Stay Alert Today

Stay Alert Today

December 13-14
Deut 6:4-9;	2Tim 2:2

The goal: Keep God and His commandments at the center of your life. Let His explained definition of TRUTH rule and direct your decisions. The trick is first to talk the right life, but then to follow through and live that same life!

We conclude that this is best maintained

1. by carefully
2. remembering the death burial and resurrection of Jesus in the flesh



then by

3. Living each day in the eager expectation that Jesus could return at any moment.
4. Keep a constant vigil over the once great salvation, and deliverance from dead Works.


5. The first step down the path challenging fervency of faith, how do you interact with others.
   1. Deuteronomy 6:4Law of Love
   
   
   2. Deuteronomy 8:18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.
      
   
   
   
   

Through out history of the church a curious aspect of true society changing revivals, an eager expectation of Jesus imminent return. This can not be manufactured. It must needs be a true revelation of Jesus mind and purpose. This implies that He himself will reveal the immediacy of his return. "Luke-warm" Christians and by definition partially committed believers restore the Passion for the Lord Jesus by remembering from which they came! Forgetting this makes a person loose value for the Great cost Jesus paid to redeem His life. It also diminishes the level of thanksgiving which as a manner of course, diminishes The very Grace that Saved the person. On both accounts the important matter is the remembering of where the person was when he was saved. It is no accident that this is the very command in the receiving of communion. Remember the body and blood of Jesus.

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Deut 6:4-9

4 ¶ Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all your heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in your heart:

7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sit in your house,

    and when thou walk by the way, and when thou lie down, and when thou rise up.

8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as front lets between your eyes.

9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

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2Timothy 2:2

2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses,
the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

Watch an Be ready

Matthew 25:1-13

1 ¶ Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins,

which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you:

but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready

went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

The sober council - Be Ready! Implicit in this parable is the question? Can one be not ready? Only by bold denial and could this be answered in the negative. Verse 13 requires a day when no one else will be permitted into the Wedding Feast! For Family members only. There will not be any party crashers there. Sometimes at a funeral there is a special place for family only! They have memories particular to their experience. Remember the time..and so it goes
At this party one has to be more than a member! He must also be a member in good standing! Have the oil in the lamps.Rememberig the spiritual symbolism for the oil! the Anointing! Or the charis, this is also translated Grace. So by grace are we saved. Having oil (grace) in a life also is important.

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"LukeWarm"
Revelation 3:3-6;14-22

• 3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch,
  I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
  

  4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
  

  5 He that overcomes, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life,

  but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
  

  6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches.
  

  ***
  

  14 ¶ And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things says the Amen,

  the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
  

  15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou were cold or hot.
  

  16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spit thee out of my mouth.
  

  17 Because thou say, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and

  know not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
  

  18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou might be rich; and white raiment,

  that thou might be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that thou may see.
  

  19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
  

  20 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.
  

  21 To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
  

  22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches.
  
  

verse 18 councils the luke warm believers to remember the first Love   Go back to a time when this one first believed. This time, for a person truly saved, is a time where recognition of sin is great and recognition of forgiveness is greater! The one who remembers forgiven sin also remembers the great love that results from the forgiven sin. As an aside, if any one wants some one to love them , the greatest bonding is realized forgiven sin. If the person first realized that a hurt has been caused, then accepts that he is forgiven, great bonding of love will result. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, For a person to realize that the greatest sin in his own life is forgiven by another, he will be able to believe that God also could forgive the sin. This works out to cause the person to be able to accept God's forgiveness and ultimately to forgive him self as well. Only when all three are received [God, others, self] is true forgiveness realized. The long and short of this lesson is that in order to regain fervency for the mission and the passion of the Way
one must first remember the forgiven sin. Keep it ever close to his thought life. The power of the Gospel is in the power of forgiven sin

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first Love        Luke 7:47-48

• Luke 7:47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven;
  for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.



• Luke 7:48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

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Deuteronomy 6:4

• 4 ¶ Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
• 
  5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
• 
  6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

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Mark 12:31
• And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
  

Staying Alert In The Last Days

Staying Alert In The Last Days

Dec 6-7

Acts 1:9-11;

Dan 12:1-2;

2Corinthians 5:10;

Rev 20:12-13

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Jesus Taken Up

Acts 1:9-11

9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

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

Dan 12:1-2

1 ¶ And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which stander for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
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Creation Jumps to Attention

Rev 20:12-13

12 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.

13 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.
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All Mankind must give account

2Corinthians 5:10;

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Two judgements await every person.

1. Who has paid the debt of sin in your life?
   
2. How did you use the gifts and resources in your life time?

the answer to the first paves the way to the next. If any payment other than the Blood of Jesus is given there is no second question. The person would will and begin to fall down the eternal tunnel into the bliss. If in some way the person can say by the Grace of Jesus His blood paid the price of my sin, then he will continue to stand.

