

Matthew 4:23 "And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people."

Jesus took His four followers, and went right to the churches [the synagogues]. He began preaching the "Gospel of the Kingdom". He preached the entire Word, the Gospel of His kingdom, of the King [Christ] and his dominion [those that repent and become part of the body of Christ].

Matthew 4:24 "And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them."

Jesus not only tended to their spiritual needs, and filled their minds with the Gospel of the Kingdom, but He tended also to their physical needs. He healed their diseases and things that gave them pain, and cast out the devils [demons] that were in them. Notice the word "Lunatick", in the Strong' Greek dictionary, # 4583, "Seleniazomai, sel-ay-nee-ad'-zom-ahee; to be moon-struck, i.e. crazy: be lunatic." Jesus Christ even healed those with mental problem, which today we refer to as being crazy. He healed those paralyzed, and with all the sickness of that day.

Jesus Christ tended to both their spiritual and their physical needs, and He works today as He did then. It take much prayer and fasting on the part of the Christian, fasting is the same as feasting that will come in the end times, the famine, as written in Amos 8:11; "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:"

So-called ministers of healing can heal no one. You may say that he can heal, but he can not. It is Christ that does the Healing, and when anyone is healed, it is because they were touched of Christ. No man can heal, for only Christ can do the healing to those that He determines should be healed, and they are healed for His purpose. There are many time that people are healed, and the healing starts through the heart, however there are many times that Christ will not heal. Poor old Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament, could never get his healing, while he was the one that Christ used to heal many others. Paul had been to the third heaven, and God kept that thorn in Paul kept him humble.

Matthew 4:25 "And there followed Him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan."

What was Jesus fame all about? Jesus Christ fame went out as a healer, and to most people the Gospel was secondary. They were not so much interested in Jesus as the Messiah, but as one that could cast out demons.

"Decapolis" in the Greek, means "a ten city region", and shortly there will be another ten dominion ruler that will try to take captive the hearts of men. That man is Satan, and we read of it in the book of Revelation, and Daniel. The ten regions or cities are areas of power and authority that are beginning take charge of the entire world today. These powers are all linked to the new world order, that is a political beast, and shortly will be given over to the religious beast that Satan will rule over as the Antichrist.

So this is the start of Jesus Christ's three year ministry, and at this time four of his Apostles have been chosen, and commanded to follow Him.

Matthew Chapter 5

"Disciples Taught, "The Sermon on the Mount".

This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson

Additional Suggested Study: Companion Bible

In Matthew 23 there is an opposite to these blessings, and it is called the "eight woes". To understand one, you must understand the other.

Matthew 5:1 "And seeing the multitudes, He went up into a mountain: and when He was set, His disciples came unto Him:"

Jesus was now getting away for the multitudes that followed Him in Matthew 4. The ones that He was teaching were His disciples.

Matthew 5:2 "And He opened His mouth, and taught them, saying,"

"Opened His mouth", is an idiom saying that He spoke in the teaching manner. Jesus is now filled with the Holy Spirit of God, and Jesus is now ready to reveal to His Apostles a commentary showing that His teaching is connected with the proclamation of His kingdom. Parts of this address are repeated in His ministry, and as well as the ministry of the Apostles. This address by Jesus became part of the "gospel of the Kingdom", and is given in part in Luke 6, and 7, though many critics claim that there is "discrepancy" between the two, there is not. The later repetitions in Luke were given in "a plain", and after the calling of the twelve Apostles. In Matthew 5, Jesus had called only four Apostles, and the sermon is given on the "Mountain". Modern critics are assuming that the two accounts are identical, and given at the same time, when they are not.

Before we give an ear to the critics, remember that they assume the Bible is incorrect from the start. They assume it is by man, and the weight that is given as being from the Holy Spirit, is different then that of a believer. When there is doubt as to the meaning, the error is not in the Word given by God , but in the understanding of that Word by man. Many times we have seen that the translators missed the mark in taking it from one language to another, or even understanding the idioms, and figures of speech of that day. If you're willing to put the time in to Study, with the proper reference, the Spirit of God will lay on your heart the words of His message.

Matthew 5:3 ""Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

"Poor in spirit" is in reference to the spirits of this world. There spirit is denying self, and given over to the Holy Spirit of God. Their spirit is part of, and in the kingdom of heaven. Blessed is better translated "happy". From these beatitudes you will become very happy, if your are humble in spirit.

Matthew 5:4 "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted,"

This "mourning" is not for the "poor-me babies" of the world, who cry over every negative thing that comes their way. This mourning is for the deceived of this age, that mourn when they see their own relatives deceived by heathen doctrines that will lead them astray. They are not mourning for themselves, but for the spiritual loss of those who are around them, and in ignorance are blinded by Satan.

Matthew 5:5 "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth."

The "meek" are the "praus" in the Greek; the humble before the Lord. To be humble before the Lord, doesn't mean that you stand by and allow bullies to push you around, but you have reverence before the Lord. You know from where your strength comes. The inheritance for this happiness, is an inheritance and reward which will be given you in the Millennium age.

Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."

"Hunger and thirst" is an Hebrew idiom, and it means that you have a "strong desire". You have a strong desire to love the Lord and learn from His Word. I know you do, or you would not be reading this book. It is your mind and soul that will be filled with God's Word, and in turn God's Spirit. That comes by studying His Word.

Matthew 5:7 "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy."

The "merciful" are those that have compassion for others. They are not self-centered, but are concerned for the souls of the lost. If you give compassion to others, then you will receive mercy and compassion from our Lord. You set the pace of your own life, as well as the standards, and what is important to you. What you sow in this earth age, you will also reap, and not only in this life, but the next. When you learn to show compassion for others, then you will find pleasure and happiness in this life also.

Matthew 5:8 "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."

Your "Heart" is the intellect our your soul, it is your "mind". When you keep your mind pure, and free from guilt, then you will see God. A pure mind is obtained by flushing out the hateful things of this world, and seeing everything in a clean mind. This gives a new insight of the world and God, and brings you a real happiness.

Matthew 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall called the children of God."

The peacemakers are the ones making peace, even when they are delivered up before the synagogues of Satan. In the final generation these children [sons and daughters] of God are called the elect of God.

Matthew 5:10 "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

To be persecuted for righteousness sake, is to be persecuted because of your stand for Jesus Christ, and the Word of God. If you are persecuted because you are a trouble maker, there is no righteousness in that, and no happiness either. When you take that stand for Jesus and the Word, then your rewards will come through your blessings in the next age as well as in this life.

Matthew 5:11 "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake."

These are the ones that are persecuted because they are Christians, and carry the "name sake" of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 5:12 "Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."

In this earth age of the flesh, don't ever weaken, or be discouraged in your teaching or preaching of the truth.

In the Companion Bible, that brings forth the Massoretic text writings into the English, there is an Appendix that covers these Beatitudes of Matthew 5, and the eight woes of Matthew 23. The best way to understand each of these; the blessings and the woes, is to see them side by side.

The BEATITUDES THE WOES (23:13-33)

1. The kingdom opened to the poor. (v3) 1. The kingdom shut. (v13)

(Psalm 40:17)

2. Comfort for mourners (v4). 2. Mourners distressed (v14).

(Psalm 119:136)

3. The meek inheriting the earth (5). 3. Fanatics compassing the earth (v15).

(Psalm 37:11)

4. Righteous sought by true desire (6). 4. False righteousness sought by

(Psalm 42:1,2) lies and moral breakdown (16-22).

5. The Merciful obtaining mercy (7). 5. Mercy "omitted" and "left undone" (Psalm 41:1) (vv23-24).

6. Purity within, and the vision of 6. Purity without, Uncleanness within.

God hereafter (v8). (Psalm 24:4) "Blindness" (vv25,26).

7. Peacemakers, the sons of God (9). 7. Hypocrites, and lawlessness (vv27,28)

(Psalm 133:1)

8. the persecuted (vv 10-12). 8. The persecutors (vv 29-33).

(Psalm 37; 39; and 40)

Please note also that these Beatitudes rest on special passages in the Psalms. For every positive there is an negative shown in God's Word.

Now we will look at what Jesus says about the law being done away with, by His coming.

Matthew 5:13 "Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men."

The "salt of the earth" are His disciples, those who study under Him, and those who came when Jesus said, "follow Me". When you repented and turned from your sinful ways, then you also became the salt of the earth. This is an analogy, and Christ is saying that you are the ones that are to save the kingdom of God, to sprinkle the teachings of His Word among His children, and bring the message alive to men of the earth, bringing the preservation of souls.

But if you as the salt, lay bare on the earth, exposed to the elements, you lose your savour, and the salt which was once full of flavour and making a difference, is now bland and of no effect, becoming fit not for preserving, but for the recycle pile.

This is similar to the leaven in the bread. If you are a true Christian, then when you put a little leaven [truth of God's Word] in the bread [world], the the world around you [which is the bread] will become leavened, or open to the truth.

What Jesus then is telling His disciples is that it is them, and all Christians that He is relying on to make the world salted with His Word. This is not talking about being abrasive, but a man or woman of God that knows how to represent our Lord in this world. We are to make a difference in the world that we live in, and if we can't make that difference, then of what use are we to God? To many people, their salt is given through their systematic financial support of a ministry, or as a prayer warrior. There are many avenues that God can use you, if you study His Word, and make yourself available in the ways that you have.

Most of the time, the salt is the least of all the ingredients that goes to make up the food that we eat, however if it is left out, it will change the entire taste and success of the cooking. The amount of salt, or added effort given by the Christian, can make a great difference, as Jesus pointed out with the widow's mite. God will use, and bless what you give from the heart, the first fruits of your labor, in His service. From that gift added to that of other tithes of dedicated Christians the Lord will build His kingdom, and each will share in the rewards equally at the close of the age. That is why your salt is important, what you add to the kingdom; it prepares you for service in the Kingdom to come. You give your tithe after the fact, to the place where you are taught.

How much more do you know of the Scripture today then ten, twenty or thirty years ago? If the answer is not much, then you are wasting God's money, and His tithe is not producing spiritual food with any flavor - but unpalatable spiritual food.

Matthew 5:14 "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid."

This is addressed to the "salt" of the earth, the disciples and followers of Christ. The "Light" is the "phos" in the Greek. As long as you have the light of Christ's Word in your heart, people will see it, because it makes you different, when you also are the salt. The salt is what is in you, while the light is what others see coming out of you.

When you have that Light of the Word of God, then you are on a solid foundation, and your light becomes the beam that people can and will count on. You are able to help people with counsel and advice in a very simple way. It may be a smile or friendly greeting when needed, but when they know that your words are based on solid truths of God's Word, then those words become an anchor in a raging storm of life.

An example of this is when someone around you has just lost a loved one, and they come to you for consolation. By knowing the Scripture on "where the dead are" from I Thessalonians 4, and Ecclesiastes 12:6, 7; you know that to be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord. You can explain this from both Paul and Solomon's writings. This is being a light to the world.

Matthew 5:15 "Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house."

The key is to study and to have patience. This verse uses a little common sense. You light a candle to give light, that is the purpose of the candle from the beginning. And when you study God's Word then that knowledge is to be shared with others. Sometimes it is shared in a simple way of everyday life, while to others that sharing can go deeper. We are to plant the seeds of the Word wherever we are, and if the interest is to go deeper, then be ready for it, however if there is strong resistance, leave it alone, it is not the time. However, water that seed that you have planted with prayer. The Holy Spirit will make it grow, if it should.

When you allow the warmth of Christ's love into your life, that love has to be felt amongst all those around you. You will give comfort to those that come around you when the Scriptures are more then just words, but promises that you count on and build your whole life around. If we left out the seasoning in God's Word, we would be pretty dull. If someone else tries to put the bushel basket over your light, then do all you can to reverse it, and allow your light to burn and the light to get out.

Matthew 5:16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father Which is in heaven."

Why do you let your light so shine before men? That they can see your good works and glorify our heavenly father. That is right, its our good works that must get out, not our faith. Our faith is our actions that are based on our belief, that is sustained by our confidence in God's Holy Word. It is the confidence that we place our hope in, because we trust in God to keep the Word that He has given us through the Prophets.

What are your good works? It may be a smile, or the helping of the neighbor when there is a need, or just anything that you can do in the name of the Lord, and with the right attitude. It may even be by the way you help in a ministry, whether singing, ushering, preaching, or just being faithful in your tithe. Whatever your works are, by being faithful in those works, God will reward you well for it. It is to be a light that men can see, for it gives hope in this mixed up world, especially in these end times. In the eternity those works is what your heavenly garment is made up of.

Matthew 5:17 "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil."

Works has nothing to do with the law. The law is the teacher, or school master to show you how to do good works, while your works is a display that reveals your obedience to that law. Your works shows your discipline from God's Word being carried out in your life. While the attitude you have while doing your works shows your love for Christ in your life.

Many teach that when Christ came and went to the cross at Calvary, and shed His blood for us that the law was done away with. Jesus Christ Himself declares here that this is just not so. Jesus declared here that; "think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the Prophets", Christ's purpose for coming to earth, was to complete every last prophecy that came out of the Prophets of old. That included the law, for the law was given for guidance for man, and it is as current today as it was three thousand years ago.

God knew that man could not keep the law, and that is why He made the provision for man. When man broke the law, and the barrier came between God and man, and certain rites, ordinances, and rituals [sacrifices] were established by God to bring man back to God. These sacrifices were of the blood of sheep, goats and doves, and were a covering, [called atonement] that satisfied the Lord God for one year.

The only permanent sacrifice that could atone for mans sin, was a spotless sacrifice, sinless, and the only one that could do that was God's only Son, Jesus Christ. This was known long before the setting forth of the planets. God's plan was even written in the constellations of the heavens. The moment our Lord Jesus Christ died on that cross, the veil in the Temple was parted.

Matthew 27:50, 51; "Jesus, when He had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. [50] And, behold, the veil of the Temple was rent in twain form the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;" [51]

My friend, this took place when every last rite, ordinance and sacrificial ritual that required a blood sacrifice of animals, (or part of those blood sacrifices) was done away with, for Jesus Christ's death on the cross fulfilled them all. However, those laws that deal with the governing of our everyday lives, were and are still on the books, and they are what God expects the true man and woman of God to follow. Those laws and commandments should be common knowledge to all mankind, for they are what all civilized law and government is based upon. The ten commandments, as Jesus will discuss later in this chapter, are just acting out plain common sense, and when anyone tells you that you don't have to follow the law because it is dead, and then you violate them, then you will deserve what ever punishment is given for it's violation.

Behind that veil [called the holy of holies] in the Temple is where the blood sacrifices were laid on the Altar of God. Only the Levitical priesthood could go into the Holy of Holies, behind the veil, and approach our Heavenly Father.

Now our love and belief in Jesus Christ, and His saving works on the cross, is what allows us to approach God, with our repentance for our sin, and the changing of our sinful ways. It is beautiful how our Heavenly Father made the way to Him so easy, but the price was very high, for it took the very life's blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. When you refuse that gift, you are throwing it right back in His face, and you will answer for that at the appointed time.

Don't spout off in public that you don't need that law, or they will think you are some sort of anarchist. They will think your a total idiot, for it is the law that sets order in all societies, even the most basic, and heathen even set their laws with God's standards. To become educated in the Word of God, puts you many steps ahead of the education of the world. Because your worldly education allows you to understand the methods of the world; and the Biblical education allows you to know what tomorrow will bring, and understand the mind of mankind-- righteous, and wicked alike.

Matthew 5:18 "For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled."

This is Jesus teaching what we have just gone over. Not one word that has been written, or Prophesied in the Scriptures will be done away with, not one. The "jot" is the smallest letter in the Hebrew language, and appears like this " ' ", and it is recorded in the original Massoretic text 66,420 times. It is called "yod", and is pronounced "iota". However the jot, like the tittle have no sound where it is used.

The "tittle" is an small ornament that is placed over Hebrew letters, so you can tell the difference between the two letters that are very similar in appearance. It has no sound of its own, but eliminates the confusion of identifing Hebrew letters, such as telling the difference between R = resh [ ], and D = deleth [ ]. Jesus has told us that every marking of the original will stay in place, and apply to God's people, until that prophecy has come to pass, or the law has been fulfilled.

Many prophecies are already fulfilled, as well as all the blood sacrifices, and ordinances. Some of the law will not be fulfilled until after judgment day, when we enter the eternal age. Then all sin will be done away with, because the tempter, Satan, and all those that followed his ways will be turned to ashes. The health laws are in place to give us a long healthful life, while living in the flesh. To break those laws, is not so much a sin, but results in poor health, and sickness.

When anyone tells you the Old Testament is done away with, mark him well, for they could care less about your soul. The Old Testament tells us more of the end times, our generation, then all the New Testament combined. In fact, the most complete record of the Millennium age is given in Ezekiel, the last nine chapters, and the record of events of our generation are given in detail in the minor prophets. The reason the Christian nations are in the dark as to their far past, is that they reject much of the Old Testament, and they have come to believe the lies of the Kenites. "Those that say they are Jews, and lie, and are of the synagogue of Satan." [Revelation 2:9; 3:9]

Matthew 5:19 "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."

The blood ordinances are gone, they were finish when Christ went to the cross, but not one of God's laws has been fulfilled. Jesus is telling His disciples and us that that if we break even the smallest law, we break them all. God holds those that go out and on purpose, breaks any of them, the least of importance in His kingdom. Did you get that? "and shall teach men so." I would think twice before teaching that the law was done away with, or if I did, it is time for repentance for you.

The breaking of the law does not make the law bad, but it makes man bad. When the law is broken, then we must follow Christ's first words of instruction, in Matthew 4:17; "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Until you repent, you will wear your sins. Being a believer does not wash your sins away. But when you repent in Jesus name, they are gone forever. We sin in so many things, daily, and this is why we must repent daily. We must die daily to our sinful nature, that is in conflict with the new nature that God has placed within us when we accept Jesus Christ.

Matthew 5:20 "For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."

This is Jesus doing the teaching here, and these Scribes and Pharisees are the ones that sit in the seat of Moses, and claim to be the law givers, yet they are the Kenites. We know that five hundred years prior to this sermon, the Kenites, or sons of Satan virtually took over the duties of the scribes, and the Levitical priesthood allowed it to come to pass. This is recorded in I Chronicles 2:55; "And the families of the scribes which dwelt at Jabez [Jerusalem]; the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and Suchathites. These are the Kenites that came of Hemath, the father of the house of Rechab." These scribes were in charge, when the House of Judah came our of captivity in Babylon.

Most Pharisees were part of the priesthood, and Ezra and Nehemiah tell us that these Kenites, the "Nethinims" had taken over the Levitical priesthood while in Babylon, and took control over the duties of the priests in the Temple. Those duties were teaching the Law, and the ordinances.

By the time of Christ's birth, they had five hundred years to perfect their slant to God's laws, and add many of their own. This is why Jesus addressed them in Matthew 23:2, 3; "Saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: [teaching the law and judging] All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not." In other words, they are hypocrites, and of their father the devil.

The law is important to us, and it is for us to know the law, and do our interpretation with the teachings of Christ, for if ye allow them to interpret it for us, it may cause us to miss out on the Kingdom. Our righteousness must exceed the Scribes and Pharisees for the simple reason that their ways are of their father Satan, the devil, and Satan's ways are not God's ways. God gave us the law in His written Word, and examples with that Word, it is for us to know them, and abide by them. Most of God's laws are natural, and just common sense.

Matthew 5:21 "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:' "

Jesus is getting right down to the basic law with us, Then He states the sixth commandment from Exodus 20:13; "thou shalt not kill." This law is taken out of context, and is becoming a lie as presented in the modern world today. We see the good reverends going out to burn the candles at the executions of murders, and displaying their stupidity of God's Word before the world. If they took a little time to understand the true meaning and intent of God's Word, they would know that as it is translated in the King James, it is incorrect. It is a false statement even, for it is incomplete.

Lets go to Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, # 7523; "Ratsach, raw-tsakh'; a prime root; to dash to pieces, kill a human being, especially to murder, to put to death, (man) slayer, murder (er).

In the Strong's Greek dictionary it is # 5407, "Phoneuo, fon-yoo'-o; from # 5406, to be a murderer (of), kill, do murder, slay." So lets go to # 5406, "Phoneus, fon-yooce' , A murderer, (always a criminal act [at least initial] homicide, 5407 is the term for a public bandit, 5406 is term for murderer."

When we go back and read the sixth commandment again, for what it really says, we see a totally different meaning. Christ has just told us that the law hasn't changed. The law doesn't say, "Ye shall not kill", it states "thou shall do no murder, criminal homicide", and that is the criminal intent beforehand to take a man's life. There is a great difference. "And whosoever shall commit criminal homicide murder shall be in danger of the judgment.

God's law spells out the righteous way of dealing with murderers, without a just cause, and this is addressed in Numbers 35:17-21, "The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him." The revenger is the next of kin, and by this righteous act of killing the murderer on the spot, the community will be free of them, "and others will see and these things will cease happening." When blood is shed, it is the innocent blood that we should be concerned with, not the murderer.

Jesus is telling us that if you murder, He will judge you.

Matthew 5:22 "But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, 'Raca,' shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, 'Thou fool', shall be in danger of hell fire."

There is a difference between the English and the Greek, for the word, "brother". The word "brother" is an Israelite by nation and blood; while a "neighbor" was and Israelite by religion and worship, which is called a "Proselyte". Both are of God, and not heathen, for they are attached as God's people through blood by birth, of drawn into the congregation, in their religion and worship.

The word "Raca" in the English, is an expression of showing disgust with a person, when it isn't merited. Jesus tells us that it could get you in trouble with those around you. It is a mild form of slander, as used in Jesus day. The "council" is the Sanhedrin, or courts.

The word "fool" as used here, is not as we use it today, but in the Greek "moros", and was always considered a wicked reprobate, lacking all spiritual and divine knowledge and values. They are totally void of all spiritual interest, and given totally to the devil. As you can see this is a great deal different then what "fool" means today. The fool is one that is totally sold out to the world. He is one with no hope of salvation, such as Cain in Genesis 4.

When we have a dispute between our brother, God tells us to work it out if possible, and if not, go to council [court today, or a mediator that both trust]. God is telling us not to get Him in the middle of our disputes, by calling each other a fool. In doing so, we have taken God's position as the judge over our brother's soul, and then we have judged him to spiritual death. God is then saying, that the judgment that you place on your brother is what He will place on you. {I hope this is clear to you.} Notice also that Jesus added; "Without a cause", you had no reason in the first place to get angry with you brother [sister].

Matthew 5:23 "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;"

You "gift" is your sacrifice, which is your tithe, or even a love offering. You want to approach God's throne, and there is a problem between you and your brother [sister], and you are the one at fault.

Matthew 5:24 "Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift."

When you see that you are the cause of the trouble, and you are at the altar with the gift, don't take the gift, but make your apologies to that brother, and then continue with your giving of the gift. You are to make the offer, and whether or not it is accepted, that is his responsibility before the Lord, for you are clear at the throne of God. Just plain common sense will overcome most of Satan's strife against you. First of all, you will know the power that we have in the name of Jesus the Messiah. "Be gone Satan, get out of my life, in the name of Jesus". You can count on God's power being there.

Matthew 5:25 "Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison."

"The Adversary" is Satan, and he is up there before the throne of God now, accusing each of God's elect, the Christians that have repented for their sins. That adversary is always there day and night. In the Greek, and original text, the word "agree", means to be well minded. To agree is not to submit, but to be smarter then the accuser. When we are in the world, and Satan's territory, we are to be wiser then the serpent [Satan].

Those of the world will continue to draw you into their traps, and we are to be wise enough to avoid falling into them. This even looks forward to the time when we are called in before the synagogues of Satan, in the time of the great tribulation [deception]. When that time comes, we are not to plan ahead of time what we will say, for it will be the Holy Spirit that will speak [Mark 13:11]. Though you think you know what to say, The Holy Spirit knows exactly what should be said, and all you have to do is allow yourself to be the Holy Spirit's mouth-piece.

When the Antichrist, Satan does appear on earth, as he will shortly, and many will come to you and say excitingly, "the Messiah is here." Jesus is telling you, don't agree with them that he is the Messiah.

Matthew 5:26 "Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing."

God's Word, and His plan is perfect. Jesus is telling you not to get ahead of that plan. Most prophets in Jeremiah's day thought they could derail God's plan, for the seventy years of captivity in Babylon, and God saw to it that they would be killed because of it.

The whole earth is about to enter into a one world order, with a spiritual religious system with the devil at the head, called the Antichrist. That ruler will be Satan, for Revelation 9:11 identifies Satan by both his Greek and Hebrew names, and being the king that will rule over the earth. It is a fact. "And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon." Abaddon and Apollyon in the English means destroyer, and that is Satan's name. Documentation is in Isaiah 16:4, Jeremiah 4:7, Daniel 8:24, 25, and many other verses.

As long as the prince of this world is in power in this world, be well minded, be smarter then he is. Do not allow yourselves to give Satan any of God's glory, just be mute. The paying of the "uttermost farthing" is at the sounding of the seventh trumpet, and the return of Christ. You don't give any glory to any man in this flesh age, for at the return of Christ we will all be changed in the twinkling of an eye to our incorruptible and immortal bodies [I Corinthians 15:50-52].

Matthew 5:27 "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, "Thou shalt not commit adultery:' "

This is part of the law again. It is given in Exodus 35:14, and written down by Moses. The law that was given is a physical guide that was given, however, the entire Scripture uses that relationship of husband to wife; bride to bridegroom, to show God's relationship to Israel, and later, our relationship to Christ. This verse then has a more spiritual relationship then most will apply.

Because the relationship "brother" and "neighbor" is given, and is used in the Scripture in reference to Israel, only as was pointed out in verse twenty two, we must apply it as Jesus intended. Jesus is talking to those of His bride, and there are many members that go to make up the bride of Christ. So we will see that the rest of this chapter gets deeper into this relationship between Jesus and his bride, His church. It takes the full body to make up that bride, and the groom is Christ, so if the bride commits adultery, then that bride has taken another groom, a false Messiah, and we know that groom to be Satan, the Antichrist.

Matthew 5:28 "But I way unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."

This word "looketh" is totally different then what is used today in the English. "Looketh" means to gaze with impure desire, it is putting an action of immorality to the looking, and it is called lusting. That is a lot different then looking to appreciate the beauty of someone, or an object.

Matthew 5:29 "And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell."

What are we talking about? We are a many membered body that makes up the body of Christ's bride. There may be a unit of the body that other parts of the body of Christ are propping up, and giving support to. That is easy to understand, for the home church gives the financial and prayer support to the missionaries that they send into the mission field. It may be a member of the church that is causing the the rest of the church trouble, both by morals, financially, or by what ever means. When one member of that body of Christ "the eye", is causing other members to fall, and turn from Christ's teaching. Jesus is saying that it is better to separate yourself from that one member," the eye" then have the rest of the body of Christ be dragged down with him [her].

Let's take this to another level, say there is a member that is a heavy contributor to the local church, and he has brought in doctrines of demons, such as the rapture doctrine; that teaching can spread like wildfire throughout the entire congregation, and upset the very foundation of God's Word. It can set the entire church up to accept the Antichrist as the true Christ. It is time to do some pruning, Jesus is telling us to separate ourselves from that one, not as enemies, but to admonish him as a brother for false teaching.

Jesus would never instruct anyone to mame themselves physically, for this is given in the spiritual context, because the punishment is directed to be cast into hell fire, which is the destruction of the soul [spiritual].

Matthew 5:30 "And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of they members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell."

This is not aimed at the individual person here, but a individual group, within the main body of Christ. The application is the same though, that is that the group be cut off from the main body of Christ, so that the main body will not fall because of them. The outcome for not doing so would be for the main body to lose its ministry, and the blessings it receives from God.

The clue to understanding the parable given here, is the fact that the "elect" is not the bride to-be, but is already married to Christ, That is what Ephesians 1 is all about. They are the wife of the husband , Jesus Christ. That is why it is called "adultery".

Matthew 5:31 "It hath been said, 'Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:"

This is part of Moses' law, but not necessarily God's law. The law was given because to the hardness of the hearts of the people. It is documented in Deuteronomy 24:1.

Matthew 5:32 "But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery."

God doesn't want His elect jumping from one religious thought to another, which are not given in His Word. God is jealous for His bride. Whether it be spiritual fornication, or physical adultery, it is sin; but God said we are to seek forgiveness from our brothers and those we love. Jesus also asked each of us that when we sin, to repent, and that sin will be forgiven. There is only one sin that is unforgivable, and you can not commit that sin, until the Antichrist Satan is on earth, and then you refuse to allow the Holy Spirit of God to speak through you.

When Christ said He would forgive All our sins, divorce and adultery is included, so is Sodomy, drunkenness, drugs, and any other things that one could commit. Once we have repented, then we are to turn from that sin. When a person has divorced, and repented for that sin to God, in Jesus name, in God's eyes it is over and blotted out; however many in the Church world like to hold it over their head. That is exactly what Satan does as the accuser before the throne of God. That is the mind of Satan.

By bringing up a repented sin, you are becoming the judge over your brother, and though God has forgiven the divorcee [sinner], the one pointing the finger and being the judge, has just accepted the punishment for their false accusation. When its repented it's over, and the Kenite, Satanic mind just can't get it through their mind. When you realize that you have done such a thing to a brother in the Lord, it is time to seek forgiveness yourself.

Divorce is what the entire book of Hosea is about. God took two wives, two sisters, and they were called the "the House of Israel", and "the House of Judah". God kept the one, Judah, and divorced the other. Once divorced, God could not remarry, until death reconciled them back to Him. When Jesus went to the Cross, those that repent are reconciled back to Christ. However it won't be until the Millennium age that all of Israel, Christian and Jew alike are joined as one, back to Him. That is what Ezekiel 37 is all about, the joining of the two houses in the end.

Matthew 5:33 "Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, "Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths" "

Jesus is saying that you have heard in the law, concerning purgery, and bearing of false witness. Jesus is telling us that that should we swear an oath to keep to the oath that we swore by, and when you tell someone that you will do something, keep your word. As we see today in many court cases, two false witnesses can void the law. They can over-ride the law. Though the earthly court is voided, God's divine court will still hold you accountable for your words.

Matthew 5:34 "But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne"

Jesus is telling you to leave His name out of your swearing all together, for He will hold you accountable to what you use His name for.

Matthew 5:35 "Nor by the earth; for it is His footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King."

"His footstool" means that God has created all things. Jerusalem is the city that God has married, and it will be the place of His Temple, and eternal city.

Matthew 5:36 "Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black."

These things are natural, and not of your control.

Matthew 5:37 "But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay, for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil."

All that a man of God need to answer is yes or no. That is all. If you have to start off with an explanation, and swear by something to get someone to take your word, that they don't believe you anyway. You might as well keep your mouth shut. The longer your explanation to what your charged with, the more apt one is to giving an untruth [evil]. That is why the lawyers ask the same thing over and over, eventually they hope to catch an error, and destroy you with your own words. That is the mind of the Kenite, and that is also the mind of Satan. Remember, we are to be wiser then the serpent, the Kenite snakes.

In teaching the Word of God, it is best to keep it simple, and absolute. Keep to the subject, and the object that is taught, and make your lesson down to earth, and apply to the student's life. Don't use "I think", but only, "it is written in...." and state what the Bible says. If you don't know, then say I don't know. If you don't know it, and can't admit to it, then don't teach.

Matthew 5:38 "Ye have heard that it hath been said, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:"

Now Jesus gets into the area of retaliation, and revenge. Jesus is quoting here Exodus 21:24.

Matthew 5:39 "But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also."

The wrong teaching of these verses of revenge turns many away from Christianity. The subject here is the law, and how it applies to God's elect. In this section of revenge, Jesus is saying that if someone loses their temper, when you are talking with them, and hits you on the cheek, forgive him for that action. This has nothing to do with someone hitting you for no reason at all. You don't tolerate that, and that is not what Jesus is talking about here. The defending ones self, is called self defense, and is required by law. Use common sense in dealing with God's law, and the teachings and commandments of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 5:40 "And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also."

If a man sues you for your outer garment, give him your inner garment also.

Matthew 5:41 "And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain."

This verse comes from an old Roman custom, that if a soldier found his pack to heavy, he could call on a civilian close at hand to carry his pack up to an mile. This was the law. Jesus is addressing this, and saying that when you are called to do so, to go the extra mile. This can apply to many things today, in the requirement that we as citizens are required to do, Jesus is telling us to don't just do the requirement, but be willing to give a little extra when it is needed.

Jesus is asking us to set a good example to those around us, to let our light shine before the men we come in contact with, so that they may see our good works, and our Heavenly Father will get all the glory from our actions.

Matthew 5:42 "Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away."

This next law, has to do with the law of "Love". Love is the most powerful thing in the world, as far as controlling your family, and getting along with people. If it is genuine, it is the strongest tool in the world.

Matthew 5:43 "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy.' "

In this verse, don't forget the explanation of the term "neighbor", from verse twenty two. The neighbor is anyone that is like you in religious belief, or worship, and they are called a "Proselyte". They may be of any race, but they love the Lord, as you and I do.

The brother is one born of the natural womb of the family. This law of Love, comes from Leviticus 19:18, and it teaches that the love towards your brother should be the same given towards one that has come into our faith, from another race, or the outside. They are to be treated as you would your brother, with the same love and respect. This law was not directed to the heathen, or your enemy.

Matthew 5:44 "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;"

But now Christ is addressing our relationship with respect to those out side our religious worship brotherhood. In all of the better manuscripts that are available to man today, of the ancient writing known today, ""Bless them that curse you" does not exist., Even the Vulgate leaves it out, because it has been added by a copier.

This is how the Manuscripts read, Christ is saying; "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." And we should, because they don't know any better, and that is your purpose as a child of the Living God. To pray for them, doesn't mean you let them get away with it, but you pray for their souls. This is a common practice of all Christianity.

Matthew 5:45 "That ye may be the children of your Father Which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."

To be "children of our Heavenly Father", is what Christianity is all about. As a child of God, He will bless us and protect us while while we follow His ways. The beauty and the goodness is on the earth for all of God's children [mankind] to take advantage of. It rains on the just and the unjust alike.

Take this in a spiritual sense, and you have the true understanding of Love. God loves all of His children, and the same offer of salvation to you, is offered even to the Kenite, if they will just see the light of God's salvation, Jesus the Christ, and repent.

Many of the teachings today that is given out as being from God, is created in the mind of some preacher, or deacon board. God is love, and He offers freedom through repentance. However, many of the rules and systems that are put on Christians, are nothing more than chains, that bind the believer to that system, and set up levels of acceptance. God's love offers freedom and peace of mind through repentance for what ever sin. God says it is finished, over, go and sin no more. He has blotted it out.

When it is remembered in the board meeting, or by the members, that is exactly what the accuser Satan does day and night, and you have then become part of Satan's system. It is no wonder that so many people are afraid to approach a church, they don't want a brand placed on them. The Word of God that is supposed to cut the person from the bonds and shackles of sin, in turn places a greater anchor on them.

God is love, and He is fair. God understands a person's mind and the condition and state that he is in. God deals with each person individually. God allows the rain to fall on all people alike. We see that one farmer will prepare his seed bed to accept the rain, and use the water to make his seed develop, and his crops grow. While the farmer next down the road, just throws the seed out, and when the rains come, the water washes the seed, and soil down the river.

We are to be careful how we handle people with the Word of God, for we can do much damage in our planting of the seed of the truth of God's Word. Just like the farmer that gives much love and care to detail in the planting of his seed, we also should be wise, in the planting of God's seed in the minds of men [women]. That it will be received and grow to maturity.

Matthew 5:46 "For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?"

Matthew 5:47 "And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?"

Matthew 5:48 "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father Which is in heaven is perfect."

When we love those that are of our family, and close to us, Jesus is saying that is what the world does, that is what the world expects of every one. However Jesus is telling us that He expects much more that what the world would give. "Perfect" in the Strong's Greek dictionary is # 5048, "Telioo", and means consecrated, matured and fulfilled (in character)"; and that is how Jesus expects His elect to act.

He gives us the standard to use for His elect, and that is acting on the principles of "grace", and in conformity with the laws of the kingdom that He is setting down in this sermon. "Grace" by definition is "unmerited favor". The Grace we receive in Christ is that our sins are forgiven, and the heavy price that is required and paid, is paid with God's own Son, Jesus Christ's blood.

The grace we are to give is in our love and compassion to those who don't deserve it. When you are hurt or wronged by another person, it is then the love and kindness shown to the one that wronged you. The world doesn't expect it of you, but Jesus is telling us, the if you are part of His kingdom, and claim to be of Christ, He expects it of you. That love and kindness of Christ is what melts away fear and hatred, and draws that soul to Christ.

Matthew Chapter 6

"Continuing the Sermon on the Mount; Almsgiving and prayer."

This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson

To summarize the teaching of the "Sermon on the Mount", Jesus is telling us to be like Him. "Like Father like son", and when we are the elect of God, we become sons of the Living God, and He is Jesus Christ. When we strive to be like our Savior, we will fall short, but that is the time to repent, and keep right on trying. This discourse, or sermon is the pattern, or guide that Jesus expects us to follow as we try to image Christ in our lives.

Any human father that loves his child will start teaching his little one from the cradle, right from wrong, and the things that are necessary to exist in this world. As the child grows up, the instructions get more detailed, and with it come maturity. Jesus is taking these babies in His new kingdom, and giving them the most basic instructions, that is expected of them, if they are to mature in God's kingdom. And as Christians, this is why it is important the each of use learn these chapters of Christ's sermon on the Mount.

Chapter six is a continuation of Matthew five, that ended with Christ's teaching on His "Law of Love". He is now going to teach us on giving, how to pray, and on fasting. Christ was the living Word, and that is why we must keep in the Word daily.

Matthew 6:1 "Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: other-wise ye have no reward of your Father Which is in heaven."

The traditions of men have so twisted the meanings and methods of almsgiving, or tithing, that there is much confusion. What we are to do as one of God's elect, is to give as our Heavenly Father has laid out for us, for in giving in this way, God will reward you. If you don't please God, the blessings won't be poured out on you.

All of the critical texts read "righteousness", with reference to alms. However this is conjecture, because "alms" is the first subject, and in the Greek "dikaiosune" is "righteousness",and was subsequently substituted for "eleemosune", "alms".

Many people want to connect something physically to the teachings of Christ. If you look at this only in the physical sense, then you will miss most of Christ's teachings a great deal of the time. When the time for the offering comes, it is obvious who the ones that give to be seen are, and they make sure that everyone knows the amount, for it creates the image that they want the others to have of them. That image, as the big giver, is their reward, and God will allow them the privilege of an increased ego, of their temporary vanity. That is the only reward that is to be given to them. Upon their death, or the Lord's coming, it is as if they never gave a cent.

The intention is what is important, and not the secrecy of the giving. You give because you love the Father, and that it is what is commanded of you through the tithe. For in the long run, As one of God's elect, it isn't yours to give in the first place. The tithe is the Lords, and what is left, is His gift to you as a faithful steward of God's wealth. It is from the heart that the alms are given, and it is given for the spreading of God's Word.

The important thing here is the intent in your mind, not the other man's mind. If the government grants a tax advantage by the giving, you should take it. Your tax forms are private documents, and if it is the law of the land, it is permissible within the Scriptures. What is important is that you gave it privately in the first place, with the purpose of serving God. It is not the physical act of giving that is important, but the mental act within your mind that is part of your spiritual life.

Matthew 6:2 "Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward."

Your giving should be unannounced to the fact of the giving, but made as the spiritual act that is expected of you, as a child of God. "Hypocrites" in the Greek are "play actors"; someone pretending to be something that they are not. Hollywood is full of them, as well and in most churches. They put their mask on, and play the role of Christian, when they are not. Their mask, in this case is their roll of dollar bills thrown into the offering plate.

The applause that they receive from their giving is the only reward that they will receive. In the eyes of God, it doesn't matter whether others see the amount or not, but it is your intent of the giving for the sole purpose of expanding God's work. God will judge you on what was in your mind, and that sets your reward eternally.

Matthew 6:3 "But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:"

You should know by now that this has nothing to do with either your right hand or your left. It is an idiom, which is to say, it is a figure of speech. It is an expression that shows true humility. That is to say, you give it to the Lord privately, knowing that it is going to the work of the Lord in the saving of souls, in the hands of those who are teaching the Word of God.

If a church is teaching traditions and doctrines other then what God's Word teaches, how can you be blessed by God, or expect eternal rewards because of your giving. You give where you get your teaching. To make an analogy; When you get your food from Safeway, why would you give to the Thrift way store. However, the work of God is in many ministries, and God may lay on your heart the need to help in another ministry, and that is why our giving is private, because it is only your business, and only you will receive just rewards for your intent of your giving.

Matthew 6:4 "That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father Which seeth in secret Himself shall reward thee openly."

Again, it is your own private business, and the reason for the giving comes form your love of God, and His dealing with you in your heart. If the intent in your heart, or mind is right, you need not say anything, God can read your heart, and it is He that will assure you of your blessings on earth in this life, and the rewards you receive eternally. When you give God's way, you can expect a blessing from it.

Commitments and pledges are public and are set up in a fashion to be a gimmick to force your money from you. Regardless of whether they use the money in building of a structure, or feeding a starving child from Africa. It is a method of public distortion. When you give to be tied in with that purpose, then your reward is that purpose. Man created the purpose, and man will benefit from it. Your benefit is whatever satisfaction you get from seeing that purpose accomplished. Many ministries create their clubs, and give away trinkets to identify you with their cause. That is not of God, and your membership card, and trinket is what you will receive from your gift to them.

The thing to remember is that we must do our giving in the ways and places that God has instructed us to give. Telethons, and gimmicks rip people off, by denying them the blessings of the living God. Sounding the trumpet, ring the bell, rush out the chart, quick, quick get your call in; it is all robbing God's people of any blessing of reward. They will give and get nothing for it, but end up on many sucker lists for future harassment.

Matthew 6:5 "And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, the they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward."

Jesus is telling us that He doesn't want us to pray like those play actors pray. In other words, if they want to be heard in their prayer, that is as far as their prayer is going. Their reward is the vanity that they may have in their mind, that they have some elevated position amongst the men around them. Jesus is telling us not to do such a thing.

Matthew 6:6 "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to the Father which is in secret; and thy Father Which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."

A true man of God, when he is asked by another for prayer, is compelled to give prayer to those in need. This is not sounding the trumpet in open streets, but in concern for one another. When the pastor of the congregation pray before the congregation, he is the shepherd of that flock, and as such, it is his duty to remember, and direct his [her] people in the needs that are before them. This is that pastor's responsibility before God. This verse is not directed to those circumstances. All of the Apostles have done it, Paul and Peter did it, because they were servants of God. And when that servant of God approaches God on behalf of those he is instructing, and the Spirit of God fills those hearts and needs, that gives added credentials to you, that he indeed is a servant of God.

In James 5:14, 15; "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil [olive oil, the oil of God's people] in the name of the Lord: [14] And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." [15] This is God's instruction for praying over the sick and needy. It is very public.

This verse is addressing the individual person, who is one of Christ's', and has needs and thanksgiving to come before the Lord personally, Jesus is tell us that as such, we are to go to our closets, or private place, and there in private pray to the Heavenly Father.

Matthew 6:7 "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking."

God is not blind and hard of hearing, in fact He can understand what is on your heart before you do. His Spirit knows what you need, and can utter a prayer before your mind can think it. Most heathen religions use chants, and repetitions that continue for hours, in fact the ancient Sumerian religion of ancient Babylon used beads on a long string, to count the number of prayers to the their god Tammuz. It had the Tammuz cross on the string, -- this relic has been dug up in archaeological digs in the middle east, that pre-date the time of Christ by centuries. It is from this ancient string custom of pagan prayer that the Catholics get the use of their rosary.

