Epaggelia

When we approach the subject of God’s promises, we should start at the beginning. Firstly, Peter tells us that God foreordained Christ as providing a Covenant in His blood, and He did this before the foundation of the world (1st Peter 1:19-20).  Isaiah knew of this ancient Covenant and claimed it applied to all humanity (Isaiah 42:5-6). Even Hosea mentions God’s covenant with Adam (Hosea 6:7). In the garden of Eden, God prophesied that a descendent of Eve would victoriously crush the head of the serpent’s descendant (Gen. 3:16). What does Peter, Isaiah, Hosea and Adam have in common? God’s covenanted promise to provide a Christ who would rescue us from sin, death & the devil. This is good news! We praise God because He has always wanted to save us and bless us, even though we continually play into the hands of Satan and sin against Him. This covenant and promise to save us is first and more important than any other covenant God has ever made. All the other covenants hang on this one primary promise, to save us.

Let’s view them.                                                                              

Noah: God covenanted a promise to Noah regarding humanities maintenance with seasons, never to destroy it again with water. This is still in effect with His promising sign of a rainbow. This will only end at the appointed Day, when God will send Jesus and destroy the earth by fire (Genesis 6:18 & 8:15-9:17). Peter understood how this covenant was still effective and how it will come to an end (2nd Peter 3:4-13).                                             

Abraham: God covenanted a promise to Abraham with the solitary agreement of acceptance by Abraham, being circumcision.  It was kind of like getting into a movie, with a ticket that didn’t cost you any money, you just had to obtain the ticket and present it at the door. Remember, you couldn’t see the show without having the ticket!  Read all of Genesis 15 through 17, it was God who passed through the blood of animals. It was God who would do the blessing, God would provide Abraham’s descendant through a barren wife, and God would provide His descendants with an inherited land through a miraculous journey of freed slaves out of Egypt. This was based solely on God’s gracious power to perform the fulfilment of these promises, on ONE condition, that Abraham and his descendants would accept the ‘ticket’, circumcision. Circumcision was the sign. Inside this covenant is the promise of BLESSING the whole world through Abraham’s seed (descendant), which turned out to be Jesus Christ, (Gen. 12:3 & 17:3-14 & Galatians 3:15-18, 3:27-29). Originally Abraham thought his descendant to be Ishamael, then Isaac, but finally he realized it was Jesus Christ, See John 8:56.                                                                           

The Christian: Both Peter & Paul teach on the subject of circumcision as having been replaced in significance with baptism. Read Colossians 2:10-12 & 1st Peter 3:18-21. The new covenant which ensures God’s promise of salvation with a Christian is prophesied by Jeremiah 31:31-34. The human heart is to have God’s law written upon it, and that is what God’s Spirit of Christ does today, 2nd Corinthians 3:3. Remember it was Peter who proclaimed to circumcised Jews admitting their guilt of sin,  that if they were not repentant and baptised, then God’s wrath was upon them, Acts 2:37-41. The beauty of this covenant is that it’s power to provide the blessing of forgiveness and eternal life, lay in the blood of Christ, which we get applied to our heart by faith in the watery grave of baptism,  by the Holy Spirit of Christ, Roman 6:1-7 & 1st John 1:7, Hebrews 10:15-22. Do we have the seal of God’s Spirit in our spirit? Read Romans 8:9. In the new covenant, the sign is the blood and it is sealed with His Spirit on our heart, Eph. 1:13. For these three testify, the Spirit, the water & the blood, 1st John 5:7-8.

Everyone appreciates and values ‘originals’. Originals teach us where we came from, and warn us of mistakes we shouldn’t repeat. Originals stand for success.  Original cars, computers, artists and even original molds, which make great casts for several copies to come.  We have in Acts the original church in God’s design. This is good news because since it is God’s original, it doesn’t change or deteriorate. The church is not only described with various pictures like Bride, Body, Light, Flock, Vine, Temple, Nation and Family we viewed in the last lesson. But the Church has also been titled with only one owner, shown as the following:

Church of God Acts 20:28,
Churches of Christ, Romans 16:16.
Church of the Firstborn, Hebrews 12:23,
Church of the Living God, 1st Timothy 3:15.

With all of these names in the title for ONE owner, it is comforting to know that the Owner and Head of the Church tell us of it’s original name. THE WAY.