Soon after I repented of sin, turned to God and asked Jesus to come into my life, I awoke one morning with a dream. In the dream I looked up and I began to see a series of events. The picture resembled the view of an "IMax" with a domed screen. The characters that I envisioned gradually seemed more and more familiar. I remembered the scenes and as the action progressed I realized that I was watching my own life. It started back in my earliest memory. I could see my own life as it was, but what I experienced, in the dream, were the events from the viewpoint of an outside observer. Gradually I realized I was both experiencing the dream and seeing it circumspectly. I could see both what I remembered and what any one else could see. The gradual progression continued from my earliest memory to the things that had happened the previous day. At the time I could easily justify certain misdeeds as other peoples fault, but in the dream I realized how completely the sin was my own fault. Approximately half of the way through the dream as it progressed I vaguely began to perceive that there was another silent observer immediately beside me and slightly out of the vision. The further the dream progressed the more condemned I began to feel. By the time I awoke I felt so bad that I wanted to die. At that time I had never done anything that people would generally condemn as being "gross or blatant sin." Never the less sin totally consumed my life. I had no hope! When I confessed the dream to my pastor and spiritual advisor, He pointed out that the silent observer never condemned me and might have even forgiven me had I ever asked. At that time I realized the observer actually was Jesus. I did ask for forgiveness, and immediately experienced a cleansing of the guilt. As I meditated over these experiences I realized that I would not have needed Him to condemn me because I would have condemned my own self. In fact with out the forgiveness I would have run away from the light of God's eyes, and never even attempted to enter Heaven. After receiving the forgiveness I was able to stand before the Lord with the knowledge of my past actions but with out needing to run away. I presume that the way I was reconciled to God was that the pastor looked at the very sin that condemned me in my own eyes yet he did not condemn me. The process of realizing he would not cast me out, gave me the ability to believe that maybe God himself also would not cast me out! In the process of time I began to accept my own self not as a perfect person but instead one who was truly and deeply forgiven. Hi metamorphosis began to renew my mind to a different paradigm. I am forever changed by this knowledge.

I conclude from this; one concept. God has given each of us the power to introduce fellow persons to Him. Part of the introduction includes that God does not look upon our sin as we do but instead looks at the same sin through the blood of Jesus. The change of color means everything. The most important thing is that the cost of the sin [namely death] was prepaid long before our need presented itself. We must however accept this exchange and implement the merited righteousness for our own selves. All this must take place before our own death or the return of Jesus noted in the above verses.

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to Know God and the power of his resurrection

John 17:3
1. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Phillip 3:10
2. 10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

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to believe

12 Corinthians 5:19
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself,
not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

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The parable of the Sower

Understanding The Parable of the Sower
In a New Light

Matthew 13:3-9
Mark 3:3-14

Luke 8:5-15

The Parable of the Sower What does it mean?
Matthew 13:3-9	Mark 3:3-14	Luke 8:5-15

The parable of the Sower
in Matthew

Matthew 13:3-9

3 And he spoke many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixty fold, some thirty fold.

9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.


Insight
The parable of the sower identifies a person delivering the same seed to four different grounds. The GROUND in the illustration actually was the heart of a person.
{para along side}{able= to throw}[i.e. to throw a story along the side of a spiritual principle that could actually illustrate the picture of an idea; maybe an idea not so easy to understand!]


Scientists have discovered that people think primarily in pictures and in images.


No accident that the book of Genesis as well as much of the remainder of the Old Testaments written a s a series of stories, that illustrate a multitude of Human experiences and Problems.


The Bible is the only major religious book that describes it's heroes in any light that could be considered as less than favorable.


Yet not one of the major characters in the Bible is reported with out his or her flaws.


Many times the flaws lead to major changes in the Plot Line


The overall story continues on without missing a step.
The story being one of Redemption, Restoration, Reconciliation of fallen man with the God who created him


Thus we have a ground that can be cultivated and the person himself could control the kind of heart that would receive the seed.

Jesus explains the parable

In Matthew 13:10    we have Jesus' own explanation.


The Disciples did not understand


Matthew 13:10

10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why do you speak unto them in parables?

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.

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.

13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.



14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Elijah, which said, By hearing ye shall hear,
and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

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.

16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

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.

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Jesus Explains to his Disciples

Matthew 13:18-25

18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.

19 When any one hears the word of the kingdom, and understands it not,

then cometh the wicked one, and catches away that which was sown in his heart.

This is he which received seed by the way side.

20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that hears the word, and at once with joy receives it;

21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but endures for a while:

for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word,

by and by he is offended. {offended: he relapses, or, falls into sin}

22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that hears the word;

and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that hears the word, and understands it;

which also bears fruit, and brings forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Jesus Makes a remarkable side note
Mark 3:14

Mark 3:13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

Jesus is implying that not understanding this parable would preclude understanding any other miracle!

So what is it that makes this parable so important that the rest of scripture is unattainable. In his recent podcast Robert Morris illustrated this contrast and comparison. While there are five different kinds of grounds, there is only one stealing the seed.

The first hindrance to the effectiveness of the seed would be the Birds! Not having received message into the heart the protection that would come from the Word believed or the Milk of the word being hidden in the heart, the seed fell easy prey to the watchful birds. One might wonder what the birds represent in the scripture.

The next hindrance to the effectiveness of the seed would be the Heat! Watching new believers for some time we see the first obstacle to standing in faith after making a confession is holding out against the anger of family members or close friends. It is only after standing firm in the face of this anger that the faith takes root. By this we remember Jesus words. Not having the moisture that would come from the Word believed or the Milk of the word

Luke 8:5-15
Luke reporting of this teaching

5 A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.

6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.

7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.

8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

9 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?

10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

Insight

As Usual the inclusion by Luke is always the more heady or intellectual description of the same events that may also be listed in other gospel entries.

Mark 4:3-20
Mark reporting of this teaching

Mark 4:3-20

3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:

4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth;
and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.

11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:

12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

14 The sower slows the word.

15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh
immediately, and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.

16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.

18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirty fold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

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Heat!

Deuteronomy 29:24

24 Even all nations shall say, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this land? what meaneth the heat of this great anger?

The context of this passage identifies the heat as anger!

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Jesus words.
Confess Jesus
Matthew 10:32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.	Luke 12:8 Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:
Love Jesus more than others
Luke 14:26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.	Luke 16:13 No servant 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.
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