God is saying that any form of repetition He will not hear, because it is heathen.

Matthew 6:8 "Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him."

We are not to pray like the heathen do, because our God is not stupid, and stop treating Him as such. He knows what you need, and get down and repent in Jesus name, then present your case before Him. Do it His way and He will bless you for it. God knows what you need, and He also knows what you don't need. He also knows when it is right to withhold what we feel is a must, for our own sake. We better thank Him for this.

THE LORD'S PRAYER

Matthew 6:9 "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father Which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name.

Jesus is telling us that when we pray, do it after this manner. Today we are told that this is the disciple's prayer. Friend, disciple means student, and if you claim to be a Christian, then you are a disciple, for we are a student of God's Word until we leave this flesh body. Even scholars are students of God's Word.

Though we do not use the exact words of this prayer, the order and manner is the form that we use. As we pray, Jesus tells us that we should keep each step in mind, as we approach the throne of God. We start, "Our Father..." We identify our heavenly Father, with the respect that He deserves. You believe that He is in heaven, which is admitting that He is supernatural. "Hallowed be thy name," gives honor to His holy name.

If you don't believe in the first step, forget about praying, for it will be in vain. Even though you don't say this every time, you have to believe that in your heart.

Matthew 6:10 "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."

The kingdom is the King and his dominion. Know in your mind that Jesus Christ is the King and this earth is Christ's domain, with Satan being allowed a short reign here. Christ's kingdom is coming to this earth at the seventh trumpet, and then Jesus will reign here on earth, just as He does now in Heaven.

If your all wrapped up in the rapture theory, it would be hard for you to relate to this verse. You would be in the wrong vain of thought. You have to be praying for this earth and the people in it, and not some pie in the sky theory. Our focus should be on the return of the King of kings, and His return to this earth, and those of His domain that is set up on the earth, once Satan is driven out. That is the frame of mind that we should have.

Matthew 6:11 "Give us this day our daily bread."

If you are a student of God's Word, what is the famine for in the end times? It will not be for the bread that we eat, but for the truth of God's Word. The Prophet told us what this bread would be to the last generation. Amos 8:11; "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord."

Amos 8:12, 13; "And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it. [12] In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst." [13]

Jesus Christ is our bread, and He is the word of God [John 1:1-4], and that is what we are to pray for. Jesus Christ is what we had better be feeding on daily, to get our strength for the day. Friend, the only way that you will get through to your Heavenly Father is through Jesus Christ, it is only by the name of Jesus that we can approach the throne of God.

Matthew 6:12 "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."

In the manuscripts, "debts" reads, "sins". This is not referring to money, but the sins of ourselves, and the sins of those that sin against us. This is saying, "Forgive me of my sins, and the sins of those that have sinned against me, Father."

Matthew 6:13 "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, for ever. Amen."

Satan and his evil spirits are all around us today, and here we are asking God to protect us from the old tempter. We are asking God to give us discernment to keep each of us from the temptations that the wicked one will bring our way. The phrase, "deliver us from the evil" [one] should be added.

Jesus is saying that if you say, "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever;" you had better believe every word. There had better be no other king, and no other dominion that you have an interest in. Our Lord is a jealous God, and living in the latter days as we are, the real time of testing is coming shortly, and we had better know our Messiah, for the fake.

All power is from God, and All glory goes to our Lord Jesus Christ, for without Christ's shed blood on the cross, there is no salvation. All crowns, and rewards go to Him, Amen.

Matthew 6:14 "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you:"

Jesus is telling us that if you forgive men of the little things that men do to you, and over look the trouble that someone may cause you, then in turn God will do the same for the troubles that you have caused to Him and others. If you want God to answer your prayers, this is a good place to start.

For this to apply to you, there should have been an act that required someone to ask your apology.

Matthew 6:15 "But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

Even though a person is a child of God and calls themselves a Christian, they may be just a babe in Christ, and not versed in the Word. This is why we are required by Christ to forgive them, for in innocence they may have not known their wrong against you. Our Heavenly Father will take your short comings to the same degree that you have taken others wrongs against you. You must do this, or God will not forgive you, which means, God will not answer your prayers.

Matthew 6:16 "Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward."

Now we are talking about fasting, or the giving up food or something in the service to God. Jesus is telling us that when we fast, we should not be like those that call great attention to their fast. They moan, "Oh Lord, how we suffer as Christians for you." The continue with their belly-aching, until they become a pain. What kind of an example are they setting for the non-believer, the run most of the people away.

Friend, all their play acting, and attention is all that they are going to get out of their display for attention. That is their reward.

Matthew 6:17 "But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;"

Is the way to truly fast through self torture? In Isaiah 58:5; "Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?

You had better get the drift and feeling that God is putting into these questions about this kind of a fast. You weeping and carrying on about serving Me, if you can't do it with a smile on your face, and set a good example, don't do it. You put yourself as an salesmen, and then paint yourself up in such a horrible fashion. God is telling them if you can't love Me, and follow Me joyfully, then get out of My sight. You got the picture.

Isaiah 58:6; "Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?"

God is telling us here the reason for the fast, you fast to show your love for me, your joy in having been chosen. To "loose the bands of wickedness," is to expose the hypocrites for what they are, play actors and not the real thing. To undo the heavy burdens is to take away the dos and don't shackles that the religious organizations have placed on the Christians. Those synagogues of Satan bind the people with rules that God never intended. To truly fast is to cut all those man-made shackles away.

God is telling you that your fast should give them eyes to see and ears to hear, that they can be truly free, to fast, and give the Word to others. The reason for the fast is to draw attention to the love of God and the freedom He gives, and not some torture chamber that God has put you in. It is to break every yoke that those religious hypocrites have put you under.

The fast is to obtain from using the physical bread, and giving forth the spiritual bread of life. It is a time for teaching the Word to others, and showing them that God's Word releases you from all the burdens that the religious world would bind you to. Your outward expression should be of joy, and happiness in serving God, and if you can't do it God's way, it is better for you that it isn't done.

Isaiah 58:7; "Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?"

The true bread of Life is Jesus Christ, while "thy house" is God's "House of Israel", and they don't even know why they are, because they are starving for the bread of life. The naked are those that have no righteous acts, when they enter the Millennium age, for they have throne all their rewards at the feet of the Antichrist. Your only garment to be worn in the Millennium age, is made up of your righteous works and acts done while in the flesh body. That is how you clothe the naked, you teach them God's Word, so their ways and deeds conform to the His ways, and then they will have a garment in that Millennium age.

"That thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh", is a idiom, a figure of speech that shows others that you are a kind person, and show compassion for others. The fast is done by doing our Lord's work.

Matthew 6:18 "That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father Which is in secret: and thy Father, Which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly."

When we fast, we become the salesmen for Christ, and that is the time to look sharp. You are to be the representative for the most powerful force in the universe, our Heavenly Father, and that you full effort. No one should be able to even tell that you are in a fast. Jesus is telling us not to put on our Halloween costume, but our Sunday best. It is the time to shave, and shower, and look sharp. The fast is not for others to see your sacrifice, but our Heavenly Father to see the intent of our heart. Then our fast is received and rewarded openly, with blessings that only God can give.

Matthew 6:19 "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal."

This is how we are to look upon riches, and there is no disgrace on being wealthy, if it is the rewards from the blessings of God. God promised us in His Word that when we follow his Word, and do thing as taught in His Word, then He would reward us openly, and those blessings are for this earth age as well as the next.

There is nothing wrong is storing up provisions for the future, and many people today store up to a year, to protect themselves from hard times. Jesus is telling us that storing in excess, for the sake of greed, and that is to become a religious form to you, it is wrong. Are you putting that before God, and your service to Him?

Matthew 6:20 "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:"

There is a big difference between wealth by traditions, and wealth by blessings of God. Those riches that you store up in heaven can never be stolen, because there are no thieves there. Part of your wealth when you become a son of the Living God, is the inheritance that comes with your adoption into His family. It is not just things, but in the position, and responsibility that comes with the position. My friend, there is no way that you can out give God, for in the end, when the records of your deeds are accounted for, each will be well rewarded for.

The greatest treasure anyone can have, is to know, and be part of our Lord Jesus Christ's kingdom. To know that the bonds of our sins are gone because of the price that Jesus paid on the cross. Eternal life is only possible because of the blood of Jesus Christ, and that is the greatest gift anyone can have. Any one can have that gift, just for the taking, and you receive that gift by your repenting of your sins, in Jesus Name, and believing in Him and turning from those wicked ways to God's way.

Matthew 6:21 "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

Your heart is the intellect of your soul, and that is contained in your mind. It is what you think, and what you hold to be dear in your mind. If the making of money, for money's sake is foremost in your efforts, then that is where your heart is. However, if while serving our Lord, He pours the blessings on you, then your treasurers and heart are in the same place, where it belongs. Don't let earthly things get in from of our heavenly Father.

Matthew 6:22 "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light."

What is in your mind, is the image of your soul. If Christ is in your mind, the light that comes forth from you, is the spiritual light that only Christ can give. Your whole body will project what is in year hear, and the world will see that. "Single" here is "perfectly clear", and when you are set in your mind the teaching of the Word of God, then what ever you do will reflect your singleness of mind. We have to sustain ourselves while we are in the world, but in our occupation, we practice the principles that Christ is teaching us.

Matthew 6:23 "But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness., how great is that darkness."

This is given in the spiritual, and if everything in your mind is darkness, and God is left out, the Love of God will not be there. When your mind [heart] thinks continually, only about things of this world, then that is what your whole life is; your dress, deeds, actions, and your thought life all become the ways of the world.

Matthew 6:24 "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."

"Mammon" is an Aramaic word that means "riches by ill-gotten gain". If you are the richest person in the world, and you earned it by doing things God's way, that is not mammon. However if your gain is from cheating the public, and robbing from the poor, that is mammon. God does bless His own, and you can expect to be blessed when you support His work, tithe, and direct your life in accordance with His Word. Riches then become your "badge of honor." Don't let clown put you on a guilt trip because of the blessings that God has given you.

The message that Jesus is giving us is that when we obtain riches, we cannot be of service to both God and the money. One will take priority. If you serve God, then the money will become secondary, but must be used wisely.

Matthew 6:25 "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 then meat, and the body than raiment?"

"Therefore", because of this, take no worry of the life that you live in this world. Translate "life", eternal life more then meat. Jesus is telling us to fix in our mind that within our physical body, there is a spiritual body, and that that spiritual body, or our soul is far more important that this temporary body of the flesh.

The time is coming very shortly when we will step out of this body of the flesh, and our soul body will seperate and return to the Lord. This will happen either upon our death, or at the sounding of the seventh trumpet. Paul tells up in Corinthians:

I Corinthians 15:50; "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption." This flesh body will not exist when Jesus comes back to earth. Corruption is our flesh body, while incorruption is the soul body.

I Corinthians 15:51; "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed," A mystery is something that is unknown that Paul is going to reveal to us. "All" means all people in the flesh body will be changed, not fly out, but changed into their Soul, incorruptible bodies. The word "sleep", in the text means "die".

I Corinthians 15:55; "In a moment in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."

Friend, We are living in the time when we see daily the signs of the end times, and the marking of the last generation is the establishing of the tiny nation of Israel. The one world political beast is a reality, and the ten horns of power, the agencies of the United Nation are here. It is time to get straight in your mind where your priorities are, for when that trumpet sounds, we will all be ushered into the next age, the time when Jesus will come to earth and establish His world kingdom.

Physical things just won't matter then, and the only riches you will have are in your righteous acts, that were done as given to the Lord. Your position in that age is determined by your relationship to our Lord, through your repentance for your sins.

Matthew 6:26 "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 is telling us, don't worry about our needs, we are to observe how our Father in heaven takes care of even the little birds. Have you noticed how each of the birds have been given the instinct to know what they should do in providing for their needs. Each kind has different needs, and care and yet year after year they survive and are protected. Birds don't sow a crop, neither do they bring in a harvest.

If God will do that for each individual bird, think of how much more His concern is for you. God thinks much of His nature and creation, and He thinks that much more about you. We are to follow His commandments, and use common sense that He has given us, He will take good care of us.

Matthew 6:27 "Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?"

Jesus is asking, which one of you can add one moment to your life, by worrying. In reality it works just the opposite.

Matthew 6:28 "And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:"

Matthew 6:29 "And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."

Friend, there is only one apparel that you want to be concerned about having on, and that is the "gospel armor", of Ephesians 6:10-20. God will take care of His own.

Matthew 6:30 "Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?"

Have you noticed how Jesus is referring to very natural things here; the birds, the flowers, and now the grass, to show us how God takes care of His creation. Jesus is telling us that when God says He will bless you, then He will. Do you have the faith to believe that?

Matthew 6:31 "Therefore take no thought, saying, what shall we eat? ' or, what shall we drink? ' or, wherewithal shall we be clothed?"

Matthew 6:32 "(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things."

The Gentiles have no faith, and they worry about all the things of the world; however you are one of God's children, and He knows what you need, and will provide those things for you. We are to have faith in Him and allow Him to provide for us, then thank God for His provision.

Matthew 6:33 "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

When you truly want the kingdom and blessings of God, then it become paramount that we seek the Kingdom of God first. What we do, and say are all directed towards the adding to the kingdom of God, the King of that kingdom is Jesus Christ, and His dominion is obtained through following His will. That will is written in His Word, the Bible. When that will becomes our focus, then God will add all the things necessary for this life.

Matthew 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."

Within all of us there is a natural tendency to worry when things just don't go right. We get down, and just start mumbling and talking to our self. This is a lack of faith, and a sign that we have taken our focus off of seeking first the kingdom of God. God is telling us, don't worry about tomorrow, because I am going to allow Satan to send you all the trouble today that you can handle.

However, if you have the faith, God will always kick those rocks out of your path, to keep you from stumbling. We can handle the little pebbles, and God will take care of the rest.

Matthew Chapter 7

"Sermon on the Mount, Continued."

This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson

Matthew 7:1 "Judge not that ye be judged."

You choose the type of life that you will have by the way that you deal with others.

Matthew 7:2 "For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."

This word judgment is better translated "criticized". The same degree that you level on others, is the yardstick that they will us use in their criticism of your actions. What ever you measure [however stingy you are] to others, is the same way they will use in their actions with you. What you give to others is what you will get back yourself.

This is God's way of doing things. If you try to take a good man down, then God will see to it that your taken down also.

Matthew 7:3 "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?"

A "mote" is a real tiny spot of dust, and in the spiritual analogy used here, it is saying; why do you look at the very smallest sin that is in your brother's life, and you have a huge sin [beam] in your own life. This has a great deal to do with whether you have eyes to see the spiritual insight into God's word. One that has eyes to see, understands the plan of God, and will not be so critical of his brother, but will be out to help his brother.

It is human nature to overlook the sin in your own life.

Matthew 7:4 "Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, 'Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye;' and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?"

One of the greatest sins in the world is to judge someone for their sin, for that makes you the judge taking God's place, and you don't belong there. If you don't have spiritual eyes to see, there is really no way to help the other person. You must first clear your own eye, before you can help your brother.

Matthew 7:5 "Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."

No person will except your help, until they are ready to be helped. You can caution them, and plant seeds of the Scriptures, but until that person asks you for help, and is open for your words, what you say just won't take root. Be very patient with those new converts that are in the process of learning.

Matthew 7:6 "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you."

This is referring to Proverbs 9: 7; "He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: And he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot."

blot - 3971 m'uwm usually muwm-
blemish, spot, defect
a) used of physical defect
b) used of moral stain

If you go out to some stiffed necked drunk, and try to give your pearls of wisdom to him, he is liable to set you back on your rear, and make your nose a blot. When you try to preach to a wicked man, he will mock you for even trying. He doesn't have any sense or knowledge concerning God's Word.

Proverbs 9:8; "Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee:" When we criticize a mocker of Scripture, he in turn, turns that scorn back on us. The purpose in God's plan is to convict and make the sinner condemn himself.; to see his own sin, and repent of those sins.

This is how it should be: Proverbs 9:9; "Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning." Spend your time where it counts, and the Scriptures are ready to be received.

Proverbs 9:10; "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: And the knowledge of the holy is understanding." Applied common sense is what most of the understanding of God'sWord consists of.

Matthew 7:7 "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened ."

The subject is God's Word, and your eye being able to see, or understand what is written in that Word. This is describing how you gain wisdom, and knowing God and His plan is wisdom. You have to go to that Word, before you can seek, and the knocking is the asking for help by the right sources. It is keeping the Word in true perspective, and rightly dividing it for the message God is relating to us.

When you knock on His door, and ask Him, the Holy Spirit of God, will come in and open your eyes of understanding, and He will reveal Himself to you.

Matthew 7:8 "For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall open."

If you ask for understanding and wisdom, you will get it. The level of understanding will be at the level that God sees your ability to understand. God will give you what He wants you to have, and it is His Spirit that will allow you to see the truths. What you see, is what you will be accountable to Him for. This is a promise from God, and it comes from Proverbs 8:17; "I love them that love me; And those that seek me early shall find me."

Matthew 7:9 "Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?"

This verse can be applied in the physical sense and it is true. We can understand the love between a man and his son. However in the spiritual application, the bread is Jesus Christ, and the eternal life that Christ offers. The "stone" is the stumbling stone, that keeps the son for receiving the bread of life. A stone of stumbling could be many things that the son just could not handle, and could in the long run lead him astray. A freedom in the Lord to you, may be something that if practiced, would destroy your son.

Matthew 7:10 "Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?"

Again in the spiritual application; the fish is the the symbol for Christ and Christianity, and the serpent is the symbol for Satan.

Matthew 7:11 "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father Which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him?"

All mankind knows how to do good things for their children, and care for them. If you know how to take care of your own, think of how much more God will give to His own that ask Him and seek early to do His will. We must ask for wisdom. God said that if you ask, then you will receive, and this isn't foolishness that He is referring to, but the things that are necessary in your journey in life. God will Give you only what you are able to handle, and sometimes that isn't too much.

Matthew 7:12 "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets."

Jesus is putting a summary to His sermon, He says that considering all things that you do to other people, and the way you talk to them and act around them, that is the way that they will react to you.

If a man moves into a new neighborhood, and asks the neighbor, "How are the people here?" Well the answer would be, "exactly as they were in the neighborhood that you moved from." For those neighbors were only responding to the actions and deeds of the man, and that is just as the new neighbors would. This is also what was taught from the very beginning by the law, and the prophets of old. If you were a trouble maker and selfish there, you will be the same in the new neighborhood.

If things are rough, then it is time to knock and seek the wisdom from the Lord, it will change the way you look at people, and the way that they look at you. Jesus is asking us to set our ways as is taught by the law and the prophets. The law is what governs you in the community, and around people, while the prophets instruct us in the ways of the Lord.

Matthew 7:13 "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:"

We are talking about entering into the gate of the kingdom of God. This is an analogy of entering into a city, and at the entrance of the city the road is very wide, and the more you go into it, the narrower it becomes. Until it becomes a narrow walk at the door leading into your own home. Hopefully Christ's kingdom is your home.

However, the key is the phrase, "broad is the way. Remember Jesus said, "I am the way", the way is the path, and Jesus walked that path, and set the examples that we are to follow. Most of the examples that Jesus gave to us are just plain common sense, and it doesn't matter how wide the gate is, for the path is well marked. That path will lead right up to the door.

Jesus said in John 10:9; "I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." The term, "go in and out, and find pasture;" is an idiom used for "life in general". We are to follow Christ in all of His teaching, and we will falter in places, and that is why we must repent when we fall, and get right back on track.

Jesus tells us in Revelation 3:19; "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. [19] Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." [20] The handle on the door of your heart, or mind is only on the inside. Only you can open that door, for Jesus will not enter your heart unless you invite him in. You open that door by repenting of all your sins in Jesus name, and turning from your sins.

Matthew 7:14 "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that fine it."

When a Bible teacher teaches man's traditions, or the system of their church house, the path leads in another direction. In these end times this is very common, sad but true. The path that leads to our Lord Jesus Christ [the door] is narrow, but well marked by the record of His life, and that record is in our Bible. Though these righteous men are well meaning, no man can substitute a way different then is recorded in God's Word.

Matthew 7:15 "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves."

The clothing of the modern day prophet may look very righteous, and holy, and the sound of his voice like it came direct from God; but listen to what he is saying. Is it the word of God, chapter by chapter, and verse by verse, or is it the social calendar of local social clubs and the words of the well know men in world affairs. Does what this modern day prophet say come from, and bear out what Jesus and the prophets say, or not.

Jesus is telling us that they will look like one of His sheep, and dress like they come from Christ's sheepfold, but they are wicked wolves. Many times their ministry is centered around money, or just the vanity of ruling over many people. It is called pride, and with it comes the whitewashing of the Scripture to please the flock's vanity. Sometimes it is even the pension fund that keeps the false prophet in line with false doctrine, or it could be just plain ignorance of God's Word.

How then do you know which one to follow? Follow the one that teaches wholly from the Bible, chapter by chapter, and verse by verse; line upon line, and precept upon precept. Check him out, and take notes. Use the Strong's dictionaries and verify what he says. In time you will know whether you can trust him, or not. If you can, pray for him and stand by him. There are many good churches.

Matthew 7:16 "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?"

Jesus is now telling us how we can know them. Their fruits are the things they say and the things that they do. Does it conform to Christ's teaching.

Notice the spiritual application applied here. Today the grape is used in remembrance of Christ in the communion, while the fig is used to represent both the Kenite (bad fig), or the offspring of Cain, the son of the evil union between Satan and Eve, as well as the true tribe of Judah (good fig). The fig leaf stands for things hidden, as it did when they covered their private parts with fig aprons in the garden of Eden.

Do you know the difference? Jesus is telling us very simply, if you want an orange, then don't go to an apple tree. If you want grapes, they are not found on the thorn bush, and figs do not grow on the thistles. If you want God's truth, then you won't go to one of these ravaging wolves. If you want God's Word you go to where God's word is taught, by chapter or by subject.

Matthew 7:17 "Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit."

If the tree is corrupt, and the Word of God does not come from that tree, then you have problems. It's time to look around for another pastor the teaches the Word. The tree is an analogy for man, and the fruit is the words and actions that come from that man.

Matthew 7:18 "A good tree can not bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit."

Jesus keeps talking about trees, and this isn't the first time it is mentioned in the Bible. There were two trees in the Garden of Eden that gets our attention. One was the "Tree of life", and the other was the "tree of good and evil". Can you look at those trees and tell the difference today. Those trees were symbolic of men. The "Tree of life" was Christ, and the "tree of good and evil" being Satan. The tree of life, Christ, cannot bring forth evil fruit, if taught correctly. On the other hand, the "tree of good and evil" is Satan.

Jesus Christ is asking you, can you tell the difference in the trees? The tree of Life wasn't only for the Garden of Eden, but in Revelation 22:1; Christ the Lamb is the pure river of the water of life, clear as crystal, and proceeding from the throne of God. The tree of Life, Jesus Christ becomes our sustaining life for our soul eternally.

Friend, the false evil tree comes first, before the good tree. There is a difference between the trees, and there is also a big difference between the seed of each. The seed of the evil seed are the Kenites. Do you know who they are? Do you know how they will affect you in these latter days? We see in Matthew 24:32 that Jesus commanded us to learn the difference, for if we do not, we will be deceived. That command is direct to you?

There are seven churches mentioned in the second and third chapters of Revelation, and there were only two that Christ found no fault with. They were the church of Smyrna and the church of Philadelphia. The fruit of those two churches then should be the pattern of the church that we should follow. There was only one thing that they had in common, and that is that they knew who the Kenites were, those that called themselves Jews, but lied, and were of the synagogue of Satan. They both taught and identified the good fruit and the bad fruit [Kenites]. When a Kenite accepts Jesus Christ, they are no longer Kenites, but sons of the Living God. It is the power of God that can make that change in that man's life.

Matthew 7:19 "Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire."

Matthew 7:20 "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."

The only way that we can tell the man's heart is by what comes forth from the person. If one claims to be of Christ, and there is no change in His life, then serious doubt comes. If one is of Christ he will be trying to follow the path that our Lord Jesus Christ is laying down in this Sermon on the Mount. He will demonstrate the traits and character of Christ. Sure, everyone will falter, but he will pick himself up, repent and keep right on the same course. The one thing that will mark him as Christ's, is the love of Christ coming from him.

Matthew 7:21 "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 Which is in heaven."

This is a stern warning to those that think they can play church. Many call themselves Christians, they dress right and talk right, but they are not going to heaven. It doesn't matter what you say and your actions before the public, but it takes more then that. You must do the will of God. The will of God is God's plan, and it is written in His Word, the Scriptures. What is that plan? We just read it, and are reading it. It is Jesus instruction as to what you must do.

Just going to church and uttering some words doesn't mean that you have salvation. You must do the will of God. That is where repentance comes in, for each time you fall you must repent. Paul stated we must die daily to ourselves, in I Corinthians 15:31. This is done by repentance of the sins we commit in everyday life.

Matthew 7:22 "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'.

Many ministries today are built around their fund raising, they quote Scripture to back every what they say, and even have their healing ministry. They cast out devils like the neighbor's dog, and think that every act they do is for God. They support hospitals, the sick, the poor and the widows, and they say they do all of it in our Lords Name. But they do not the will of My Father which is in heaven. They teach another gospel then the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They teach traditions, and doctrines that are not in the Scripture.

Matthew 7:23 "And then will I profess unto them, 'I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity' ."

Jesus Christ is saying here, and you had better get this now, when there is time. If you do not follow the path that Jesus Christ is teaching you in this sermon on the mount, Jesus response to you will be, "I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity".

This is the generation that better know the difference between God's doctrine and the doctrines of demons. They both sound very good, and they both sound right and true. However, any doctrine that isn't one hundred percent backed by the Word of God is a fake. So the time is here to get down and know what is in the Scriptures.

Both Christ and the devil offer peace, and prosperity, however, only Jesus Christ can offer eternal life. The eternal life should be foremost in the doctrine. Why does Jesus not want them? They worship the traditions of Men, and their church system, and they in fact do not even teach God's letter to His children. What they do quote from the Bible is twisted to satisify their own desires.

Matthew 7:24 "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house up a rock."

Jesus is telling each of us that if we are to be His, then we will listen to each thing that He has taught, and then go and put them into practice in our lives. Those instructions will sink into our hearts and minds, and we will be open to the Holy Spirit of God to lead us in our lives. We will strive to be like our Lord and Savior, and pattern our lives after Him. We will learn and practice the love that Christ showed to us, and give that love and kindness to our neighbor. We will learn all about the Kenites, and the laws and commandments of God. We will learn discernment of spirits and the good and bad teachers. We will learn it all; and then we will do it.

That "Rock" is Christ Himself. The victors will sing the "song of Moses" in the Millennium age as recorded in Deuteronomy 32. In verses 3, 4; "Because I will publish the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto you God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect: For all His ways are judgment: just and right is He." Those that love the Lord know the difference between the Rock Christ, and the spotted crooked rock of the devil. This generation will be tested by the little rock, the Antichrist, and many will leave Christ, and run in ignorance to the false Christ.

Matthew 7:25 "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock."

When Christ's teachings are part of you, firm in your heart [mind], then when the floods of Satan's lies and deceptions come, and they will very soon, you will see right through them.

Matthew 7:26 "And every one that heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:"

Many people sit in Church and under the teaching week after week, and their spiritual eyes are closed. Their mind is off on a business deal, or the meal to be served later, instead of accepting Christ's teaching. They then go about their life's work, and completely forget the path that Christ has taught us to follow, and they don't understand why God isn't blessing them. These are the ones that hear Christ's sayings, and do them not. He [she] is the foolish man [woman].

Matthew 7:27 "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it."

The flood that will cover the entire earth is coming very soon, it is the flood of lies and deceptions that Satan, the Antichrist will bring on the entire earth, and many Christians will fall at his feet and worship him in ignorance. They will be taken by Satan because their rapture theory has taught them to do this act.

When they do this, the floods of deception will totally wash away every part of a foundation that they thought they had. For in their act of giving allegiance to the Antichrist, they will have given over to Satan any rewards and acts of righteousness they have done, as well as turned their backs on the grace that God has extended to them.

Revelation 12:6; "And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days." The woman is the "elect" of God, that are sealed in their minds [foreheads], and they are prepared for the lies, deceptions and evil wonders that is about to happen.

In Revelation 12:7 "There was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels." This war is going to be over very soon, and this war is between Satan and the fallen angels, and Michael, and God's children. The false preachers are preparing you for what is coming next. They are teaching you to meet this first Christ at his arrive in their rapture theory, and fly away with him. However, the only place that he is going is to the pit, after his five months stay [Revelation 9:5, 10].

Lets go to the Revelation 12:15; "And the serpent [Satan, the Antichrist] cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood." That mighty flood that is cast forth is a flood of lies, deceptions, and supernatural wonders, that will cause all the people of the world to be swept away from their foundations that are built on the sand. Do you know the difference between the coming of the two Messiahs, and which one you will see first? You had better know for your very soul depends upon it.

Matthew 7:28 "And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at His doctrine:"

Matthew 7:29 "For He taught the as one having authority, and not as the scribes."

The statements that came out of Jesus Christ's mouth were absolute, and Christ had power and authority to present them. Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit, which gave understanding to those listeners, and when the Word of God is understood with spiritual eyes open, that Word moves people. There was no doubt in Christ's instructions, and no clouds over what was right or wrong. The difference between the scribes teaching and Christ's teaching is the scribes taught the traditions of men that does not conform with God's Holy Word. They teach what men say, and allow the listener to pick and choose the authority that best fits their needs.

The only authority that anyone can use in their teaching is the authority that comes from the Word of God. All other speaking is tradition. When you speak and it comes from the Word of God, then you have authority.

Lets close this sermon on the mount with John 1:1-5; "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [1] The same was in the beginning with God. [2] All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. [3] In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. [4] And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. [5]"

My friend, Jesus Christ is the spoken Word, and the written Word, and the darkness that comprehended Christ not is the world. When you are of Christ, that light shines in you, and when you are in the world, it just won't make any sense to you.

Matthew Chapter 8

"Second Period of the Ministry. Proclamation of the King."

This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson

Matthew 8:1 "When He was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him."

Jesus had been healing many people, and the word was spreading fast. He was not just talking about healing but performing miracles right before their eyes. Their loved ones that were sick, became well and diseases vanished right before their eyes. The miracle works that Jesus was doing created this multitude of people. It was not Jesus teaching ministry that brought the people out, for the day that Jesus died on the cross, the multitude was not there.

Matthew 8:2 "And, behold there came a leper and worshipped Him, saying, "Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean."

The term "worshipped" lets us know that the man believed Jesus was the Christ, because you do not worship anyone without the belief. Worship identifies both belief and faith. This is a positive statement in todays terms; "Lord if you want to, you can cleanse me." The leper has shown the strength of faith in Christ.

Matthew 8:3 "And Jesus put forth His hand, and touched him, saying, "I will; be thou clean." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed."

Jesus saw the man's faith, and said, "I'm willing"; and He touched the leper man, and instantly he became clean.

Matthew 8:4 "And Jesus saith unto him, "See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them."

Jesus is teaching the man a lesson here. Jesus instructed the man to tell no one, so that this could become a side show, but that the man would become both physically and spiritually healed. Jesus had not died on the cross yet, and the ordinances of Moses were still in effect. It was the priest's duties to cleans and heal sickness, and we see what Jesus is doing is recorded from Leviticus 14: 3 and continues to the end of the chapter.

What was to be done. Lets look at Leviticus 14:3-7; "And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and, behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper; [3] Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop: [4] And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water:" [5]

"As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water: [6] And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field." [7] This process continues into other parts of the ritual dealing with his hair, his bathe and his cloths, for another forty verses.

So why would Jesus tell this cleansed leper to go and do this? Jesus was sending word to the priests that there were miracles being worked, but even though they were cleansed, they were to take the two birds, and follow through with the sacrifice ritual.

Jesus Christ would be going to the cross shortly and He was giving a lesson that through those stripes and the shedding of that blood, our sickness and sins would also be getting the healing.

In the communion we take the cup, in remembrance of his blood which was shed for our sins, and through the unleavened bread, broken, we are reminded of His body that was broken for us, and by those stripes we are healed. Do you believe that? Friend that is required to be part of the body of Christ, and to enter into His kingdom.

The priesthood [Caiaphas, the High Priest] of Christ's day was not appointed by almighty God, but by the Roman government. It was a political appointment to the religious affairs. Christ was forewarning that priesthood, that the Christ had arrived.

The foundation of our Government in America is just opposite then the arrangement within the Roman Empire. Then the Roman Government had a bearing on religion, however today it is just the opposite, the church can affect the government, however the government can not dictate to the church. God appoints and directs men into His ministry.

Matthew 8:5 "And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto Him a centurion, beseeching Him,"

The "centurion" is a Roman military officer. He was a Gentile. The Centurion was an officer over one hundred men.

Matthew 8:6 "And saying, "Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented."

This centurion felt real sorrow for his servant, who was paralyzed and in great pain, and laying home in bed. The centurion was there to intercede for his servant, and he knew positively that Christ could heal, or he would not have been there. These officers don't waste time, and as a military man, when he sets his course he is absolute indirection and his faith in the completion of the task.

Matthew 8:7 "And Jesus saith unto him, "I will come and heal him."

Jesus saw the faith of this centurion, and was willing to go with the officer.

Matthew 8:8 "The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed."

Can you see the faith of the centurion in this statement? He didn't say "could you?" he knew that Jesus was the Christ and had the authority of God.

Matthew 8:9 "For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man 'Go', and he goeth; and to another, 'come', and he cometh; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he doeth it."

This centurion knew what authority was, that when a man says something, those under his authority must react, or suffer the punishment. The centurion knew that whatever powers Christ had, they came directly from God, and those powers were subject to Christ just by saying the word. This was obvious to Him. The centurion saw the miracles, and the works of Christ, and he knew that they were real. There was no doubt in his Gentile mind.

Matthew 8:10 "When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to them that followed, "Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." "

Jesus was sent to be the Savior of Israel, and Jesus is telling the multitude around Him, I have not found this kind of faith in all of Israel.

Matthew 8:11 "And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven."

It was a little early in Christ's ministry to declare that He had been sent to the people of Israel, and tell them that upon His death He would open salvation to all peoples. It didn't matter what race you were in, for His blood would cleanse all of them. The word "many" as it is use here, and in the Greek, "Euphemisms", means "Gentile". Jesus did not want to offend those of Israel that knew of the coming Messiah which was to lead Israel, so to avoid giving offence to them, he used "many".

The word "Abraham" means "father of many nations" in the Hebrew tongue. Through Abraham would come the Christ, and spiritual life to all nations. God created all men, of all nations, and through Christ the way is made for many men [women] of all nations to come and sit with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in Christ's heavenly kingdom. Through the blood of Christ all races can have the same salvation that is offered to Israel. Thus in a spiritual sense, Abraham is also their father.

So Jesus is marveling as He sees the great faith in this Gentile, and He taught this multitude, even though the people didn't understand. Years later Jesus would reveal to John how these Gentile nations will come in the Millennium kingdom age to the four walls in Jerusalem, to worship Christ; in Revelation 21:20-24. The saved of all races will even have their own kings and queen in that Millennium age, and they will have earned their rights in this flesh age to their positions.

This is a wonderful time to live, for we live in an age where the prophesies concerning the end of this earth age are passing by us on a daily basis. The only sign that Jesus gave to the people [Pharisees] of His day was the sign of Jonah, however, there are virtually hundreds of prophesies passing by us daily. The two biggest signs for our generation are the establishing of a homeland for the Jews, and a one world political system that every nation on the face of the earth subscribes to. Friend, you have no excuse for not knowing the difference between Christ and Antichrist. You know the prophesies to be true, because you can see them, and all of His Word is coming to light.

Matthew 8:12 "But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

This "weeping and gnashing of teeth" will be done by those who claim to be Christians, and followed the Antichrist. This takes place at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ at the sounding of the seventh and last trumpet. This is the last day of Satan, the Antichrist's rule over his religious kingdom, that is know as the great tribulation.

Those Christians followed the counterfeit Christ. This great savior will come, appearing out of the clouds saying, "I have come to rapture you away," and as much as the end time church will be teaching that, the whole world will believe it, and bow to the Antichrist. In their flesh body they will think that they are now existing in Jesus Christ's kingdom. This is a false teaching according to God's Word, for they deny the text in the Greek, which shows that the subject and the object in Paul's letter of I Thessalonians 4 is "Where are the dead". They have taken Paul's letter instructing Christians that upon death, their souls go immediately to the Heavenly Father, and from it have created a fly-away doctrine, attached to soul sleep.

If you believe this, it is time to read Paul's apology, in II Thessalonians 2, where he says; "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him," II Thessalonians 2:1 This "gathering together will take place on earth at the coming of Jesus Christ at the seventh trumpet.

II Thessalonians 2:2; "That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter, as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand." Paul is telling you not to get all shook up when people come to you and tell you that Jesus Christ is here. Don't let the spirit of your soul be troubled over rumors.

II Thessalonians 2:3 "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition." The "falling away" is what the Bible calls the Great Tribulation [Deception], and "that day" is the coming of the Lord. The "man of sin" is Satan, the Antichrist", and he is the "son of perdition, which means death. His revealing comes by what Daniel calls the abomination of desolation, which is properly translated "the abomination by the desolator". Satan is the desolator, and the abomination is when Satan, the Antichrist stands in the temple in Jerusalem, and calls himself God. It is at this time that the weeping and the gnashing of teeth will begin, for the day of the Lord is at hand, and they will then know that they have been deceived.

So Jesus Christ is making it clear, that at the end of this earth age, many that think that they are of His kingdom, and call themselves Christian will be in great shame. The outer darkness is the fact that through the Millennium age, they will be separated form Christ, and will go through the thousand year period in teaching and discipline. There is no grace for those who bow to Antichrist, and at the end of the Millennium age, then will come the joining of families together, and the hell fire to all who refuse Christ. It will be only by their works that they find salvation then.

How embarrassing to those that spent their entire life chasing after the illusion of a rapture, only to find out that it was a hoax. And then see their righteous acts all be eliminated because of their own ignorance. Our Fathers letter outlines our inheritance in Christ, and those that chase after man's traditions, and doctrines of demons don't deserve an inheritance, when they do not follow our Fathers instructions.

Matthew 8:13 "And Jesus said unto the centurion, "Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour."

This applies today just as it did when Jesus said it to the centurion. You are the one that decides whether God answers your prayers, or not. If God blesses you, it is because you believe with all your heart, and know with a certainty that He will touch you, for this Word must become a reality to you. Then as you believe, so shall you receive.

Many of God's elect have a destiny that would make an exception to this rule. Sometimes God has a purpose for you, and you just don't want to do things God's way, and He has to get a little rough with you until you see it God's way. God will bless you if you pray for guidance, and follow the instructions of His Word.

Matthew 8:14 "And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, He saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever."

Peter's mother-in-law is being laid out to death; she is about to die. They were already preparing her with the clothes for her death. This also documents that Peter was married.

Matthew 8:15 "And He touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them."

The Lord touched her, and she was instantly healed. She got up immediately and prepared them a meal [ministered]. She got up from her deathbed and fed her family. That is how Jesus operated, and those are His credentials.

Matthew 8:16 "When the even was come, they brought unto Him many that were possessed with devils: and He cast out the spirits with His word, and healed all that were sick:"

These were not promises, but action. He gives us that same power to cast out demons [evil spirits] today, when we use the power of His name.

Matthew 8:17 "That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying "Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses."

Jesus is quoting Isaiah 53:4; "Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted." The New Testament is the addition to the completion of the story of the Old Testament. The people of Christ's day did allow it to come to pass.

Isaiah 53:5; "But he was sounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed." So we see that even at the beginning of Christ's ministry, He touched many and healed them.

So we see two examples of healing here, at the beginning of Christ's ministry; one of Israel, and one a Gentile. That if they believed His blood, which is the example of the blood of the one killed bird that was placed on the other bird to let fly free. It is you that fly free, and it would be Jesus Christ that would die on the cross at Calvary's hill. Christ got the bruising, and you get the healings and the blessings, if you will but take it into your life, and believe. Our love should flow over in every part of our lives.

Do you think your worth what Jesus Christ did for you? In what way are you showing it? Do you even take the time to understand His message to you, that is written in His Word? Jesus thought you were, and that is why He did it. He created you, He loved you, and to prove it He died for you.

Matthew 8:18 "Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave commandment to depart unto the other side,"

Mark these words well for later, Jesus is saying that they are going to the other side.

Matthew 8:19 "And a certain scribe came, and said unto Him, "Master, I will follow thee whethersoever thou goest."

This scribe was very impressed with Jesus.

Matthew 8:20 "And Jesus saith unto him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man hath not where to lay His head."

The word "foxes" means a cunning person. It is an analogy, or a figure of speech.

Matthew 8:21 "And another of His disciples said unto Him, "Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father."

The word "disciples" does not mean he was one of the twelve, but one that was studying under Jesus teaching.

Matthew 8:22 "But Jesus said unto him, "Follow Me; and let the dead bury their dead."

Jesus is telling His disciples to let those that are spiritually dead, bury the dead. In the Greek, it is obvious that the person's father was not dead, but in the process of dying. What Christ is saying, is that there is something more important then waiting for death, come and follow me and bring life to others.

A point also to bring up here in the matter of the two birds, with one flying free. It deals with the matter of cremation, where at death the soul goes instantly to be with our Heavenly Father. What you are dealing with is the flesh body without the soul and spirit, for the soul is gone. If you are really acquainted with that person, you can tell that it is not your loved one for you just don't feel their spirit. You don't feel their presence, because they are not there. What is left, is there to decay into the dust of the earth, from where it came in the first place.

The flesh body shall never again be raised, and have any value in the sight of God, when the soul has departed from it. The soul has gone to heaven, and is not in that hole in the ground. Jesus is saying then, let the dead bury the dead.

Matthew 8:23 "And when He was entered into a ship, His disciples followed Him."

Remember Jesus said, we are departing to the other side, and they are getting into the boat to leave.

Matthew 8:24 "And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but He was asleep."

The swells were coming over the side of the boat, and the disciples were getting afraid. Yet Jesus slept through it all.

Matthew 8:25 "And His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us: we perish."

They were scared, they thought they were going to die.

Matthew 8:26 "And He saith unto the, 'Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?' Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea: and there was a great calm."

Jesus is preparing them for the fact that soon He is going to leave them, but His comforter [the Holy Spirit] will be with them. When that time comes, what are you going to do when other fearful things happen? Are you going to carry on and cry out, or are you going to rely on that comforter that is your boat of life with you?

When the way gets a little rough, then that is the time to put your faith to work. We are going to ride it out, and the comforter will take control and see us through. If you believe you will make it to the other side, friend, you will. Jesus told His disciples that they were going to the other side, in verse eighteen, and you can count on it. Then when the journey got a little tough, they forgot Jesus promise; "we are going to the other side". "O ye of little faith".

When the way gets tough, that is when a Christian really likes it, for we can see God's promises then working in our lives. We don't fear, but turn to our Comforter, the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 8:27 "But the men marveled, saying, "What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him!"