John the Immersionist proclaimed preparation for the Way of the Lord, Mark 1:3, and Jesus spoke of the Kingdom as near, he also spoke of the Way as being straight and narrow, with only a few finding it (Mat. 7:14).  Later on towards the end of his ministry, Jesus claimed that He Himself is THE WAY, (Jn. 14:6). As the church was born and started to become established, the Hebrew writer by inspiration of God described the House of God as The Way, (Heb. 10:19-21).

Chronologically, the first time people of the world are on record as calling the church a name, it was in a derogatory sense, speaking in Acts 9:1-2, “The Way”, was the term they used to target disciples of the Lord Jesus.  Then in Acts 11:26, the Disciples are called Christians. This sequence of descriptions, proves to us who owns and controls the Church. Jesus Christ, The Way. There are seven more examples of Christians being described by Luke as belonging to the Way, Acts 16:17, 18:25, 26, 19:9, 23, 24:14 & 22. Even in the mind of Paul (Romans 14:16-20) and Peter (2nd Peter 2:1-2) was the idea of the Church being called the “Way”. To the first Christians, there was only ONE way to please God, love God and grow closer to God.  In every instance we talk of a “way”, we are always in need of a map or directions. This is good news, and the Way of Truth & Life with God can be seen clearly as:

Hearing about Jesus, Romans 10:13-15.
Believing in Jesus as God’s Son, John 3:16.
Confessing Jesus as Lord, Mat. 10:32, Romans 10:9 & Acts 8:37.
Changing/Repenting for Jesus, Luke 9:23 & Acts 3:19.
Immersed with Jesus, Mark 16:16, Acts 2:37-38, Romans 6:1-8.
Following Jesus Forever, 2nd Tim. 2:10, James 5:11 & Rev. 2:10.

It is good news to be given such a clear and certain, original Way to grow closer to God and be accepted by Him now and for eternity.

Key Texts: Matthew 4:23, 9:35 & 24:14

Jesus treated the Kingdom’s nearness as the reason people needed to change their lifestyles and attitudes,  Mt. 4:17- 5:12, it was good news because His Kingdom had God’s power ruling over the minds & hearts of His disciples, making them more than happy! This good news message is repeated in Mt. 9:35.  The good news of the Kingdom mentioned in Mt. 24:14 relates to how good it was for His followers to have the warning to flee in the oncoming persecution upon Jerusalem by the Romans. Their physical escape and their spiritual deliverance is certainly good news. Following Jesus had it’s price to pay, but it also had much bigger benefits. His royal authority exercised in our heart helps to change our lifestyle and results in our salvation. Being in His Kingdom gives us the advantage of being, “forewarned is forearmed”! In “Him” we are more than conquerors, Rom. 8:37.

As His Kingdom grew in nearness and was established in the hearts of people during Pentecost, it became synonymous with the ‘church’.  Colossians 1:13-14, 18, Ephesians 1:22-23 & 4:4 &  1Corinthians 1:10-13.  Once your in the kingdom/church, we have access to His power, but unless we pick up our cross DAILY, deny ourself and try to follow Him, (Luke 9:23) we do not enjoy His power and use it to bear fruit.  Do we continue to let His authority and power be exercised in our heart through prayerful reading of His good news!

Here are some descriptions of the Church in God’s word. This list will help us identify our goals in the churches of Christ. 

• The Body of Christ, Colossians 2:19 & 1Corinthians 12:27. The goal of working as His spiritual body in a physical world. Being Benevolent and Truthful. This is also seen in the description of the church as the…

• The Building or Temple of God, Ephesians 2:21, & 1Peter 2:5 & 1Corinthians 3:10.  
• The Spiritual Israel, Philippians 3:3, Galatians 4:24-26, & Hebrews 12:23.

• The Spiritual Light of the World, Php. 2:15, 1Thes. 5:5, John 9:5, Matthew 5:14.

• The Bride of Christ, John 3:29 & Revelation 21:1. The goal of loving Christ  in worship, not just on Sundays! Being full of praise, Php. 4:4.This is also seen in the description of the church as the…

• The Family of God, Romans 8:15 & 2Corinthians 6:18 & Galatians 3:19-27.

• The Flock of The Good Shepherd, Luke 12:32, Acts 20:29, John 10:1-10, Isaiah 40:11 & Zechariah 9:16.   The goal of Growing Faith, Grace, Knowledge & The Fruit of the Spirit.  Flocks need feeding and branches need pruning!   This is also seen in the description of individual Christians as the…

• Branches of The True Vine, John 15:2

 It is good news to have a God-given identity, purpose and goal which has rewards now and also is rewarded in eternity, Hebrews 11:6              

Key Text: Ephesians 1:13 

One of the most difficult things for all of us humans to admit, is that we need help and direction. Our self (human spirit) is innately selfish and self-destructive, and without help, we lose strength to do what is right, and ultimately our own spiritual health & life. All humans, no matter how intellectually advanced, have a tendency to be our own worst enemy, and this is made worse by the existence and work of the Devil. This help we need, God calls salvation and it is good news, Romans 1:1.

Deliverance from our spiritual peril and weaknesses, is very real. Biblically the word is used in a graphic physical way and of course in a spiritual sense.  An example of how the word “salvation” is used in both a physical and spiritual sense, is Acts 27:31-44. It is good news that God would want to rescue us from our own foolish rebellion against Him.

Romans 5:8. Preservation is another word used to describe what God is doing for us, see 2Timothy 4:18.

What has God the Father done to deliver or save us? The obvious answer is John 3:16. But before the cross, He promised to make Gentiles holy. Read Isaiah 66:18-21 and Obadiah 15-17,  compare them with Romans 15:14-16. Holiness is what God gives us in our hearts, this holiness replaces and cures the sin-sickness of our heart, helping us fulfil the requirement for entrance into Heaven, Hebrews 12:14.  The Spirit of Holiness fills the desire of every human heart to know God and worship Him. In 1656, mathematician & philosopher Blaise Pascal wrote of “a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person”, which can’t be filled with more ‘things’, but only by God. When will humanity ever accept and apply this truth? We must put more effort in using our spiritual gifts instead of our physical gifts, 2Timothy 1:13-14.  In giving us His Holy Spirit, he has sealed our salvation for eternity. See 1John 2:20 & Ephesians 1:13. But if we do not grow the fruit of the Spirit, will we be cut off, like a useless branch? Jn. 15:6

Perhaps the most important question regarding how good God is, in saving us, is this:

Would God ever quit saving us? Can we lose our deliverance? Since our deliverance is secured by the gift of the Spirit, would His Spirit ever leave us before our entrance into Heaven? This certainly happened to King Saul. Consider the following series of events:

Foolish Burnt Offering at Michmash – 1Sam. 13:11-14

Weak-willed Sacrifice at Gilgal – 1Sam 15:17-26, 16:14

Consulting a witch at Endor – 1Chron. 10:13-14

If such loss can happen to an anointed King, why not us? God was very good to Saul, but more than 3 times Saul neglected God’s goodness and ended up losing His Spirit. God patiently tried to get Saul’s genuine repentance, but eventually, Saul kept turning away. We can drift away from God’s grace and lose the rescue attempt God has ensued upon us. Galatians 1:6, “turning away” is a direction in our life, we do not ever want to take.

Ananias & Sapphira (Ac. 5:1-10), Hymanaeus & Alexander (1Tim. 1:19-20) & Demas (2Tim. 4:10) and Diotrephes (3Jn. 9-10) are all personal examples of how Christians can turn away from God’s good & gracious Spirit and forsake the rescue operation of God. Proving we must each prayerfully keep feeding on His word and grow His fruit.

Key Text: 2Thessalonians 1:8. 

Many people mistakenly think that making Jesus Lord of their life, is a great sacrifice and takes away from our enjoyment of this world. But the opposite is actually true. The Lordship of Christ over our lifestyle is the greatest blessing we can recieve in this world. It is good news to know that the God of Love rules and dictates our priorities and actions. Life in this world is hard for everyone in one way or another, the rain falls on the good and the evil, it’s not how the rain affects us that counts, but rather, what you do with it. When we do what Jesus would do with the rain of life, it’s a real blessing, because His Lordship (power) is applied in helpful healing (Christ). Read Rom. 15:19-32. It is good news to know what Jesus would have us do. If we can learn from this, we can truly know how GOOD it is to have Jesus Lord over our lifestyle. To call someone “Lord” doesn’t mean much today, as Festus called Agrippa “lord”, shows how the word is used flippantly in politics, Acts 25:26. But how is the word Lord used in your everyday speech?           