Jesus had just calmed the sea, and now He gave orders to the wind and the sea, and both responded to His words. This is Christ's own disciples, the ones that He approached, and commanded "follow Me". They followed Jesus, and yet they could not comprehend the supernatural, when they were confronted directly with it. They now have seen His casting out of demons, and healing of the sick, and now the witnessed Jesus Christ's power over the wind and the sea, and still there is disbelief in their minds.

Watch out how your flesh body causes you to think, and know that in reality our Comforter, the Spirit of the Living God is with you in your ship of life. You may see the rocks, and even hit the rocks, and drop anchor in a hurry, but you are going across.

Matthew 8:28 "And when He was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way."

These two were possessed with evil spirits, completely. They were hiding out in the place of burial, and they would come out of the tombs and frighten people to where no one would pass by the tombs.

Matthew 8:29 "And, behold, they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?"

These two evil men came out of the tombs to scare Jesus and those that were with Him, and the demonic spirits recognized Jesus as "Thou Son of God". Even these evil spirits knew the plan of God, and they knew that their stay was temporary. Their time with their father, Satan [the Antichrist], the prince of darkness of this earth will come before they are to be done away with.

To this point, Jesus Christ had never called Himself, "The Son of God", the evil spirits knew who He was, and identified Him as the Scriptures would. They also called His by name in Mark 3:11; "And unclean spirits, when they saw Him, fell down before Him, and cried, saying, "Thou art the Son of God." Even the evil spirits knew Christ and believed him.

Mark 3:12; "And He straitly charged them that they should not make Him known. They knew that the time was not yet for their confinement, and when that time does come, they will be dead. They knew that this one, Jesus Christ had the power to send them back. They also know that those that have believed and repented in the name of Jesus Christ, and are washed in the blood of the Lamb, have the authority in the name of Jesus Christ to order them back to that place. When that happens, it means death for them.

They are far wiser then most human beings, they are not looking forward to dying, and they run from men and women of God, to keep from having that authority being pronounced upon them.

Matthew 8:30 "And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding."

Evil spirits will bargain with you, to keep you from doing them harm. They are great negotiators.

Matthew 8:31 "So the devils besought Him, saying, "If Thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine."

These evil spirits and now negotiating with Jesus, and they are telling Christ to send them into swine, and not another human being, for they know Christ would not do that. This shows also that devils do not even have power over swine, for the swine ran into the lake and killed themselves.

Matthew 8:32 "And He said unto them, "Go " And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the water."

Matthew 8:33 "And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told everything, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils."

Those "possessed of the devils" are the two men that hung out around the tombs.

Matthew 8:34 "And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw Him, they besought Him that He would depart out of their coasts."

Why would these people ask Jesus to leave? Because they raised swine there, and it was bad on their profits. Their swine ran into the sea and killed themselves. They were more interested in their commercial ventures, then they were the souls of those two miserable men that were possessed by evil spirits.

When you cast demons out of the possessed, you had better know where you are casting them to. Jesus gave you the power to do this, as recorded in Luke 10:19; "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." This is given in the spiritual light, and the "serpents" are the Kenites, while the "scorpions" are these evil spirits. Don't charge out to pick up a snake or scorpion, or they will bite you. Know when the Word of God is being applied in an analogy to the spiritual sense, and use common sense.

When you are under the blood of Christ, and believe on His name, you just don't have to be afraid of evil spirits. They are the enemy, and they are powerless against you. You have all the authority over them, complete power, and the only power that they have on you, is what you allow them to have. Evil spirits can't make you do anything, but tempt you into doing what you know you should not do.

In using you authority over them, always make your commands in the name of Jesus, and send them back to where they came from. God knows where that is, and they know it also, and they will go. Don't leave them running around loose, and if you don't know what your doing, be very careful, for they may jump on you. They are not everywhere, but they are just as real as you are. However, you as a Christian, and in the name of Christ, and just order them out of your life and homes.

Matthew Chapter 9

"The Palsy, the Testimony, Two Women, and Two Blind Men."

This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson

The deeds that Jesus will do and accomplish has a great message in it for those men and women of God that wish to be successful in their Christian life. It teaches you what you can do, and what you cannot do, in your Christian walk. There are different levels that you can receive and teach from these next few chapters.

Matthew 9:1 "And He entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into His own city."

Remember, Jesus and His disciples had just arrived from the other side, He healed two men of evil spirits and the spirits went into the swine, and killed themselves. The people came out from the town near by and demanded that He leave. So they entered back into the ship, and went back to another side of the sea. He went to the city of Capernaum, and in the Hebrew, it means the city of Consolation.

Matthew 9:2 "And, behold, they brought to Him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; "Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee."

This man was paralyzed, and as Jesus walked in, He saw their faith. As the man was lying on his cot, the loved ones around were as sad as the paralyzed man was. When Jesus told the man to be of good cheer, it is like a cheerful greeting, but "thy sins be forgiven thee" is a void statement, unless it comes from God. Anyone can utter the word, and the scribes in the room knew what the words meant, and when the words were spoken by someone other than the Messiah, it was wrong.

The miracle that was done here was that the sins of the man with palsy were forgiven by the Son of God. However for those non-believer it was just so many words. These scribes were the elite of the church, and they were upset by this.

Matthew 9:3 "And, behold, certain of the scribes said with themselves, "This man blasphemeth."

Notice that these scribes did not say it out loud, "they said within themselves", that Jesus Christ blasphemed. It is only God that can judge a man or women by the content of his or her heart. Psalm 7:9 reads; "Oh let the wickedness of the wicked [lawless] come to an end; but establish the just: For the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins." Only God knows what is in your heart, that is to say, your mind. These scribes said that Jesus blasphemes because He forgave sins; and this would show that they looked on Jesus as just another man.

So as they are thinking their thought, we are seeing another miracle, that of Jesus reading their minds. Now as Jesus sees what they are thinking He says to them:

Matthew 9:4 "And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, "Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?"

These scribes had not spoken yet, and Jesus is responding to their thoughts.

Matthew 9:5 "For whether is easier, to say, 'thy sins be forgiven thee'; or to say, 'Arise, and walk?' "

He is about to present His credentials to these scribes, and Jesus does it with a question. For in both cases it would take the act of God, to forgive sins, or to heal the man of palsy. It is as easy to say one as to say the other, and Jesus has called their attention to this fact.

There is a deeper level to this spiritually. Thy sins forgiven the means your soul shall live forever in a perfect body. The healing will affect only the physical, for there will be no one handicapped in the spiritual body. Jesus words had to have impressed them.

Matthew 9:6 "But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, "(then saith He to the sick of the palsy,) "Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house." "

"That ye may know", God is telling them, I am going to give you some proof. This documents form Jesus mouth just who "the Son of Man" is. He is the Living God walking on earth. Jesus then turns from the scribes to the sick man on the cot, and said; "Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house". This is the real test. Christ told him first thy sins are forgiven thee, and now, He healed the man with palsy.

The man will either get up and walk, of Christ is going to be embarrassed, and called a fake.

Matthew 9:7 "And he arose, and departed to his house."

Anyone can say, thy sins are forgiven, but only God can demonstrate by action, and heal the sick immediately. The sick mans muscles had deteriorated to the point where there was no strength left in them; yet instantly his body was restored, and he got up and walked with full strength.

This was a powerful thing that Jesus did before the scribes as a witness to His deity.

Matthew 9:8 "But when the multitudes saw it, they marveled, and glorified God, Which had given such power unto men."

"Unto men" reads in the original text, "unto a man". The multitudes of people standing around saw the miracles, and they glorified God for the works, but they just couldn't attach the fact that Jesus was God. They gave the glory of the act to God, and still looked on Jesus as common man. Jesus gave His credentials by the two acts, and the public accepted the acts as being of God.

The only credential of a true man of God, is in his ability to carry out what he says He will do. If you state your a healing pastor, are the sick healed; if you are a teaching pastor is what you are saying backed up from the word of God, or just so many words. The traditions of men label a man's ministry, while the man filled with the Holy Spirit of God has the insight to read and tell others what God's word says with clarity and understanding. He rightly divides the Word of God, which means he applies the message to the right time period, and knows where and how the verse fits into the entire plan of God.

Whatever gifts that you use, you must first obtain them from the Holy Spirit of God, and when He gives you the gift, He will also provide the direction and the opportunity for your use of that gift. However, education is very useful for it provides for your provision and getting along in the world, and understanding just how the wicked ones work.

Matthew 9:9 "And as Jesus passed forth from thence, He saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and He saith unto him, "Follow Me," And he arose, and followed Him."

As Jesus was leaving this multitude of people, Jesus saw this tax gather sitting at his table working. Jesus looked at him, and told this tax collector to "follow Me". This man is Matthew, and now now he becomes one of the disciples as he arose and followed Jesus.

Matthew was considered an enemy of the people by occupation, collecting taxes for Rome. When the Holy Spirit of God speaks to you through His Word, and commands that you change what you are doing, and set a new course for life, are you willing? You say, I am a Christian. I believe and am committed, but are you willing to make a definite change when you are convicted to do so.

Christ is the living Word, and when He speaks to you through the Scriptures it is still the same, follow Me. Some of you have a destiny from God, and you have felt it since you were a child. When the traditions of men are taught, you know that it isn't right, you know that there is a purpose that God has put you on this earth for, yet you can't quite put your hand on in. That insight will come to you by the Holy Spirit, and the Word of God. One works with and supports the other. The word of God is powerful, and will convict if you just allow it to.

Matthew 9:10 "And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples."

While Jesus and the other disciples sat down with Matthew the tax collector to eat, here came some of Matthew's friends in and sat down to eat also. They are sinners and people that were hungry for not only food, but the word from Jesus. This is very common today, as most Christians will have nothing to do with the wicked, for they are more afraid of how it will affect their character in the eyes of others, then in planting a seed for Christ.

It is easier to teach bold admitted sinners of the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ, and His love for them, then going into an established Church house, where the doctrines are the traditions of men and the doctrines of demons. Most of those Christians are set in their ways, and their minds are closed to the truth of God's word. The hard core sinners have not been lied to by those planting the traditions, and they know that what they are doing is against God. They understand sin, and they understand forgiveness when it is offered.

Matthew 9:11 "And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto His disciples, "Why eateth you Master with publicans and sinners?"

Friend, we are talking about some super religious type people of the day. Of course they are afraid to approach Jesus, and of course these super religious type would rather attack the disciples instead. They try to put the guilt trip on them. Remember that these disciples are all new followers of Jesus, and these Pharisees know that you can destroy the ministry by attacking the followers. It sort of sounds like the super church-houses of today, and how they attack anyone that doesn't follow their traditions.

Matthew 9:12 "But when Jesus heard that, He said unto them, "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick."

Jesus is telling these Pharisees that He is Messiah, and the reason that He came to the earth is to heal the sick, both physically and spiritually. But if you have all the religion that you can possible have, then in your righteousness, you don't need Me. You won't accept me, because in your own mind you are already saved by your righteousness.

If you are on "cloud nine", then you have already flown out of here [in your rapture theory]; and your mind is closed anyhow. This is Jesus approach to those Pharisees. You just can't tell someone that thinks he knows everything about traditions, about the Word of God, their minds are set, and closed. They just don't want to hear it.

Matthew 9:13 "But go ye and learn what that meaneth, 'I will have mercy, and not sacrifice:' for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Jesus is telling this pack of Pharisees, this tribe of churchmen, to go and find out what I have just said. Remember these words, "I will have mercy and not sacrifice". The righteous here are the self-righteous, and they are Hypocrites.

Jesus is quoting from the book of Hosea all the way. He is saying, I want to have mercy, I don't want your sacrifices, I don't want your burnt animals. Hosea 6:6, 7; "For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. [6] But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against Me." [7] The word "Hosea" in the Hebrew means "salvation, and Jesus is quoting from it.

Going on into Hosea 7:1; "When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria:" Ephraim is the house of Israel, or Christian nations, and Samaria is the capital here "watch mountain". "For they commit false hood; and the thief cometh in, and the troop of robbers spoileth without," [7:1] The thieves and the robbers are the ones that claim to be righteous and the preachers. Remember the Book of Hose was written to the people living in the time of the end, but it still applied to the self-righteous of Jesus day.

Why would these "one verse" janglers keep spouting their one verses to back up their traditions? Because they just don't understand the plan of God, and the Word of God, so the traditions of men have become their way of life. Jesus told them to "go find it", go to the book of Hosea, and try to understand what it is saying. They won't, for they are "the troop of robbers" that are stripping the house of God clean of the truth of God's plan.

Jesus was sent to Israel, and there were many among Israel that were of the "Nethinim" [Kenites] that were not of Israel. "Nethinim" means that they were "given to service", or liturgical duties, of the priesthood, and scribes but not by God. They assumed the duties, and were unopposed by the men of the house of Judah. These duties were set aside for the Levitical priesthood, and coming out of Babylon over four centuries before Jesus Christ's birth, both Ezra and Nehemiah had seen that these Kenites had taken over.

I Chronicles 2:55: "And the families of the scribes which dwelt at Jabez [Jerusalem]; the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and Suchathites. These are the Kenites that came of Hemath, the father of the house of Rechab." The entire book of Hosea is direct to the "Lost sheep of the "House of Israel", not the Jews. But these Kenites have become the self-righteous leadership over the House of Judah, Jesus is playing with these Kenite Pharisees' minds.

The "House of Israel" was scattered in 722 B.C by the Assyrians, and migrated through the Caucasus Mountains, to the north and western Europe, and the Americas. Today they are lost, because they don't even know who they are. They call themselves "Caucasians", and they think "Caucasian" is a race of people, because they have forgotten the event. Hosea 1:10 identifies them as the "sons of the living God". Christ is the living God, and those sons would be called Christians. Jesus Christ knew where they were, and who they are, and today they have become as numerous as the sand of the seas, scattered around the world.

Matthew 9:14 "Then came to Him the disciples of John, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but Thy disciples fast not?"

These disciples are the followers of John the Baptist. They are asking Jesus directly, why do your disciples not fast and we have to fast many times? A fast is when you give up something because you are grieving over something lost or gone.

Matthew 9:15 "And Jesus said unto them, "Can the children of the bride chamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast."

The bride chamber is a happy place, and those in with the bride are happy for her. Jesus is asking the question, and the answer is, of course not? Jesus is referring to His death soon. The fast will come shortly, but not while the wedding is going on. The time for Christ's disciples fast will be at His crucifixion, when the Groom is taken from them. Christ is still with them and teaching them at this time.

Matthew 9:16 "No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse."

Jesus is answering John's disciples with a parable. Jesus is showing them that this old garment, is the traditions of these Pharisees, the hypocrites; They were not the teachings of the Old Testament, but of the traditions that they had put in place of the Word of God. They were the do's and don'ts of the self-righteous, and never was part of God's Holy Word, and never will be. It is the silliness of man's teaching.

When you have a old pair of pants on, that you really like to wear; it is real comfortable. Then when you wear a hole in it in the knees, you repair it with new material, and new thread. When it come time to wash it again, and the soap and hot water works on the old fabric, the new fabric shrinks right up, and yet the old is so well worn, that it stays the same. When you put the pants on to wear it again, you have puckered knees that stick out like a sore thumb.

Jesus is comparing the repair job on the garment to the self-righteous man that is so deep in traditions of men, that when they hear the real truth of God Word, the "new fresh garment material", and apply that word to their old traditions, it causes them to squirm and pucker up. If it sounds to vulgar for God's Word, maybe your to self-righteous for God. Are you to steeped in your traditions, to hear and understand God's plan?

So if you didn't get the first example, Jesus is going to give another analogy. Maybe you didn't understand the message of the old pair of pants.

Matthew 9:17 "Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved."

When the juices are green and fermenting, it builds up quite a pressure. Understand here that in the original text, "Bottle" is "wine skin"; it is not glass, but an animal skin. A new animal skin stretches, when it is green and pliable. The old wine skin is stretched to the limit, and is fixed to the point that it is solid. Jesus is telling these people that if you put new wine in an old wine skin there is no give to it, and it will burst.

When you put the real truth into an old fixed in traditions church, that is just what will happen to them. They are so fixed in their minds that they just can't handle the truth of God's Word. Jesus is talking about the righteous scribes, and ministers, and lay persons that are set in their traditions and doctrines, and they just can't give when the truth enters their midst. However the sinner, and publicans can give, they are hearing the new wine that is the Word, and when they hear they can and will give, and become pliable to what God wants them to do.

The "new Wine" is the teachings of God's Word that Jesus is giving, and those teachings will split that old church house wide open. In most church houses in the world today, should Jesus walk into their midst and go to the pulpit, they would be harder to convince then these old self-righteous scribes and Pharisees were to convince. If He was to teach the real truth, today's churchmen would throw Christ out, or it would split that church wide open. They are not pliable to the word of God. Christ's teachings are powerful, when activated by the Spirit of the Living God.

Try to understand the teachings of Christ in the simplicity that He taught them. For it is only through those teachings of Christ that you can apply them to your life, to have it a value to you. And through them, you can find peace of mind.

Matthew 9:18 "While He spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped Him, saying, "My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live." "

This "certain ruler" was a leader in the synagogue, and he is asking for Jesus help, even after his daughter is dead. This is real faith, for he is asking Jesus to bring back the soul even after that soul of the daughter has departed the body. This ruler had to know beyond any doubt that this was the Messiah, of he understood that it was only God that could raise one from the dead. This ruler is saying, she is even now dead.

This healing is recorded in greater length in Luke 8:40 and on. This ruler knew that if he could get Jesus to lay hands on his child, she would come to life. He declared such, "she shall live".

Matthew 9:19 "And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did His disciples."

Luke points out that this girl is twelve years old, and there is a more in-depth lesson to this, in that she is twelve, her age is symbolic of the "House of Israel". The House of Judah knows who they are, but Israel in large part is asleep. God is speaking to Israel that is dead spiritually.

Matthew 9:20 "(And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind Him, and touched the hem of His garment:"

Here is that numerical value of twelve again, and it is also another female.

Matthew 9:21 "For she said within herself, "If I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole."

Notice what the woman said; "If I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole". This again is faith. If you want your prayers answered, you have to have that same faith, and know beyond any doubt that your request will come to pass. There can be no doubt in you. If it is His will you will be healed, or you prayer answered, and it will be according to God's will.

When the man with palsy sought healing, God forgave his sins first, and that was truly the greatest miracle. For only Christ can forgive sins. When you are dealing with faith, the forgiving of your sins are greater then the healing of the physical body. This woman knew absolutely that she would be healed, even before she touched Jesus garment, she had the faith.

Don't waste your time in prayer if you have doubts before you pray.

Matthew 9:22 "But Jesus turned Him about, and when He saw her, He said, "Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole." And the woman was made whole from that hour.)"

Luke 8:43 points out that she had this issue for twelve years, and had spent all her living [money upon physicians, and none could heal her, so this was her only possibility of getting healed. She saw others being healed, and she knew that if she could just touch the lowest part of Christ's garment, she would be healed.

Matthew 9:23 "And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise,"

Now we are back at the house of the ruler, with the dead twelve year old daughter, and the house was filled with the people preparing the body, and the mourners for family and friends. These were the professionals mourners, that hired out to do their act, in most cases.

Matthew 9:24 "He said unto them, "Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth." And they laughed Him to scorn."

When Jesus walked into the room, He took authority and ordered them out. And they looked up at Him through their artificial tears, and laughed and made fun of Jesus. This is just as we see that Israel [Christians] are doing today. They are going through with their ceremonial act, and when a teacher of God's word speaks to them, they give out the same laugh and scorning, if it differs from their dead traditions.

Remember in Ezekiel 37, where Ezekiel is told to go and prophecy against that whole valley of dry, dead and disconnected bones of the whole House of Israel. The meaning was that they were spiritually dead. Even today, Israel is dead and she just doesn't know it, they are just like this twelve year old girl. They sit Sunday after Sunday, and suck up the small dribble of milk from their pastor, and expect that to satisfy their spiritual needs all week. Physically it just wouldn't keep them alive, and that is why they also are spiritually dead.

Friend if you expect God to bless your life, it is time that you get into all of God's Word, and except the whole Word as the complete plan of God, and start paying attention to what is going on around us, before it is to late for you. Make your spiritual life as important as your physical life, and feed both alike.

Matthew 9:25 "But when the people were put forth, He went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose."

When Jesus made the point, in a stern voice, they all went. Jesus then went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up. In Luke 8:55 it states; "And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and He commanded to give her meat." When the girl came to life, Jesus told them to give the girl food that she can live by, meat and not milk.

When we have Christ come into ones heart, that mind becomes hungry, and they need to be feed from the Word of God. They need meat to sustain themselves, and not the dribble of milk spattered out from most pulpits of today. To understand the full Word of God brings comfort and peace of mind.

Matthew 9:26 "And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land."

That fame went out of the miracles of Christ, and it is also the fame of today. Jesus made this girl that was dead to live, and that is a miracle, but you miss the whole meaning of the lesson, if you don't teach also what the twelve year old girl, and twelve year blood issue stood for. In the simplicity of Christ's teachings, that it stood for the lost tribes of Israel.

Christ will soon pay the price on the cross here and salvation will be open to all, but the tribes of Israel have duties and obligations in the prophesies of God's Word. Thank God there are many that are starting to open their eyes, and allowing those truths to transform their lives into spiritual vessels that God can use.

Matthew 9:27 "And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed Him, crying, and saying, "Thou Son of David, have mercy on us."

These two blind men could not see, yet they knew that He was the Son of God, and they cried out to Him in passion, "have mercy upon us." Mercy is the unmerited favor by God, to undeserving man. These two men knew of the Messiah that was prophesied to be born of a virgin in Bethlehem, and they knew that this Jesus was He. They had no doubt.

Spiritually what is this telling us? Two stands for witness in the Scriptures, and it is required that two witnesses voice out, for words to be accepted. Here the two blind men both are assured of who Jesus Christ is, and they sound off, "Thou Son of David have mercy on us."

This miracle follows the raising of the girl, and here you also have the "key to David", so you can see that what Christ was really talking about, is that Israel is not not only dead, but is blind. They don't have eyes to see.

Matthew 9:28 "And when He was come into the house, the blind men came to Him: and Jesus saith unto them, "Believe ye that I am able to do this?" They said unto Him, "Yea, Lord."

These two blind men followed right behind Jesus into the house, so Jesus turned to them and if they really believed that Christ could heal them. Their answer was absolute and firm, "Yea Lord."

At the end of your prayer, if Christ appeared to you and asked you, do you really think I will do that for you? What would your response be? A firm, Yea Lord!, or mush flowing in garble out of your mouth. A weak, If you think you can Lord?"

When you pray be absolute and positive, that is the faith that is required of the Lord.

Matthew 9:29 "Then touched He their eyes, saying, "According to your faith be it unto you."

The eye is the mirror of the soul, and most souls are dead. Jesus reached out and touched these two blind men on their eyes, and said "According to your faith be it unto you."

This is a proposition, friend, and the proposition is that if you believe when you are asking, it shall be done. But if your playing around, your wasting your time. Christianity is not a religion, but it is a reality. It is real, and when you accept it as real, it becomes your way of life. If it is a game to you, then it become just another chance in your life; and the odds are stacked against you.

If you are pretending playing church, it is blasphemy to God, especially if it carries Christ's name.

Matthew 9:30 "And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, "See that no man know it."

Jesus told them to keep the most important event in their lives a secret. I think He knew what they were going to do.

Matthew 9:31 "But they, when they were departed, spread abroad His fame in all the country."

You can just see these two joyful souls running around the town sounding out the good news. Jesus Christ can still heal the blind today, and heal the sick, and when He does it, it allows you to give those around you an example that God still honor's faith.

Matthew 9:32 "As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a dumb man possessed with a devil."

What this is saying, is that these two men that just received their sight went out into the street and got this other man that could not speak. He was frightened by the devil to the point of losing his ability to talk.

Spiritually speaking, this man couldn't speak the truth, because the devil had seared his mind with traditions, and false doctrines.

Matthew 9:33 "And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, "It was never so seen in Israel.".

The people were saying, we have never seen anyone do this before. Take the in depth meaning here, get the devil out of your system. Get the devil out of your churches, and including those Scripture lawyers that twist the Scriptures on every corner, to fit their own purposes. You know; the pass the plate religion.

Friend, it is time to get down to the depth of the true meaning of God's Word, and learn to live in peace. When you open your mouth, let it be the truth, speaking for the true Christ, instead of tradition.

Matthew 9:34 "But the Pharisees said, "He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils."

Satan had his influence on earth all the time, even in the heritage of the Pharisees doing the talking. Yet this had never been done before by anyone. Satan is the weaker one when he comes agains anyone of God's elect, for they know the power of God that we have in His Holy Spirit, when we claim the name of Jesus.

Matthew 9:35 "And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the People."

The gospel of the kingdom is the things that we have just been studying. It is the teaching of the twelve tribes, their passing, and how that they need to be waken up. How that if they will see and repent, God will change their lives.

Matthew 9:36 "But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd."

As Jesus looked over this mass of people, He took pity on them. He saw that they were like a bunch of lost sheep heading in all direction, with no one to lead them. The Pharisees had taken the priesthood and this mob of people was getting fed by these Kenites very little of God's Word, and a whole lot of tradition. They were fed just enough to keep the fund rolling into the offering plate. And if you notice that when Jesus is challenged, it is almost always from this same band of leaders.

Not much has changed from the time of Christ, for we have the same small band of Pharisees today, those Kenites with their liberal minds, that stand for everything but what the Word of God teaches.

Matthew 9:37 "Then saith He unto His disciples, "The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;"

There is no difference today then it was in Jesus day. The masses of the people of Israel are still spiritually dead, and the harvest is truly plenteous. There is a time coming very shortly when you will either know the truth, or God will cause you to be blind for the truth. The signs of the end times are becoming history on a daily basis, and Christians go right on like they have all the time in the world.

God is looking for the laborers today, just as He was in Christ's day, and there is just as much a shortage.

Matthew 9:38 "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest."

We are to pray that people will wake up and become the laborers to go forth and give out the true Word of God to the spiritually blind masses.

Matthew Chapter 10

"Mission of the Twelve Begun; Enmity, Encouragement"

This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson

Matthew 10:1 "And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease."

Jesus Christ can give you power, which is authority, and it is a gift from God. It is God that does the healing, and the casting out of the demons, and unclean spirits, and you speak the words in Jesus name.

Matthew 10:2 "Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;"

Matthew 10:3 "Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;"

Matthew 10:4 "Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him."

Matthew 10:5 "These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:"

God gave His disciples strict orders to stay clear, do not approach the Gentiles. This order was because it was not the time of the Gentiles yet. Jesus still had to pay the price on the cross, before the way would be open to all mankind.

When they went out, this was their first priority to give the gospel.

Matthew 10:6 "But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

Now does this say "go to the Jews", or "Go to Judah"? No. It says "Go to the lost sheep of the House of Israel". The sons of Judah know where they are, and who they are; there is nothing lost about them. In fact, when these Jews came to Jesus in their self-righteous attitude, they came to trick Him up, because of this He would answer their questions in parables to keep the kingdom message a mystery from them. Jesus didn't even imply that the disciples should go to the House of Judah.

If you are lost, it means that that person doesn't know who they are. They are not in Jerusalem anymore, but gone to another area completely, and lost their identity to themselves. As a Christian, it should be your priority to learn who these lost "House of Israel" are, or you will not be able to rightly divide the Word of truth. To understand the parables that Jesus Christ taught you need to understand the parable of the sower concerning the children of the good and the bad; which is the prime root to the "key of David". This topic we will discuss in detail in Matthew 13.

This is a very simple message, but it is a total mystery to much of the church world today, and they attach the Jews, good and bad, as the lost sheep of the House of Israel. God is the same yesterday, today and forever, and that message continues right to today. So how do you prepare yourself to go out and plant the seed of the word of God, when the simplest parts of God's mystery are over looked?

Matthew 10:7 "And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand."

First, as you go, you tell those that you intend to give the gospel message to that the "kingdom of heaven is very close." Then the kingdom was at hand for the kingdom started at the crucifixion of Christ, for all those that accepted and repented.

Matthew 10:8 "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give."

The healing still applies today, and James 5:14 instructs us in how we are to approach the sick. "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:" It is the elders of the church who have the responsibility to know the Word; and they are to pray, and anoint the sick with the oil of our people [olive oil], and this is done in the name of Jesus Christ. It isn't the oil that heals or the laying hands on, but Jesus Christ and the Spirit of the Living God that heals.

The raising of the dead, is the raising of the spiritually dead. The casting out of devils should be part of every Christian's life, as they order evil Spirits out of their lives and homes, and this is done with the anointing of the oil, and in the name of Jesus. Jesus name is your authority.

Matthew 10:9 "Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,"

When you go out, don't even bring your wallet with you, God will give you all your provision. In Christ's day, it was customary for people to take in travelers. However in this day and age, this custom isn't accepted, because to the crime in the streets today. Today you need to plan ahead.

Matthew 10:10 "Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat."

Another words, where ever a minister goes to preach, he is worthy of his hire. We have established churches today, and this teaching holds true today. When you bring some pastor or teacher into your church that is not part of your congregation, at least expenses should be covered. However, if that person is not teaching the truths from God's Word, he then is not worthy of his hire.

Matthew 10:11 "And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence."

The term "is worthy", would be better translated "is Godly", or compassionate. When you are on a teaching ministry, don't move from one house to another, but stay at that same house. Why? Because on your first day in a town there was a ritual over how you were to be fed and housed, then things settled down, and you could get on with the work you were sent to do. You would have more time to preach.

Matthew 10:12 "And when ye come into an house, salute it."

"Salute it", means "salaam" in the Greek, you are to ask for God's peace on the house.

Matthew 10:13 "And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you."

There is a condition to the blessing that is placed upon the house. If there is peace in the house and honor given to the work of the Lord, then the house will be blessed; however, if there is resentment over have one of the Lord's workers stay there, don't ask God to bless it.

Matthew 10:14 "And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet."

When you are rejected in a house or city, and they will not listen to the words from the Scriptures, God's Word, don't let it bother you. It must be God's Word and not the traditions of men that you are teaching. "Shake of the dust of your feet", is an idiom or figure of speech, which is saying, "I'll have nothing more to do with them." It was done in such a fashion that it was clear what you were implying.

Matthew 10:15 "Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city."

Did you ever think of how much God loves His own, that He would punish an entire city for the way that they had treated His minister. When the answer is coming will be on the day of Judgment. On that day each person of that city will carry their part of the burden on that judgment day.

Matthew 10:16 "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves."

A sheep is the most helpless animal there is, especially if there is a wolf around. There is absolutely no defense that a sheep can give. Christ said this to identify these disciples as His sheep, going forth to do a mission. Keep in mind, that wherever the sheep goes, the shepherd is the one with the responsibility for the sheep's safety. When the sheep goes forth, the protection around him also goes forth, and that protection is provided by the Heavenly Father, and His Spirit. This is the reason why the sheep are symbolic of God's people; for those elect of God can rely on God's protection totally. The Shepherd is Jesus Christ.

A wolf is very cunning, but it is a stupid animal. The serpent is wise in that it hypnotizes the minds of his prey, and then brings them under his power. As a servant of God giving out the Word, you are to have the ability to get the other persons attention. You don't mess around with the serpents deception of his rattles, or body movement, but you challenge his head, his mind. Go for the victory, and in this case, the victory is the planting of the Word of God in his mind.

Though the dove seems harmless, it is fierce in protecting it's young. The likeness of the dove is used as a comparison of the Holy Spirit. He is so peaceful when He ascends upon a person, and fills the person with joy and comfort, yet the Holy Spirit of God is the protector of God's elect.

Matthew 10:17 "But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;"

Though it is written to include the missions of Jesus Christ's day, and the councils of that day were the Sanhedrin; it also applies to our generation, as we live in these final days of this earth age. When Jesus was asked by his disciples, What will it be like before His coming [second advent], Jesus answered; "But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought before hand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Spirit," Mark 13:11

Why would the elect of our generation be treated similar to these disciples of Jesus day? Because God's elect of our day know the truth, that the one presenting himself as the Christ, will be the Antichrist, Satan, and the world can't except that. The disciples that Jesus sent forth, also did not preach the same teaching as the accepted religious form of that day. Most Christians today say that they will be gone when the Antichrist comes, and that is the reason that they will be deceived. For the Antichrist will appear to them exactly as they were taught that the true Christ would come, and because of this, God will close their minds to the truth, and turn them over to the Antichrist. Though Satan carries the name of a dragon and serpent, he was created and is the most beautiful of all the arch angles.

Satan looks like a man, but he is an angel. He is the son of perdition, and when he comes he will be given authority and supernatural powers by God. God's elect know this for they have studied His Word, and are alert to the prophecies as they come to pass. Paul put us on alert in II Corinthians 11:14 just how Satan will come to earth; "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light." Jesus Christ is the "Angel of light", and when Satan comes, he will be transformed, or changed to appear, and sound, and speak, and do miracles, and wonders to look, and make you think that he is the Messiah [that's the rapture doctrine]. Only he is not, and then you will be tricked. That is why you study the whole Word of God.

Matthew 10:18 "And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles."

Jesus assured His disciples that they would be delivered up, and we in this final generation have the same assurances.

Matthew 10:19 "But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak."

This order that Jesus gave His disciples on their first missionary journey, is identical to the warning that Jesus gave to His elect, living in the final generation, recorded in Mark 13:11, and given above.

This Speaking of the Holy Spirit of God through your mouth is the cloven tongue that was spoken on Pentecost day, that so many call the "unknown tongue" today. It was not unknown, for Acts 2:7, 8 specifies that everyone from all over the world heard the speaking in their own language. "And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, "Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans?' [7] "And how hear we every man in our own tongue [language], wherein we were born? [8] That means in their own neighborhood dialect. No interpreter was necessary.

Matthew 10:20 "For it is not ye that speak, but the spirit of your Father which speaketh in you."

That Spirit is the Holy Spirit of God that will speak in you. Any man can babble on, and pretend to speak a new language (gibberish), but no man can imitate the Holy Spirit of God. Babbling is confusion, and God is not the author of confusion. This tongue is the evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit of God. As used in the final generation, Peter calls our attention to it in the Book of Acts.

Acts 2:16 "But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel:" Quoting from Joel 2:28-31.

Acts 2:17-21 gives us the entire quotation; "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:" [verse 17].

Matthew 10:21 "And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death."

In all of history there is no time where the fathers of a people would deliver their children to be killed. This is not the physical death, but the spiritual death. This is the instructions that Jesus is giving to His disciples before they went on their first missionary journey. Friend this is also the exact message that Jesus will give them later, as to how it would be just before His return to earth to set up His Millennium age kingdom.

Mark 13:12; "Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death."

Jesus explains why He came in the flesh in Hebrews 2:14; "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." Jesus came to destroy Satan the devil.

In one form or another, you will be delivered up to give account of Christ, and explain just why you will not take the Antichrist, as your Messiah. Satan is death, and your own families are the ones that will turn you over to them in ignorance. The reason the father delivers the child up to death, or Satan, the Antichrist, is that he thinks Satan is Jesus Christ, the Messiah. The instant you show or give any authority to Satan, you have taken the Satan's mark of the beast.

Matthew 10:22 "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved."

Just as Jesus disciples were hated and despised for bringing that first gospel of Christ to the lost House of Israel, they endured, and came back to report to Jesus of their job well done. In Jesus message to the disciples concerning the final days in Mark 13:13, we read the exact same words; "And ye shall be hated of all me for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."

Matthew 10:23 "But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come."

Friend, the Word of God has gone out by satellite, by radio, by Internet, by Bible distribution, and through missionaries going to every part of this earth, with the gospel of Christ. God's Word is in most every language and dialect of the world. The entire "House of Israel", Christian nations and cities of the world have been preached to, and the time of the end is here.

The starting of that final generation occurred with the parable of the fig tree, the planting of the fig nation, the [Jews] in their homeland, and that occurred May 15, 1948, under the Belfour agreement, and the establishing of the tiny nation of Israel. The political beast is fully matured, in the United nations, while their ten agencies are the ten heads of power that give their authority over to its political head. The hidden ones are well set and do control the "four hidden dynasties of power, and their control began by way of their grip on Christians many years ago.

The signs that Christ gave us that would happen prior to his return, in most cases are history to us today. It is time to wake up, and be alert, for the time of the false messiah could come about any time. Remember that the entire Russian empire unraveled in one weekend, and the world power and authority of the United Nations could come apart just as fast.

Revelation 13:3; "And I saw one of his heads [the political beast's head] as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast." A government receives its deadly wound when it looses it's authority to function as a government, and ceases to have power. When nations take back their power, and nationalism comes to life, the political beast dies.

Matthew 10:24 "The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord."

The student is not above his teacher, and that is just the way it is. What is applied here, is that you need to keep in the Word. God has given us what we should know, and there is always more to know from His Word. We are to study until we reach the level of our teacher, Jesus Christ, and that is why this entire age we must continue to study.

Matthew 10:25 "It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?"

It is sufficient that the pupil become like his teacher. Our end is to keep on studying to where you can have people rely on what you say. When Christ walked the earth, if they called Him Beelzebub [Satan, lord of the flies], know all the more that they will also say that you are of Satan. Jesus is saying don't worry about it, we will have the victory.

Matthew 10:26 "Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known."

God has already revealed everything that you will face, in His Word, and there will be nothing that you will go through that should be a surprise to you, for you can expect what is prophesied coming your way, as well as the protection that will be given. What is important is that you are obedient to God's Word, and His Son, and keep committed to serve Him.

Matthew 10:27 "What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops."

Those things that come to your mind while you study my Word, speak out those things and tell others. Jesus is also telling His disciples that when they hear Him teaching something, speak that message also. The "preaching from the housetops", means to spread the Word. The housetops were where people gathered at the close of the day. It was the place for the neighborhood chat and gossip.

Matthew 10:28 "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

This is important that you understand that there is only one person that can kill both your body and the soul, and that person is the Almighty God Himself. He created both your body and your soul, and just as He created both, He also can destroy both body and soul. This also documents just where it is that the wicked souls will be destroyed.

So the only thing that the true Christian has to fear, is to commit the unforgivable sin, and that can only be committed when you are delivered up to the synagogues of Satan, and you refuse to allow the Holy Spirit to speak through you. As you do your witnessing the Holy Spirit will protect you all the way. Only God's elect will be delivered up, those bound in traditions need not fear of sinning this sin, for they will not be turned over to Satan, because they will be there already.

Matthew 10:29 "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father."

The value of the sparrow is one half of the smallest unit of money that existed, the farthing. Jesus is telling us that when just one of these little birds dies, God is aware of it. He is saying that we can know how much more God cares for us, then one of these little birds.

Matthew 10:30 "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered."

Matthew 10:31 "Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows."

Matthew 10:32 "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven."

You are to confess exactly what Christ told you to teach. Not some traditions, or church doctrines that sound good, and simply did not come from Scriptures. If God knows when every sparrow falls, and the number of the hairs on your head, then He knows your every need. When you take care of God's business on earth, then Jesus will take care of the attention of your affairs that is necessary before our Heavenly Father.

Matthew 10:33 "But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven."

Jesus is now sitting at the right hand of the Father in Heaven, and He is letting you know, just as you tell others of the good things of Him, He will report good things of you. Jesus is also warning you that if those things are not true and of good report, then also Jesus will deny you before my Father Which is in heaven.

Matthew 10:34 "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword."

The peace that comes on the earth is a false peace, but the sword of the Lord is a two edged sword, it is the tongue of Jesus Christ. That sword that is given here is our entire Bible, and that Word shall not be compromise with any part of humans unjust judgments. Jesus is telling us that when something comes in your life that seems unjust, and we have been compromising with Satan, it is what we should expect. Jesus came to bring the sword of truth, as spelled out in His Holy Word. He spoke it in person, and He wrote it through the prophets. That is the thing that He brought to us, and we can see the fulfillment of that Word.

Matthew 10:35 "For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law."

The variance comes into being when there is a difference between what the father's traditions teach, and his son following of what the Word of God has to say. When there is a difference in what the family members believe, then there will be discourse in the household. There are two different natures in these individuals, and two different frames of mind.

Man's word changes every day, and so does the vocabulary of the traditions also change. Those changes are what is accepted as sin, and the standards that modern man lives by. However, God Word is fixed, and unchanging. It was the same yesterday, as it is today, and will be at the end of this earth age.

Matthew 10:36 "And a man's foes shall be they of his own household."

Matthew 10:37 "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me."

The comparison is not whether you love or do not love your family members, but whether they take priority over Christ and His work. Your worthiness to Christ is to what degree that you put His work over the wants of your family. Your family can turn on you, but God will never turn on you.

Matthew 10:38 "And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me."

Your cross is what you take when you expect to be crucified on it. In other words, what you are going to do daily for Christ, you would be willing to die for that cause. Don't take this statement too lightly. You pick up your cross when you are studying God's Word, then to what point are willing to die for that Word? Take it seriously enough that if you are delivered up, that would be your state of mind.

Mathew 10:39 "He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it."

This is a matter of just where you place your priorities. When we take up Christ's cross and go out to plants the seeds of truth, whatever we should lose in this flesh body or die, in dying we obtain our eternal salvation.

Matthew 10:40 "He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me."

To receive a person, is to give them your attention to what they are saying, or to what they may have a need of. However you receive a man of God, that is how both the Father and the Son of God will receive you.

Matthew 10:41 "He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward."

Many ministries are built around their begging bag type of ministry, and the Word of God is handled only secondary. When you see a man of God, and a ministry that is worthy of support then be faithful to it. Give as the Spirit of God lays on your heart. Those gifts go beyond just money, but in prayer or other ways that allow you to contribute. By your support of that work of God, you will receive your just reward and that is a surety.

When a man comes to you with tears, or threats, you can be sure that that person is not of God, for that is not how our Lord operates. That is not "shaking off the dust", and heading to the next city. Christ doesn't want your gift if it is tricked or scared out of you. The sword of the Lord is also your telling that con artist just what you think of him, and where he came from.

If you receive a person or ministry that is part of the work of God, then you also are participating in his work. The same rewards that the minister one doing the work is getting, that is your reward also. This applies also to giving tithes to where it should be given. How can you expect a blessing from God, when you throw your tithe after a person teaching against God's Word.

Matthew 10:42 "And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward."

God knows every hairs on your head, the tiny sparrows that fall and even the glass of water given in His name. He sees even the least part that you take in the promotion of the gospel, and the helping of one of God's own, and God will reward you greatly for it. You will never out give our Heavenly Father, when it is given in the right way, and not to a con artist. Know the Word of God, and know it when it is taught. Get in the habit of checking out the teacher.

Matthew Chapter 11

"Teachings"

This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson

Matthew 11:1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding His twelve disciples, He departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities."

After Jesus ended His teaching time with His disciples, He left them and went on to other cities alone preaching and teaching. His disciples went their ways also preaching and healing as they went to the Lost House of Israel. It is good to teach, however before you teach, you must learn what should be taught and understand it yourself.

Matthew 11:2 "Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,"

John the Baptist will be beheaded shortly after this.

Matthew 11:3 "And said unto Him, "Art thou He that should come, or do we look for another?"

Unfortunately this is one of the most misunderstood verses in the New Testament. John knew who Jesus was, they were cousins, and John baptized Jesus. In fact, John stated in verse 3:14, "I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?" After Jesus was baptized, and the Holy Spirit of God came down, while John was standing there, a voice came from heaven; "And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Matthew 3:17

John knew from his study of the Minor Prophets that there were two Advents, and John's question here was not questioning whether Jesus was the Christ, for he knew that; John was inquiring if there was still a second Advent yet to come, besides His coming as a child.