Jesus is Lord over terrestrial forces, he proved this first in the making of wine from water, Jn. 2:1-12. And in instantly creating loaves & fishes for over 9,000 people in different occasions, Jn. 6:1-4, Mk.8:1-10, and also for instantly withering the fig tree, he proved his sovereign judgment in nature, Mt.21:18-22. And over celestial forces, proving this when he walked on water, Mk. 6:45-52, Jn.6:15-21. And over our climate, he proved it when he stilled the storm & sea, Mk. 4:35-41, Mt. 8:23-25.  And over animals, showing instant control in riding the young colt of a donkey, never trained nor ridden on before, during the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Lk 19:28-40. And of the sabbath, fulfilling the old law of Moses with it’s prophecies and making null & void all of it’s commandments against us on the cross, Lk 6:1-5, Col. 2:14.  And over the demons, proving this when demons cried out for mercy in His presence, and He showed them none, Luke 8:26-39, 11:24. Jesus is also Lord over the human body, the most complicated and amazing of His creations, He proves this in the many marvellous healings of human weaknesses and deformities in His miracles, Mat. 4:24 & Jn. 21:25.

            Is Jesus truly Lord over you?  Here are 4 people who recognized Him as their Lord, how did it change their life?  Elizabeth expressed her faith in the Lordship of Jesus, when she greeted Mary as the mother of her Lord, Lk 1:43. Because of her faith, she raised John the Immersionist, giving the world a fulfilment to prophecy and one of the best examples of godly zeal. Mary of Magdalene wept for the body of her Lord, thinking it was stolen, Jn. 20:11-13. Because of her love for her Lord, she was strengthened by the Lord himself and given the privilege of  being the first witness of his resurrection.   Remember 2Tim. 4:8. Paul the Apostle knew that to call Jesus his Lord meant sacrifice, Php. 3:8.  Thomas the Apostle knew Jesus as The Lord and expressed his personal and public dedication to Him as offering his own life, Jn. 11:15-16, but The Lord Jesus was not truly his own Lord, until he saw Jesus resurrected, THEN, Thomas said, “My Lord, My God”, Jn. 20:28.  Secular history records Thomas as a lifelong faithful apostle and left this earth as a martyr for his Lord.  We do not have our hand in the hand of Christ physically here on earth now, but we do have the mind of Christ in His word, 1Cor. 2:16, and the Spirit of Christ in our heart, Rom. 8:9.  If you are looking when both His word and his Spirit is displayed, you can see His Lordship, Eph. 1:18.

The Magi followed the Star of Jesus. The Shepherds followed the Angel’s words. But God had John the immersionist (the cousin of Jesus) prepare the way for Israel to listen and obey Jesus. Preparation in becoming a disciple is essential, if we want our obedience to be genuine and consistent.  

In John’s Gospel 1:35-51 he names Andrew, Simon (Cephas/Peter), Philip and Nathanael.  Jesus has already been baptized, (Mt 3:1‑17), and has been through a 40 day fast, has been strengthened by angels (Jn 1:19‑28),  and now John sees Jesus at Bethany (Bethabara) other side of the Jordan river (Jn 1:29‑34).  While John  is preaching, he has Andrew, & the unnamed disciple pointed toward Jesus, later on near  the Sea of Galilee, we see them being called again (Mt. 3:18-22).  He makes more disciples later on & makes a commission later on.   For now, he starts with five, we suppose that the unnamed disciple is John the writer of the Gospel, elsewhere referred to as the disciple whom Jesus loved, 13:22-25. 

How can we be like them?

1. Admit your ignorance & curiosity: Luke 11:1 about prayer. Mark 4:10-11 about parables. Matthew 13:4-7 about the future. Mark 9:28 about our failures.

2. Share your experience of Him, whatever it may be: John 1:40-41. Who told James thebrother of John of Zebedee? Matthew was called directly by Jesus, but who told his brother James the son of Alphaeus?

3. Remember Jesus wants to know what your after and will show you the truth,John 1:38. 

4. When we are derided, the best response is to invite investigation, John 1:46.

5. Call no man your Teacher (Rabbi), but only the Spirit & Word, Jn. 1:49 (Mat 28:8).

6. Deny yourself, Take up Your cross & Follow daily, Luke 9:23.7. Realize that following & knowing who Jesus is, and believing in Him are two entirely different things. Compare, John 1:35-42 & 2:11. 

These are just some of the names His disciples called Him…

THE LAMB OF GOD, v29,36.  Sacrificed for sins.  Ex 12:1‑13, Isa 53:7, Ax  8:32, IPt 3:17‑19. 

THE MESSIAH or CHRIST, (The annointed), implying royalty!  Mat. 11:1-3, Lk 2:8-11, 26.  Acts 9:22. 