Matthew 11:4 "Jesus answered and said unto them, "Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:"

Jesus told John's followers to stay by Him and listen and watch what I am doing, and then go and report back to him.

Matthew 11:5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them."

When you see all six of these events taking place, one thing is obvious, and that is that salvation has come. This is the Advent of salvation, not for the advent of King of kings, and Lord of lords, as He will come for the Millennium kingdom. Christ has come to bring knowledge and salvation, and not to rule with a rod of iron.

Matthew 11:6 "And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me."

Jesus is saying, Blessed is he [she] that will not stumble at my teachings. That means blessed is he that hears those teachings and understands them.

Matthew 11:7 "And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, "What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?" "

When John's friends had departed, Jesus turned to those standing by, and asked them; what did you expect to find out there in the wilderness, a weak-kneed man that would sway with every wind of doctrine? John wasn't that way. He had only one message that he cried out. "Repent", and many did.

Matthew 11:8 "But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings houses."

John wore the prophets clothing that many look down their noses at. John was not like any other preacher, for there was no sugar coating of God's Word when he spoke. He came right out and proclaimed; Ye hypocrites, Repent." He was direct, to the point, and bold.

Matthew 11:9 "But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet."

Matthew 11:10 "For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee."

Jesus was quoting here from Malachi 3:1; "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me:" Jesus is quoting here concerning Elijah's return before that dreadful day of the Lord.

Matthew 11:11 "Verily I way unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."

Matthew 11:12 "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force."

From the violence that jailed John the Baptist, that claimed his life, this force will continue in power and force until the kingdom of heaven comes to earth. That day will be close of this earth age, at the sounding of the seventh trumpet. At that time our Lord Jesus Christ will return for the second advent. We are entering a time when violence is becoming far worse then before, but when Satan the Antichrist returns to earth, the violence is not a physical violence, but spiritual violence and that force will claim the spiritual life of all mankind, except for God's elect.

The violence of the end times is by mental anguish, cruelty, and punishment, which comes from the Antichrist claiming something that he is not. It will be Satan in the role of Antichrist standing up and claiming to be Christ, and having the world believe it; and they will. As we get closer to the coming of the Antichrist, pay attention to the spiritually forceful ones becoming more violent in the push to place their false peace accords in place. You will know them by the words that come out of their mouths. The peace that they offer is a false peace, and the words that they say are lies.

Matthew 11:13 "For all the prophets and the law prophesied unto John."

Jesus is identifing John the Baptist as the last prophet before the first advent of Christ.

Matthew 11:14 "And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come."

Did you notice, there is a condition within this statement. Jesus is saying that if you receive Christ as King of kings, then John the Baptist is Elijah, in which he was prophesied to come before the coming of Christ. However, Jesus was not received as a King, but as a common man and crook, for which He was hung on the cross. They did not receive John the Baptist as Elijah, and the coming of Elijah is recorded in Malachi 4:5; "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:"

Luke 1:17 tells us that John the Baptist came only in the spirit of Elijah; "And he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." The spirit of Elijah was only the forerunner, and the entire world did not receive either John, nor Christ. John was asked if he was Elijah, point blank from the Pharisees, and John answered NO [John 1:21].

So, What is the Elijah ministry? It is the ministry that turns the hearts of the people [children] to their fathers [two of them]. That ministry comes at the end of this earth age, and the fathers are Jesus Christ, and Satan the Antichrist. God's children are the Elect of God, that know the Scriptures, and are not deceived when the six seals of deception are opened. They wait for their true Christ, and are the bride of Christ.

The children of Satan are all those that follow after the traditions of men, and doctrines that will lead them to the Antichrist, such as the rapture doctrine. They are the bride that adorns themselves for the wrong husband. They are the ones that will stand as the unfaithful wife at the return of Jesus Christ. They will commit their act in ignorance, because they just don't care to study the Word of God for the truth.

Even the Pharisees knew that Elijah was the forerunner of the Christ, and marked that time well, because they knew that the true Christ would come to earth then.

Matthew 11:15 "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

Jesus closes this part of the message with this statement, drawing our attention that it is important for us to learn and understand. Do you understand what the Elijah message is all about? It is important that you do. It marks the end of this flesh age, and the message is that you will know the true Christ, and the signs of the times, or you will be drawn to the Antichrist [Satan]. You that have ears to hear, pay attention, something important was just stated.

Matthew 11:16 "But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows."

Jesus is trying to identify the generation of His times. He said that they like little children sitting in the street and playing games with their little friends.

Matthews 11:17 "And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented."

Jesus is comparing that generation with a bunch of children that are playing a game of a wedding, and they are saying, we played the wedding song, and you are not dancing. Your not happy when we wanted to play wedding. So next they said, let's play funeral, if you don't want to play wedding, then let's play funeral. Then when we play funeral you won't cry and mourn. If you don't want to be happy, and you don't want to be sad, what can we be.

This is very true even today. Jesus is pointing out that there is very little emotion attached to salvation, and the love of our Heavenly Father. Accepting Christ in most churches, is looked at as just another part of the service. When there should be hunger by the lost for Christ, it is like accepting a sales presentation of a bystander. Then when there should be great joy in the salvation of just one soul, that soul becomes just another statistic in the church record book.

Where is the joy over that one soul that comes into the kingdom of heaven, or the sorrow for the soul that parishes. Where is the emotions and hunger for the lost, and the sorrow of the sinner in their repentance.

Matthew 11:18 "For John come neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He hath a devil.'

Matthew 11:19 "The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children."

Jesus is saying that while all these things are happening, and the people have no emotion, there are certain children that are not sleeping, but are paying attention. They will be justified by the wisdom they obtain. While God's children are obtaining wisdom, the children of the world are in a dorment mental state.

Matthew 11:20 "Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:"

In those cities where Jesus went in and healed thousands, and He preached to them, and cast our evil spirits; the blind could see, the dumb could speak, and the lepers were cleansed. Whatever the people asked Christ for, He gave it to them; Yet, "they repented not". Friend, they believed, but they did not repent.

In those places where Jesus did most of His healing, the religious community wanted to kill him, murder him. How could a good man be destroyed for his good deeds? The only way that a man of God could ever understand this, is by understanding the "key of David", and the Kenites that came in unawares. When one understands the nature of the Kenites, they will then understand their method of doing things is just like their father, Cain, who was the first murder, and of his father the devil. If that is hard too understand, after you complete the book of Matthew, I hope you have a clear understanding.

Matthew 11:21 "Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes."

Tyre was an island city built on a rock, and Sidon was a near by city. They were both where the Kenites called home. The people were the very offspring of Satan, through Cain. Jesus is saying that if these two cities had my miracles done in their town, like the mighty works that were done in Chorazin and Bethsaida, they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes. Sackcloth and ashes is an expression showing a true repentance.

Matthew 11:22 "But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you."

God was present in Chorazin and Bethsaida, and He performed many miracles, yet the people that saw the works of Christ did not repent. God was not present on Tyre and Sidon, nor did they have a prophet to show them the way. That is why the judgment will be more harsh on Chorazin and Bethsaida. They had the Word, and the benefits, and they refused to repent.

Matthew 11:23 "And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day."

Christ spent most of his time and teaching ministry in Capernaum. He called it His city. Jesus did most of his mighty works in Capernaum, and yet the people refused to repent. Jesus is telling them that if the works that He did in Capernaum were done in Sodom, they would have repented, and God would not have had to destroyed that city.

Friend, with all the religious freedoms, and access to scriptures, and good Bible teachers and reference materials, we have no excuse for our rejection of Jesus Christ. We have no excuse for being hard headed, and not repenting our sins. The punishment coming upon those of our generation will be harsh, for God will actually turn over all men and women on the face of this earth to the Antichrist. He will do it because they refuse to read and study His Word, and put on their spiritual armor to defend themselves against the fierce spiritual battle that is starting to take place.

Capernaum will face their sins at judgment, it is to late for them; however, you still have a chance to prepare yourself, and the start your preparation for the coming spiritual battle. The start is by your repenting of all your sins to our Heavenly Father in Jesus name, and turn from all sinful ways. You still have a choice, they don't. Capernaum believed, and were healed, but they refused to repent.

Matthew 11:24 "But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee."

Friend, Jesus is pointing a finger at all those that have been given an opportunity to taste of His love and grace, and then turned their back on Him. To the person who is in a foreign religion, and never heard of the mercies and love of God, God will deal with them in tolerance even in their ignorance, however those that have seen and heard the Word, and know the consequences of sin, and then turn and reject God's love and forgiveness; there is no tolerance on judgement day for them.

God gave us His Word, and in that Word He outlined in detail exactly what our generation would face. As we watch the news and see what is going on in the world today, each day as the prophetical events of the final day prophecy come to pass, that is another witness to you that God's Holy Word is true, and He does have control on all times and events. It truly is time to wake up.

Matthew 11:25 "At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes."

"At that time", is referring to the time that Jesus is answering these stiff necked people that rejected Jesus Christ. After they had seen all of His works of healing and heard His teaching, Our Lord is thanking His Heavenly Father that He had hid all the secrets from these people, for even if they would have seen, they would have treated the good news of the kingdom as trash.

Tyre and Sodom both reject God, and His laws, however they knew not of those laws. They were heathen, and ignorant of those teaching. This is not the case in Capernaum, because daily they watched Jesus heal people, and listened to them, to the point that it was just like another event in town. In fact Jesus was rather a bother to them, for they had their self-righteous Pharisees that set the standards for their walk, and Jesus became an obstacle to their religious form.

Those people that have not had the opportunity to see the works in person, or hear Jesus preach and still believe in Him, and take the writings of His Word as truth in faith, He offers each of these persons His Grace. That grace is salvation, it is unmerited favor before the Almighty Father, at the expence of Jesus Christ's shed blood on the cross. For that faith in His Son, even when we fall short, and have bad habits, and get down in the dumps; He will reach down and pick us up. Then upon our repentance, those things are blotted out, and will not be remembered at the time of Judgment. God takes care of His babes in Christ, that have taken what was revealed to us by the Spirit of God, and accepted by faith.

Matthew 11:26 "Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight."

It pleased Christ that those who refused to believe Christ, even after they saw the works, and heard His teaching, remained blind to the truths and things of the kingdom.

Matthew 11:27 "All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.

In other words, He blinded those people because there was no emotion in those people. What Christ is saying is that those that I chose, I open their eyes, then they see me.

Matthew 11:28 "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

The word "rest" means "sabbath" in the Hebrew tongue. Christ becomes our sabbath, all of our sabbaths when we accept Him, repent and believe on His name. What Christ is saying here is those that have eyes to see and ears to hear with understanding, and are laboring in this world; why do you carry your heavy burdens alone? Let me lighten those loads, and give you rest from your burdens and cares that weigh heavy on you..

Matthew 11:29 "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."

He is asking you to learn all about Him. When His Word becomes part of your life, and the central part of your heart, which is in your mind and what your are thinking, then the Holy Spirit will reveal His Word to you and you will find rest in your eternal living soul.

When you are looking at the taking of Christ's yoke as adding work to yourself, then your comparing yourself to a dumb ox. The purpose of the yoke, is to share the work [pulling] equally with each one that is hooked up to that yoke. Christ is telling us to take our heavy burdens, and hook them to His yoke, and let Christ share our burdens and make the stress and burdens lighter for us. The reason for the yoke is to take away the sharp points, and parts that would hurt the animal, and protect their skin and body from hurting. Christ is telling us to bring our loads to Him, and when we hook up to His yoke there is protection for us from our burdens.

When we take His teachings, and follow the guidelines that are set up in His Word; then bring our burdens to Him in prayer and repentence, those heavy burdens that we thought difficult, will be lightened as a balloon of hot air. However, then faith steps in, for we must place our faith in His promises, and not doubt the promises that he made to us.

Matthew 11:30 "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Taking Christ's yoke is not a problem, for it is Christ that does the harnessing. The master yokes the oxen, and places the traces upon them. Let Christ do that for you, and in that, you will find His rest. Christ's yoke will make your day go easy, and it will lighten the loads and pressures that this world places upon you.

Matthew Chapter 12

"The Will of God, Miracles, Effects, and Consequences."

This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson

Matthew 12:1 "At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat."

The Sabbath day is the day of rest. To us today it is the rest that Christ's yoke brings to us. Jesus and His disciples had been traveling, and they were hungry. They went by a field of corn and went right out into the field and plucked the corn and ate it right in the field.

Matthew 12:2 "But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto Him, "Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day."

Notice it is these self-righteous Pharisees that came to Jesus, to give the report as to what God's law says. The law gets a bad reputation because of ignorance down through the years. The law is very good, but it isn't worth anything when you leave another ingredience out of it's application. We will get to that ingredience later.

Matthew 12:3 "But He said unto them, "Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;"

Jesus is using I Samuel 21:6; as the reason for what the disciples did. "So the priest gave him [David] hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the Lord, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away."

Matthew 12:4 "How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?"

When David did this, it also wasn't lawful for David or his men also to eat the shewbread. The ingredient that was missing by the Pharisees, is "common sense". When common sense is applied to the law then it is good, and can be properly applied.

When an emergency vehicle is going to an emergency and runs a red light, he uses his red light, and that makes his actions right, and is common sense. One hundred percent of understand and applying God's law, must be good old common sense that God gave to each of us, if we will but use it.

Matthew 12:5 "Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?"

The Sabbath day was the busiest day for the priests, for their work was to be done on the Sabbath day, for that is the day of the sacrifices. On that day their duties caused them to break that laws dealing with the Sabbath day, however, they were compelled to do their duties. Common sense tells us that the profane actions of the priest were not a violation of the law. "Profane" in the Greek text means to take something of the Temple, or of God, and treat it as common, or not of the Lord.

Jesus asks these Pharisees, was David not a priest in the eyes of God, and doing His work? David and His men were fighting against ungodly people. The mind of the Pharisee is very common to what we are seeing today in the minds of the environmentalist. They make laws that do not apply in the following of common sense. The things they say about the laws are either not true, or taken out of context. The laws that they respect are not given for the sake of mankind and their well being, but only to advance the control over those that will allow these Pharisee environmentalists to rule over them. This is the type of narrow minded people that were trying to blame our Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 12:6 "But I way unto you, That in this place is One greater than the temple."

Jesus is telling these self-righteous Pharisees that in their midst is one greater then the Temple of God itself.

Matthew 12:7 "But if ye had known what this meaneth, 'I will have mercy, and not sacrifice', ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

Jesus is telling these Pharisees that if they would have only used a little common sense you would not have made such statements, and accused these guiltless men, Christ's disciples. This is also stated as part of prophecy in Hosea 6:6.

Matthew 12:8 "For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day."

This is the proclamation by Jesus Christ that He is The Messiah, the Christ, and the promised Redeemer. The "Lord even of the Sabbath" is the Almighty God, and He is the creator of all things, even the Sabbaths. Jesus is reminding these Pharisees that this is who He is. Do you accept that? If you do, then you are one of Christ's; and if you don't, then you're lost.

Jesus is telling them that what His disciples are doing on this day is legal, and if they had any common sense, they would understand it. Christ is the Lord of the Sabbath, and the Sabbath was made for man and not God, then if you have Christ in you, and the Holy Spirit, you would see that the whole purpose of that Sabbath is to be about Christ's business.

Matthew 12:9 "And when He was departed thence, He went into their synagogue:"

There was nothing bashful about our Lord, He left these Pharisees, and went to the synagogue. He went right into the church and taught openly.

Matthew 12:10 "And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked Him, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? That they might accuse Him."

These pack of churchmen were trying to set up a trap to catch Jesus Christ in. There is not much difference today as then. The Sabbath is rest, and when you are resting in Christ, you are honoring the Sabbath.

Matthew 12:11 "And He said unto them, "What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?"

Jesus is pointing out just how sensitive they were to animals. People are real sensitive to animals, and Jesus could be directing this to the common environmentalist of today. However common sense tells you to help the little creatures out when they are in trouble.

Matthew 12:12 "How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days."

Jesus then asks them, How much more is the human being more important then an animal? When you are resting in Christ, you are able to do more on the Sabbath. Like it was pointed out earlier, if you are one of Christ's disciples, or learners, then in fact, you are one of His priests, just as David and his men were, eating the shewbread of the priests.

If it is lawful for one of the priests to take the shewbread on the Sabbath, then it is also lawful of one of His elect. The reason for this is that when we are in Christ, all days are our Sabbaths.

Matthew 12:13 "Then saith He to the man, "Stretch forth thine hand." And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other."

This was the Sabbath, and Jesus Christ healed the man right in front of these religious types.

Matthew 12:14 "Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against Him, how they might destroy Him."

These Pharisees are a real tribe of satanic minds. When they saw the healing of this man with the withered hand, they went right out and started planning, (by way of their own council), to kill Christ. This would make them murders, for their council had planned beforehand to do a criminal act, against Jesus. Down through the centuries, there have been more acts of killing for a religious cause, then any other singular cause, except for natural death.

Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:34; "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword." Each of God's elect carry that sword, and that sword is the Word of God. There is the power that all of God's children carry, and that is where our power comes from. The sword is the Living Word, and it is revealed by the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 12:15 "But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew Himself from thence: and great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all;"

This made the Pharisees and religious leaders more upset, for here came one that just didn't talk, but He used His authority to do what the religious leaders couldn't do. He healed their bodies and gave them peace of mind. He held the power and authority from God, and the people saw it.

Matthew 12:16 "And charged them that they should not make Him known:"

Matthew 12:17 "That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,"

Isaiah taught that this would come to pass, way back in Isaiah 42:1 "Behold my Servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon Him: He shall bring forth judgement to the Gentiles." This is referring to the salvation that Jesus Christ would bring to the Gentiles.

Isaiah 42:2 "He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street."

Isaiah 42:3 "A bruised reed shall He not break, and the smoking flax shall He not quench: He shall bring forth judgment unto truth."

So now we see this word of Isaiah is repeated as prophecy coming true.

Matthew 12:18 "Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon Him, and He shall shew judgement to the Gentiles."

When the dove came down and lighted on Christ's shoulder, the voice from God spoke, "Behold this is my beloved Son of whom I am well pleased." God poured His Spirit out upon Jesus and His work on earth began. The Gentiles are the nations of the earth. With Jesus Christ's death on the cross, His judgment or righteousness was shown to all peoples and nations of the earth.

Matthew 12:19 "He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear His voice in the streets."

What this is saying is that you will not hear some great outcry in the streets by Jesus. When you hear Jesus in the streets it will be with firmness and authority, and it will be in love.

Matthew 12:20 "A bruised reed shall He not break, and smoking flax shall He not quench, till He send forth judgment unto victory."

When a reed is bruised it just falls apart, and can never be healed again or put back together. When ones life is so broken that you think that there is no hope, Christ will take that life, and restore it.

What is this "smoking flax" that is spoken of here? Remember the old oil burning lamps, and the wicks that they used. It struck up with lots of body, and burned bright, however when it was cold, and you touched it, it fell apart into dust. It had no strength. Christ can take those lives that are stretched and burned out to the point of falling apart, and build the strength back into it.

It is saying that God can trim that wick to put forth a much brighter light, without ever putting out the light. When you feel that you are all burned out from the pressures of the world, Christ can restore your life, and give you a new beginning. When you call out to Him, He is there with His gentle voice, ready to forgive, and set you in the right path.

Matthew 12:21 "And in His name shall the Gentiles trust."

Jesus name is the light to the world, and the glory to all Israel. He gives all that will call upon His name a new life and a new start.

Matthew 12:22 "Then was brought unto Him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and He healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw."

This possessed one that was brought to Jesus could neither see nor speak, and was possessed with evil spirits. Can you see why this healing follows the the parable of the flax, and the bruised reed? There are many in this world that are filled with the evil spirits of this world, that can not see nor hear nor see the things concerning Christ. They can't see the truths of the scriptures, for they do not have the "key of David" in them, and they are living in sin and drugs, and all sorts of evil that is becoming common to the worldly mind.

When Jesus touches and heals that soul, they can both see the truths and know the truth, and speak the truth. At that point, the Spirit of God is what fills that heart and mind, and not the spirits of this world. That is why this report follows the parable of the bruised. Jesus can make the change in the heart and soul of a person, regardless of how damaged that soul has become.

When we come to an understanding of the teachings of Christ, we can see the beautiful things that He can bring into our lives. Christ does make a difference, and He can turn things around and take your heavy burdens and lighten your load of the pressures of this everyday world. There is not a single man in this world that can do this for you, for only Christ can take that heavy burden away, He is your Heavenly Father.

Matthew 12:23 "And all the people were amazed, and said, "Is not This the son of David?"

When the people saw who Jesus Christ had taken this poor broken man and made him well instantly, they were amazed, and were starting to put things together. They were calling Jesus the promised Messiah, the "Son of David".

Matthew 12:24 "But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils."

"The Pharisees heard it", they heard what the people were saying, and how they were starting to claim Jesus the Messiah. So immediately they went on the offense, and said that the deeds and healings were not of God but of Beelzebub. "Beelzebub" in the Hebrew means, "lord of the flies". They were saying that Jesus was from Satan, and that His works were the works of the Devil; of evil spirits.

These Pharisees in most cases were Kenites, those priests that were from the Nethinims that crept into the Levitical priesthood in Ezra's day, and dominated the duties that were set aside by God, for the sons of Aaron. The Pharisees knew that Jesus was not of the devil, for they know the works of their father Satan, through Cain, and healing was not one of those works.

This action of the Pharisees is very common today, for when a ministry that does teach the truth comes along, and point out the errors in the traditions of men, the religious world tares into them just as the Pharisees of old tore into Christ. They lie, and start the rumors, and even plot to end that ministry. Living in the last ten years, there have been attacks where church leaders have assisted the government agencies to support lies, and give assistance to bring one of God's ministries down. This Kenite mind is very much alive today, both in and out of the church world.

The sword of God will do it's work, and in these final days the Spirit of the Living God, the Holy Spirit is coming forth, and lives are being saved in spite of the movement to quench it.

Matthew 12:25 "And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:"

Denominationalism means divisions. A house divided against itself cannot stand. There is only one Christ, one house, and one Book of Record, for what God would have His people know. That book is our Bible and it is called the Lamb's book of life. Friend if you are not in that book, and know it, you are not alive. Spiritually speaking, your soul is dead. You may have a letter in the records of your church house, but is your letter also in the Lamb's book of life.

Matthew 12:26 "And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?"

Lets put this into another light; if Christian cast out Christian, can that divided house fall? If Satan divided his own house, how can his house stand?

Matthew 12:27 "And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out: therefore they shall be your judges."

Jesus is now turning the table on these Pharisee hypocrites, "if I be of Satan, and my works are of the devils, then by whose works do your children cast them out." Those Kenites knew who they were and who Christ was, that is why the conflict exists in the first place. Jesus is saying for them to go to their own people and ask the question, for if Christ be of the devil, then He became one of them, and that was not acceptable, for they wanted nothing to do with God, or things of Christ.

Remember, the mind of the Kenite is to protect their father Satan, who in the next chapter is documented as such, through the sexual relations with Eve in the Garden of Eden. God has already judged Satan to death [perdition], and that is why Satan is called "the son of perdition".

Paul told us in II Thessalonians 2:3; "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition," Satan's time on earth is coming very shortly, and it will be prior to the coming of the true Messiah. The mind of the Kenite would have you believe differently, for those doctrines of demons will deceive you into accepting their father, the Antichrist as the true Messiah.

By what power do you cast out demons today? Do they stay gone, and depart for the holding place of demons, or do they hang around? What Jesus is calling the Kenite Pharisees attention to was the fact that they did not cast out devils, for they were of the Devil themselves. They have murder and destruction in their hearts that cannot stand the truth.

Matthew 12:28 "But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you."

Jesus is telling them that if His casting out of devils, and healing of the sick is not of Satan, then the Kingdom of God is come unto them now. Jesus is telling them point blank that if I am not of the Devil, then I am the Messiah.

When the Holy Spirit of God is come into your life, then the kingdom of God has come unto you also. That kingdom is already here on earth, through the Spirit of the Living God.

Matthew 12:29 "Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house."

In other words, the house is the body of the man that Christ cleansed. Jesus cast out the dumb and blind spirit from that house, or man's body. Satan wanted to keep that individual blind and dumb, and we have seen that some of the greatest workers for God, are those that have been at the bottom, and then having seen the light, come out of their sin. They have experienced the hardships that Satan can bring upon somebody, and then they were cleansed to where they could hear, and speak the Word of God; and they become great ambassadors of Jesus Christ.

What Jesus is saying, is that if Satan saw what would happen when the blind and dumb were healed, he would have kept them in their broken condition. But I, the Kingdom of God, cast those devils from him, and now he has the light.

Matthew 12:30 "He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad."

This is how you tell the houses apart, whether they are of Satan, or of Christ. If your are in God's Word, then you can understand the flow of the plan of God, and the Spirit of that understanding will let you know if the work is of God or of Satan. If the teaching, or the words follow the plan of God, then you know that it is of God, and that person is true. You can't have it two ways; you are either for God, or against Him. Any twisting of God's Word, is what Satan does.

It doesn't matter what church a man goes to if they are in God's Word, and studying chapter by chapter, and verse by verse to get the entire Word in its context. To have the truths that Jesus taught, it should also be explained in terms that the lay person can understand. The purpose of the teaching is to give all men and women the hope and life that only Jesus can give. That is what Christianity is all about. It is the reality of changing lives, and changing them for the better. There is only one Christ, and His battle is against Satan.

Matthew 12:31 "Wherefore I say unto you, all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men."

Jesus is telling you that all manner of sin is forgivable, except the sin committed by elect of God when he refuses to allow the Holy Spirit of God to speak through him when he is delivered up in the time of the end. This sin is spoken of in Mark 13:11; "But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought before hand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye, for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.".

Matthew 12:32 "And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come."

You can call Jesus Christ what ever you want to, and even deny Christ before men, and upon repentance that act of sin will be forgiven of you. When the Holy Spirit of God wishes to use you, Jesus is warning you against not allowing Him to use your mouth, for He will do the thinking, and do the premeditating for you. When Christ healed the blind and dumb man, he both saw Christ, and spoke of Him. He spoke of the good news that Christ brought to him. This denying of the Holy Spirit then, is the unforgivable sin that only God's elect can commit.

Matthew 12:33 "Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is know by his fruit."

If you have a good tree then the fruit off of it will also be good. Jesus is telling these Pharisees to look at Him as a tree. They have looked at Christ as doing the works of Beelzebub, the devil; but Christ is saying, look at the works that I have done. Is there evil in the works of making this man whole? Is this good fruit or is it bad fruit?

Jesus Christ is telling us that before we follow some man, check out his fruit. What does he talk about, and what are his main topics of conversation. Are they of God, or of the world. Observe that preacher, and learn to discern, and the standard is whether or not it checks out with the overall plan of God.

Matthew 12:34 "O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."

Jesus is telling them that what they speak of, is what is in their heart, and that is what is in their mind. What they speak is what comes from their father the devil. Jesus calls them a "generation of vipers", or snakes, because that is the role of their physical father Cain, the offspring of the affair between Eve and Satan. Satan is the serpent in the Garden of Eden. We will get into this, in Matthew thirteen.

The Kenites speak of evil because that is what is in their heart, however upon repentance they become one of the children of God, and they are just as clean in their heart as any other part of the body of Christ.

Matthew 12:35 "A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things."

It is just that simple, watch and learn. The man is inside exactly what is coming out of his mouth, and the deeds that he is doing. What he holds dear in the physical life is the reflection of the man's heart, and what is in his mind.

Matthew 12:36 "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment."

This applies directly to those that claim to teach the Word of God, only instead of giving forth the truth of God's Word, they preached the traditions of men and false doctrines. They will be held accountable for all the sins committed when they spoke of things that were not in God's Word, and presented them in God's name. Every idle word is accountable.

When one does this in ignorance, and then comes to the knowledge of his deeds, and repents, then these words are forgiven. When you say, the Lord saith, and He did not, that is what you will be judged upon.

Matthew 12:37 "For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by they words thou shalt be condemned."

Whether you go to Heaven or are condemned to hell, it will be done by the words and deeds that you have committed. You have the choice of the path that you will take, and that choice will either save, or condemn you.

Matthew 12:38 "Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, "Master, we would see a sign from thee." "

Even after seen the blind and dumb man healed, and all the other healings, these spiritually dead scribes and Pharisees still are blind to who they are talking to. They call him "Master", or teacher, and they will not believe any of His teachings. They still want a sign. All men will be judged, and if your words are truth, then your judgment brings rewards and blessings to you.

The point that is made here is there are some people that you just can not show the truth to. Even when they have seen with their own eyes, they just won't believe, there minds and hearts are closed.

Matthew 12:39 "But He answered and said unto them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall not sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:"

The word "Jonas" in the Hebrew tongue means "the dove". It points to the warmth of the dove, in love and understanding. Spiritually the dove is the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit came down and rested upon Him, and a voice came down from heaven saying, "This is My Son in whom I am well pleased."

What is this sign of Jonas the prophet, that Jesus told these scribes and Pharisees would be there only sign?

Matthew 12:40 "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."

Jesus is telling these Pharisees that even as Jonas was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so also Christ would be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. This is a direct quotation from the Book of Jonah: 1:17; "Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights."

Jesus told these religious Pharisees in advance, yet they all refused to listen when the event occurred, and still tried to lie and cover it up. When Christ went into the tomb, the guards were not posted to verify His resurrection, but just the opposite, to show that Jesus was not the Christ, and be stolen away.

Matthew 12:41 "The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here."

The very Son of God, Himself came to preach to the people of Judah, and these religious leaders refused to hear or believe in what He had to say. Jesus said because of the rejection they gave to Christ, the men of Nineveh were going to be the ones to judge these scribes and Pharisees. In that judgment, the Jews and Kenites will be found guilty, and condemned. The people of Nineveh heard Jonah's preaching, and they were convicted and repented, they were made righteous before God.

Matthew 12:42 "The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, a greater than Solomon is here."

This comes from I Kings chapter ten. When she was in that far off kingdom, the Queen of Sheba heard of the wisdom of God that Solomon was preaching, and she knew the value of it. She brought great wealth to Solomon, and with her, the Navy of Hiram to bring the gold and precious trees, and and the wealth of stones to pay for the wisdom. She knew the value of the teachings of Christ through Solomon, and she repented, and sought the truths of Solomon from God.

Jesus is saying that even this converted heathen queen will stand in judgment of this generation that crucified our Lord.

Friend, this can apply also to today, for the religious community again is turning their backs on the Word of God, the Wisdom of Solomon, and taking up the traditions of old. The Kenites were blind and dumb to it, and in large part so are many of those leading the church today. God will have His elect, and they will see and understand, for the Holy Spirit will reveal the Word to them. This generation will also be judged; How will those men of Nineveh judge you?

Matthew 12:43 "When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none."

Jesus Christ is telling you that an unclean spirit, an evil spirit will not exist out side the body of a man woman or child.

Matthew 12:44 "Then he saith, 'I will return into my house from whence I came out;' and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished."

This evil spirit goes on to say, if I leave a man, I will return to that same man to fine him all cleaned up. What this is saying, is that some Christian came along and planted a seed in the mind of a sinner, and then left a little of the milk of the Word with him, and left. Shortly this man that was saved had nothing to sustain himself with from God's Word, and turned back to the things that he was saved out of. This evil spirit continues to say that he will return to that same person, and will enter right back into him, and he will be received.

When you plant the seed of God's truth, and that person is converted, do you leave him alone, or do you put the meat of the word into His mind so that he has something to stand against the evil spirits?

Matthew 12:45 "Then goeth he and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked then himselp, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation."

This applies to the generation we are now in, as well as that of Christ's time. In the first influx of the Nephilim [fallen angels], that is to say the seven unclean spirits, for there are seven thousand of them, just as there are seven thousand of the elect; and the documentation of this is found in Revelation 11. For those seven thousand unclean spirits shall die in the streets of Jerusalem, when the two witness rise from the dead.

Those unclean spirits shall come back a second time with many more unclean spirits, when Satan is booted out of heaven, and all the evil spirits are booted out with him. The second influx of demons will be far worse then the first, for this will be a time that the world has never seen before, and the minds of the men on earth will be sealed by God, and then you will either have the marking [seal] of God, or you will have taken the mark of the beast.

Jesus told us in Matthew 24:36; "But as the days of Noe [Noah] were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." In the days of Noah, the fallen angels came to earth and intermarried with with the daughters of man. They were marring and taking in marriage with mankind and the entire world was infested with these evil beings. Friend, Jesus is telling you that that is exactly how it will be when He comes again. Christians will be intermarry in a spiritual and physical sense, with these evil angels, thinking they are the people of God.

You will see this come to pass before you see our Lord Jesus Christ coming back to earth. This will happen in this last generation, and we had better be aware of it and not caught off guard. In Matthew 24:40 says; "Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left." The first one that is taken is taken by the Antichrist, and his evil angels, which the one remaining in the field is the one that is faithful to God to the end.

Better than ninety percent of the churches today teach that it is alright to be taken in adultery to the first christ to come, through their rapture doctrine. That Christ is the Antichrist. They find bliss in their ignorance, as they follow their traditions of men.

Matthew 12:46 "While He yet talked to the people, behold, His mother and His brethren stood without, desiring to speak with Him."

They came there from their home, to speak to Him.

Matthew 12:47 "Then one said unto Him, Behold, "Thy mother and Thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with Thee." "

They wanted to talk to Jesus a minute.

Matthew 12:48 "But He answered and said unto him that told Him, "Who is My mother? and who are My brethren?"

Jesus was not belittling His mother, or His earthly family; He is stating that He came to this world to minister to all the people.

Matthew 12:49 "And He stretched forth His hand toward His disciples, and said, "Behold My mother and My brethren!"

This is as it is in the family of God, and many times you become closer and find more love in the family of God, then within your earthly family. They are your true brethren, and this bonding of the true brethren will become even stronger, as we come closer to the times of the end, of this generation.

Matthew 12:50 "For whosoever shall do the will of My Father Which is in heaven, the same is My brother, and sister, and mother."

God is the Father of all, and His will is written in His Word. Jesus is stating, If you want to be in His family, joint heirs with Jesus Christ in His heavenly kingdom, you will learn what is in His Fathers will and do it. God created all souls, and called them His children, however sin has separated our Heavenly Father from His children. Because of sin, our Heavenly Father wrote a plan in the heavens [constellations], and sent His Son to fulfill that plan, and it is written in His written Word. This Word, is God's will and Testament that exists in two parts. Those parts are called the Old and the New Testaments. They are "the will of God".

Jesus is telling us that to become a member of the family of God, and Joint heirs with Christ in His kingdom, we must do the deeds that are written in God's will [the Bible]. That is the only way. That way starts when you see yourself as a sinner against God, and repent, You must believe in Jesus, and turn from your sinful ways to do this, for it is only through Christ blood that God the Father will forgive you.

Matthew Chapter 13

"Christ's Teaching in Parables; Parables Explained."

This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson

There is a group of parables that you must understand, or you will never understand the teachings of Jesus Christ, on the more in-depth level. This level is the level that allows you to understand the overall plan of the living God. It is not complicated, for it's simplicity is on the level of a child, yet in it's simplicity it makes the so-called wise of the world foolish. As it is written in Romans 11:8, "(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day."

slumber
2659 katanuxis (kat-an'-oox-is);
from 2660; a prickling (sensation, as of the limbs asleep), i.e. (by implication [perhaps by some confusion with 3506 or even with 3571]) stupor (lethargy):
KJV-- slumber.

In the Greek the word "slumber", reads "stupor"; they are awake, only in a stupor.

Their minds are in a stupor for hearing and understanding the Word of God.

Matthew 13:1 "The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side."

Matthew 13:2 "And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore."

This is the same action that is used in the Book of Revelation, where in symbolism it is the exact opposite. Revelation 13:1; "And I stood upon the sand [shore] of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy." In Revelation the sea is the world and all mankind in it, and the beast is the system that the Antichrist will use to rule the world.

In just the opposite view, we see Jesus is pushing off from the shore, and while standing in that boat at sea, the multitude of people are about to have the mysteries that have existed since the beginning of the world explained to them. In the parables that will follow in this chapter, are the secrets that will open up the entire Word of God, if you have eyes to see and ears to hear.

Matthew 13:3 "And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;"

Is this complicated, my friend? Of course not. This is what we call today, broadcast sowing, or planting of seed. The man carries the seed bag, and walks the field, throwing the seed around him as he walks. The sower went forth to sow seed; he planted the seed to get the fruit of his harvest.

Matthew 13:4 "And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:"

The "way side" is a pathway that runs through the field, and on the path the earth is very hard from the compacting of walking on it. Seed just will not take root on that hard soil. The seed that lay on the path is open for the birds to come and eat it. Now that is not to hard to understand is it? The paths of these days which are hard, are the paths of commerce.

Matthew 13:5 "Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:"

The stony place are the places where there is only rock, and not the soil of the earth.

Matthew 13:6 "And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away."

A plant must have it's roots in the deep soil where the moisture is present, where it can live and be fed. When the hot sun of the day draws the moisture from the surface, if the roots are not deep, the plant will dry up and die.

Let's apply the spiritual application here, the seed that is sown here is the "Word of God".

Matthew 13:7 "And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:"

When the seed fell among thorns, then the new plant was choked out because of the weeds that surrounded it and absorbed the moisture around it. This is as it is in the analogy, in having the Word planted among the wicked and they will not allow God's Word to penetrate their minds and take root.

Matthew 13:8 "But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold."

The seed that did take hold, developed, and bore fruit. Jesus gives a message of when we are to take special notice.

Matthew 13:9 "Who hath ears to hear, let him hear."

Jesus uses this terminology when there is an deep in-depth meaning concerning the final generation. So it is with this parable with the sower. You will understand it or you will not understand the other parables of Christ. This first parable is all tied together with other parables of the sower, this is only the first part. This is only the foundation of the analogy that is being set up to get to the truth that is being taught.

The wise will even go back into that world age that was. Some people simply cannot understand that level, for their roots in God's Word are not deep enough to give them understanding.

Matthew 13:10 "And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?"

Jesus disciples turned to Christ and asked Him, why are you speaking in parables, in riddles that they can not understand?

Matthew 13:11 "He answered and said unto them, "Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given."

What is a mystery? It is something that is unknown. The answer may be in plain sight, only if you cannot put all the details together, and take all the clues and give an understanding to them, you do not know. There are things dealing with the kingdom of heaven that seem foolish to mankind, and will always remain hidden, unless the Spirit of the Living God reveals them to you.

Today, because those things are mysteries, mankind is going to great lengths to understand the past, when all the time it is written in His Word. However, those truths cannot be understood because it is God that has blinded them for their own protection. Why would this be? Because if they had the understanding, and were tried by the Antichrist Satan, and his system, (which is coming shortly), they would not have the ability to stand against Satan. They lack faith and willpower to turn themselves over completely to the Holy Spirit. They just don't care, and they continue to live in a state of hopelessness.

Matthew 13:12 "For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath."

What are we talking about here? The Word of God! If a certain amount is given to you, can you sow it, and replant it in someone's mind? If you do not sow the Word of God in another persons mind, then God will take the understanding that He has given you, and and He will allow you to become deceived in the ways of the world, just as if you never received the Word in the first place. If you have a truth, share it with someone else, or you will lose it.

Matthew 13:13 "Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand."

Matthew 13:14 "And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:"

This was prophesied by Isaiah in Isaiah 6:9, 10; "And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. [9] Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.[10]."

Our Heavenly Father has sent us His Son, and He performed many great miracles in their sight, and yet these blind and dumb scribes and Pharisees, after seeing and hearing Christ with His many wonderful acts yelled out, "show us a sign". Though they saw with their eyes and heard with their ears, they understood nothing that was going on around them. Their minds were closed, and they perceived nothing. Jesus is saying it here, Paul said it later, and the prophet Isaiah said it five hundred years prior to Jesus Christ's birth; "these people" are in a stupor. We will find out later who "these people" are with the "fat hearts", or thick minds.

Matthew 13:15 " For this 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 with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them."

Jesus gave us many prophesies and rich teachings, as He walked upon the earth, and all the time these scribes and Pharisees, stumbling after Christ missed the whole thing. It's like they went to the ball game, and were more concerned with the lead in the paint on the scoreboard, then the score posted. It was written long ago, many times, by the prophets, and in the sky that the Messiah would come, and when He came He performed the prophesies, and performed the miracles so that those with eyes to see and ears to hear would understand.

God didn't close their eyes, they closed them themselves, then God sent the stupor. They made the choice, and then God acted on their choice. This is also what will happen again very shortly. Those who choose to study and know the truth will be sealed in their minds with the understanding of God and His prophecies of the end times, And those who choose to believe Satan's lies, God will send them into a stupor, and they will be deceived.

Revelation 9:4; "And it was commanded them [Satan's locust army of fallen angels] that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads."

The reason for God allowing this stupor to come over even Christians, is for their own protection, so that they would not commit the unpardonable sin, the refusal of the Holy Spirit to speak through them. This is what is discussed in Hebrews 5:11, 12; that they become dull of hearing, until the time of teaching. That time is the Millennium Age, for if they understood now, and committed the unpardonable sin, that time would be closed to them.

The unpardonable sin will be a thing of the past in the Millennium age.

Matthew 13:16 "But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear."

Jesus is speaking to his disciples, His elect even to this last generation.

Matthew 13:17 "For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them."

Christ is the subject here, He is the one that did the great works of healing and teaching, and it is He that all those prophets of old have desired to see and hear in person. The prophets heard the words of God in parables, and in most cases they wrote, and did understand what they were writing, because it was prophecy, to be understood at the right time.

When Jesus walked, healed and taught, He did things in a simple way, by using parables. When He healed, there was a lesson in the healing. When men watch and here these things, and do not understand, it is not intended for them to understand. However some of you have a destiny and purpose, and have known that things were not right since you were a child. When the Word is explained it then comes to life in your mind. That is how it was for Christ's disciples, because they have eyes to see.

In Mark 4:13 it is written; "And He said unto them, "Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?" If you don't understand this parable of the sower, then how will you understand any of His parables? The answer is you won't.

All the parables dealing with the sower are all tied together, and in the end, Christ will reveal the answer to the mystery.

Matthew 13:18 "Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower."

This is a continuation of the parable of the sower.

Matthew 13:19 "When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side."

Any kingdom is made up of the king and His domain, or dominion. So this is talking about the King of kings, Jesus Christ and His dominion. The seed again is the Word of God, and the way side is the path where people walk and where it is to hard for the seed to sprout. When we plant the seed, it is better that we work the soil, before planting the seed, then, when the seed comes up, it will bear more fruit.

The "wicked one" are the ways of this world which will catch one away from God's Word. We take small things and blow them out of proportion. The world relates it's success with with it's worries, and stresses that it copes with. The job world expects you to carry the full load. Wherein God offers you peace of mind, and the right to place your burdens on Him, and He allows you to share your load with Him.

Matthew 13:20 "But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;"

"Anon" in the Greek means "straight away", or immediately. When this person hears the Word, he thinks immediately that it is the greatest thing that he has heard.

Matthew 13:21 "Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended."

For a plant to be healthy it must have a well worked soil, with proper preparation, so when the root shoots downward it can go down far enough to get the moisture for the plant. The problem spiritually with the person spoken of in this verse, is that they don't have the root system to reach the depth necessary to live. They hear the Word and sprout immediately upward, yet their spiritual life is short lived.

When the tribulation, and hard times comes because of their profession in the faith and belief of Jesus Christ, these people dry up, and run. Why? Because they have no grounding in the Word, they don't know the promises or the prophecies concerning themselves. This "by and by" in the Greek text means "immediately". So this would say, "immediately he stumbles". He falls.

At first he thought the the Word was so beautiful, and took the peace that was offered in the Word; however let a little trouble come along, and the boy is out the door. He just can't take the heat that comes over the Word of God.

Matthew 13:22 "He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful."

This is another type of person, that also heard and received the Word of God among the thorns, or in times of trouble. He took the Word into his mind, only there was many problems that surrounded him from the cares and problems created by this world age. You know, the job, the family problems, taxes, bills, and on and on. These are the cares of this world. They robbed this new Christian of his growth in the Scripture, and shortly, puff, the guy is gone.

Many times the deceitfulness of riches can also choke the Word from reaching a persons mind. You know, the keeping up with the Jones, getting the car, house, and everything else, just because they are there. Their activity and constant striving to get ahead keeps them from getting to the Word of God, so they rely on that "one verse preacher" on TV to get their spiritual food for the week. One verse a week isn't bad, is thought at first, until finally they say, I don't need that. The result being that they become spiritually dead.

If you become unfruitful God will not bless you, and without God's blessings, you will not find peace and happiness. Not in this earth age, or any age. You must produce fruit to receive the blessings of God. Our responsibility is to plant the seed, when we do that, then we have done our part. It is the Holy Spirit that will take that Word, and make it grow in their mind.

Matthew 13:23 "But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."

To reach the entire world it takes the entire body of Christ, and the preparation of that planting field starts in prayer, and the study of God's Holy Word. So here we see the good seed is planted in the good soil, that has been prepared to receive the truths of God's Word, and that person takes the Word and gives it out to others. He tells others how the Lord has saved him, and the peace of mind that he has received. When that seed that you have planted, multiplies with many souls saved to Christ, you have a reward in all that your seed has produced.

This is not an parable here but an explanation of a parable.

Matthew 13:24 "Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:"

Remember the subject; the king and His king dominion.

Matthew 13:25 "But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way."

This Word "tares" in the Greek is "zizanion", and not "darnel". It is a plant in Palestine known today as "zewan". When Zewan is growing it looks like wheat, but when it is full grown the ears are long, and the grains inside are almost black. To make the wheat grain fit for grinding, each grain of zewan must be removed, or the bread is bitter and poisonous.

The wheat and the zewan are the same color when first coming up, then as the wheat turns golden and ripens, the zewan also ripens into it's poison grain, and shows it's true colors. While the wheat is golden ripe, the black bitterness of the fruits of zwan make it obvious of the mixture.

Don't lose the focus of this verse. This is a parable of a man that had a field, and in verse twenty four we see that man sowed "good seed". But while he was resting from his hard days labor, some enemy came along and sowed bad seed.

In this part of the parable, the term for the seed changes, as the seed in the first parables referred to the Word of God, the "seed" in the parable here is "Sperma" in the Greek. Refer to Strong's Greek dictionary # 4690; "Sperma; from 4687, something sown, i.e. seed, the male "sperm", the offspring."

So as we continue in this parable, we are not to spiritualize away something that happened, and is hidden; however Jesus is revealing this hidden event through the use of this parable.

Matthew 13:26 "But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also."

So when the tares of this parable sprung up and matured, at the right time, you could tell the difference between the wheat and the zewan [tares].

Matthew 13:27 "So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?"

Lets start using the proper identification of what is happening here. "The servant said unto God, did you not sow Adam in the field, then for whence came these Kenites?" This is another part of the parable of the sower, and all the parts are necessary, to get the hidden message that Jesus is teaching His disciples.

Friend, if you don't get this entire parable, you will miss out on almost all of the complete plan of God, referring to His prophecies in this earth age. In fact, without the understanding of this parable, the book of Genesis becomes a fairy-tale, and a series of unrelated stories.

Matthew 13:28 "He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?"

This is Jesus Christ, the Son of God speaking. Who is God's enemy, as related from the very first to the very last chapters of our Bible. The enemy is Satan. In the garden of Eden, Satan is called a "serpent", and "the tree of good and evil." As the enemy Satan has played many roles throughout the entire Bible. He is called the dragon, the Antichrist, the deceiver, and death, as well as others. Satan is God's enemy, and Satan the enemy planted his seed "Sperma, or sperm", and from it, a crop of children came up in the field.

The elect of God, and all those that call themselves Christians, are the servants of God, and in this parable Jesus is telling you what you should do about them. "Should we go and gather them up?" No!

So the question becomes, should we go and execute the Kenites?

Matthew 13:29 "But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them."

The grains of "wheat" are symbolic of our Heavenly Father's children. The answer to the question whether we should destroy the tares, or the Kenites is a definite NO, from Jesus.

We are reminded here of Amos 9:9; "For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all notions, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth." This "House of Israel" are the Christian nations of the world; the Jews are the "House of Judah". These Kenites have so blended in with Christians in our generation, that it is impossible to tell the difference, without seeing into their hearts. God is telling us that at the end of this earth age, at the coming of Jesus Christ, that sifting will take place.

The problem is that while mankind is gathering the tares, that they will damage one of the grains of wheat also. When God does His sifting, there will be no saved souls lost, not one of them.

Matthew 13:30 "Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn."

It is God's plan that the Kenites would grow, just as the tares in the parable grew, and come to maturity. So here we have the completion of the parable of the sower, and now Jesus is going to explain the entire parable of the sower, in all parts, to His disciples.

Matthew 13:31 "Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:"

Matthew 13:32 "Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof."

The mustard seed is the smallest of the herb seeds and it will grow to the greatest in size, about fifteen feet high. In the Greek it says, "the birds of heaven come and lodge in it's branches". This is in reference to the Nephilim, and the fallen angels, that come and roost in the branches.

To put it in our modern day, there can even be so-called Christians flying their banners of religion to shadow the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 13:33 "Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened."

This has a two fold meaning. You use wheat to bake bread. You take the meal of the wheat to bake and get your bread. The wheat here is the fruit of the seed that is planted. The seed that we plant is the Word, however there are two words given in the Greek, The one word for seed is "sperma" and it produced children, and in the flesh, if we allow them to influence our mind, they will bring us death [spiritual death].

The other Word is the "truth of God's Holy Scriptures", and from that seed, which came from Adam, is Christ. It is through Jesus Christ and only Him that we can have eternal life. The wheat in the parable are the elect of God, that God can depend upon. The "whole" [field] of the loaf will be one, in victory. The kingdom of God is the leaven that made the loaf rise, and come to the completed state that it shall come to.

Matthew 13:34 "All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:"

Remember in the tenth verse where the disciples asked Jesus why He spoke in parables? So far He has not explained these parables to the multitudes, even though we have discussed it in our study. Jesus explained that it is given for the disciples, and you that are a disciple if you are saved and study his Word, however to the unsaved, and Kenite, it is not given.

What we have explained here is still not for the unsaved, in fact it is foolishness to them. If you plan on producing fruit for God's kingdom, you have to do it His way. Though the multitude watch and were healed, they still considered the whole thing a side show. and that is why Jesus had no intension of explaining these truths to them.

Matthew 13:35 "That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world."

Here Jesus is quoting from the Psalm 78:2, from the prophet David. "I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:" The things which have been kept secret from the foundation of this earth age has to do with the planting of souls in this earth age. It is a deeper study that we will go into here, at a time past, in the first earth age, there was a uprising of Satan and one third of the sons of God, or angelic souls.

That uprising in the first earth age caused the complete ruin of this earth as an inhabitable place, and this happening occurred between Genesis 1:1, and 1:2. To draw His created souls back to Him, He established His plan, and that plan is written in the heavens of the Constellations. The details of that plan are complete, and given to us through the prophets of the Bible.

There is an ingredience in that plan that was started when Eve and Satan had a son, and that son's name was "Cain". This parable of the sower is directed to that event and the fruit of that event. The event has been kept secret, and is still secret to most of the church world today, and it deals with the Kenites, where they came from, who they are, and what they plan on doing. They have a mission, and as long as it remains a secret to a person, much of the Bible just doesn't make sense.

Satan has used the Kenites from the very beginning to overthrow the plan of God, and it is impossible for that to succeed. In these end times, the Kenites will be successful in diverting millions of Christians to the Antichrist, only, the elect of God will have the truth sealed in their minds, and wait on Jesus Christ. This leaven of the woman came forth, even before the foundation of this earth age, because they earned it. That is what Ephesians 1:4 is all about.

Matthew 13:36 "Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field."

Well, the time of Jesus teaching was over, and the crowd had gone. Jesus went into the house, and in came the disciples after him. They just could not wait to have the parables explained to them.

So lets lock in to the fact that Christ is going to explain the parables that He just gave to the multitude. He is not speaking in one, but trying to get us to understand what He was saying. This will be so clear that even a child can understand, so don't make it complicated. Jesus speaks with great clarity.

Matthew 13:37 "He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;"

Now keep in mind that this man had good seed and He went out and sowed that seed in a good field, well prepared. The "Son of man" has to do with the Greek expression, "God in flesh". Another words, God sowed the good seed.

Remember that in the parable the seed was a grain of wheat, which represented a different seed, called "sperma", of the seed of man; a child.

Matthew 13:38 "The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;"

This "field" that Jesus is talking about in His parable is the entire world. The good seed are children of God's kingdom. It did not say that these were apple seeds, or any other fruit of trees; they were children of the kingdom. Some people really get confused when they get mixed up between apples and babies. These seeds are the outcome between the sexual union between a man [Adam] and a woman [Eve]. Get it? Jesus is telling you what happened in the Garden of Eden. Those children are the children of Seth, and not Cain.

So we see here that the "tares" are the children of the wicked one. The wicked one is the adversary to God, Jesus if you claim the name of Christ. Satan is called the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil", and He is the one that God told Eve to stay away from. However we know she did not.

The result of Eve having a sexual union with the devil, the serpent [Satan], the tree of good and evil, or what ever you want to call him; was the baby "Cain". In Strong's Hebrew dictionary # 7014, The Kenite is identified as the son of the first child, Cain. In # 7017, the Kenites are identified as members of the tribe from Cain. The Kenites then are the fruit, or produce of Satan on earth.

Friend, don't be stooped and try to spiritualize this explanation of Christ away. He is revealing one of the hidden mysteries, "kept secret from the foundation of this earth age". God is telling you that this is not spiritual children, but flesh and blood walking on the earth today.

The two seeds then are the offspring of Satan, and the offspring of God.

Matthew 13:39 "The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels."

I guess this makes it very clear just who the wicked one, also called the enemy is. Do you get it now why we are to leave them alone? God has His angels appointed to do the gathering, and those angels are the elect of God that will be changed in the wink of an eye, when Christ returns to earth. That is when the gathering will take place. I Corinthians 15:50-52 tells us how and when this will take place.

All men and angels are made in the image of God, how do the angels look? Just like God, and just like man, however the physical make up is different. Though the gathering is taking place at the first day of the Millennium, the burning of them in the fire will take place at the end of the Millennium age, after the judgment.

On the first day of the Millennium age, every knee will bow to Christ, for all flesh will be gone, and everyone will be changed in the twinkling of an eye to their incorruptible bodies. "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be change." I Corinthians 15:52 There are no exceptions to this, for even the Kenites will see Christ greatness. Their father Satan will be locked in the pit for the thousand year Millennium period.

The tares that are converted then are no longer tares, for upon repentance and belief in Jesus Christ, they also become the sons of God, and joint heirs with Christ in His kingdom. When they repent, they will become the wheat that is sifted, and saved for the kingdom of God.

Matthew 13:40 "As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world."

At the end of this world age, the tares are gathered, and separated. There burning will not happen until after the Millennium thousand year period, when the judgment will be, and then comes the hell fire that will destroy Satan, and all that followed him. This time is recorded in Revelation 20:11:-15

"And I saw a great white throne, and Him That sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away: and there was found no place for them. [11] And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. [12]"

"And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. [13] And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. [14] And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. [15]

Matthew 13:41 "The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;"

Notice when the gathering takes place, the tares will be in His kingdom, and taken "out of His kingdom". They will be in their incorruptible bodies, however their souls will still be mortal [liable to die], and if these tares have not repented, and changed, and followed Christ, they will be gathered, at the end of the Millennium kingdom, and "cast into the lake of fire".

Matthew 13:42 "And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

The wailing and gnashing of teeth will start a thousand years before the casting of the tares into the fire. This is because many will worship the Antichrist, Satan, thinking He is the true Christ. Then at the sounding of the seventh trumpet, they will see the shame that they have brought upon themselves.

Matthew 13:43 "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear."

Do you know the difference between the two fathers? Are you preparing to meet and fly away with the first Messiah, or are you prepared to wait for the coming of the true Messiah? In this study, we saw some of the keys to tell the difference. You will not get the chance to worship the true Messiah in your flesh body, for at the sounding of the trumpet, the last and final trumpet you will be changed into your spiritual, and incorruptible body.

Don't get the sixth trumpet mixed up with the last, for on the sixth, the Antichrist, Satan, will come to earth with the host of his demonic army. As Daniel tells us in Daniel 8:25, He is coming to bring peace and prosperity to the entire world. If you still have your job at the hospital, that isn't Christ, for all flesh is gone. The signs that bring us into the final generation are history by fifty years, the signs of the end are happening daily on the news, and it is time to wake up. The warning at this time is being sounded, do you have ears to hear?

The choice is yours, which father will your heart be turned back to? Jesus identified these tares in person, when He addressed the scribes, Pharisees, and religious leaders, in 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 abode 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 it." These were the Kenites that claimed to be of Judah, but were the children of the devil.

The first murderer, from the beginning was "Cain", the father of the Kenites, and the son born from the sexual union between Satan and Eve in the garden of Eden.

Matthew 13:44 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field."

This is another parable that Jesus is giving, and after having the parables of the tares and sowing, we should understand it. The field in the parable of the sower was the world, and the man is the "Son of man", Jesus Christ. Christ found a treasure, and He sold all that He had to purchase the entire field, so that He could save His treasure out of that world.

Jesus bought the field with His blood, and upon His coming, the entire field will be His; tares included. At the end of the Millennium kingdom age, Christ's angels will separate His elect for those bound over for the fire, and the Elect, all those that are of Christ will go into the eternal dispensation. Many will be saved, by their works, out of the Millennium age.

If you have given your life to Christ, then you are that treasure in the field, and some day in the near future, He is coming back to claim you. The important thing is that Jesus Christ thinks you are worth every drop of blood that He shed for you. Can you reject Him? I hope not.

Matthew 13:45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:"

Keep in mind that there levels to these different teachings.

Matthew 13:46 "Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it."

That merchant man is also the Son of Man, Jesus Christ. Christ's truths, and those in the entire Word of God, is a pearl, that we are not to cast pearls before swine. Swine are that which allow the evil spirits to enter into them, and attempt to explain away the precious truths of God's Holy Word.

Jesus Christ gave His life to make the pearl complete, and precious. Without Christ going to the cross, that world would not be complete, and the Holy Scriptures would be just another book. That pearl is the greatest wealth and richness that one can obtain, and He offers it to anyone with the eyes to see its value, and who can hear the Spirit of God calling to them. Christ is the Word, come alive in the flesh. read John 1:1-5

Matthew 13:47 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:"

Remember the subject of the last three parables is, "What is the kingdom of heaven like?" You know what the sea is; it is the waters, or the peoples and nations of the earth. Revelation 17:15 tells us that. So this parable is not fishing for fish, but fishing for men. The men gathered are from every nation, every kind and every creed. After Christ died on the cross, then salvation became open to all mankind. When the net is cast, and the catch is brought forth, there are men and women from all peoples taken in that net.

Matthew 13:48 "Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away."

Friend this is the final net cast, and this separation is at the end of the Millennium Age. At that time is the great white throne judgment, the separation, and the fire.

Matthew 13:49 "So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,"

The end of this world is not the end of this dispensation, called the flesh age, for it will be at the end of the Millennium age. In other words, it will be one thousand years following the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the changing of all flesh to their incorruptible bodies. The Millennium age is also part of this world age.

Matthew 13:50 "And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

Go back and review Revelation 20:11-15 given earlier; that is when the furnace fire will be.

Matthew 13:51 "Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord."

Do you understand these parables? These parables should be reviewed to where you fully understand. When the times get a little tough, can you keep going? If you are you ready to start planting seeds of truth, get the soil ready to where it can be accepted, and then make sure that it gets nourishment once it gets started.

Matthew 13:52 "Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old."

Once you repent and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior you become one of these scribes of the kingdom of heaven. "Instructed", means "disciplined" it means that you have become a disciple of Christ, heart mind and soul. The "treasure things" are both in character and in time; they are the treasures of promises and prophecies of the entire Word of God, which are in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus Christ must have really loved us to give His life on the cross, so that He could claim you as one of His treasures.

Jesus Christ is telling you that when you have learned His Word from the ancient times, even to the eternity, and can view the entire world as His overall plan, He expects you to be a scribe in His kingdom. He is one that not only studies, and records, but teaches. If you understand these parables, then you can share the seed of the Word in His way.

His way is allowing the Holy Spirit to show you the right time and the right place, and having you give the words that His Spirit lays on your heart. Not dumping on someone, but the seed of thought that is necessary to bear fruit.

Matthew 13:53 "And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence."

Matthew 13:54 "And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?"

Do you know why these people in this synagogue so astonished at what Jesus was saying?

Matthew 13:55 "Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?"

These people knew Jesus' family, His mother Mary, and father Joseph, including His brothers and sisters. These people have known Jesus all His life, and now finally He is back in His home town, and synagogue. These are common country people, and their son Jesus they watched grow into a man.

Matthew 13:56 "And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?"

Matthew 13:57 "And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house."

This is important to keep in mind when you are going to start planting seeds. Many times your own family, and those around you will reject what you have to say, for the simple reason, they think of you as common. They put you on their level of understanding of the Scripture. Those around you know your faults, and the fact that you are a sinner. They prefer to take the word of an outsider, for they will accept him as pure, and knowing the truth, because they simply prefer to over look his faults. They don't yours.

This is why you will either have to change your ways, and allow them to see the change in you, or you will have to just go elsewhere.

Matthew 13:58 "And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief."

The kingdom of heaven cannot be touched, nor can you become part of it, without belief in Jesus Christ, and the reality of the Word of God.

Matthew Chapter 14

"Results; Opposition of His Own Kindred."

"Mission of John the Baptist."

This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson

Matthew 14:1 "At the time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,"

The word "tetrarch" in the Greek transliterated means, "governor over a fourth part of the region;" however, the true sense of the word had lost some of its meaning, and by the time of Christ it denoted any prince not ruling over an entire kingdom. In other words, the country was split in many parts.

Herod by this time had heard of the healings, and many miracles that Jesus had done, and wanted to meet Him.

Matthew 14:2 "And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him."

Herod had a great deal of respect for John the Baptist, even though he took John's life. King Herod knew that John was a man of God, and when Herod heard of these mighty works of healing palsy, making the blind see, and feeding of the five thousand and other mighty works, Herod thought that John the Baptist had risen from the dead. When that thought came to Herod's mind, I'm sure he was very much afraid. Herod had heard some of that preaching, and it disturbed him.

Matthew 14:3 "For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife."

The "Herod the Great" that ruled during the time of Jesus birth, as recorded in Matthew 2:1, had five sons. After Herod the Great's death, the kingdom was split between the sons. The Herod [son] that is seeking for Jesus, and killed John the Baptist is "Herod Antipas", and he took his brother's [Harod Philip I] wife to live with, and call his own. This woman's name was "Herodias".

John the Baptist knew that this relationship of Herod Antipas, living in a marriage relationship with his brother Philip's wife was a sin, and John went to the palace and told him so to his face. Herod Antipas knew John well, and he knew that John was a righteous man. However John turned Herod Antipas' hatred towards him, and even more so was the evil eye of Herodias.

Matthew 14:4 "For John said unto him, "It is not lawful for thee to have her."

Matthew 14:5 "And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet."

John the Baptist was a prophet, and he was the last prophet before Messiah. He prophesied of the coming of the Messiah. The first time John's ministry was reported was when he was standing by the river Jordan saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Many did repent, and changed their ways.

The people that heard John loved him, and followed him. John's following had grown to quite a number, enough so much that king Herod Antipas feared an uprising, if he had put him to death.

Matthew 14:6 "But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod."

Herod Antipas' birthday celebration was a drunken bash; and at that celebration, Herodias' daughter, danced, and pleased Herod. In the name of the king, Antipas promised her that she should have one wish.

Matthew 14:7 "Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask."

Upon this king's oath, he was hoping she would say, the king, and then on the oath, he would have to keep the oath.

Matthew 14:8 "And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, "Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger."

The young girl went to her mother, Herodias to get advice, and her mother said, "Give me John the Baptist's head in a basket. John the Baptist called Herodias relationship to Antipas sin, and she hated John the Baptist for it.

Matthew 14:9 "And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her."

The king had his good old buddies hanging around the castle, and they heard and knew the oath promise that he had given the young dancer, and it was time to keep the oath. The filthy old king thought he was going to get one thing, and his evil thoughts backfired on him.

So it was that John the Baptist died at the hand of this maiden child, and by the request of her evil mother.

Matthew 14:10 "And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison."

Matthew 14:11 "And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother."

Here mother is my gift to you.

Matthew 14:12 "And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus."

Jesus Christ already knew. Remember it was John, while in prison that sent his followers to Jesus to inquire if this was the first Advent [coming of Christ] or if there was another Advent that will end all things.

We know today that in the first Advent, or coming of Jesus Christ, He came as the Son of man, to teach and heal, and to go to the cross at Calvary to shed His blood. His second Advent will be in this final generation, when at the seventh trumpet, Jesus will then come as King of kings, and Lord of lords. Are you waiting for that Advent, and watching for the signs of the times. Jesus will give those signs in Matthew 24.

Matthew 14:13 "When Jesus heard of it, He departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed Him on foot out of the cities."

Why do you think that all these people sought after Christ? Do you think that they felt the moving of the Holy Spirit, or because of the healing miracles that He was performing? People will join a crowd and for many reasons.

Matthew 14:14 "And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and He healed their sick."

This is one of the reasons that they followed Him. They knew He had the power to heal, and their belief moved Christ with compassion to them and He healed the sick.

The multitudes of today don't have the clarity of understanding to even know who Jesus is, yet He is moved to compassion. He is reaching out to all persons, regardless of their sin to repent, and turn from their wicked ways. Jesus will heal today as He did then, and He wants to heal those sinful hearts, and make them whole. God is the same every day, His love for His children is just as great today as it was when He first created them.

Matthew 14:15 "And when it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, "This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals."

To put this in modern day language, his disciples are telling Him that there is no McDonalds, or Hardees on the corner, to eat. They are telling Jesus to send the multitude away, or they will really have a problem. They are in a desert, a solitary wilderness and it is getting late, and the people will be getting hungry soon. The day ends at 6 P.M., and the evening started about 3: P.M.

Matthew 14:16 "But Jesus said unto them, "They need not depart; give ye them to eat."

This is the biggest problem for the Christian in their following Christ. It is easy to use common sense and understand the things that man is able to do. But your faith is really brought forth, when you take the leap in faith to do the things that our Heavenly Father would have us do. It is important that you separate the natural from the supernatural, and be able to know the difference, for even the Antichrist will have supernatural powers to win you over to him. Those that are looking for a Messiah, and do not know the difference between the two messiahs, will be deceived by the supernatural powers of the first messiah, the Antichrist.

A Christian must be able to understand, and expect the supernatural for our Savior.

Matthew 14:17 "And they say unto Him, "We have here but five loaves, and two fishes."

Jesus is going to do a supernatural thing when He will take five loaves of bread, and two fishes, and feed ten thousand people. There were five thousand men alone, as well as women and children and when He takes this food, and blesses it and it expands to feed this multitude of people, the human mind just cannot comprehend it as fact. The way that it is accepted, is by taking it by faith.

If this seems like quite an impossible task, think of those million Israelites that were fed for forty years, with out any loaves, but by just picking up the manna, or angels food of the ground every morning. These are both supernatural acts, and in this time of the end, ninety nine percent of the deceptions that take place, will be in the supernatural, and if you are not ready for the acts of the Antichrist, you will think that He is the true Christ.

You know that it is earthly impossible for an earthly human being to feed these people with these five loaves and two fishes, but it is not impossible for the supernatural.

Matthew 14:18 "He said, "Bring them hither to me."

Matthew 14:19 "And He commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, He blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to His disciples, and the disciples to the multitude."

Christ had His disciples feed the multitude. Christ asked the blessing from the Father, and as He brake the bread and passed to the disciples, the expansion began to take place.

In a spiritual sense, Christ gives us the bread, and as we take it in, and ask God's blessings on our lives, it will expand as we pass that bread of life [God's Word] out. When you become part of a ministry that feeds that multitude, the bread of life is expanding. Some people say, God never blesses me, well what have you done to advance His ministry, or please the Father? Do you pay your tithe? Do you tell God that you love him, and pray for others to be saved? Have you told others of the love of God, that He loves them?

Matthew 14:20 "And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.

After all the multitude had been fed, the extra fragments were collected by the disciples, and there were twelve baskets full left over. There will be a time later when He is talking about the bread, only it is not the bread that you eat, but of the doctrine of the scribes and Pharisees. Later when it refers to the crumbs of the bread, when the analogy is teaching, we had better be careful.

Matthew 14:21 "And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children."

Though we have used the figure of ten thousand people, this number could be quite a bit larger, however that fact doesn't matter, for it is the supernatural act that is important.

Matthew 14:22 "And straightway Jesus constrained His disciples to get into a ship, and to go before Him unto the other side, while He sent the multitudes away."

This could have been the start of a new religion, with no work, and you just eat all you could; poof and it was there. The crowd was fed, and the message was completed, then Jesus turned to His disciples and compelled them to get into the ship, and go to the other side, and wait there for Him. He settled down the disciples, and they departed.

There is another lesson to be learned here. The first time Christ was in the ship with them, in a storm, He slept, and the disciples were scared out of their minds. This time, Jesus has given them a lesson of His supernatural powers, and He sends them into the sea alone, He is not with them. How will they hold up now, without His presents. Jesus is preparing them to stand in that time when He as departed in the supernatural, and they have to stand alone.

The disciples will shortly see Jesus in his transformed body, walking on the water. This is the same transformed body that they will see Jesus in, along with Elijah, and Moses, on the mount transfiguration, when He told them to keep their mouths shut. Then that body was not for the average person to know, for the time had not come yet. They were to tell it only after Jesus had risen from the dead.

Matthew 14:23 "And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, He was there alone."

Jesus did this quite often. I feel that He had conversed with His Father, and interceded for those he had healed that day. That the Holy Spirit would bring forth the same truth that He is the bread of life, and come to the understanding of Christ in their life.

Many critics claim that this vision of Christ walking on the water was a mirage, that He was walking on the sand by the shore, and they were looking at a mirage. This simply could not be true, for the evening had come, and mirages don't exist in the cool of the evening. A higher critic is a non-believer, that makes his money by selling their version of the Word of God.

Matthew 14:24 "But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary."

The ship was in the middle of the sea, and there was quite a storm around them. Again in a storm, there is no sun to cast a reflection.

Matthew 14:25 "And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea."

The fourth watch of the night is from 3 A.M. to 6 A.M. the sun is down, and still Christ has not appeared. It can't be a mirage. Jesus is now preparing them to rely on Him. Though He walked with His disciples on the shore, Christ is getting them ready to rely on Him after He has gone.

Christians living in this end generation must prepare ourselves to see the supernatural acts again, and when it happens, be grounded enough to put the events of prophecy in true perspective, and not go head over heals over the first person to perform such deeds. This hogwash that many churches are promoting, stating that the Antichrist will be an evil spirit entering into a man from old Babylon, is going to get a lot of people deceived. The Antichrist is a man alright, but he is a supernatural man. It is a man that can snap his fingers and lightning will come from heaven, and performing miracles that a human being of this earth will not be able to understand, and they will be deceived.

Therefore it is important the we absorb these lessons being taught by Jesus Christ. Christ did walk on the water.

Matthew 14:26 "And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a spirit;" and they cried out of fear."

Right in the middle of the storm, with the waves breaking over the ship in the high winds, the disciples looked out from the boat, and here they saw a man walking on the water. Their first response was that it was a spirit. They were scared.

Sometimes we get a little afraid of things that happen around us, that is a natural reaction. How do you think that Jesus disciples felt?

Matthew 14:27 "But staightway Jesus spake unto them, saying "Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid."

Jesus knew these old boys knees were knocking, and they were only thinking of their survival. This was not one of those spiritual highs that you remember. When you are afraid of something, it is easy to think of everything, but keeping focused on Christ.

Our lesson of these end times, is that you have to be able to think, even when the going gets tough, and strange events are happening all around you. It is not just a matter of knowing the supernatural powers, but you must be able to discern between the good and the bad. When the supernatural events start flowing, those not prepared for what the Antichrist will bring with him, will jump right into the bed of Antichrist, and his religious system.

Matthew 14:28 "And Peter answered him and said, "Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water."

Peter was on a spiritual high here, for he felt if Jesus could do it, so could he. Before you act as such, you would have to make sure you are right with the Lord. Jesus Christ here is in his supernatural body, and these disciples are still in their physical bodies.

This is another part of the lesson that Christ is teaching His disciples; To be a disciple of mine, you must be able to think on the supernatural, to be able to understand from Jesus Christ's teachings of what is going to come upon you, and how you will be able to recognize them when they happen.

If you have the faith, the Lord will not hold you back, friend.

Matthew 14:29 "And He said, "Come", and when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus."

This shows the faith that Peter had in Jesus. In the middle of the storm, with the high wind, and waves breaking around him, Peter scrambled over the side, and walked to Jesus. In the flesh body, Peter's faith in Christ allowed him to do the supernatural.

Matthew 14:30 "But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, "Lord, save me."

The "wind" in the Scripture also refers to the spirit. When you take your eyes of Christ, and focus them on the spirits of this world, you will also start to slip under. You let your mind waver for just a minute, and you will also start to sink. Notice that Peter did not wait until He was totally gone, but called out immediately, "Lord, save me".

Never take your eyes off the way, which is the path that we are to follow in Christ. Each of Christ's teachings and Words were to prepare His disciples for the times that they would face, when He would be gone. These aren't idle worlds, about another story, but a lesson to grasp for whatever level of study you are on.

Matthew 14:31 "And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him, and said unto him, "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"

When Peter called out, "Lord, save me", Christ was there with out stretched hands, to catch him and draw Peter to Himself. When you see yourself slipping, don't wait, call out immediately.

There is a time coming very shortly, as we see the labor pains of end-time prophecy fly by is at a rapid pace. We will see the appearance soon of Satan, and his angels as they are cast from heaven, as recorded in Revelation 12:7-9, and we will then have supernatural entities on this earth. Though Satan's evil spirits are here now, you will physical see them when Michael casts them for Heaven.

When that day comes to pass, your faith better be strong. Your strength of your faith is the knowledge from God's Word that you have in your mind, which is your heart, and that is the seal of God that protects you from any harm of Satans deceptions. Satan and his fallen angels, which is the locust army of the tribulation time, is ordered by God to leave you along, in Revelation 9:4.

I hope that in that day of the Antichrist, your armor will be on, and in place, and there will be no doubt to your faith.

Matthew 14:32 "And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased."

When Jesus Christ, and Peter came into the ship, the wind stopped. This is what you have to remember also in the supernatural sense, that Christ controls the times and events of every day, and the prophecies recorded in His Word will come to pass, you can count on it. Our job is not to interfere with those events, but to observe them, and remember them, and know where we are in the course of the dispensations of time.

Matthew 14:33 "Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped Him, saying, "Of a truth thou art the Son of God."

What is interesting here, is that these disciples had spent many hours hearing Jesus teach, and seeing miracle after miracle, and they took of five loaves of bread and two fishes, and fed thousands of people, with much left over, and yet it took this storm at sea, and the calming of the wind for them to see the truth. "Thou are the Son of God."

People are always looking for sign, yet when they see them their knowledge lets the sign pass them by unnoticed. The Antichrist when he is on earth, will be able to perform miracles in the sight of human beings, flesh man. This will be a sign to you, that when you see those miracles, not tricks or magic, be aware of the time that your are in.

Matthew 14:34 "And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret."

This place was on the north side of the sea of Galilee, and Jesus came here for a reason.

Matthew 14:35 "And when the men of that place had knowledge of Him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto Him all that were diseased;"

Matthew 14:36 "And besought Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole."

This is still possible today, if you have the faith. He will heal the heart instantly, and the healing of the body may come a little slow at times. God is always the same, and what He did then, He can also do today. It is not God, but man that changes.

Matthew Chapter 15

"Teaching, Opposition of the Pharisees; Miracles."

This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson

Matthew 15:1 "Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,"

Matthew 15:2 "Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread."

What is disturbing to these scribes and Pharisees is that Jesus' disciples did not follow the "traditions of the elders", the traditions of men. This washing ritual was not just a matter of getting your hands clean before you pick up your bread, but it was a created ritual that these elders made up, and attached God's name to the form of it. The ritual was not given by God, or any of the prophets of God.

It came into being by these Kenite infested orders of the Pharisees that took over the temple after the captivity of Babylon. It was not a matter of using soap and water, but going through a sprinkling of water in each direction, and holding the hands in the proper position, and going through this very religious ceremony, being sure to show those around you just how religious you were. These Kenites created the traditions that the church was to follow, only Christ's disciples simply did not follow the vain traditions that were not of God.

Following man's traditions is one of the quickest ways to go to hell, when you set aside the Word of God, and follow the religious ways that man creates. God has given us the only way to follow, any other way, is a path to destruction.

Matthew 15:3 "But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?"

In this lesson that Jesus is going to give these scribes and Pharisees, there will be four parts, so lets pick up on all of them.

The first part Jesus addresses the scribes from Jerusalem; keep focused on that point. Friend, do you need any other proof that there is a conflict between the traditions of the elders [men], and the traditions of God? Many of the traditions in the churches of today, are not of God, nor is their foundation in the Scripture. They are originated by the church boards, and developed through the twisting of the Word, in many cases.

The deacons, elders and scribes [ministers] will not judge you, it is God that will do the judging, and it is God that can claim your soul.

Matthew 15:4 "For God commanded, saying, 'Honor thy father and mother:' and 'He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.'

The death that Jesus is talking about here is the death of the soul. Jesus is about to give these scribes a little lesson in law, in that they brought it up. This comes from Exodus 20:12; "Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee."

The other part of the law that Jesus is using comes from Exodus 21:17; "And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death."

Matthew 15:5 But ye say, 'Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, 'It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;'"

Jesus is pointing out what the elders say, that is contrary to the law of God.

"It is a gift", they say a set aside, or sacrifice for God. So what Jesus is pointing out, is that these elders have set up tradition, that if the children give all their money to the elders [God], then that releases them of the obligation of caring for their parents in their old age. There were crooked priests, who say, that for the right price, they will declare something "corban", which means "of God". They would declare the item or money a gift, and allow the giver to use it for their own personal use.

Matthew 15:6 "And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free.' Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition."

Jesus is saying that if you listen to these hypocrite priests, and follow the traditions of these elders, you have violated the commandment of God, by your actions. There are many today that call themselves "ministers of God" and they tell you that if you give your wealth to them, you are released from taking care of your mother and father. Jesus is calling them a liar. He is saying they are making the commandments of God, of no effect, by their actions.

Matthew 15:7 "Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,"

Jesus is going to give these hypocrite Kenite scribes and Pharisees another Bible lesson in the law. This one is found in Isaiah 29:13; "Wherefore the Lord said, "Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:"

Matthew 15:8 "'This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me."

Jesus is saying that these elders [ministers] speak so religiously of God with their mouths, and lips, but their hears, their minds, and are far from what the Word of God actually says. Their hearts are as hard as a rock, as far as showing any love to God.

Matthew 15:9 "But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.' "

They do not teach the commandments of God, but they modify those words, and create commandments of men. Those commandments are called traditions of men. Those teachings are ways and things that are not in the Word of God, and God is against them. They take these commandments, and turn them into doctrines.

Jesus now is connecting the feedings of the multitude, to the doctrines, which is the true food for the Spirit which is the Word of God. The body of Christ is the true "Bread of Life", and aside from that there is no life of value.

This is Jesus message to the scribes.

Matthew 15:10 "And He called the multitude, and said unto them, "Hear, and understand:"

This is the second group of people, the multitudes which is all the people. It is all kindred's and tongues, and races. Jesus is telling these people do not only hear what I am going to say, but absorb they absorb it in their minds.

Matthew 15:11 "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."

Jesus is not talking about the health laws here, for they are not done away with. If you eat things that are not fit for the body, and contain large amounts of poisons, then your body and your health will suffer for it. It has nothing to do with sin, and the death of your soul. However Jesus is talking about the biggest sin that can be committed, the sin which can cause the death of your soul.

It is what is in your heart and mind, the spiritual food of the teaching of Christ that matters, and gives the life that matters, eternal life; rather then the food that you place in your mouth for nourishment.

Matthew 15:12 "Then came his disciples, and said unto him, knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?"

Do you think that Jesus felt bad about that? Of course not; those hypocrites needed it. This is now the third address that Jesus will make, and it is to His own disciples. This part is addressed to you as a follower of Christ.

Matthew 15:13 "But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up."

Remember that this is His disciples that are to be disciplining themselves in His teaching.

Matthew 15:14 "Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."

Remember back in the thirteenth chapter, where Jesus said, If you do not understand this one parable, then you will not understand any of my parables." What was that parable about? That parable was the parable of the sower. God was the one that planted the good seed. Satan the devil planted the evil seed, and Jesus warned of these offspring of the devil, the tares, or Kenites that would mix in with the tribe of Judah, and the House of Israel.

They would bring in traditions that would be harmful to the true Word of God. The disciples asked Jesus to explain this parable about the blind leading the blind, and Jesus will not, nor will He explain it to you. He gave you the key to the understanding early, and He wants His disciples to start using their brains, and putting teaching and common sense together.

Remember what Jesus said of the tares in Matthew 13:29? "But he said, nay lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them" Jesus said let the tares grow and leave them alone, my angels will do the dividing. He is telling you that these tares of the field, the world, and the blind Kenites spoken of here. And those that follow these offspring of Satan [the blind leaders] will go right into the pit along with the rest of the Kenites.

It is important for us to back to Matthew 13 and lock in on the first parable, and then watch out for wicked doctrines. Watch out for doctrines that are the traditions of men that make void the Word of God. Don't bother the tares, but be wiser then they are. Leave the Kenites alone, they are the negative part of God's plan, and those that have not studied, and know God's plan, is to allow the blind that are following the blind leaders, t go right into the pit.

Were the disciples listening to Christ in Matthew 13:37-49? They said "Yea, Lord."; but their actions tell us they never understood. These disciples came to Christ in apologies for what Jesus said, and told Jesus, you hurt the scribes and Pharisees feelings?

These Kenites were stealing from the poor and taking from the widows and orphans, and now we are to feel sorry that their feelings are hurt? What did you expect Christ was going to say to them. Not only did He offend them, but they offended Jesus, and his disciples even more.

This applies to us even today, are we keeping our attention on what Christ is saying, and can we apply those teachings in our lives? How are you judging the world of the so-called righteous? When they give their righteous sounding words out of their mouth and lips, can you tell if it is of God, or the traditions of men. This is what Jesus is trying to teach His disciples.

Now go back to the thirteenth verse, "Every plant, which my Heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up." Why should I worry about offending them, they are offensive? However, Jesus is now going to give an example, of how that offensive one can be changed. How that if these Kenites will believe upon Christ, they also will have eternal life.

Matthew 15:15 "Then answered Peter and said unto Him, "Declare unto us this parable."

Now this is the fourth part that we must pay attention to. Jesus is addressing Peter, that will establish the churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia, that continue on to this day. They are the churches that teach the true Word of God.

Peter asked Jesus to explain the parable, but Jesus will not. This is a teaching that Jesus has already explained, however Jesus will explain a little more of the parable of verse eleven. Those parables of thirteen and fourteen are the ones that if you don't understand them, you will not understand any of them. This is why it is important, that if you don't understand them, go back to chapter thirteen and review, until you get it. It is the key.

Matthew 15:16 "And Jesus said, "Are ye also yet without understanding?"

Peter, of all the disciples, still is demonstrating his lack of understanding of the Kenites, and the tares of the world.

Matthew 15:17 "Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?"

Jesus is asking Peter, what do you care what you eat and what goes into your mouth. It doesn't matter if it is five loaves to five thousand, or seven loaves to four thousand. It is not what is in your belly that counts, but what is in your mind; wake up Peter. Watch out for the false doctrines. Watch out for the traditions of men, for they will warp your spirit. That is what He is saying.

Matthew 15:18 "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man."

When a man talks, he places his own sentence on his head. A man lives his own sentence; and that that you sow, that is what you shall reap. If you sow wickedness, you shall reap wickedness, and God will see to it that it shall happen.

Matthew 15:19 "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, theft, false witness, and blasphemies:"

Matthew 15:20 "These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man."

Jesus is now going to walk a great distance, to touch a man, that I believe to be a Kenite, to explain verse thirteen. That is to say that if a plant sown by Satan believes on the blood of Jesus Christ, they shall also be saved, and have blessings.

Matthew 15:21 "Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon."

Tyre and Sidon are commerce centers, and Satan, and Kenite strongholds. Satan is even named after Tyrus in Ezekiel 28. Jesus walked fifty miles direct, just to talk to this woman. It is important to see what Jesus says and does, because He will go right back to where He just left.

Matthew 15:22 "And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil."

This woman had no reason to know that Jesus was the Son of David, except that she also was possessed. The devil had to be the one that did the identification. Remember the many demons that identified Jesus as the "Son of God", in Matthew 8:29. The demons, or devils know exactly who they are, and who Jesus is, even those humans around them do not. Even though the devils in her knew, she believed Jesus was the Messiah. She is showing faith.

Matthew 15:23 "But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and besought Him, saying, "Send her away; for she crieth after us."

Jesus would not even talk to her. The disciples saw Christ reaction, and tried to send this woman away.

Matthew 15:24 "But He answered and said, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

Jesus is saying, my blessings are not for the Kenites, but only for the "lost sheep of the House of Israel". To take this to the next step of understanding; Jesus is saying, My father did not plant you; in reference to verse thirteen.

Matthew 15:25 "Then came she and worshipped Him, saying, "Lord, help me."

Matthew 15:26 "But He answered and said, "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs."

What is the subject of this whole chapter, "Bread"; five loaves, seven loaves, what goes in or out doesn't matter. What matters is the bread of life, Jesus Christ, the Word of God. It is not right, or virtuous to take what is intended for the children of God, and give to the dogs. The dogs in the form Jesus used, was in reference to Gentiles, yet this woman of Canaan applied it to the animal.

Jesus is trying to relate to His disciples, and you if you claim the name of Christ, that by the law, He was not sent to the Gentiles. He was sent to the lost sheep of the House of Israel, all thirteen tribes, if you count Joseph as two. Here even a Kenite shows more faith, then those that were invited to the table of the Lord.

Matthew 15:27 "And she said, "Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."

The woman was saying here, even a puppy has some rights at the masters' table, if they love you.

Matthew 15:28 "Then Jesus answered and said unto her, "O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt." And her daughter was made whole from that very hour."

Notice that Jesus didn't call her a dog this time, He say her faith and said; "O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt." Did you notice that there is a condition here, "even as thou wilt". As strong as your faith is, and we see the strength of this woman, as her daughter was made whole that very hour. Her daughter was no longer possessed, and this woman is now a daughter of the living God, by adoption through Jesus Christ.

Matthew 15:29 "And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there."

Jesus healed the woman, and turned around and headed right back from where He had left. Jesus walked one hundred miles to give you the privilege of learning this one lesson. This is why you don't disturb the tares, because there are some that will seek God, and who will be adopted into the family of Christ, and that is for God to know, and for you not to interfere with.

It is not what goes into the mouth, in this group of four teachings, but what comes out of the mouth. The bread of life, which is the body of Christ is what is important.

Remember, Jesus addressed the scribes from Jerusalem, then He addressed the multitudes, then He addressed the disciples, and finally He addressed Peter. The purpose is that you would not forget the parable of the sower. The tares are the Kenites, the offspring of Satan, and they would even work themselves into your church [multitude], to steer you away from the bread of Life, Jesus Christ and into the teaching of the elders, which is to say the traditions of men.

They are self-righteous hypocrites, that like to play God, and show off their knowledge. Their wisdom is not God's wisdom. Rather then say yes and no, they give an opinion. And their teaching is not the teachings of the laws of God, but the traditions they have created, that are of men.

The multitude was the races of all mankind, Christ was telling them that if they would believe He would save them.

The teachings to the disciples, was the equivalent to the elect of today. The teachings to these disciples was that "every plant that my Father had not planted shall be rooted up". He would not explain this, for they were to figure it out for themselves by the parables of the sower, and tares.

The last one to be addressed was Peter, who was given the assignment to directed to the church, and provide the teaching that Jesus has taught them.

Matthew 15:30 "And great multitudes came unto Him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many other, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and He healed them:"

The greatest handicap to man of this earth age, is to be blind to the truth of God's Word.

Matthew 15:31 "Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel."

When Jesus healed these people, the greatest of the healing was when their spiritual eyes were open, and they saw and glorified the true God of Israel.

Matthew 15:32 "Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way."

When Christ has compassion on you, it will be because you loved Him. These people were healed, and then they stayed to hear what Jesus had to say. They were drawn to Jesus, and now Jesus saw their physical needs, and wanted to fill both their physical and their spiritual needs. When you go your way, you will not faint if you are in the will of God, for He will provide that strength that you need.

If you have tried something, and it continually goes up a dead end street, stop and consider if you are in the will of God, or is He trying to head you in another direction. God has compassion on His own, and He does not want you a failure.

Matthew 15:33 "And His disciples say unto Him, "Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?"

Matthew 15:34 "And Jesus saith unto them, "How many loaves have ye?" And they said, "Seven, and a few little fishes."

Matthew 15:35 "And He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground."

They sat in groups.

Matthew 15:36 "And He took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to His disciples, and the disciples to the multitude."

Keep in mind that Jesus had His disciples feed the multitude with the bread. The lesson here is that the disciples are given the bread, the bread of life, which is Christ body. The Word is given to you, and you are to feed the multitudes. Get it?

Matthew 15:37 "And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full."

Jesus took the bread and blessed it and it expanded, as it was broken to fill the needs of the multitude. This supernatural thing also applies to the spiritual bread that is taken, and broken, or placed in your mind, and as you give it forth to others the Holy Spirit will make the Word multiply in the minds of hearer. God's parables are simple, for He does things in a natural way. He is also supernatural, like when He takes things that are natural, and increases them in an unnatural way. When problems look like they are impossible, we can turn them over to Christ, and in a natural way, the impossible gets done.

Matthew 15:38 "And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children."

There could have been well over ten thousand individuals total here.

Matthew 15:39 "And He sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala."

So we see here again where Jesus took a few loaves of bread, and a few fishes, and fed thousands of men and women. This is the second time and a double witness of the thing that we must be concerned about. There will be many that come and give teachings, and say that they were sent of God. Jesus is trying to teach His disciples how to tell the difference between the fakes, and the true men and women of God.

Jesus is trying to give you an understanding of how His true disciples feed. If it is a true ministry, then Christ will bless it before the father, and the disciples will give it to the multitude. So the next thing to ask is, what do they feed to the multitude?

They will feed them only that which came from Christ, that is blessed of God, and and came from the Word of God to the disciples or teachers of Christ. They will feed no traditions of man, and doctrines generated from the board room, or council chambers taught, and enforced on you the elders that go against the Scriptures. That teaching had better be taken from the Holy Scriptures, and enlarged in the hearts of the listener by the Holy Spirit of God.

When it becomes obvious that a church system doctrine takes priority over what is clearly taught in the Bible, then that ministry is not of God. Anytime a church officer lays his hand on a gifted teacher to prevent the teaching the truth of God's Word, it is not right, and he is out of place before almighty God, and will account personally for his actions.

If you can not teach the Word in the place you are in, it is time to move on, shake the dust off your feet, and leave the place to be judged with Sodom and the Sodomites at judgment day. Thank God some of the ministers are starting to wake up, and go back to the Scripture, and give out the entire Word of God.

Matthew Chapter 16

"Effects of Discernment, Teaching, and Opposition."

This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson

Matthew 16:1 "The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired Him that He would shew them a sign from heaven."

The Pharisees and the Sadducees are two different groups of the Jews. The Pharisees believed their was a God, where as the Sadducees did not. These two groups had witnessed the feeding of the five thousand and the four thousand, they had seen the healing of many, as well as many other miracles. Now these bunches of tree stumps have the gall to come to Jesus and ask Him for a sign. They want to see a miracle.

How in the world could anyone with common sense ask for a sign from Christ? They want one from the heaven. Something quite out of the ordinary. It is important that we understand something of the doctrines of these two cults.

The Pharisees believed that there is life after death, and they were good students of God's Word, only they were a cult because of their particular belief. A "cult" is someone that has a certain belief, and sticks with it, in an honorable way. The Pharisees simply liked to add to that Word, and form religious ceremonies that were not in the Scripture. They formed traditions to go by.

To the Pharisee the supernatural ideas of it's beliefs were from the Old Testament, and the beliefs and rituals of that teaching they wanted to spread abroad, and for everyone to observe the rituals. The rituals were more important them seeing the Messiah in the flesh, and the gospel that Jesus Christ taught. These Pharisees preferred to attach rituals to their foundation of teachings, making them of the traditions of men. This was definitely now an occult, for an occult is when their is a focus on the supernatural, and it is in the form of a secret. The members reach stages of understanding, and the secret controls their lives. It is more important then family, friends, and all physical things. The physical world simply becomes tools for the advancement of their supernatural rites, and system.

The Sadducees, on the other hand, did not believe in the supernatural in any form, or life after death. They believed that you live through this life one time, and then you go into the ground and stay there. They were more like the evolutionists or an atheist of today, and both Christ, and His apostles use this knowledge, when there was a presence of both religions in the same crowd. The wise person, such as the Apostle Paul had them fighting against each other when he was under fire.

In fact, the wise teacher today can have the denominations fighting against themselves, when they know the doctrines that each were established on, rather then Christ.

These two groups have asked for a sign from Jesus Christ.

Matthew 16:2 "He answered and said unto them, "When it is evening, ye say, 'It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.'"

Jesus answers them with the an old seaman's expression, "red in the morning, sailors take warning; red at night is a sailors delight."

Matthew 16:3 "And in the morning, ' It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring.' O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times."

Jesus did not give them a sign, only He did call attention to their stupidity. They have watched for many months all of Jesus Christ's miracles, yet they still don't believe. Jesus sure did know how He was getting under their skin, and driving them nuts. Remember in the twelfth verse in the last chapter when the disciples came to Him in fear, "Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying." Jesus knew very well how much He was getting to them.

If God's Word offends someone then they need offending.

Matthew 16:4 "A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas." And He left them, and departed."

Jesus gave them all that they had the right to know, and He went out the door, and He was gone. I don't think that they were wise enough to know what He meant.

Jesus was referring to the three days that Jonah was in the belly of the great fish. Jesus is referring to Jonah 1:17; "Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Johah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights."

God told Jonah to go and preach to the Ninevites, and repent, or He was going to destroy the city. Remember there was a prophecy given years before, and Jonah knew that Assyria was to be God's sword of judgment against Israel. Jonah figured that if Nineveh perished God would spare Israel, and Jonah was pleased to sacrifice his life for brother Israel.

However God's plans were deeper then Jonah's, and He made a fish to bring Jonah to shore. Jonah was not a coward, but he was compassionate for the ten tribes to the north, the House of Israel. The twist that most preachers overlook, is that the Ninevites religion was the worship of Dagon, the fish; and when the big fish brought Jonah to the shore, and the people say Jonah stumbling down the beach, the word got out, and the city was ready to do whatever Jonah said.

Jonah said repent, and the king decreed that everyone repented, and that is exactly what happened. Though Jonah didn't know it, what he did played right into God's plan, and the whole city thought Jonah came from Dagon, after all, to them Dagon was God, and he sent them Jonah, and left him on the beach.

That three days that Jonah was in the great fishes belly, is the the only sign that Jesus will give them, and they will have to wait until after these Kenites [not of brother Judah] kill Him. Christ was three days in the tomb.

Matthew 16:5 "And when His disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread."

Though the disciples had forgotten to take bread to eat, get a lot deeper into this then it appears on the surface. This is a spiritual lesson.

Matthew 16:6 "Then Jesus said unto them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees."

The Pharisees and the Sadducees just happened to be the religious community at the time of Christ, and this warning "take heed and beware of the leaven" was directed at the leaven, or what they were teaching. You add leaven to the bread to make it get bigger; and the bread is the Word of God, what Jesus was teaching. Christ is the Bread of Life.

Jesus is telling His disciples, and even the elect of this day, beware of the false teachings and those that that present themselves as being of God, when in fact, what they are giving out are the traditions of men and their own opinions. They do not follow the Word of God.

Leaven is yeast, and when mother works that yeast into the dough in a short time that flat piece of dough starts to rise and pour over the pan. Then she kneads it again, and it rises until it puffs up and makes beautiful bread. The leaven penetrates the whole loaf.

If you listen to false teachers, that take man's traditions, and the twisting of the Word of God by any denomination or church system, backed by the words of so-called authorities to penetrate your mind, then this warning by Jesus Christ is to you. Don't let any teaching be acceptable to you, without checking it out in the Word of God. The Bible is our authority, and if you are a Bible teacher, then teach the Word of God, Chapter by Chapter, and verse by verse.

Jesus is saying, Don't listen to men, but listen to me. Is that complicated? Jesus performed two great miracles to point out one little fact, and that fact is so important that it will be ruining the entire Christ world if it is not followed. We are approaching the day where the entire loaf is leavening with false teaching, and false teachers coming in Christ's name, and they do not teach in Christ's Word, but the words of men. They lie to Christian souls starving for the truth, when they make their statements to be of God, but having twisted truth, making it a lie.

When these preachers stand and say, "God spoke to me today", and then give out their own twisted message, and take your money. If that Word form God cannot be backed by the Word of God, they are false preachers, and they are filling your ears with lies.

God does speak to us today, and He speaks to us from His Word. He reveals His truths form that Word, and makes them come alive in our minds. We put on our gospel armor of Ephesians 6:10-20 to fight against the spiritual war that is taking place in these latter days with Satan, and his demons, that armor comes wholly out of God's Word, and as we study the Word, it is the Holy Spirit of God that opens up the understand within our minds, or hearts.

Ephesians 6:10-13; "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. [10] Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. [11] For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. [12] Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." [13]

Beware of the leaven.

Matthew 16:7 "And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have taken no bread."

Jesus is saying, Don't you let them put the smallest part of their lies in my bread of Life.

Matthew 16:8 "Which when Jesus perceived, He said unto them, "O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?"

Jesus is trying to wake the disciples up to what He is trying to teach them. O ye of little faith, wake up, and think, can't you see what I am trying to teach you? The lesson is not over the fact that they have left the bread from the miracles behind, but Christ is trying to get them to focus in on what is His bread. His bread is what He is trying to teach them, It is His words.

Matthew 16:9 "Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?"

Matthew 16:10 "Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?"

Jesus is asking the disciples, can't you keep track what is my leaven and my bread? Any time you have a multitude, you are going to pick up some filth, some false teachings, and wrong opinions. Jesus is really downing these men that call themselves followers of Christ. Can't you keep the tally of what is mine, and what is not mine?

Matthew 16:11 "How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?"

Jesus is telling them, face to face, don't you even remember what I told you about in explaining to you the parable of the sower, and the tares. I am not talking about bread here, get your mind on the subject, the leaven is the teachings of the Pharisees, and the Sadducees.

The disciples were wondering, is He getting on us for leaving the bread over there on the other shore, and leaving behind our supplies?

The leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees are the lies that come from the multitude, when you meet and have a "religious experience", shall we call it. Any time you have a meeting, and the sharing of religious experiences, that is not of God's Word, it is the leaven of the Pharisees. It is not the leaven of Christ that will lift up, but the lard of Satan that will weight you down, it is unclean, and unfit for consideration.

Matthew 16:12 "Then understood they how that He bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees."

These twelve disciples finally got the message. Jesus is not talking about bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The doctrine that comes forth today, that is claimed to be from God, by idiots that are not even familiar with the Word of God. They can't even use the proper tools of study, and yet they set themselves up to be prophets and teachers.

In Ezekiel 34:1-16; we read in our study that God has His eye on these false shepherds, and they will be the first and the most severe to be judged on on judgment day. God doesn't like it when someone misleads His flock.

There is a copy of the Word of God that is clear and cannot be changed, in the Massorah, and that is the only form of God's Word that is precise. When these false shepherds run around and say things that do not check out with it, they lie, and are a disgrace to God.

Matthew 16:13 "When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?"

Ninety nine percent of what is taught in the churches today is the mechanics of church systems. The more the sayings and traditions of these systems are repeated, the more children, and the spiritual babes in Christ think it is Biblical. Many times these teachings and doctrines are even contrary to God's Word.

Matthew 16:14 "And they said, "Some say that Thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets."

The religious world then was just as confused as most of the Christian world today.

Matthew 16:15 "He saith unto them, "But whom say ye that I am?"

Jesus wanted the disciples to answer who they thought Jesus was, as it just isn't important who the world thinks Christ is, they don't have the eyes to see, and the ears to hear and understand anyhow.

Matthew 16:16 "And Simon Peter answered and said, thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."

"The Christ", means "the Anointed One", and this is correct.

Matthew 16:17 "And Jesus answered and said unto him, "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven."

Jesus is telling them, it wasn't some group of elders that revealed this to you, but the Almighty God revealed this through His Holy Spirit.

Matthew 16:18 "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

Now instead of calling Simon Bar-jone, Jesus has given him a new name, Peter. Peter means Rock. The Rock is the foundation that the church is built on; and that Rock is Jesus Christ. Jesus is telling Peter that it is on the Rock of Jesus Christ that His church is built, and even the gates, or powers of Hell, Satan and his systems can not prevail against Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ was foretold as the "foundation-stone" in Isaiah 28:16; "Therefore thus saith the Lord God, "Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste."

Jesus is that corner stone, precious and tried, and those that know Him, will wait on Him, and His return at the appointed time, and not make haste to follow the fake that comes first. Jesus fulfilled the role to perfection, for He is the only begotten of the Father.

There are many conflicts over this one verse, as one church states our church is built of Peter, who was the founder of our Church, which was true in the Smyrna and Philadelphia. They miss the doctrine of this verse. Christ is the immovable rock [Petra], in the Greek. The church is the assembly of believers wherever they are, they are the elect of God, and not some building on a corner, or the intricate system that does it's business inside those walls. The church are the body of believers, of which there are many members, which have many different tasks to do, all within that one body of believers.

Matthew 16:19 "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

The keys of the kingdom of heaven are the truths of understanding which allow us to see, hear and understand the full understanding of the kingdom of heaven. When you take that key, and unlock the minds of those that are held captive by the traditions of men, by the leaven of the doctrine of the elders and church systems, and of sin itself: When you unlock their minds, and free them of that, then God will also free them in heaven. As the freedom of Christ comes on earth, so also is the freedom and salvation brought in heaven.

On the other hand, when you as part of the elect of God bind something or some person on earth that have misused the Word of God, that binding will also stand in heaven. This gives an under shepherd or lay person a lot of power. This power is in the hands of those who know the Word, have their foundation on Christ, and use the power designated to them. It is not given to a system, but to the individual.

However you have to have the key, We know that the door is Christ, and the key to that door was David. You have to know the "key of David". You either have it, or you don't. You find in only in the church of Philadelphia, and Smyrna, which were the only churches that God found no fault with. This is found in Revelation 3:7 "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; 'These things saith He That is Holy [Christ], He that is True, He that hath the key of David, He that openeth, and no man shutteth, and shutteth, and no man openeth;"

If you have the key of David, you don't have to be afraid of any of the traditionalist, for they certainly don't have it. You have God's word locked in your mind, and the key of David. The key of David reveals these traditionalists, these modern day Pharisees that call themselves of God, but are of the synagogue of Satan. That is exactly how Satan works, he uses the Word of God, and twists that Word for his own pleasure. It is the mind of Satan's children, the Kenites which say they are Jews, but are not. Now apply this to today, they say they are of Christ, yet they do not teach the Word of God, but traditions.

Revelation 1:9, 10; "Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. [9] Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." [10]

These traditionalists are the ones that change their doctrines, and the popularity of their systems change, one day they are against something, and later they are for it. Whatever they believe they take Scripture out of context, and even out of the dispensation it is applied to, to twist theWord to make it say what they want it to say.

Friend, we are at the door of the "hour of temptation". That hour is when Satan is on earth, and in physical form, ruling as the Antichrist, and the entire world will believe him to be the true Christ, Jesus Christ. They will believe it because they do not have the key of David. The foundation to the understanding of the Key of David, is Matthew 13; the parables of the sower and the tares.

Matthew 16:20 "Then charged He His disciples that they should tell no man that He was Jesus the Christ."

Jesus has just revealed to His disciples that He is the Christ, the Messiah or coming Savior. Then He turned right around and told them not to reveal this to anyone else. Why? Because Jesus told the religious people of the day, that the only sign that they would be given was the sign of Jonah, being in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Jesus hadn't been in the heart of the earth yet, nor had He been crucified yet. It wasn't time for Jesus to go to the cross yet, and what would take place will be as it was written, and prophesied by the Prophets from God.

When Jesus went into the grave, and rose three days and three nights later, then it could be told who Jesus was.

Matthew 16:21 "From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto His disciples, how that He must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed, and be raised again the third day."

So once the twelve disciples finally know for a fact that Jesus is the Christ, He will now give the disciples the facts and details how He will enter into Jerusalem, to suffer the things prophesied, to be crucified, and raised on the third day. Why the third day? That is the sign of Jonah that Jesus gave to the Pharisees, and scribes, concerning who He was.

This is the plan of God, as written in Hebrews 2:14; "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;" It is only through the death of Christ of the cross, that the hold that the devil has on us can be broken. That is why the sign of Jonah is important; and that is also why the things that Jesus was going to do, and go through in Jerusalem be hid from the very people that were going to do it. Jesus is telling His disciples; "This is God's plan that the Son of God die crucified, whereby salvation can come into the world.

So that when those who understand, repent and take Jesus into their hearts and minds, and their sins become as white as snow. Friend, there is no sin that you can commit that Jesus will not forgive you of, if you just repent it to Him. He will blot it out of his book, where it counts, and He will make you over into a new creature. His Spirit will dwell with your spirit, and the old things just will not matter any more.

Matthew 16:22 "Then Peter took Him, and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Be it far from thee Lord: this shall not be unto thee."

The moral of what Jesus is trying to teach His disciples is that God's plan must come to pass. It is our duty, as a child of God to learn that plan, and learn what is written, then recognize it when you see it come to pass, and not argue against it.

Once again, Peter shows the fact that he just wasn't listening, and didn't understand what Jesus had just told him. That He had to go to the cross and die, and be in the tomb three days. This was Satan's spirit speaking through Peter, for this is exactly what Satan did not want to happen. Christ's death, and resurrection, was Satan's death sentence.

Matthew 16:23 "But He turned, and said unto Peter, "Get thee behind Me, Satan: thou art an offence unto Me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."

Peter has just said that he would not allow this to happen, for he is speaking out against God and His plan. Jesus said to Peter, after these words came out of Peter, "Get thee behind me, Satan". Man's emotions many times can cause them to go against what God's Word dictates. This is why Christianity is disciplined, and we must be disciples which is one who learns and then puts what he has learned towards discipline. Be a student of God's Word in the plan of God.

When the events of the end times prophecies pass before you, be a wise student and and learn by them. They are sign post that God has placed to let you know just where we are in His perfect plan. When you are one of God's elect, and your emotions go against what God's Word says will come to pass, then these words of Christ would apply to you also, "Get behind me, Satan."

It was Peter's love for Christ that caused Peter to blaspheme God. Satan had used Peter's emotions and love to turn him against Christ and to stumble. Love caused him to do it. This would be no difference then someone steps up to you and says, I'm going to kill your brother. Then you would say to your brother, I'm not going to let it happen, we are going to make a stand against them. This is human nature. Had Peter been disciplined in the teachings, he would not have argued against them.

It was the religious community that killed Christ, and it is the religious community today that persecutes the true children of God.

Matthew 16:24 "Then said Jesus unto His disciples, "I any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."

Jesus is now saying that a man must deny his own emotions that would cause you to break your discipline to God's word, simply to please the flesh nature within you. Your cross is your study of the Word, and the discipline that you show in following what it teaches. A cross is something you die on, and when you take up your cross, you place all your self notions, and pleasures beneath that which is part of the Christian's discipline as set forth in His Word. Don't play church, and let your emotions rule you, but do as Christ says. You must make the teaching, and the church, and your emotions a reality that if it was called upon you to die for Christ, you would be willing to sacrifice your own life, for the Word of God. Any thing short of that is play acting, and the cross becomes nothing but a trinket worn around your neck. If you were one of the two witness of the final days, you would gladly die for Christ.

Matthew 16:25 "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."

Whosoever shall lose his life as far as the flesh body is concerned, in the service of our Lord, shall have eternal life. The soul is eternal, and only God can destroy the soul at judgment. The flesh body will decay at death, however very shortly this flesh age will come to a close, and on the "day of the Lord", that day when the Jesus Christ will return as King of kings, and Lord of Lords, all flesh both good and bad will be gone, and we will be changed in the wink of an eye.

I Corinthians 15:51, 52; "Behold I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, [51] In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." [52] This is the same sleep that Paul addresses in I Thessalonians 4, where he is addressing the subject, "Where are the dead". Paul is stating that at the sounding of the last trump, in an instant, all souls will shed their physical bodies, and be changed to their incorruptible bodies.

Death and hell fire of the soul does not come on this day, nor is there going to be a fly away, or rapture of the flesh body. Why? Because Christ is coming to earth to set up His kingdom on earth, that is what the Millennium age is all about. When the flesh body dies, it is gone, but the soul lives on.

Matthew 16:26 "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"

"The whole world" is this cosmos, this earth age of the flesh. The Bible tells us that this earth age, or flesh age shall end with this current generation. The exact time left is unknown, but we have the events spelled out in prophecy that are our guideposts to inform us of the seasons, and the sequential order of what shall come to pass. Though you gain all the power, and physical wealth of the world age now, once Christ returns, it will cease to exist, and for that short pleasure of wealth, you have given up your very soul.

Never trade your soul for something in this world. Can you be bought? Well there has been a price so great already paid for your soul, and that price was the death of Christ on the cross. He made it possible for you to live eternally. Would you barter for anything that could cause you to lose your eternal life? It just isn't worth the wealth of the world, and a short pleasure, to lose what God has offered to you.

You must follow Christ, and stay disciplined to His Word, for those that stay true, though they be poor, are rich in the world to come. Jesus addressed this in His promises to the church of Smyrna, in Revelation 2:10; "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."

Friend, that "crown of Life" is eternal life and there is nothing that Satan can offer you that can match the value of your crown of Life. That crown allows you to live eternally as a son of God, and be joint heirs with Jesus Christ in His eternal kingdom. It is your crown, and the mind of the flesh simply cannot understand what it's full meaning is. The pay scale for serving Christ on earth is tremendous, and is beyond the value of man's money system. The retirement benefits include a body that never grows old, a home that never ages, the fresh rivers of water that flows right from the throne of God, and those waters will never give you thirst. Friend, you just can not compare anything to your crown of Life, in this earth age.

And you will have the love of God poured upon you, for serving in His service, and being faithful in the things that He has you do.

Matthew 16:27 "For the son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every man according to his works."

First notice that there is no gender to every man. It applies to men and women in their soul, incorruptible bodies. When Jesus Christ returns as the King of kings, and Lord of lords, He will come with His angels, and in the glory and power of the Almighty Father. Remember back in I Corinthians 15:52, Paul told us exactly when that day would be, "At the last trump" the seventh trump.

At that time Jesus will be handing out the rewards that you have earned while you were in the flesh, in this flesh earth age. The Millennium age is on earth, but it will not be part of this flesh age, for all flesh will be changed in the wink of an eye. Then it will be payday. Payday for your faith or belief? No my friend, PAYDAY FOR YOUR WORKS, those works for Christ in planting seeds, and showing kindness in the name of the Lord. For studying His Word, and being a doer of the Word that God has instructed us in. Rewards for the discipline in tending to the gifts that the Heavenly Father has placed in our hands to complete His work while in this earth age.

This has nothing to do with the legality of saved by works or faith; it has everything to do with whether you were faithful in the things where God has placed you. Those things may consist of praying for the ones that the Holy Spirit of God has placed on your heart, or the development of your voice to where you can be used in the choir, and your tending to that some other gift. It may be the serving food at the mission weekly or monthly, with a warm smile, or even giving a glass of water in love and with a smile to the neighbor, as unto the Lord. Those are your works, my friend, it is not what you gave, but how you gave them. Was it in love, unto the Lord. That is what the rewards of your works are based on.

Stop and evaluate your motives of what you do, and how and why you do it. That is all part of the discipline Christ is trying to instill in His disciples, and if you claim the name of Christ, my friend, it's aimed at you. Without works, you will be scantily clad in the life to come, for that is what your garment is made of. Nothing else gains rewards.

Matthew 16:28 "Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in His kingdom."

A lot of people have difficulty with this verse, however with the rest of God's Word it is simple. Jesus spoke of His crucifixion, and that He would rise on the third day, and when He rose He had His kingdom with Him. And all but Judas would see Him in His glorified body, the King of the kingdom. When Christ came out of the tomb, He became the King of His kingdom, and all those that claim the name of Christ are of the kingdom of God.

The reason that Jesus did not say that all of them that stood there would "not taste of death" till they saw Jesus, the Son of man in His kingdom, is that When Judas betrayed Christ, the money was throne back at the Kenites then Judas went out and repented. We know from The Acts 1:18 that the Kenites killed Judas after his repentance, for they not only hung him, but slit him wide open. "Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out."

The Kenite religious leaders had the money, and it was the religious leaders that bought the potters field with the thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave, and after they bought the field, they did their job on Judas. Many today believe the Kenite lie and traditional doctrine that Judas hung himself and slit himself wide open. This is why Jesus told the disciple that "some standing here", all but Judas saw Jesus Christ in that upper room, after His resurrection.

Matthew Chapter 17

"Glory Foreshown. The Transfiguration; Sufferings and Glory Explained."

This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson

Jesus had just scolded Peter for allowing his love of Christ to leave an opening for Satan to enter in for a moment. Satan will use your love for a loved one for his advantage. We will find out in this chapter just how important it is to know and understand God's plan. This is the chapter that separates the Children from the adults, in the Word of God. It has nothing to do with age, but maturity of the understanding of spiritual things.

This chapter also covers things that will prepare you for the Second Advent, which is the end of the this sixth dispensation, when Jesus Christ shall return in His transfigured body. It also covers things concerning the lunar children, which are still very much with us today. Men and women of God should be aware that they are possessed, however they can be changed if they choose to change and leave the ways of the devil.

Matthew 17:1 "And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,"

Jesus is separating these three disciples from the rest of the disciples. This is what you might call a secret mission. It is a documentation of what it will be like at the Second Advent, or coming of Jesus Christ. It has to do with Christ's second coming.

Matthew 17:2 "And was transfigured before them: and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light."

Jesus Christ's transfiguration let these three disciples know that through the resurrection the flesh body will be transfigured, rather then left. These three have witnessed before the fact that Christ's body will be transfigured. Meaning that the flesh shall not be left behind, whereby the unbelievers could say, He didn't go anywhere. There is the flesh.

Every time a person dies there is an immediate removal of the soul back to the Heavenly Father, and the flesh is left to rot. The unbeliever simply can't understand that because the body is laying there on the slab. The persons beautiful spiritual body returns to God that gave it.

In this case, there had to be a transfiguration to stop the talk, and have witnesses to the fact, so no one could deny that He arose.

Matthew 17:3 "And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with Him."

Many teach that these two men that were with Christ have been in the grave for quite some time. All souls, including Satan himself, are with God at this time awaiting judgment, or awaiting to be taught in the millennium age. Satan's evil spirit is on earth, but he is the accuser before the throne in heaven. Revelation 12:7-9 tells us that this is a war that will take place, and that war will end with Michael and his angels casting Satan and his angels to the earth. When Satan comes it will mark the end of this earth age, with the great deception of the tribulation.

Why would Jesus appear with Moses and Elias? Moses was the law giver. The law that God gave mankind for the sake of living with one another on earth. It was the yardstick to show man that he was not perfect. When Christ dies on the cross, it will pay the price for man's transgressing of the law.

These two, Moses and Elias [Elijah] were mentioned in the last three verses in the Old Testament.

Malachi 4:4-6; "Remember ye the law of Moses My servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. [4] Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:" [5] And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." [6]

Moses stood for the law, and his presence represents those to be raised from the dead. This will occur when Christ is resurrected and brings the souls along with Him to heaven.

Christ's transfigured body was symbolic of that Second Advent. What Jesus is saying to the disciples is that this is the First Advent, these events with Moses and Elijah present do not take place until the end of the sixth dispensation. That is when the hearts of the fathers are turned the children, and the children to the fathers. The "fathers", two of them are Jesus Christ and Satan, and the time is called the Great Tribulation [Deception]. Jesus Christ is the Father of His own, and Satan is the father of his own seed, the Kenites.

So these disciples watched as these three stood in their supernatural bodies, showing that Christ was supernatural. This shows the body that Christ would posses after the crucifixion, and after the tomb. Jesus allowed this time of the transfiguration to happen, so people would not run around saying that Christ did not rise from the tomb. He did it in this manner to where there would be no doubt to where His body was. It was changed.

Matthew 17:4 "Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if Thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias."

Peter watched this supernatural event and he missed the whole point, the first thing Peter wanted to do was to broadcast the event. Peter still doesn't know here that the only reason he was brought was to be a witness to the transforming of Christ's body, following the resurrection.

Matthew 17:5 "While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, "This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him."

We saw in verse 16:23 Peter had already showed Jesus disrespect, and now he has to mouth off again. Peters excitement in his comments were, however because of his love for Jesus. Then in the middle of Peter's comments, the voice of Almighty God comes forth.

Friend, this is God's voice speaking from the cloud, and it is powerful. Have you heard some of these clowns on television lately saying that God spoke to them this morning, and then spew forth how you should sent them money, or some other form of greed and self gratification. Here we are talking about Peter, James and John that walked with Jesus. Do you know what they did when the voice from the cloud spoke to them?

Matthew 17:6 "And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid."

In reference to those half wits that make that comment today; if and when the true God speaks to them they will not be left standing. They will be exactly as the disciples were when they heard the voice of God. They were face down on the ground, with the fear which is reverence of God in their heart and minds.

God is telling these disciples to stop their nonsense and listen to His Son; what He has to tell you is very important. God spoke to get the disciples focused on what was taking place, and what they were to do about it. When the disciples heard it they were "sore afraid", they were scared out of their minds with fear.

These men that will play church and blaspheme God will be held accountable for their idle vain words. They put forth their nonsense that God told them to say something that simply goes against His Word. They will pay for it, and it may be with their very souls.

The Holy Spirit is giving warning through the Word to stop, and if this is directed to you, this is the time to ask forgiveness from God. Ask God that the Holy Spirit will give you a deeper understanding in His Word, and get down and do your studying.

Matthew 17:7 "And Jesus came and touched them, and said, "Arise, and be not afraid."

Jesus came to them tenderly and said, get back up, and don't be afraid. I think He know how mortal man would react, when in the presence of His Almighty Father.

Friend when things get tough, and the pressures of life cause you to be afraid; this same tenderness of Christ is offered to you, "Be not afraid." He will take your heavy burden, and place it upon Himself. Remember back in Matthew 11:28-30; "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [28] Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. [29] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." [30]

Matthew 17:8 "And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only."

They looked up into the face of Christ and it was over, it was past.

Matthew 17:9 "And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, "Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead."

Peter, James and John were ready now to get down to business, and pay attention. They now knew that what Jesus was telling them was far more then idle words. Before when Peter was ready to fight to save Christ's life, he now had the insight that the others, aside from James and John, did not have. Then at the time when Thomas and the others would have there doubts, these three could safely say, Our Lord is risen.

Matthew 17:10 "And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?"

The words of the scribes, "that Elias must first come" was written in Malachi, as we read above. John the Baptist was dead at the time of the transfiguration, and they are talking about the Second Advent, that they just read. The day of the crucifixion was the day of passion, and not the day of the Second Advent. That is the day that Elijah comes before. So now Jesus is going to give them the reason.

Matthew 17:11 "And Jesus answered and said unto them, "Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things."

"Elias", which is to "Elijah" will come and "restore all things"; that is to say the truth of God's Word, before Jesus Christ shall come and mark the end of this earth age. This will happen just before the great day of the Lord. Elijah will not come like these "one verse" pastors, singing their songs, and begging for money; but he will take the Word of God, and open the eyes of God's people, and there will be no doubt to what the has to say. The hearts, (which is the minds) of the people will be turned to our Heavenly Father, focused on His word, and ready for the coming of the Messiah.

Turning to the Father is to "restore all things", restore the love of God's children to their Father. This polarity will also draw the Kenites back to their genetic father Satan, except for those few Kenites that have excepted Christ and repented, they then are sons of the living God, and their Father is the Heavenly Father.

It is getting too late to play church, for many of the signs of the end times are history to us today. It is time to get about our Father's business. Jesus is telling Peter, James and John that it is true, Elijah shall come before that Great Day of the Lord.

What throws most people is this next verse. There is a separation between the thought of verse eleven and verse twelve.

Matthew 17:12 "But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them."

When Elias came back the first time no one know him. Remember back in Matthew 11:14-15 where Jesus said; "And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. [14] He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." [15]

What Jesus is saying is that had the people received Him the first time, then John the Baptist would have been Elias, and there would be no Second Advent. However, John the Baptist was not received, and Jesus Christ was not accepted as the Messiah, in fact, even Christ's disciples did not relate the miracles as coming from the Messiah until later on in the ministry. Had they been aware, they would have known the prophecies, and known that it was the purpose for Jesus Christ coming as a baby.

Therefore John the Baptist came in the spirit of Elijah. Luke 1:17; "And he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Today there are some ministries that are in the spirit of Elijah, they teach the true Word of God, and turning the hearts of many back to our Heavenly Father. While on the other hand, turning the hearts of the Kenites, false shepherds, and disobedient to the Word, back to the other father, Satan.

The time of the separation of God's elect from the goats, is at the door. For we read in Revelation 9:4, the time is coming when you will be sealed by God in your mind with the knowledge of the truth; or you will have the mark of the beast, you will have the seal of the Antichrist on you. Their is no middle ground then, for God will give you over to Satan, if you are not sealed as one of His.

Many will follow false doctrine, such as the rapture doctrine, and other modern day mixes of Christianity, and view the Antichrist as the true Messiah, for they will have been taught so, and their false shepherds will lead them to their father, Satan. They will go gladly, for they will go in ignorance because they think that this first to come is the true Christ.

Their actions in this earth age is the reason for the Millennium Age, for that age is the time of learning and discipline for one thousand years. Then comes the judgment, and the rewards then are by works, for the time of grace will end with the coming of the Antichrist. At that time you will be saved or you will not.

Matthew 17:13 "Then the disciples understood that He spake unto them of John the Baptist."

Matthew 17:14 "And when they were come to the multitude, there came to Him a certain man, kneeling down to Him, and saying,"

Matthew 17:15 "Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for oft times he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water."

Pay attention to the word "lunatick". The word in the Greek is "moon struck", another words this boy was a child of the moon, or night, while God's children are of the sun, and daylight. this man is saying then that his son is a child of the devil.

Matthew 17:16 "And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him."

Pay attention to why the disciples could not heal this lunatic boy.

Matthew 17:17 "Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me."

Jesus is saying, how many times must I teach you, and you watch to understand from where the healing comes. This relates right back to the parable of the sower, and that is necessary to understand the powers that Jesus had. God planted His seed in the daylight, and in the night came the evil one, the devil, and planted his seed. Remember the seed are children, and the seed of the night are Satan's kids.

Another words, if you don't know what the problem is, you can't fix it; and the problem is not the sickness, but the evil spirits that are within the boy. Those evil spirits must go first then the the healing can take place.

Matthew 17:18 "And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour."

Jesus rebuked the devil first, because the boy was a child of the devil, and then the boy was cured that same hour.

Matthew 17:19 "Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, "Why could not we cast him out?"

These disciples were slow to learn, they simply were not paying attention in the past, and now it all caught up with them. They want to know why the powers that Jesus had given them were not working. In their ignorance they simply did not recognize what they were dealing with. This is the same reason many have problems today.

Matthew 17:20 "And Jesus said unto them, "Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, 'Remove hence to yonder place;' and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."

Many times people take this little mustard seed and compare their faith to it, and they show their ignorance.

This is talking about the Kenite nation, Christ identifies it here as well as in the Parable of the fig tree. If you have the faith or the knowledge of a mustard seed, of the mountain, which is the nation of the Kenites [know who they are]. They are the lunar nation, the nation of the night, the nation of Satan the devil. Then the powers that God has placed in His children, in the name of Jesus, you have the power to tell Satan and his whole realm "go" and they must go.

This is talking about the power in the name of Jesus, this is why we pray in Jesus name, we are saved in Jesus name, and we rebuke Satan in Jesus name. Satan and his realm, all of it, is that mountain, and the power in the name of Jesus, acting on faith, and belief is what moves that mountain.

This is why you must know the parable of the sower and tares of the Matthew thirteen, for through it, you identify the devil, and his children. Blind faith is fine, but when you put understanding behind your faith, then you learn discernment of spirits.

There is a nation that shall be removed, at the coming of Christ in the near future, and it will be the Antichrist, Satan, and his tribe of Kenites and their followers. They shall be cast into the sea as a millstone, and this is prophecy in Revelation 18:21; "And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all." The sea is the peoples of the earth, and the great city Babylon is his one world system, in which the entire world will be as one. When our Lord Jesus Christ returns Satan and every form of idolatry will be gone.

Matthew 17:21 "Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting."

"This kind" refers to something special that Jesus is about to teach us. "This kind" is the moon struck. They are the ones that are filled with devils, or demons, who are of the night, or Satan's realm. Jesus is telling us that there is a way that we ought to pray, when certain kinds of things are happening. If you know them and about them then you can with the power of God, cast them out. It is only with the credentials of Jesus name, that is the mustard seed that can make any mountain move.

Matthew 17:22 "And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, "The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men:"

Jesus is now starting to prepare His disciples for the time of His going to the cross of Calvary.

Matthew 17:23 "And they shall kill Him, and the third day He shall be raised again." And they were exceeding sorry."

They were sorry, but they are still blind to the great gift that God is giving to all mankind.

Matthew 17:24 "And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, "Doth not your Master pay tribute?"

Know the difference between customs and tribute. The tribute is paid with the monetary value of Rome, the "didrachma", which is equal to one half of a "shekel". The custom tax is like our sales tax, it is paid on goods and services. The "tribute" tax is a form of income tax, it is paid on the value of the person.

Matthew 17:25 "He saith, "Yes." And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, "What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?"

Jesus is giving Peter another lesson. Jesus is asking Peter, who do the kings of the earth collect their taxes from, there own children, of the strangers of the land, that is the people that live in their territory? The reason is that the only true king of the earth is standing before Peter, and that is Jesus Christ. What Jesus is trying to say is that He does not have to pay it, for he is the true king, the King of kings.

Matthew 17:26 "Peter saith unto him, "Of strangers." Jesus saith unto him, "Then are the children free."

Then Jesus said in the form of a question, then I don't have to pay it because I am the King, and you don't have to pay it because you are the child of the king. Anyone that believes on Him is His child.

Matthew 17:27 "Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast open his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for Me and thee."

Jesus is telling Peter, just to save a bunch of trouble, because they will not understand it if we did tell them, go and pay the tax. The money that will be paid is for both the king and his children.

There is a deeper meaning to this then it appears on the surface. Jesus told Peter to take a hook and cast it into the sea, and the sea, according to Revelation, is the people. Go to the sea of people, and take from them, and give unto Rome that which is Rome's. This is given for the ministry of the Word. That is what the tithe is for, to be used to satisfy the worldly obligations to meet the needs of those doing the work of the Lord.

The people of God in working in the world and gaining a wage from the world, give their portion to cover the required needs of the ones that are doing the full time work of the Lord. It is given from the heart, not because of some pledge, telethon, or worldly scheme. Then the Lord's work will be blessed, and the hands that gave it.

Matthew Chapter 18

"Discipleship. As a little child."

This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson

This chapter teaches you how to plant seeds in our daily life, and gain the knowledge that Christ was teaching while on earth in His first advent. It is important in our lives to learn to release the pressures and stresses in our lives, and turning them over to Jesus Christ; knowing that He cares for you. Christianity is not a religion, but a reality. It is words of encouragement of how we can grow closer to our Heavenly Father, and please Him. It is from the Father that all blessings flow back to us.

Matthew 18:1 "At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

The whole state of affairs of mankind living on the earth, is based on positions of standing. Whether in government, the church and even within our family. We are going to learn four lessons in this chapter, the first lesson is to be humble, and stay in the low places, and be ready to serve when you are called upon by God. In the Millennium age there are many that consider themselves authorities in Scripture, and deserve the high places, yet they will find themselves in the children's area of teaching, so to speak. We must learn that it is God's Word that does the teaching, and not man's word.

The second lesson taught here is to be patient with our neighbor. Don't be a busybody with the neighbor.

The third lesson is that we are not to take advantage, or scandalize a weak brother. Learn patience when dealing with others, especially those that claim the name of Christ.

The fourth lesson is to correct that brother, or neighbor with love and compassion, when he is at fault, that Christ may be presented to him.

Matthew 18:2 "And Jesus called a little child unto Him, and set him in the midst of them."

This deals with who is the greatest in heaven, and Jesus is going to explain this in a simple object lesson.

Matthew 18:3 "And said, "Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."

When you teach a child a new thing that he is interested in, he will open his mind and accept whatever you say. His eyes light up, and the excitement of learning can be seen in his whole body. This child has one hundred percent faith in his father or mother, or whomever is teaching him. As the child listened, there wasn't a doubt in his mind as to the truth of the matter.

Friend, that is exactly what you have to do with Jesus, and the Word of God. Adults pretty much think that we know it all already, and that is a mistake. Regardless how much you think you know, there is so much more that you can be taught if you just put your mind to it. As you place God's Word into your mind, it becomes like a seed, and will grow. As you yield your mind to the Holy Spirit of God, His Spirit will take that seed of the Word, and make it bloom right there in your life.

That blossom of the truth of God's Word will not pass, but it will change your thinking process, the way that you think and reason, for it will set the standard for how you will look at other people and things that come into your life. So you must continually be as that child, when you read and study His Word, and be that receptive to learn and make it part of you.

Matthew 18:4 "Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

Our Lord Jesus Christ came to this earth in His First Advent as a baby. He came not as royalty, but born in a cave with the livestock. He came, born of a virgin girl, with the government out to kill Him, and to the degree that it would kill every child, just to get Jesus. Are you starting to get the picture? You don't enter God's kingdom as the king, but through the servants door, and the matter of being elevated, depends on the type of servant you become.

Being promoted to positions of responsibility depends on your willingness to learn, and follow instruction, and get along with others. It also depends on your faithfulness in the little things, and doing those things in the name of the King [our Heavenly Father]. "Humble" means that our Father gets the credit for what you do, not you, for all good things comes from the Father. The only reason you are in that kingdom, is because His Son paid the price. You came with nothing, you have nothing, and every good morsel that comes your way is credited to where it belongs, our Heavenly Father, in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ.

That is how you enter the kingdom of heaven, as a child. You come humble as a child, and ready to learn, and sorry for those things you do wrong. As you learn to give God the praise and glory, in Christ's name, He will promote you to the job He knows you can handle, and that He can depend on you doing right.

Matthew 18:5 "And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me."

This not only refers to children, but those that are humble before the Lord. Man is not equipped to handle all his problems in this world, and this is directed to those that give their problems to the Heavenly Father, just as a child goes to his earthly father. Jesus is instructing us to receive and handle carefully those new babes in Christ, just as we would handle a child.

The child looks to the parent to get the job done, and solve any problem. In his mind, "my daddy can do anything," "my mother can fix anything." You see, you must put yourself in that position concerning God in Heaven. He is able to tend to any matter, and in the way that best fits your need. God has promised us that when we ask in Jesus name, He will not deny you.

John 15:7; "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."

Did you catch the condition Jesus gave before you receive? If ye abide in me; are you living for Him? "and my Word abide in you," What about it, do you study His Word, to have those words in your mind, and heart? When you do things God's way, then He blesses you. God is fair and just.

My friend, this is the answer to depression, when you have done all that you can do, then turn it over to the Father to fix. You have to become humble to see that it is beyond you, and it is time to give it over to God. You are the one to make the move, then He will do the rest. Jesus stands at that door and knocks, but the handle to open that door is on the inside of your heart. Jesus will not bust into anyone's business or life, unless you invite Him to do so.

When you do this act of letting Him come into your life, then Christianity stops being a form of religious practice, and it becomes life, it becomes the reality of real life and that is life filled with Christ, and directed by His Holy Spirit.

Matthew 18:6 "But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were handed about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea."

Jesus is saying that if you offend them and accuse them when they are as children in the Lord, and cause them to fall and turn from the Lord; it would have been better for you if you were done away with. When one truly believes the Father, as a child in understanding, and you cause them to fall in your judgmental ways, you will be treated very harshly by the Almighty Father on Judgment day. When you realize what you have done, friend it is time to repent to the Father, and to the babe in Christ. This is not a matter to play games with.

Matthew 18:7 "Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!"

The troubles of the world will trip up everyone at one time or another, they will come because that is the way the world is and the nature of man. This is directed to those that place temptation in the path of another child of God, that this person would fall. Satan loves it when we take our freedoms that we have in Christ, and place it in the path of that child in the Lord that just can't handle it.

Though our conscience gives us certain freedoms, those freedoms can be stumbling blocks in the path of another person, and that offence can become the reason that a child in the Lord, (regardless of his or her age), turn away from Christ.

Matthew 18:8 "Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire."

God has given us His health laws that show us how to protect our physical bodies. Those health laws tell us what to eat and what not to eat so we can live a healthy life. When you break one of the health laws the punishment is sickness to this flesh body, which could end in the death of this flesh body.

Why then would He tell us to mutilate the flesh body for the sake of the soul, when through His laws, He stresses our protection of it. The answer is; He doesn't, and mutilation is not what is talked about here.

This is in reference to the protection of that many membered body of Christ. He is talking about those members of the many membered body of Christ, that if you cannot conduct yourself as part of that body of Christ, as one of these children of His kingdom, and you bring offences to those that are, you are to be separated from the main body, while you are offensive. Sometimes God allows troublemakers to become part of a church, to be a thorn to them, and this can be tolerated. However, Jesus is telling us that it is best to just tell them to leave, rather then have them cause others to fall.

Matthew 18:9 "And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire."

This is directed to those in the church that are to be the watchmen. Those that watch that which is taught is from God's Word, and keeping the eye out for the well being of the church body. It is better to go with less understanding of God's Word, and dig it out for yourselves, then put up with allowing someone to steer the body of Christ into some other path. Little children don't act that way, it would be someone that thinks that they know it all, and trying to add something new to God's Word.

Matthew 18:10 "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say into you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven."

When one is as a child before God, regardless of age, and calls on God. God assigns an angel to that person, and each of those angels have the face of of the Heavenly Father. That means that when trouble comes, that angel can instantly call our Heavenly Father, and get His attention to the matter. Jesus is telling us that it is He that is assuring us of this fact, that if you try to bother one of these babes in Christ, it will be brought instantly to God's attention. You will not get away with harming any of Christ's little ones.. You see that this is addressed to God's little ones, and the person that does not believe in God does not have an attending angel.

Calling God's attention to the matter is beholding the face of God. When God tends to the matter there will be a correction taking place.

Matthew 18:11 "For the son of man is come to save that which was lost."

That is the whole purpose for Jesus Christ coming to earth as a baby, to save you.

Matthew 18:12 "How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?"

Of course the shepherd will do that, for He knows how defenseless that little lamb is to wild animals. He knows that the only protection a sheep has is the shepherd, himself. Our Heavenly Father has that kind of love and compassion for His sheep, and when one has gone astray, He will go after that precious soul, and He will take on all the demonics of this world, to get his lamb back.

It really doesn't matter how deep in sin and the habits of this world you have sunk; it really doesn't matter because when you get your eyes focused on Christ, and you call out to God to save you, He will take you right were you are, and make you a new creature. If you are on drugs, or in some crime, or even sunk to the depths of Sodomy, God will save you out of your filthy condition, and open your eyes to see Him. You are the one, though, that makes the choice, and calls out to Him, and He will do the rest. You are the one that has to recognize that you need the help, and repent, and He will save you. God loves His children.

God will take the attention from the ninety nine that are serving Him, and focus that attention on the one sinner that is lost. It doesn't take much to get God moving in your direction, just a crack in the door, saying, Father come into my heart, forgive me dear Lord; and He will.

Then God will help you control your flesh body, as you get yourself under control. To get off drugs, or alcohol, or change your lifestyle from perversion, Christ will give you the strength to see it through. The Holy Spirit of God will be there with you night and day, and when the going gets tough, He is there by your side, and in your mind to give you comfort. Friend, Christ is not a religion, but a reality with your very soul and mind. When He comes He brings new life, and hope that you can rely on, every moment of the rest of your life. God will change your habits, your goals, and then He will place an angel to watch over you.

Matthew 18:13 "And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray."

Friend, when you see the light of His Word, and repent and call out to the Father to "save me", there is rejoicing in heaven; and that is where it counts. Though men on this earth hold something against you, and treat you as a second class citizen, God does not. God created your soul, and placed your spirit within you, and there is a eternal value to your soul, and God has set that value to your soul.

Whether that soul is destroyed, or committed to an eternal destiny, that is for you to decide. You do not have to prepare yourself to make that decision, but just have sight enough to focus on the cross of Christ, and call out for His forgiveness. He will touch you right where you are.

Jesus is telling you here that God will give you special attention that the other saved and grounded in His Word, do not have. God will give you what it takes to see you through.

Matthew 18:14 "Even so it is not the will of your Father Which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish."

This doesn't mean that one of them won't, because the choice is up to all those with free will, but it is the Father's will that none of them would. We are reminded of this in II Peter 3:9; "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." That means that God has lots of patience, He has been waiting on you, and will continue; however there is a time coming when it will be just to late.

Matthew 18:15 "Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother."

This is a new lesson, and Jesus is telling us to settle our affairs between each other. Don't allow your problems to become the gossip of the church, or the neighborhood. When problems come up between you and your neighbor, or brother then go to him at once. Settle the problem if it is possible, then you still have him as a friend. Most problems that exist in families and groups exist because of a lack of communication, or the willingness to forgive another.

If the brother is in the ministry, or the brother that loves the Lord, he should listen to what you have to say. However, many that say they are in the Lord, refuse to follow the instructions that Christ teaches. When this practice is followed, there will be very few times that it would need to end up in court.

Matthew 18:16 "But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one of two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established."

On the other hand if that brother will not listen or speak to you, to find some acceptable course, then take two or three witness with you and try to reach some settlement of understanding. In this way you will have witnesses if the matter ever went to court.

Matthew 18:17 "And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican."

Some people are just to crude to act properly. They are not the same as you, in the Lord, and their center in life are the same as the heathen. Don't cater to them, but treat them at arms length. Don't trust them, or get to close to them. Then, when a matter comes up between you and that person, after making a simple attempt to settle difference, after that person refuses to allow an arbitrator from within the church, go right to legal counsel..

This is Christ teaching on matters between members of the body of Christ. Those outside the body of Christ are not part of this instruction. When this happens you set yourself apart from that person, and if it is your blood brother, you do the same. Don't treat that person as an enemy, but as a brother that you just don't care to be around, until the matter is tended to.

Matthew 18:18 "Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

If you are a man or woman of God, and you have the key to heaven, what you bind with that key in heaven is bound here on earth, as well as it is bound in heaven. This is directed to the binding between two or more parties, where they all are of the elect of God, love the Lord, and try to live and abide by the key, or the instructions of God in His Word.

This shows you the power that there is in the servants of the living God, one of God's elect. This then is an expansion on Matthew 16:19; "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." If you have and teach those keys to David, then your angel has God's attention any time you are in need.

Matthew 18:19 "Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father Which is in heaven."

Many people misread their greed into this verse. There is a condition to the asking, and expecting those requests to be answered. The matter is addressing the disciples, and applies to the disciples of Christ, whether two thousand years ago, or today. This applies to those who disciplines themselves in the Word of God, to learn it and grow skilled in that Word.

Two individuals calling themselves Christians, yet desiring not to study God's Word, are not the two in agreement of this verse. They would be the "blind leading the blind", heading for the ditch, as we read in Matthew 15:14. If your agreement is not with one of Christ's disciples, then the promises of this verse do not apply to you. The condition is that, "if any two of you", you being disciples of Christ, agree and ask. The request is with God's work at heart, rather then trouble makers.

Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

His name is Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and He is the Living Word of God, made flesh and came and dwelt amongst us. When you are gathered together in the Living Word, and claiming the promises from that Living Word, and having faith in Him, God will be with you by the dwelling of His Holy Spirit. When you are gathered together in His name, it means that you have repented, and are looking to study God's Word more in-depth.

Matthew 18:21 "Then came Peter to Him, and said, "Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?"

This is Peter suggesting to Jesus that we should forgive our brother seven times. What was Jesus reaction?

Matthew 18:22 "Jesus saith unto him, "I say not unto the, until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven."

Jesus added to Peter's law, and made it seven times seventy, or four hundred ninety times. Remember that the definition of "brother", is one either of the tribes of Israel, or our family members; and if that brother repents to you, you must forgive him. There is no exceptions to this. This applies to a neighbor also. The neighbor is the person not of Israel, and of another race, or peoples, and believes in Jesus Christ. You will forgive them also, and our patience extends to each of these.

To forgive someone requires repentance, and if they don't repent you are not bound to give the forgiveness. In the name of Christ, most all believers will not carry the grudge, but will forgive them in their heart, for the forgiveness will heal the barrier between the two of you, and give peace within your mind. This is only possible by the love that we have in Christ.

The forgiveness that is the hardest to give, is the forgiveness the God requires in forgiving ourselves. It is a lot easier to forgive others, but the difficulty comes because of our own vanity and pride, when inside we place ourselves a little higher then the next guy. The ease of forgiveness come with maturity in God's Word. This is why it is important to ask forgiveness, then forgive yourselves to have your prayers answered.

Matthew 18:23 "Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants."

This is the way it will be in heaven.

Matthew 18:24 "And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents."

So you can see the amount we are talking about here, one talent is seven hundred and fifty ounces of silver, in our current weights. Now multiply that by ten thousand to get what this servant shorted his master. This is well over a million dollars by our standards, and this is what was owed.

Matthew 18:25 "But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made."

In other words, there was just no way to meet the obligation, and settle the account. This servant is just no good.

Remember that our subject in this parable is forgiveness. This person made not effort to pay any of it, so God sold him and everything that he had.

Matthew 18:26 "The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, 'lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.' "

When worship takes place, then idolatry is practiced. This person saw that all was lost, and at the point of no return, he submits to the master in idolatry. Because God is the master in this parable, this man was not in idolatry, but is total submission to God, by his commitment.

This man is promising to pay back an amount when it is impossible to do so. This man is telling God that he will meet all parts of the obligation, and pay back every penny.

God doesn't want us to pay Him back, but to repent, and turn from that way we were in.

Matthew 18:27 "Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him and forgave him the debt."

That king heard the repentance of the servant, and wrote off the entire amount. That servant didn't owe the master one cent. The master had compassion when he heard of the man's repentance. That is how God deals with His children. Though your sins may be great, and once you repent and worship Him, He forgives all things.

Forgiveness is the subject here, and Peter asked how often, and we saw that to be four hundred and ninty times a day. Now as to how much, Jesus is telling us, everything that is owed, once repented.

Matthew 18:28 "But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me that thou owest.' "

This servant just did not get the message, he was forgiven for over a million bucks, and it was forgiven completely, yet this other servant that owed him just over two dollars in value and he wants to throw his fellow servant in jail over the matter. He is going to take the man's life over two dollars.

This is a parable, but it also is an analogy showing the difference between God's forgiveness, and man's forgiveness.

Matthew 18:29 "And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.' "

This fellowservant is on his knees, just like this other servant was before the king [master]; and did you catch those words? They were the same request for mercy. The servant has repented to this man.

Matthew 18:30 "And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt."

In our day, this is called a double standard, and is quite common in our legal system. But it is not God's way of doing things. The lesson that Jesus is giving His disciples here, is be very careful what you ask God forgiveness for, For if you will not forgive your fellow man of the same, don't expect it of God. God is fair, and He is just.

It is hard to compare the difference between the forgiveness of sin, and the forgiveness of a debt, for only God can forgive sin, yet Jesus is using this to show us just how important it is for His disciples to forgive those that seek it from us.

Matthew 18:31 "So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done."

Remember that this parable of forgiveness is part of the lessons given before. In verse ten Jesus told us that these young children in the Lord had angels assigned to them in heaven, to report to the face of God. They were to tell all the problems that God's new born in the Lord faced.

Now apply that to this verse, this fellowservants was given a hard time and wicked deed by the servant that was forgiven, and the angels went directly to the king, and reported the treatment to Him. This parable is with the king in heaven, and the servants are ones that call themselves Christian. We are not discussing the heathen, but the actions and forgiveness between two servants of the same master, our Heavenly Father.

In the world today this is as it also is, for God knows what is going on, and all reveange is the Lords. God has His ways of making all things right.

Matthew 18:32 "Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, 'O thou wicked servent, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:"

Matthew 18:33 "Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?"

Matthew 18:34 "And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him."

"The tormentors" in today's terminology is called evil spirits. The torments of the jailers that can make your life miserable today.

Matthew 18:35 "So likewise shall My heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses."

This is after repentance that you are bound to forgive him. If the person refuses to repent then you are not bound to forgive him. The forgiveness is a condition on the attitude of the one that did the harm, and this is why we see judges of today go much harder of those who refuse to have a repentive heart.

God does not require you to have a bleeding heart over one that does you wrong, and then tries to run from it. God set his standards for those call themselves Christians, and the pattern of our lives is spelled out in His Word. When the other person is Christian, and has wronged us, This chapter has set the guidelines of how we are to deal with that person. We are not talking about the unsaved here, but only those that call themselves disciples of Christ.

The compassion comes after repentance by the one that did the wrong. When we do it all God's way, then when we ask of Him in prayer, Our Lord will answer our prayer, and we can expect it.

Matthew Chapter 19

"Pharisees; Discipleship, Little Children."

This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson

Matthew 19:1 "And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, He departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan;"

Jesus is moving on now toward Jerusalem.

Matthew 19:2 "And great multitudes followed Him; and He healed them there."

Jesus entire time of teaching was spent in teaching and healing the sick. Through the healing, the sick came to repentance, and to the Savior. The healing hadn't been done before, and it was a new thing. In the past, you went to the priest with a couple of doves, and then followed the process of following the law. But Jesus was different.

Matthew 19:3 "The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, "Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause.?"

Here is the head of the religious community trying to tempt Jesus again. The Kenites are back in action. They were trying to trap Jesus and trip Him up. To understand what it was that the Pharisees were trying to do, we first must look at what the law of Divorcement was at that time.

Matthew 19:4 "And he answered and said unto them, "Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,"

Remember in Genesis 1:27; "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created he him; man and female created he them."

Matthew 19:5 "And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?"

Jesus is quoting here from Genesis 2:24; Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." So these two people become one flesh.

Matthew 19:6 "Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."

There are two aspects to follow in teaching this lesson; the spiritual sense, or the saving blood of Jesus Christ, and also by the law of Moses. This misunderstanding exists today in the religious community, just as it did in the days of Jesus Christ. It is inexcusable for the guilt trip that the religious community tries to lay on men and women, and make them second class citizens for troubles of the past that have caused them to go through a divorce. We will look into each of these directions in this study.

The offspring of a marriage becomes one flesh developed from the two parents, in that child. In the spiritual sense this is also true. Christ has a bride, and when you become one in Christ and Christ is in you, then you become one also with Christ. All of the members of the body of Christ become one body, which is the many membered body of Christ.

When Christ returns at the end of this earth age, He will return for His bride.

In the book of Hosea, God had a wife in Israel, "the House of Israel" and because of her whoredoms, God divorced Israel. Judah, or the House of Judah was a separate nation made up of the two nations to the south of the House of Israel. God did not separate Himself from the House of Judah. All this happened in this earth age; however there is another great wedding coming when Jesus Christ returns for His bride, the Church, the many membered body of Christ.

Matthew 19:7 "They say unto him, "Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?"

This verse is a continuation of verse three, and notice in verse three the phrase, "for every cause." This is how Satan works, and it is also one of the ways that the Kenites operate. They are of their father the devil, and thus they take liberties with God's Word in distorting that Word, that is one of the marks of the devil.

The law of Moses does not say what these demonic Pharisee Kenites say that it says, because they lie. This law is stated in Deuteronomy 24:1, 2; "When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house." [1] "And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife." [2]

The cause is "uncleanness", and in the Hebrew text, it is "ervah", or # 6172 in the Strong's Hebrew dictionary. It is, "disgrace and blemish by nudity and shame, it is the cause of fornication or adultery." This is the cause, so you can see how these so-called religious leaders are truly of their father the Devil, when they twist the law.

Matthew 19:8 "He saith unto them, "Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so."

This is how Jesus answered them. Notice here that Jesus is not giving His answer relating to men of the past, but this pack of Kenites that are facing them at this time. "Because of the hardness of your hearts..." Jesus is directing His answer to the Kenites that are asking the question, and trying to put Christ on the spot.

Jesus is telling this demonic tribe of Pharisee Kenites that from the beginning, God did not intend it to be so. This was not part of God's plan, but came from the sin nature of man, and mans yielding to the temptations of Satan.

Matthew 19:9 "And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery."

Jesus is telling them; This is what I am saying as the Christ, Jesus is stating what Moses said, only He is going one step beyond, and closing the door that Moses left open in Deuteronomy 24:2; "she may go and be another man's wife."

Now apply this to the spiritual application, of Christ and His bride. Jesus said I'm going away for a long while, and I will return for my bride in that day. Then in Matthew 24:19; "And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!" Jesus is directing this verse to His bride, those that call themselves Christians, and say that they are part of the many membered body of Christ. They are supposed to be the wife, and the husband is gone; Christ is not here now, but in heaven.

Christ is with us and in us spiritually, but His physical presence will not come until the seventh trumpet. That is the Second Advent. No, this verse is not directed to the young woman that has just given birth to a baby, or is pregnant with a child, but to those who claim the name of Christ, and then will run out at the arrival of the Antichrist, Satan, and worship him as the true Christ, in ignorance. Jesus is telling you, Woe to you, if you should be the one.

There are many who teach that divorce is the unforgivable sin, and it is an act that you just can't do that. They want to pass this act off to you, as something that God will not forgive, and that is just as much a lie, as the distortions given by the Kenites. Some churches just love to beat up on the poor divorcee and make him or her as scum, and a second class citizen. This is like saying that God can not be God because He divorced Israel. How stupid.

That is what repentance and freedom in Christ is all about, When you fall, and you see you are wrong, you repent, you ask God for forgiveness in Jesus Christ's name. Jesus went to the Cross, and gave His blood for you to have your right to call out to Him in repentance. Friend, don't let any self-righteous hypocrite Pharisee deacon or preacher take that right from you. If they want you to carry that burden of a forgiven sin around, run from them. You don't need them, then start praising the Lord, and looking ahead in the Word of God.

God has a plan, and this is all part of that plan. God is the Father, and we are His children. The subject spiritually is that Christ is the husband, and the saved person is part of the bride of Christ. When that bride sins and seeks repentance, Christ forgives. When we have offended others, we are compelled to forgive, and in Matthew 18:22, Jesus compelled us to forgive those that repent, and ask our forgiveness 490 times a day. When you refuse to allow that sin to be forgiven when the sister or brother in the Lord seeks forgiveness, then that sin is on your head.

If both repent from the heart, not this play acting stuff, then they are free to remarry, and are new creatures in the family of God. The law of Moses has nothing to do with what Jesus is stating here, in the sense that the teaching of the law was for a school master, and it taught its lesson. No man can keep the law, all of it, and when you break one part, then you have broken all of it. That Law was to show us that we are hopeless under the law, and that is why Christ came to die on the cross. From that shed blood that Christ gave, their is forgiveness from the shackles of the law, and we become new creatures in Christ.

Divorce is not good, and should be avoided when possible, and in some cases is next to death on a family; yet there times when it is a necessity, and should be used. God is a loving and understanding Father, and He offers forgiveness for all sin, and in God's forgiveness, there is peace of mind.

Matthew 19:10 "His disciples say unto Him, "If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry."

Here comes the disciples again, they jump right on the wagon that it is better then not to marry. They jump off the deep end in the other direction.

Matthew 19:11 "But he said unto them, "All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given."

This is true. Not every man can apply this to themselves, because they just cannot see it. They will not understand it, because their minds are made up, and they are set on following the advice of those that find joy in others misery. These types usually come out of the finer seminaries. You know, the developers of the self-righteous.

The Holy Spirit does not lead in the congregation that misleads the people, and teaches against the teachings of Christ. The Holy Spirit works in a wonderful way, and those that are open to Him, and willing to receive his teaching, He will come into them in a miraculous way, and give discernment in the correct understanding of His Word, and there will be no confusion. There will be a peace in your understanding. It is the Holy Spirit that opens your mind, or you just will not see it.

Matthew 19:12 "For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it."

First lets understand what a eunuch is; it is a man that either by natural or unnatural means simply cannot have children. Jesus is saying that some of these eunuchs are just born that way, their body was formed that way within their mothers womb.

The kings of the ancient times had many wives. We are told that Solomon had his thousand wives. The eunuchs that "were made eunuchs of men", were castrated, or physically altered to make them harmless sexually to women. The eunuchs were the guards of the kings wives, for in this way, there could be no accidents, or affairs to bring in unwanted children to the king.

Then the third form of eunuch are those that become so for the "kingdom of heaven's sake". They have placed themselves in that position, in the dedication of themselves to the service to Christ.

There is one king [Christ], and He has a many membered virgin bride, and there is a certain spiritual lesson to be learned here. There are those that have made themselves guardians over the virgin bride of Christ [self appointed eunuchs] that present themselves as the guardian of the King's virgin brides [Christians]. Others became eunuchs over the brides by the King's direct appointment, however, at the coming of the King [Christ's return], those eunuchs will all be held accountable for the condition that the virgin brides are found to be in.

Are you starting to get the picture? The eunuchs are the pastors, and teachers that lead over Christ's virgin bride, the church. When Christ returns, and finds that many of His bride are with child, he is not going to be pleased with those eunuch guards left in charge of His virgin brides that have allowed Christ's bride to marry the wrong husband, and that wrong husband is Satan the Antichrist.

The eunuchs of the kingdom of heaven's sake, in the spiritual sense for the Lord, would die rather then allow one of his master's [Christ's] bride to take the wrong husband. They will make positively sure that the bride of Christ which are under their care, will not be molested by the deception of the Antichrist, when he comes to steal the bride of Christ away for himself. If this is confusing, don't worry about it.

Matthew 19:13 "Then were there brought unto Him little children, that He should put His hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them."

Once again the disciples are trying to protect Christ, and have the people move their children back, and away from Jesus.

Matthew 19:14 "But Jesus said, "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto Me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven."

Jesus loved the little children, and He taught that to enter the kingdom of heaven, you must enter as a little child. We discussed this in the last chapter, remember, "My daddy can do anything", My mommy can fix any thing.". That is the faith and love, and the mindset of most children, and they believe it. This is the same attitude that you must be in, and mental state, to enter God's kingdom.

Matthew 19:15 "And He laid His hands on them, and departed thence."

Jesus healed the children, and departed.

Matthew 19:16 "And, behold, one came and said unto Him, "Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?"

This one that came was one well to do, he came to Jesus in his self-righteousness, and asked Jesus just what it was that he should do to have this eternal life. Jesus could see right through these person, and the intent that he had, just calling Jesus good.

Matthew 19:17 "And He said unto him, "Why callest thou me good? there is none good but One, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."

Jesus is calling this persons attention that the only person that is good is God Himself, and to call Jesus "good Master", is to call Jesus God. Then Jesus turns the table on the man, and tells him that if he wants to have eternal life, continue through his whole life, by keeping all the commandments.

This is like a test that Jesus is giving this man. Put the test on yourself, do you think Jesus was God, and that He was good? Do you think Jesus was perfect, and without a flaw in any way? If you answered yes, then you are right on track. The only way that the blood of Christ was capable of paying the price for another man's sin, was that He be perfect, and without a flaw. That is what made Jesus the worthy sacrifice, and the lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Matthew 19:18 "He saith unto Him, "which?" Jesus said, "thou shalt do no murder, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness."

This self-righteous person answered Jesus and said, There are ten of them, which one are you talking about? Jesus then answers him with the ten commandments. Notice that the first commandment is translated properly here. It is the only place in the whole Bible where it has the correct translation; Thou shalt do no murder. There is a lot of difference between killing and murdering. In the Law of Moses it expands on this commandments, for it says that you should "kill the murderer". Murder is a criminal act of planning to take another man's life with criminal intent.

We left one of the commandments out that were in the listed order given to Moses, by God. We will get to it later.

Matthew 19:19 "Honour thy father and thy mother: and, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

Matthew 19:20 "The young man saith unto Him, "All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?"

Matthew 19:21 "Jesus said unto him, "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me."

Keep in mind that this is exactly what the disciples had done, when they made their total commitment to follow Christ. Some gave up commercial business, and fishing, and even tax collection. In fact, Luke was a medical doctor. Today men feel that the more successful they are gives them some credibility to their faith.

Jesus saw the heart of this man that came to Him, and though he tried to keep all the laws, and he felt that he had. Jesus is telling him that he must be willing to give up his interest in the world, and turn his full attention into serving almighty God. In that case you would have eternal life. Remember what is addressed here, the subject is attaining eternal life by keeping the law. That is impossible for natural man, for all are born in sin, and with a sin nature.

This man had many earthly gains, and much of it could be ill-gotten gains. This isn't to say that all gains are ill-gotten, and when you do things God's way, He blesses those that do. Those earthly gains are derived from heaven, for they are given you God for obeying God. There is nothing wrong with gains from God's blessings.

Matthew 19:22 "But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions."

The tenth commandment got this young man. It is given in Exodus 20:17; "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, or his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's." Wherever your priorities are in the workplace and world, that is where your heart is also.

Matthew 19:23 "Then said Jesus unto His disciples, "Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven."

The point that Jesus is expressing here is that this young man's riches are paramount to his focus on life. When these riches become the only thing that you live for, then they become your God, and hold a higher place in your mind then the Heavenly Father. The business takes up all of the man's time, and attention.

However, riches from the blessings of God, doing things God's way, is something you can take great pleasure in.

Matthew 19:24 "And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."

Once a prosperous young man gets entangled with business affairs, or whatever it is that has caused his accumulation of wealth, that also hold the highest place of his priorities. Once wealth has been obtained, it becomes a greater job to maintain it, then it was to obtain it. The riches of God's kingdom take second place to the physical life that he is enjoying temporarily with his riches.

The term, "the eye of the needle" is in reference to a small door that is in the gate of a city, and this is the only door that is allowed to be opened after dark. For a camel to pass through the gate and enter the city, the camel must be completely unloaded, and forced through. Thus the comparison of the difficulty of the rich man. This rich man must first unload his wealth, thus we have this proverb that is quite common in the East. In the Babylonian Talmud, they use an elephant, rather then a camel.

This young man is definitely seeking the advantage of man's world, and the kingdom that this world gives, rather then coming to God through Christ as a small child, with his complete love for the Father.

Matthew 19:25 "When His disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, "who then can be saved?"

The disciples wanted to know then, if it was that hard for this young man to enter heaven. Jesus has just presented an impossible situation physically for this event to happen.

Matthew 19:26 "But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, "with men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible."

As a matter of fact, this "camel" and "the eye of the needle" was a figure of speech for this area, during the time of this writing. This again shows that the weights of the world that the rich men pick up, so weight them down that it becomes impossible for them to focus on God. However, when we learn to place those weights on Jesus, and focus on him, then those riches become secondary, and in fact, a tool to help in the advancing of the Gospel of Christ.

The peace of mind that a person has in Christ, when all his sins are repented, leaves him with a clear conscience, and freedom from guilt. Then your priorities are focused on Christ, and the souls of others. Jesus is telling His disciples that with men, it is impossible to focus on Christ when you are relying on yourself and carrying the load of wealth, however all things are possible with God. This is true because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ, and the freedom we have through the forgiveness of our sins.

Many people have problems trying to figure out what is right and wrong in the eyes of God. To the ladies; Should I wear jewelry, make up, fancy clothes, and on and on? To a man it could be the car, house, boat, etc; at what point is worldly wealth wrong. The answer is that it is all right in all these cases, as long as you don't worship the item, and place it before God. To worship something means it becomes your God, and becomes your idol; it becomes the focus of all your attention for vanity and pride.

Matthew 19:27 "Then answered Peter and said unto Him, "Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed Thee; what shall we have therefore?"

The time is starting to get near the crucifixion, and Jesus is preparing the disciples for that time. We can start to see how the disciples are starting to put things together, and prepare for the time when Christ is gone from them. They are asking Jesus what rewards are in this for us, after we have forsaken everything to follow you. There is nothing wrong with this question.

Matthew 19:28 "And Jesus said unto them, "Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

This is given in Ezekiel 44, and also in Revelation where it concerns the twenty four elders. I feel these twenty four elders are the twelve patriarchs of the tribes, and the twelve disciples. However the word "regeneration" here should read "rejuvenation".

This time is the making of "all things" new again. It is the restoration of Acts 3:21, it is the "new coming age" which is the time of rewards, and is not referring to the time that they are living in. Today we refer to that future time as the Millennium age. This has nothing to do with the church age, nor the "mystery" as revealed in the prison epistles. This time starts at the coming of Jesus Christ, when He comes to set up His kingdom on earth.

Matthew 19:29 "And every on that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life."

The qualifier in understanding this verse is the term, "for my name's sake". This is a very poor translation to the original text in the Greek. "Hath forsaken", should read, "love less". In other words, if you love Christ less then your wife or these items, then you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. God must come the number one love of your life, if you intend on having your inheritance to everlasting life, and all the rewards that goes with it.

What Jesus is saying here, is that if you have to leave family, or give up wealth for Jesus Christ's sake, your rewards will be hundredfold of what you gave up. The applying factor of what is right and wrong, is whether Christ name is at stake, and what you are required to do when it is. Did you do what you did, and give up that relationship because of your love for Christ, and in accordance with His Word?

Matthew 19:30 "But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first."

This verse is not part of this chapter, but should be attached to the chapter that follows. This verse attaches to a parable that will get into the three earth ages, and we will start with it in Matthew 20.

Matthew Chapter 20

"Discipleship. Rewards."

This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson

Matthew 20:1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard."

Jesus is telling His disciples exactly what the kingdom of heaven is like, however He is putting it in terms that an earthly man can understand. In this analogy the kingdom of heaven is compared to a land owner that owns and operates a vineyard. He grows produce to sell and make a profit, and hires laborers to pick the produce in his vineyard.

The kingdom of heaven is also like this business operation, it also needs laborers.

Matthew 20:2 "And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard."

At the time of this writing, the penny was the monetary unit given for a full days labor of a man in the field. The laborers knew the task they had to do, the time it took, and the amount that they would receive. Management and labor had come to terms, and it was fair and just.

Matthew 20:3 "And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,"

When it is picking season, the vineyard needs all the laborers that it can get, and the Master of the vineyard hired all those that were standing by at the third hour; or about nine o'clock.

Matthew 20:4 "And said unto them; 'Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you.' "

The Master of the vineyard agreed that at the end of the day, he would be just. And they went into the vineyard and worked.

Matthew 20:5 "Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise."

He did the same thing in the sixth hour, or at noon, and in the ninth hour, and He guaranteed them also that He would be fair also with them.

At this point, don't forget that we are talking about an analogy, or comparison of the kingdom of Heaven, which is the king Jesus Christ and His domain, and the vineyard and the Master of that vineyard. Keep in mind also just who the vine is and who the branches are.

Matthew 20:6 "And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, 'Why stand ye here all the day idle?' "

Here it is now at 5 P.M. and the Master went out and hired one last group of idle laborers, standing by, and He sent them to the field to pick for Him. There is only time for one hour of work, and the day is finished.

This is very similar to the period of time we are in today as we are approaching the end of this flesh age very rapidly. We are coming up also on that final hour of temptation, spoken of throughout the entire Bible.

Matthew 20:7 "They say unto him, 'Because no man hath hired us.' He saith unto them, 'Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.' "

The Master is telling these men also to trust Him for their wages, for He is going to guarantee a fair wage. So we have people that have gone to the field at dawn, 9 A.M., noon, 3 P.M., and now at 5 P.M. when it is almost quitting time.

Matthew 20:8 "So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, 'Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.' "

The Master of the vineyard called his steward in, the man that controls the financial affairs of the business, and tells him to go and pay the workers. Then He tells the steward to pay the workers in the reverse order then they were hired. The five o'clock workers were to be paid first, and those hired at the dawn, and worked all day were to be paid first.

So at this time there is something that you must understand, or you will miss the entire meaning of the analogy. In this earth age, it is the elect of God that will live in the last period of time, for it is them that God has set aside to stand against Satan, the Antichrist, as he sets up his one world system. God has set them aside for a purpose for one reason, they have studied His word, and the Spirit of God has revealed the truth of the end times to them. The understanding of that knowledge is what is called being "sealed of God".

The next question would be, When were these elect chosen? Ephesians 1:4; "According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and with out blame before Him in love:" Jesus is telling us that He has chosen us before the foundations of this earth, meaning "this earth age".

Why did He chose them at that time? Because they earned it. They were first to stand in that first earth age, but in this last, they stood at that final hour of temptation, when all others were deceived by the Kenites, and the rest of Satan's deceptions that will cover the earth very shortly. In this earth age, they are the last to stand and work for the master.

Matthew 20:9 "And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny."

This is the full wages for the man that worked all day. It was the agreed amount between first workers hired in the day, and the master.

Matthew 20:10 "But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny."

When these workers that worked the full day got their wage, the grumbling started. They thought they deserved far more because of what the ones got that worked only one hour.

Do you see not what Jesus is directing this analogy to? It will come to life in a few verses. In the first place, if you do not have a clear picture of the overall plan of God, and that even includes the "world that was", and what went on there; you will not be able to understand what this chapter of "first from last" is all about.

Those that worked last, and were chosen from the first, and they have earned far more then the others combined. They have earned it from the "overthrow", or the which is the time when Satan rebelled against God, and brought a third of the angelic host down with him.

Getting back to the analogy; the good Master met these workers at dawn, in the early morning hours, and they needed work. They needed money, which is just as it is today. The agreed wage was set at a penny a day, for the "penny' is the term for a mans daily wage. Now after the day is over, these all day workers are complaining, because they don't understand the meaning of the first is last and the last is first.

Matthew 20:11 "And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,"

Matthew 20:12 "Saying, 'These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.' "

I can just see these people looking at their penny and belly-aching, as they look over at the others with the same amount.

Matthew 20:13 "But he answered one of them, and said, 'Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?"

The answer to that is yes, it is exactly what was agreed to.

Matthew 20:14 "Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee."

The master told these workers to take their penny, and get down the road. I'll pay these men what I want to pay them. After all He is the owner of it all.

Matthew 20:15 "Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?"

The master is explaining that before He paid them their wage, all the pennies belonged to Him, and thus it was all up to the master what he wanted to do with it. Apply this to salvation, and the ability to offer it to whomever He wants to offer eternal life to. We are living in a period of time where the Gentile peoples are being grafted on the trunk of the true whole House of Israel.

The time is coming when salvation by grace will be withheld, for Revelation 9:4 tells us that when the Antichrist comes, you will either be sealed in your mind of the truth of God's Word, or you will be turned over to Satan the Antichrist, and God will send you down the road, so to speak, because of your ignorance to His Word.

Our Heavenly Father has His eternal plan, and every thing that happens in this earth age is part of that plan. He doesn't overlook people, or lose them, nor does He forget the rewards and blessings. that are to be given to His faithful. Their is a reason for everything that happens, and even though we can not understand God's perfect plan, He does. Many times we see others blessed far more then us, and we try to compare our blessing to there's, and it just doesn't seem fair. It is easy to apply our reason and thinking, and come up with an evil eye, when the only good thing is what comes for the Heavenly Father. The ignorance of man, causes him to be confused, because he just doesn't have the whole picture of God's plan for the ages.

Matthew 20:16 "So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen."

Now we know exactly who we are talking about, "the chosen" of God, those few that are called the elect, who will have studied and known the truth of the events of the end of this age, and have the courage to prevent themselves from being deceived. We know from Ephesians 1:4 that these "chosen" were selected to be His elect from before this earth age of the flesh begin, and God predestinated us to be His children, because He has adopted us. We become God's children and joint heirs with Jesus Christ, by having our sins blotted our, because of His death on the cross, and His resurrection.

Friend, if you understand the events of these end times, and will have the ability to see through the Antichrist's deceptions, and lying wonders, it is no accident. Many people go down the isle today, and go through a formality of being saved, and they have no idea what they are doing, or what they even did. They don't understand who God is, or what sin is, they only know that they were convinced to do what they did. Many of these ignorant souls will parade right after the Antichrist when he arrives, because just like their conversion, they did what they were told to do.

Those souls that are brought back to live their life in the flesh body in this earth age, were brought back because they did not fall in the first age, and even though many will be fresh converts, so to speak, in the flesh body and the time is very short [five months, Revelation 9:5], They will receive the same reward for their stand, as that dear soul that lived and loved the Lord for sixty years.

So man in the flesh body, when he doesn't know the Word of God, can be rather short sighted.

There are things that happened that have to do with the overthrow of that first earth age that are blanked from man's memory, while he exists in the flesh body. Many of these things are recorded as mysteries in the Scripture. There were things that happened in that first age, and there were souls that were chosen first. Those souls are called "God's elect", and in the Hebrew tongue, they are called the "Zadok". They were chosen first because they earned it.

The "Good man" [master], which is the "householder" is Almighty God, and he keeps good books and records. It is quite sad that the number of people that even know that there was a first earth age before this one, is so few. Yet that first earth age is recorded in our Bible that we may know and not be confused, as the events of these last days start to unfold. God does nothing by accident, and everything that will happen is in His plan for the ages, and for us to understand, we must study. However it is easier to sit back and let the Kenites do your thinking for you. That is exactly what Satan would prefer.

There are many the hear the call that is in the word, yet they just don't understand, and to some, they just don't have a choice in the matter.

Remember when Paul was on the road to Damascus on a mission, and his free will was to murder Christians. He had the authority, and official notice in his pocked, and he was capable of doing the job. To drag the women and children into the street and kill some of them if He chose. The orders for Paul's actions were from the top of the religious community; that is what Paul's free will and he was zealous to get the job done. When God struck him down on the road, Paul's free will submitted to God's plan, and Paul was changed to become just a zealous for God as he was prior to the religious leaders.

When was Paul chosen for this work of God? Paul was chosen from the beginning age, that first earth age. Again the first is last and the last is first. Many are called, but few are chosen. The chosen of God shall perform His works.

Matthew 20:17 "And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them,"

This is not a public announcement, but only to His twelve disciples.

Matthew 20:18 "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem: and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and the shall condemn Him to death,"

The chief priests and the scribes are the top of the religious community. If you are a follower of Christ, you want to watch out for the religious community. Their minds today are similar to those of the past. In the name of religion, countless millions have been slaughtered. Jesus is telling the disciples to prepare for what is going to happen, and that the purpose of Christ's coming was to die.

Matthew 20:19 "And shall deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify Him: and the third day He shall rise again."

If this sounds like bad news, then you just don't understand God's Word. This verse gives us the complete plan of God, and it is the good news for all mankind. This is the fulfillment of the the promise of God from the Garden of Eden, that the Messiah would come to earth and bruise the head of Satan. By Christ going to the cross, we have the right to overcome eternal death.

I Corinthians 15:54-57; "So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory." [54] "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" [55] "The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law." [56] "But thanks be to God, Which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." [57]

The writer of this great promise is Paul, the one that we read earlier as having the free will to kill Christians. Now he is telling us here that we have victory in Christ. Paul was reminding them of the victory we have is in the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. This victory came by Christ death on the cross, the sacrifice for one and all times; and this is what Jesus is telling his disciples in verse nineteen. Jesus is telling them that we are going to Jerusalem to fulfill the end of His mission, and it is time to get mentally prepared for what is going to happen.

Notice how Jesus is going to warn them every step of the way, what the next step will be, and what their mind set must be. This is exactly as He has done for His elect that are coming into this final generation, and we had better pay attention, and focus on the events of the time, and be in the mindset to understand and apply those events to the prophecy that God has given us in His Word. There are a chain of events that lead to the coming of the Antichrist, and there are instruction in His Word as to what we are to do when we see them come to pass. The elect of God, and the Chosen of God have a duty to that Word, and that is not to run away and hide.

It is important that as they come to pass that we should be watching for them, and not be afraid of them, for the events mark out the plan of God, to keep His elect for being confused, and allowing themselves to be deceived by the Antichrist at his coming. Many that call themselves of the elect, and not. Many follow after religious fairy tales, such as the rapture doctrine, that will lead them right into Satan's household. They will become Satan's bride, and all the time in ignorance they will think they are the bride of the true Christ.

It doesn't matter what time you come into God's vineyard, or how long you have worked there, the pay is the same. God has given each of us gifts, and he expects us to use those gifts where we are. Our rewards are given on the willingness and faithfulness we are to the task we have. Some it is prayer, some ministry, some talking to other, and some just acts of kindness in the name of the Lord. We must never forget to repent daily for our sins, and to tell God that we love him. That is what we were created for; to please the Father.

Matthew 20:20 "Then came to Him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping Him, and desiring a certain thing of Him."

The woman's sons are James and John, Jesus' disciples, and as she came she paid respect to Jesus for she knew that He was the Son of God. This "certain thing" that she is going to ask of Jesus is out of the scope of our petitions to Him. For that request is only given by the Father. Mrs. Zebedee just did not know what she was asking for. When we make our request of the Father, in Jesus name it must be in accordance with the plan of God, and the will of God. God will respect our prayers when it is dealing with the tools of the promotion of the gospel, and the needs to sustain ourselves.

People get confused with blessings and promises, for they are rewards for the work done. The promises of God is the assurance that when you start something for God, if it is done within His plan and will, He will not let your down. God knows what your needs are. When a ministry is a begging ministry, and year after year it just can't get enough money, it is an indication that God is not blessing the work. Get about your Heavenly Fathers business, and things will be provided for. You will always get in trouble when your prayers consist of me, me, me. We should be asking for wisdom, and the tools to get the ministry work done.

Matthew 20:21 "And He said unto her, "What wilt thou?" She saith unto Him, "Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on Thy right hand, and the other on the left, in Thy kingdom."

In the kingdom of God, "Where does Christ sit?" Jesus Christ sits at the right hand of God. If Christ sits at the right hand of God, then who sits at Christ's left. That position is not a place for a man. The choice of where God's elect will be was sealed in the world age that was, before the Garden of Eden, it is not a decision to be made in this earth age. There is nothing that you can do about it, you either are or are not sealed. This is one of those things that was sealed in the world that was.

Matthew 20:22 "But Jesus answered and said, "Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They say unto Him, "We are able."

Jesus had already told James and John of the crucifixion and the resurrection, and they responded that they were able to do the same. However, Jesus pointed out that these two brothers had no idea of what they were even asking of Jesus.

Matthew 20:23 "And He saith unto them "Ye shall drink indeed of My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on My right hand, and on My left, is not Mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of My Father."

Jesus pointed out to them that they indeed shall drink of Christ's cup, and that cup is death in the name of Christ, and be baptized with the Holy Spirit of God, for this would come at Pentecost day, as recorded in Acts 2:4; "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

Jesus is telling the disciples that the positions of where the souls will be is already fixed, it is already established in that first earth age, and it is the Father that has declared it. This is why you must understand that some people do have a destiny before they were even born, and this goes against the teaching that most pastors are giving. Most Christians today are illiterate in God's Word.

Matthew 20:24 "And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren."

There is a little jealousy going on here, for when the other ten disciples heard what was being asked of Jesus by James and John, they were moved with indignation. The other ten were just as wrong in their actions and attitudes as James and John. They were approaching the time of Christ's crucifixion, and we can see in them the normal problems of men, such as jealousy and pride which were entering in. This is a problem that many teachers have when they take the time to explain every detail. Then see that your words and instructions were just not understood as to what you had said.

Matthew 20:25 "But Jesus called them unto Him, and said, "Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them."

Jesus saw that He needed to give them a little more instruction, and so He tells them all to listen to Him. Jesus tells them, you know the chain of authority that the Gentiles use over their people. You know how that those in authority like to lord their authority or power over the rest of the people. Jesus is telling them, that is where your mind is right now. You are thinking of worldly kingdoms, and not the kingdom of heaven. The two are not the same. Many men will do evil things to gain authority, just to show how important they are. They let their vanity show, at the cost to others.

Matthew 20:26 "But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;"

Jesus is letting His disciples that that is not the way thing are in His kingdom. There will be none of this lording over the other brethren, and "holier than thou" stuff. Those that lead are the servants, or ministers. The leader must spent much of his time digging out the truths, and serving the brethren the true world of God. The servants, or ministers are bound to be of service mentally, physically and spiritually of all the people. However He is also the one to issue the discipline when it becomes necessary.

Matthew 20:27 "And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:"

What this is saying is that if anyone wants to be your chief, let him be your slave. This doesn't look like the form that exists today, in fact it is just the opposite. The point that Christ is trying to bring out to His disciples is that the greater you are in this flesh age, the lower you will be in His kingdom. You become great by the service and humility that is give to your brethren.

Matthew 20:28 "Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Even as Christ Himself did not come to this world to be waited on, but he came to serve, and give His live for all those that repent and accept Him. How many people can you ask to die for you? When the time came, I'm sure you would be disappointed to see those friends heading down the road, if that time ever came. Only Christ can do what He did, because of His perfect life. He became the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of all those that call upon His name.

Matthew 20:29 "And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed Him."

They are all leaving now for Jerusalem on their final journey.

Matthew 20:30 "And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Thou Son of David."

Matthew 20:31 "And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Thou Son of David."

Let's take a look at what happened in Jericho. Upon entering Jericho, Christ healed one blind man. On leaving Jericho He healed another blind man, and that is the second. Then after Christ healed the second man, here comes these two, and that will make it four blind men healed. This is all part of the riddle, or teaching that Christ is trying to teach. That there were indeed four blind that were healed.

Matthew 20:32 "And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, "What will ye that I shall do unto you?"

Jesus heard these two blind men call out, and tuned to them. Notice they did not ask for the healing, and Jesus did not just heal them, but He asked what they wanted. This is the same way that is is with anointing, it is no good, unless it is asked for. The minister knows that the anointing of a person is only good when that person asks for anointing for himself, when it comes to healing.

Matthew 20:33 "They say unto Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."

Now take this request by the four blind men to have their eyes opened to a deeper level, in the spiritual sense. What is it when ones eyes are opened spiritually? The spiritual need is to have your eyes open to the overall plan of God, to be useful to Him in His service. That it would not be the "blind leading the blind into the pit", but that our eyes would be open to the service that God intends for each of us to do for Him.

Matthew 20:34 "So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him."

These men asked for their sight, and Jesus gave it to them immediately. When they received their physical sight, they follow Christ. Now why "four" in this lesson? Because "four in Biblical numerics is man", "flesh man". All men on this earth are spiritually blind, unless he or she has his eyes opened by the Holy Spirit of God. There is absolutely no other way for their eyes to be opened spiritually unless the comforter opens them, and that only comes after the request of the blind. Their plea is to "open my eyes that I may see."

What is it that we want to see? To see the truths of the Word of God, the plan of the Word, and get an overall view of ages, so when we know and see and understand the Scriptures of God, we can teach and tell others, that their eyes may also be open.

When your eyes are spiritually opened, you can see what He would have you do, and when you fall short, and sin, your eyes are open to your short fall, and you repent immediately, and stay right on the path. The important thing is to have and understand the truth of God's Word.

Matthew Chapter 21

"The Fourth Period; the Kingdom Rejected."

This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson

Matthew 21:1 "And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,"

From this point on, a great deal of teaching will be done by Jesus from this Mount of Olives. The location of the Mount of Olives is just east of the east gate of the the city, just beyond the valley of Kedron. It is on this Mount of Olives that our Lord Jesus Christ will return, and when His feet touch it, this earth age of the flesh will be over. That will mark the end of Satan - the Antichrist's rule, over the entire earth, by his one world religious system.

This mount is less then a mile away from the temple site, and it is named after the olive groves that grew there. It is from the olive trees where the oil of God's people comes from, which is the oil used in all anointing. We must remember, that It is not the oil that does the anointing and that brings the healing, or covering, or miracle to pass, but because it shows our obedience to God in that He told us to anoint in this manner.

It was also on the Mount of Olives where much of Jesus teachings concerning our generation, and the events that we are now witnessing that mark the end of this earth age were given. Jesus taught here, so that we would not be deceived.

Matthew 21:2 "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."

Matthew 21:3 "And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, 'The Lord hath need of them and straightway he will send them."

In other words, this man will let you take the animals from him.  Notice how God has so laid out His perfect plan, that everything happened right on schedule. Jesus and the disciples came to town at the right time, and the animals were at the right place, right on time. God has complete control of all men and events, and this applies to us also, living in a period of time when the events are coming to pass that are preparing the way for the coming of the false Christ. This should give all of the Elect of God special comfort in knowing the promises of His Holy Word.

The lesson that we get from this is that God leaves not one stone unturned.

Matthew 21:4 "All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,

Matthew 21:5 " "Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass." "

This colt is one that had never been ridden before. This is the time of the First Advent, or coming of Christ where the people, all the people recognized Him as the Messiah. This verse is Old Testament prophecy from the book of Zechariah.

Zechariah 9:9; "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." This is the King of kings, and this is His First Advent, or coming. He is just, or fair, and having salvation means He is about to pay the price for that salvation. This is prophecy that had to be fulfilled, and it was.

The ass, or donkey is not the animal of prestige in Jerusalem, or anywhere, but is an animal of lowly people. Now this is the Second Advent in the verse that follows.

Zechariah 9:10 "And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and speak peace unto the heathen: and His dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth."

Ephraim is the larger of the ten tribes that went north, through the Caucasus Mountains, known as "Caucasians", where the event named them by race. This Second Advent of Christ they will not see Him coming on a ass, but a white horse. He will come the second time with dignity and honor, and with a rod of iron in his hand to rule over the entire earth.

Jesus came the first time to pay the price of His shed blood on the cross at Calvary, and then two thousand years later, approximately, He will return as the King of kings.

Matthew 21:6 "And the disciples went, went and did as Jesus commanded them,"

The disciples asked no questions, but just went and did as they were told to do. How do you react to the commands God has given us in His Word. When you ask God to get someone else to do what He asked you to do, He will, and you lose out in the eyes of God. There isn't anything that you can do, that God doesn't have many others willing to do, and without asking, "Why me Lord?"

Matthew 21:7 "And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set Him thereon."

Jesus disciples made Jesus a saddle to sit on.

Matthew 21:8 "And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way."

This is also Old Testament prophecy. The "very great multitude" is in reference to the larger portion of the great crowd that follow Jesus here, spread their garments on the ground, and cut branches to lay in the path.

Matthew 21:9 "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."

"Hosanna" in the Hebrew tongue means "save now." At a later entry into the city of Jerusalem, as recorded in Luke 19:38, the cry was different in words, but similar in meaning. This entry then marks the final six days before Jesus will go to the cross, and lay His life down for the sins of many. The people are calling out to Jesus to "save us now", as they laid their branches before the colt with Jesus on it.

This is as it was song in song in Psalm 118:25, 26; "Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity." [25] "Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: We have blessed you out of the house of the Lord." [26] This song was sung at the feast of the tabernacles, looking foreword to the promised Messiah, the sacrifice for one and all times.

Many find this a time of sorrow, when Jesus came for the purpose of laying down His life. However, at the same time, the saddest of all times is coming.  It is that time just before His  Second Advent, when all but a very few, will follow after the wrong Christ, the instead of Christ, Satan, as he stands in the holy place exalting himself as the true Messiah, and calling himself God.

This is what Daniel calls abomination by the desolator, in Daniel 9:27. This instead of Christ who is known as the Antichrist.  Most of the so-called Christians will whore after this fake, because they have been taught to do so in their rapture doctrine, and lead by their false shepherds. Friend, this is the real sorrow that will take place. Sorrow in the shame that will follow, as they see what they have done with their eternal soul. This is what Jesus meant when He referred to the blind leading the blind.

Matthew 21:10 "And when He was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, "Who is This?"

What is interesting here is in the word "moved", for it is the same word used in "earthquake", or "earth shake" in the text. The city was taken by total surprise on Jesus first entrance into the city, and the overwhelming attention to Him by everyone. Though Jesus was a humble man on the ass of the foal of a colt, this was a shaking event.

Did they know Jesus? No, they still did not know who He was.

Matthew 21:11 "And the multitude said, "This is Jesus the Prophet of Nazareth of Galilee."

This is strange, because there is no writing in the Old Testament that a prophet would come out of Nazareth. This was a very small and obscure place, it is like we would refer to as "back woods", or "country" today.

Matthew 21:12 "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,"

Have you heard the Kenite mind today, as they say Christians are to be kind and mild like Christ was, as they walk all over them. When the bring their sodomy into the churches and schools, they tell the Christians to show the love and kindness of Christ. Friend this is the kindness and mildness of Christ. It is standing and taking a position when you see God temple and things being profaned.

What do you do, stand and watch? These Kenites in the temple of God had taken the things of God, the sacrifices, the offerings unto the Lord, and turned them into a Kenite heathen business. How do you react to the beggar bags of most ministries of today? Most just can't wait to dump the blessings God gave them, into these beggars bags. They just don't know the difference.

Jesus kindness is fair and just, He took them by the collar and threw them out. What was going on was sort of like the short-cuts of the religious world today. The sacrifices were to be the first of the fruit of your blessings, pure, and the best. However, these Kenites that had taken over the temple had worked this into a business. They made it easy for you to give your sacrifice, you didn't have to bring your first fruits to the temple for your sacrifices. You brought your pocket books, your money, and bought their mite infested birds that these Kenites would provide for you. The Kenite priests would call it "Corban", as recorded in Mark 7:11; which means that the act is of God, and that was to make it so by their words.

This is like stopping at the Quick Shop and getting change for a dollar bill, so you could drop a nickel in the plate that went by. It is a mockery to God, and giving Him a toy, instead of your earnest sacrifice, the tithe of your labor. The Kenites controlled the temple, and the money changers, and priests made a business of merchandising sick birds. The money did not go to the Temple, but in the pockets of the changers, and more then likely, priests.

Matthew 21:13 "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.' "

God's house is not a place of business, especially when it is to purchase forms of idolatry. If it came to the point of sacrificing to God in this form of mite infested birds, or just skipping it, you would be better off not taking part in this gimmick for and of idolatry. You do it God's way, or you don't do it at all. God reads the heart of the giver, and if the heart is not there, neither come the blessings.

Jesus saw what they were doing and took a whip and drove them from the temple. Jesus acted with righteous indignation, and acted with authority in overturning the tables of these Kenite heathen, and praise God drove those buzzards out of the temple. It is important that you pay attention to this verse, for it denotes exactly what the temple, or as we call them "churches" are for. It is Jesus telling you the purpose of the church, if it is God's house. "MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER." That isn't to difficult to understand, is it?

If you are interested you can find out how to conduct yourself in the house of God, from the Bible. It is very detailed.  Allowing any "den of thieves" to conduct business within it's doors is wrong. Whether selling Avon, or cars, or even gimmicks to raise money for the vanity of it's members. God will hold you accountable for what you allow to transpire in His house. This definitely is common today, and it is getting worse. They used to do it from the steps out front, and now it is done for the pulpits. That is all they can talk about, money, money.

Matthew 21:14 "And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple; and He healed them."

Notice here that after Christ came in, and chased the corruption out of the temple, the lame and the poor came in for healing. After Jesus acted in righteous indignation, and used a little strong arm, we see how humble and loving He was to the poor and lame. There was no demand for money, of course not, for that is blasphemy to the name of God. That is hypocrisy when you allow the money changers of today to become as the money changers of Jesus time. It is time to wake up. Drive the thieves out by identifying them, and the activities they are doing. Call what they are doing exactly what it is, extortion.

The tithe to the church when the True Word of God is taught, this, is a right and fitting thing. The man of God that ministers to the flock, and spends his full time to that administration is worthy of his hire. That is what the tithe is for, the advancing of the Gospel of Christ. What is given to them God places on your shoulders, and when you see the need and God places it in your heart, you give.

In Biblical times, the temple was the government that took care of the needs of the people. It provided the welfare for the widows and orphans, and the pension checks, and the tenth took care of what His Word required of the leaders of the Temple.

Matthew 21:15 "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,"

Stop and take a close look at the tribe of Kenites that were the so-called religious leaders. They called themselves priests of God, yet when the things of God are done, and the very Son of God is present, they become displeased. These wonderful things were the wonders of healing, and saving of souls. The people knew who Jesus was, but the priests only knew that this man called Jesus was messing up their church program, and money making schemes.

The high priest should have been praising God for the mighty works that were being done to the people of the temple, and shouting "Hosanna to the Son of David" himself. However, what did this tribe of Kenites do?

Matthew 21:16 "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'? "

This "high priest" was a fake, he was not a man of God, but a man that was appointed by the Roman Governor. The high priest represent the connection between Rome, and the Temple, which was taken over centuries prior by the Nethinims, the Kenites, as we saw in I Chronicles 2:55, and the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.

The high priest was displeased because his kettle of money from the mite infested birds, and rip off artists had been shut down. Friend, if your get near the collection plate of some of these churches of today, you will see the same actions. They even turn on one another to save their own personal empires [not God's]. Their souls are their pocket book.

These priests are asking Jesus, "Do you hear what these people are calling you?" Jesus give them a answer as He quotes from Psalm 8:2; "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger." The enemy and the avenger are these Kenite religious leaders. That is exactly what Jesus was doing, when these poor and sick people came to Him, and received their strength and healing.

Matthew 21:17 "And He left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and He lodged there."

Jesus spent the night there in Bethany.

Matthew 21:18 "Now in the morning as He returned into the city, He hungered."

Jesus left Bethany and returned to Jerusalem, and was hungry. Now notice something strange is about to happen, but what will happen has a deeper meaning.

Matthew 21:19 "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."

Physically what happened here was that Jesus was hungry, and He went to a fig tree to get figs to eat, and there was no figs on it, so He cursed it and it died. However Jesus is using this tree to teach another lesson, through a parable that is part of the parable of the fig tree.

The fig tree symbolizes the nation of Israel, and that nation was producing no fruit spiritually. When Jesus said, "Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever." He was referring to this age, this dispensation, after Jeroboam II the nation of Israel died spiritually, in the eyes of God, This was about 772 B.C., and shortly thereafter from 745 to 722 B.C. the Assyrians dismantled the nation of ISRAEL and the people and moved them out of the area, to a place north of Lake Van in Iraq of today. From there, they (THE ISRAELITES) migrated through the Caucasus mountains to the places where the different tribes are today. This group of people became known as the ten lost tribes, or the "lost sheep of the House of Israel".

They were the ones that Christ instructed that the Word be brought to. Remember back in Matthew 10:6 after Jesus told His disciples not to go to the Gentiles first, "But go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." This was the first great commission. We see that tree wilted as far as retaining the gospel then.

We will also read of another fig tree that Jesus told us to learn all about, and that parable started back in the Garden of Eden. That parable was covered in Matthew 13, and we will see it also in Matthew 23; and 24. It dealt with the sexual union between Satan and Eve, and from that union came Cain. The offspring of Cain are called "Kenites", as we see in Strong's Hebrew dictionary, number 7013, and # 7017. We will discuss this latter in Matthew. The parable of the fig tree is something that every Christian must understand in order to understand the entire Word of God.

Some Christians just don't understand why Jesus would walk up and talk to a dumb tree, but He is not talking to a tree at all. He is talking in parable to those who are spiritually ignorant, and simply do not see the parable that He is teaching. Jesus knew that the figs were not on the tree because it was out of season, but He is using the tree in symbolism to teach His disciples a deeper meaning.

Matthew 21:20 "And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How soon is the fig tree withered away!"

Matthew 21:21 "Jesus answered and said unto them, "Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, 'Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done."

If you think Jesus is talking about mountains and seas and rivers then you have missed the lesson. The mountain is always symbolic of nation, and that nation is the false nation of fallen Israel. When the Antichrist comes, that whole mountain, or nation will fall right into the sea, or peoples of the earth, and the Antichrist, Satan, will be claiming that His nation is true Israel.

Matthew 21:22 "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."

It is a big waste of time to pray if your not a believer. What are you asking for? For wisdom and power to show up that nation that is cast into the sea, to show it up for what it is. Satan will be claiming to be Christ, and that fallen nation Israel will have been deceived into believing his lies. When you pray for power to have control over that nation, God will give it to His elect. In Matthew 24 we will see what we are to do at that time when we are to exercise God's power given to us.

This verse is not talking about asking for a house, car or even a business success, it is not talking about your gimmie list, that most Christians have, it is talking about praying for knowledge to accomplish the thing that Jesus was just talking about. Don't take it out of context.

That subject was the wilting of the fig tree, and it is not difficult to wilt the fig tree, when you see what it symbolized, especially for today. That goes for both the good and the bad figs, and that you should know the difference. It is no problem for God to give you the power to make your voice be the warning to those of that false fig tree. The truth of God's Word will wilt the trunk of that false fig tree, and the unsound doctrine that it is based upon. This power of the prayer is the voice of "God's elect."

Pray for wisdom and understanding in God's Word, and check out all matters that are presented as being from God. Then let the Spirit of God direct your mind in understanding and applying it to your life.

Matthew 21:23 "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?"

Jesus is now coming back into the temple, and here come these chief priests, and elders of the people. They want to know by whose authority Jesus had the right to come into their temple, and overthrow the money changers, and upset their business activity. Jesus flat tore up the polluted activities, and He made their religion look very bad. Jesus produced love, healing, instruction, and kindness, and all they could do is rip people off. The words that Jesus gave the people jumped to life, as there never could. As Christ took the scroll, or page, and read to them it melted the peoples hearts.

Matthew 21:24 "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."

This is Jesus answer to the Pharisees and the chief priests. If you answer my question, then I will answer yours.

Matthew 21:25 "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?"

This is also how we are to answer those that think they know it all of the Scripture, we answer their question with our question, and turn the explanation from your shoulders to theirs. If you know the Word of God it should be no great task to show their lack of wisdom. It doesn't matter how many degrees you have from the seminaries, if you don't have the wisdom that only God's Spirit can place in you, you will look ignorant to a true Bible student. So here Jesus is asking the question to these religious leaders.

The baptism of John was well known in Jerusalem, and many from Jerusalem were baptized by Him. Even the chief priest sent a lot of his deacons out there to see what was going on. John was considered a prophet from God, and his position was elevated upon his death. This was a touchy subject.

These religious jokers take this question from Jesus, and go off into a corner, and murmur and reason amongst themselves.

Matthew 21:26 "But if we shall say, 'Of men;' we fear the people, for all hold John as a prophet."

Jesus knows their hearts, and what they are reasoning, and these religious men have a tough question to answer, because if they saw John as a prophet of God, then the question is, why did you reject him when he came to you.

On the other side of the answer, if they say the baptism is of men, then John's teachings are void, and you appear to be mocking the people for the baptism that had through the ministry of John the Baptist. Friend, it is time for a coffee break, for there is no answer that they can give Jesus, and not either put their foot in their mouth, or start a riot.

Matthew 21:27 "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."

We see that John taught the people, but the religious types were still in the dark. They wanted to be the leaders, and in control the money bucket, so to speak. But keep in mind just who they were, these leaders were the offspring of the Kenites, the Nethinims, that took over the duties of the Levitical priests in Babylon, as we read in Ezra and Nehemiah. Friend they are not men of God, and they have so twisted the truth of God's Word that they don't know the truth.

The simplicity of wisdom is beautiful, and it is absolute. As truth becomes shaded with half truths by the traditions of men, it becomes an entanglement of lies, and hard to defend. It becomes confusion that in the end, leads to deception.

Just as they could not answer the question that Jesus put to them, that would show them for the fools that they were, so Jesus would not tell them by what authority He acted. It would be like tossing your pearl before the swine.

Matthew 21:28 "But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, 'Son go work to day in my vineyard.' "

Jesus is giving them a parable for His answer though.

Matthew 21:29 "He answered and said, 'I will not;' but afterward he repented, and went."

After the son said that he would not go, he apologized to his father, and went to the field to work. As a student of God's Word we know that upon repentance, there is forgiveness, and this son would have a new start with the father.

Matthew 21:30 "And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, 'I go, sir:' and went not."

This son lied to his father. He said he would go, and he did not go.

Matthew 21:31 "Whether of them twain did the will of his father/" They say unto him, "The first." Jesus saith unto them, "Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you."

Jesus question was which one of these sons did the will of the father? These self-righteous religious leaders finally caught on to one of Jesus parables, and Jesus then in turn used it against them.

Matthew 21:32 "For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him."

Even after these so-called religious leaders seen the miracles, and heard the teaching, you repented not afterwards. These Chief priests sat over the temple, and the writings of the prophets of God, and they knew what was required of a priest of the Almighty Father, and what was required of for repentance and healing, and they knew as Jeremiah 7:11 taught, that God's house is a house of prayer; and they made a money making event out of it. Whereas these publicans and harlots knew nothing of God's Word, until after they were told by John the Baptist, and then they repented and turned from their ways.

Matthew 21:33 "Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:"

Jesus is giving these Pharisees and elders another parable; they understood the first, and were upset by it. This is an analogy to God, and his creation, and He did plant seed here. The husbandmen were those that He left in charge, or the priesthood. Notice that He built a winepress, and a tower.

The winepress is a vat, or basin for preparing the fruit, and collecting the juices from it's fruit. The tower is a watch tower, a tower that from the group, there is to be appointed watchmen to keep the evil one away.

Matthew 21:34 "And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it."

When you have a vineyard, and plant a crop you expect to get fruits from it. We are talking about God's kingdom on earth, and to have what He has established to grow and multiply and produce fruit.

Matthew 21:35 "And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another."

The husbandman is our Heavenly Father, and His servants are the Prophets of God. They are the authors of the Books of the Old Testament.

Matthew 21:36 "Again, he sent other servants more then the first: and they did unto them likewise."

After the Major Prophets, God sent the twelve Minor Prophets, and they did likewise to them.

Matthew 21:37 "But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, 'They will reverence my son.' "

God the Father sent His only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and Jesus is facing these Pharisees, and they have no idea in the world who they are talking to. This then, requires a review of the thirteenth chapter, the planting of the tares in the vineyard, to see how they came there in the first place.

Matthew 21:38 "But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.' "

They came as a thief in the night, while the House of Judah was in captivity in Babylon, and ceased the Levitical priesthood, and the duties of the scribes from those who had inheritance for those duties, from the time of Moses and Aaron. The return out of Babylon by the Jews is what the entire books of Ezra, Haggai, and Nemehiah is about, and those books record how the Nethinims [Kenites] took over the duties of the priesthood from top to bottom, and the religious leaders allowed it.

Then in I Chronicles 2:55; "And the families of the scribes which dwelt at Jabez; The Tarathites, the Shimeathites, and Suchathites. These are the kenites that came of hemath, the father of the house of rechab." This is from the listing of families that were coming out of Babylon in about 509 B.C., and they are the tares that have seized on Levi's inheritance of the scribes, which was given by God.

Matthew 21:39 "And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him."

Matthew 21:40 "When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh what will he do unto those husbandmen?"

Jesus is putting this parable forth to these religious leaders as a question. Keep in mind that these religious leaders are now going to pronounce their own sentence on their souls. They will understand shortly that Jesus is talking directly about them.

Matthew 21:41 "They say unto him, "He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons."

This is exactly what has happened. In this First Advent Jesus was totally refused and crucified, and through the disciples, and later the apostles, God's vineyard will be turned over to other husbandmen, and taken from these Pharisees and scribes. The Gospel was spread, and He sent others also, as these religious leaders were replaced after the resurrection of Christ. When the riddle was put to them, they did pass the correct judgment upon themselves.

Matthew 21:42 "Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the Scriptures, 'The Stone Which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?"

Jesus is telling these Pharisees and scribes that everything that I've told you in these parables and teachings is from the Scriptures, haven't you read it? Lets go over to Psalm 118:22 and read it.

Psalm 118:22, 23; "The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner." [22] "This is the Lord's doing; It is marvelous in our eyes." [23]

Jesus is telling these Pharisees that, "I am the Messiah standing directly before you."

Psalm 118:24; "This is the day that the Lord hath made; We will rejoice and be glad in it."

Remember what "Hosanna" meant in the Hebrew? It meant "save now"; Psalm 118:25; "Save now, I beseech Thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech Thee, send now prosperity."

Jesus is using this prophecy to tell them that they are refusing the chief cornerstone, and here again is the repeat of the cry "Hosanna".

There is another rejection that will take place just prior to the Second Advent, and that is the fact that there are two Jesus and two Saviors. The false one comes first, and then the true Messiah. There will not be a flight out of here, as many teach, for in its place will be a great deception, or apostasy. Men will be led to the wrong Christ, which is Satan, the Antichrist. That time is coming very shortly, in our generation. The signs of the times are now history to us today, in many cases, and it is time to seal in your mind that you will not see the True Christ in your physical body.

The world was deceived by these religious types at the First Advent, and there will also be another great deception, built from traditions of men at the Second Advent. Those with eyes to see will understand, and the others simply will not. They will be harvested out of season, and taken by the wrong Christ. They will have already taken their husband, when the True Christ comes to claim His bride.

Matthew 21:43 "Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof."

Just thinking you have the truth is not enough, you must know the truth, and prepare for the kingdom of God. You make that preparation in studying God's Word to know the signs of the times, and knowing the simplicity of Christ's teaching. Learn the difference between the Word of God, and the traditions of men.  Much of that understanding is given in the Old Testament.

Matthew 21:44 "And whosoever shall fall on this Stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever It shall fall, It will grind them to power."

The time is coming very shortly when this stone, Jesus Christ shall fall on many, and their very teeth shall gnash, and grind together, to the very gum itself, as they realize they have given themselves over to the wrong Christ. The timetable is in effect, and today many fear receiving the mark of the beast in their mind. The modern day Pharisees are making much money selling them their twisted ideas of gadgets, when it is free for the taking from God's Word.

That "Mark of the Beast" from Revelation 13:17 is already here, it is not on your forehead, or on your right hand, but in you forehead and in your right hand. Your brain is in your forehead, and that is what you think with. The mark is what you believe to be true, and act upon. It is when you think Satan the Antichrist is Jesus, and you act on the assumption.

As far as the mark on the right hand is concerned, Jesus is on the right hand of the Father, doing the work of the Father, and anyone that does the work of another man is his right hand man. The symbol of the right hand is the pledge of commitment of yourself to another person, or covenant you have made with him. If you lead your brother, or family member to the wrong Christ, then you have received the mark of the beast in the right hand. It has nothing to do with electronics.

Matthew 21:45 "And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard His parables, they perceived that He spake of them."

These old religious scholars finally wised up, and caught on that Jesus was talking of them. They perceived, or knew the Scriptures, but they had applied the Scriptures to themselves in a different way. Did the understanding change their wisdom, and find them repenting and changing their ways? Not at all. These religious men were even more determined to kill him.

This is just as the religious community is today, for when you tell them that their doctrines are misleading the people, the anger is the same, for it comes from the same source. It comes from the evil spirits that are binding them. They are binding their people in fear of a great physical destruction that will come on the earth, lead by Satan, and demonic beings of strange descriptions. They have prepared a false escape for them, and the people are becoming so frightened from their kind of a teaching (that the earth will be destroyed), that upon the appearance of the Antichrist, they will run to him for protection. They take the Word of God, and make it a lie.

Contrary to what they are preaching, the time of the Antichrist is a time of peace and prosperity, as Daniel chapter eight points out; that is Satan's policy to make you feel safe, and well off. Then five months later your false peace and hope is shattered at the return of Jesus Christ, and Satan and all evil go to the pit. Then where does that leave you? This is what we will discuss in Matthew 24.

Matthew 21:46 "But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitude, because they took Him for a prophet."

Jesus had been teaching the multitude from the Scrolls with authority, and healing the blind and the sick, and they looked to Him as a prophet. They knew that they would have a fight on their hands if they tried to take Jesus. They will take Him at the appointed time, and what they do with Jesus will be exactly as written by the prophets.

As we read later of the whipping and scourging that He will go through, and the thorns the pierced deep into his head, though it is terrible, the very Son of the God did that just for you. The stripped Him in public, and spit and mocked him, and then took him through the streets to hang Him on the cross. They drove spikes through his hands and feet, and ran a spear through his side, and He did it so you could cry out to Him in repentance, forgive me Lord, for I have sinned against you.

Friend, after all Jesus has gone through just for you, if you have too much pride and vanity to say, "forgive me Father, in Jesus name;" then you are just to righteous for Jesus Christ's kingdom. Jesus Christ the very Word of God, left his throne in heaven, to be born on this earth as a baby, and go through all the insults that ended on the cross, just to draw you, mankind, back to himself.

These Pharisees and chief priests that wanted to get their hands on Christ, will later be the ones that finally succeed, only it will be at God's appointed time, and in the manner prophesied. For you and I, What they think is their gain is their doom, and what they think was their gain is our victory. Praise God.

Matthew Chapter 22

"Parables. Marriage of the King's Son, the Substituted Guests."

This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson

Matthew 22:1"And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,"

Jesus is talking to this same group of Pharisees, scribes and chief priests for Matthew 21, and when Jesus speaks in parables these religious leaders will not understand. That is why He teaches in such a way, as we saw in Matthew 13:11. Jesus explains the parable to His disciples, but the Kenite religious people, it is just not for them.

Matthew 13:11 "He answered and said unto them [his disciples], "Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given."

Matthew 22:2 ""The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,"

This King is our Heavenly Father, and His Son is Jesus Christ.

Matthew 22:3 "And went forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come."

These servants are John the Baptist, and the followers of both John and Jesus.

Matthew 22:4 "Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, 'Tell them which are bidden, 'Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.' "

This would be Peter, and the rest of the Apostles and teachers of Jesus day, and even applies to our generation.

Matthew 22:5 "But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, and other to his merchandise:"

When the gospel of the kingdom was preached to the House of Israel, they made light of it, and went about their business, and other matters that they put before God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Their work, their family, sports, entertainment, hobbies, and what ever else you can think of came first, before Christ and the gospel of the kingdom. Though the merchandisers are somewhat removed for the processes of nature, it is a shame that the farmer that relies on the blessings of God for His crop, should overlook this marriage of the Son of the King.

Matthew 22:6 "And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them."

The "remnant" are the rest of the Kenites.

Matthew 22:7 "But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city."

This is not what you might think it is, the Second Advent; for this happened in the year 70 A.D., when "His armies", the Roman armies led by General Titus swept through Palestine and destroyed Jerusalem. Do not mix this event up with Matthew 24, what God is doing here is destroying the remnant of the Kenite, out of the city of Jerusalem.

By 70 A.D. most of the population left were bad seed, however there were some good ones. The majority of the leadership remaining in Jerusalem, and in control of the Temple, were the Kenites, the offspring of Cain, through the sexual union of Satan and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

Matthew 22:8 "Then saith he to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy."

This was in the past, and we are now coming to the current time, of the ages.

Matthew 22:9 "Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.' "

This marriage is written about in Revelation 19:7-9; "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready." [7] "And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints." [8] "And he saith unto me, "Write, 'Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.' " [9]

Notice where part of the female body, that Christ will take to marriage, He already calls wife. This is because of the events that happened in the world that was, that is before the foundations of this world flesh age. Some of God's elect were chosen in that age, and adopted, judged and predestined to be heirs of the Living God, as recorded in Ephesians 1:4-6. This is part of the Ephesians study.

Matthew 22:10 "So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests."

Jesus Christ had now died on the cross, and the Word of God is not directed now to the tribes of Israel, but to all the sons and daughters of all the races, to whom ever would hear the gospel of the Kingdom, and understand, and repent in Jesus name. All races are included, including the Kenites, should they have eyes to see and ears to hear and understand and repent to God of their sins in Jesus name.

Many of these guests are very bad, however when they hear the invitation and accept by being converted by repenting, they place on their new wedding garment and are ready for the marriage of the Lamb.

This is the very story of Christianity itself unfolding in this parable.

Matthew 22:11 "And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:"

This is important to understand. This wedding garment is told of in Revelation 19:8; "...she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints."

The clothes worn by those that will be going to this wedding of the Lamb, between Jesus Christ and his bride, the Church, is made up of your righteous acts, that's right, your works. This man at the wedding , given in this parable had no righteous acts, he was there nude, and naked as can be. Remember this is a parable, and speaking in a spiritual sense, and Jesus is telling you and I what it will be like to show up at the wedding, with no righteous acts to our credit, nor service given in the name of Christ.

There are many people offended when you apply the word "nude" to this application, yet when this day does come, and it will very shortly, they will be standing before the Almighty Father, giving account of themselves, for un-repented sins, and the lack of service of Christ's kingdom. Some of these rapture theorists will stand in great shame, for their service given to the wrong Christ, the Antichrist, and being taken in the wrong wedding. We will read of this in Matthew 24.

Matthew 22:12 "And he saith unto him, 'Friend, how comest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?' And he was speechless."

This is the Heavenly Father looking down on this person who was saved, and just squeaked into the wedding without any garment, for he was probably one of these ones who was casting out demons in the name of the Lord, when the Lord told him, I know you not. You probably know the type, they take pride in their ministry, and let you know it is theirs, and they build it, and deserved all the money you can send them. Now standing before the Father, stark naked and void of righteous acts, He is tongue tied, and speechless.

Matthew 22:13 "Then said the king to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Remember back in Matthew 8:12? The phrase, "the outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth," denotes not a state of being, but rather a definite occasion and time when this event shall take place. Our Lord Jesus Christ has used this expression to show the shame of individuals, at His return, when they finally see what they have done. They have run to the Antichrist, Satan, and have thrown their righteous act at his feet, thus giving up any rewards that would have earned in the flesh body. That includes the finest of all gifts, the grace that we have through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are living in a time like never before, for we are living in the "time of the end", as spoken by many of the prophets. Even Daniel's writings were to be sealed, and not understood until the time of the end, for in that time it would become reality, and the events are signs of the end times for us, so that we would not be deceived by Satan, and his one world system.

Matthew 22:14 "For many are called, but few are chosen."

The reason for getting bold in the teaching is not to offend someone, but that it would drive you deeper into God holy Word.

Matthew 22:15 "Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle Him in His talk."

Notice that when these religious leaders heard Jesus teaching of this parable, they started immediately to try to entangle, or trip up Jesus. They took counsel with their scripture lawyers to pick Jesus apart. The one thing that they were noted for is taking parts of the word out of context, or outright misquoting the scriptures. Many time when we are approached by those who would silence us, the same approach is used, and in most cases, that person is Biblically illiterate.

Be wiser then these serpents of the devil. If scripture is used, make them go to the word, and make sure it is correctly quoted. Then use a Strong's Dictionary to get the correct meaning, and don't allow someone to play games with God's Word.

Matthew 22:16 "And they sent out unto Him their disciples with the Herodians saying, "Master, we know that Thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth neither carest thou for any man: for Thou regardest not the person of men."

My friend, when someone comes on you with something like this, you better keep your hand on your wallet, and protect yourself. They are coming at you full force, and this is the smoke screen that comes before the battle. Be on guard. The Herodians were a political party, mostly Kenites, who were in Herod's court, and protecting the things of the establishment. These men were going to pick Jesus apart religiously, to advance themselves politically.

These disciples of the Pharisees were students of the Law, only it was not of God's law, but the modified rituals and man made traditions of the Nethinims [Kenites] acting as priests. So these two types of people have given their hollow compliments to Jesus, and now they are going to take aim at Him. Though they were stating this in ridicule, in their mind set, it words are true.

Matthew 22:17 "Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?"

Caesar has had people beheaded for not paying taxes, and so we see the intent of this bunch of religious skunks is to catch Jesus in words that they can run to Herod with, and have Jesus in deep trouble. The religious people are setting Jesus up in a religious sense, with these court lawyers of Herod listening for a treasonous thought. If Jesus would have said, "don't pay your taxes", then He could have been arrested, and tried, and even crucified for a wrong reason.

If you think taxes to a civilian government is wrong, it is time to rethink your position. The Prophet Daniel in the Old Testament was a tax collector, and was the highest just under the King, in the one world government of the old Babylonian kingdom. Though you pay the taxes, you can also take the tax breaks, for they are given for your benefit. You take all the breaks you can, and only those that are allowed. In these final days we are to be creditable and honest in all matters, including those things where we are dealing with the world. We represent the true King of the universe.

Matthew 22:18 "But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?"

This word "hypocrites" in the Greek language, means "an actor under an assumed character". They were play actors taking on the role of something that they are not. This was done for a false reason. They were acting as religious men, protecting the law, when in reality they were politicians. Jesus knew that they were trying to trip Him up with the government. This is one of the strongest tactics of the Kenite mind today; using the government to bring down an active and successful ministry.

Matthew 22:19 "Shew me the tribute money." And they brought unto him a penny."

Matthew 22:20 "And He saith unto them, "Whose is this image and superscription?"

Matthew 22:21 "They say unto Him, "Caesar's" Then saith He unto them, "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's."

There is no conflict with a Christian living for Christ, and doing the things instructed in His Word. God has authority and control over all governments, Kings and people in authority. God sets Kings up and tares them down. It was no accident that Russia fell in three days, and it was no accident that Caesar ruled over Rome. We are to obey the laws of the land, as well as those given in His word. Law is made to govern and give order to people as they interact with each other.

There are things in all governments that appear to be evil, and that is because the direction of government is made by men. Yet, there are things that government must provide, or it simply cannot exist. Armies, welfare, social services, utilities are but a few of the areas. Jesus is telling us that when we live under a government, the follow the laws of the land, and as we live our lives, render to God as His word teaches and directs you.

God's laws are absolute in all manner, yet the laws of the land may vary by time and place. We are to obey civil, and plant the seeds of truth, and God will provide your needs.

Matthew 22:22 "When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left Him, and went their way."

These men were not preachers, but lawyers, trained in playing with the words of men for the sake of tripping him up. These lawyers marvelled at the lesson that Jesus had just given them, and they left .

Matthew 22:23 "The same day came to Him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked Him,"

These Sadducees were from a sect that did not believe there was life after death. They are like some today that believe that when you die, you go to a hole in the ground and stay there. As far as the Sadducees were concerned the only life you live is from the cradle to the grave.

So with their feeling that there was not life after death, they gave Jesus this question.

Matthew 22:24 "Saying, "Master, Moses said, 'If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother', "

Matthew 22:25 "Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother:"

So we see there was a family with seven brothers in it, and the oldest had a wife and died.

Matthew 22:26 "Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh."

This healthy woman outlasted all seven of the men folk.

Matthew 22:27 "And last of all the woman died also."

Matthew 22:28 "Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her."

So with tongue in cheek, these Sadducees have presented this situation of one woman married to seven, and they all died; so they asked Jesus smirkingly, in the resurrection just who will claim her for his wife?

Keep in mind that these people asking the question don't believe what ever Jesus says, for they don't even believe in a resurrection; and this is a game with them. Yet we can be thankful to Jesus, for even though it is made to ridicule, Jesus has taken the opportunity to teach us through this stupid question.

There is a great deal taught us here concerning the next earth age, the Millennium age, in the answer of this question. This is to say, life after death. What we are talking about is the life in the spiritual body, when the physical body is dead and decaying.

Paul talks about the two bodies that each of us have in I Corinthians 15:43-49. We each have a flesh body, and we have a spiritual body. The moment that the flesh, or corruptible body gives up life, then the spiritual body or soul steps instantly from the flesh body, including the soul and spirit, and form a new complete individual in the spiritual realm. Then life goes back to the Father from where it came.

To be absent from this physical body is to be present with the Lord. In Ecclesiastes 12:7; "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." Where are our loved ones that have passed? As we just read, their physical body returns to the dust of the earth, and their Soul and spirit take on new form in their spiritual body and return to heaven from where it came. There is no mystery in this, when you study God's Word.

Many people wonder exactly what these Sadducees asked, and the answer is that the friendship continues indeed, but we learned in Ezekiel 44:25 that the elect will truly know their father and mother, and brother and sister, and wife and husband, for they will be able to go back to them and witness to them in the land of the dead, spiritually, to direct them so they can have a chance by their works of the Millennium age, at judgment day.

There is a study book on Millennium age that covers Ezekiel 39-48, [Ezekiel volume II, Chapters 25-48], And it is worth you time of study.