THE SON OF GOD, v34, 49.  Promised fulfilled.  Psa 89:24‑28, Jn 6:68‑69, 20:27‑31. 

THE KING OF ISRAEL, v49.  Leader of sinners.  Jn 12:12‑15, Zeph 3:13‑17. 

THE SON OF MAN, v51.  Dan. 7:13-14, Ac 7:56, Rev. 1:13.  (His favourite name for himself, used over 80 times) 

LORD & GOD, John 20:28-29. 

Conclusion: Jesus wants His real disciples to know what he accepts and expects them to be.  He carried no menial titles and gave nothing less than the best, Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, Heb. 13:8. 

 Part TWO of Following Jesus…

WHY ? 

Because of our transgressions and His wounds.  We get peace from His chastisement.

Isa 53:4 & Ephesians 2:14.

PEACE (friendship)

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Because of our iniquities and His bruising. We get healing from His stripes.

Isa 53:5 & 1Peter 2:24.

HEALING (spiritual & emotional)

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Because of our ignorance and His self sacrifice. We get forgiveness from His burden.

Isa 53:6 & 1Peter 3:18.

FORGIVENESS (total)

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Because of our oppression and His affliction. We get redemption from His blood.

Isa. 53:7 & 1Peter 1:18-19.

REDEMPTION (valuable worth)

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Because of our injustice and His arrest. We get freedom from sin from His execution.

Isa. 53:8 & Acts 8:33-39.

FREEDOM (real strength to overcome sin)

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There are several gifts Christ offers us, for which we should practice discipleship, the…

…SPIRIT OF CHRIST, Acts 2:38-39 & 5:32.

…MIND OF CHRIST, 1Corinthians 2:16 & Philippians 2:5.

…INTERCESSION OF CHRIST, 1Timothy 2:5 & Hebrews 8:1-2.

…REIGN OF CHRIST, Colossians 1:13 & Revelation 19:16.

…RESURRECTION OF CHRIST, John 5:25-29 & 11:25-26.

…GRACE & KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST, 2Peter 3:18 & Gal. 5:22-23.

…PROTECTION OF CHRIST, Philippians 4:6-7 & Ephesians 1:12-13.

Your discipleship can be measured by your love for these gifts. Luke 7:46-50.

Lesson One: Everlasting, Glorious & Unique, Revelation 14:6,  2^nd Corinthians 4:4, 11:4 & Galatians 1:6

The word “Gospel”, is an English word derived from the ancient Anglo Saxon words, “gode” & “spell”, simply meaning ‘good story’. The 1611 English translation of the Greek New Testament, used ‘gospel’ to translate the original Greek word euaggelion. We all love good stories, this one is the best because it’s God’s story about how good He is to anyone and for anyone in Christ Jesus. The Bible itself claims that it’s good news is eternal. This is seen in John 1:1, 14, Genesis 1:26, Revelation 14:6 & Ecclesiastes 12:13. When you study these verses in their context synonymously, you can readily understand why the gospel is infinitely everlasting.  We need to tell our friends, that the good news is ALWAYS good for this very reason, it’s divine in Jesus. God’s message comes alive in Jesus and lives forever. Glory is a misunderstood word, many people equate glory to beauty or light. But for our friends of the world, we need to let them know they are not always the same thing. Glory is the way in which something or someone influences everything in it’s environment. For example, the Sun influences the Moon by shining on it. Yes the Sun has power in the form of light, but how does that power/light affect the moon? In a good way or bad way? From our perspective, we see the Stars having different levels of glory, not just because some are more brighter than others, but because the different affects are small, medium & large on their environment. Move the earth just a mere 10 miles and the affect is drastic, see 1^st Cor 15:41. How does God influence us? How does the gospel influence us? His message is like light, it’s able to guide us in His wisdom and knowledge, Psalm 119:105 and Jesus said He is the light of the world, John 9:5. So the gospel truly is glorious in that it enlightens us about what is right & wrong, guiding us to God’s deliverance. If our friends cannot see the gospel’s glory, it is due to either of two reasons: 1- Because Satan has veiled their minds from seeing the light of the gospel, 2^nd Corinthians 4:4, 11:4. OR, 2- Because we who have been influenced, refuse to show & grow, Heb. 5:12 & 6:12.The original gospel is preserved by The Spirit of Truth. Many Christians in years past have tried to translate it, copy it and spread it faithfully, but all our work has not proved to overcome our enemies attempt to destroy it. There must be a Spirit greater than us at work in keeping the gospel genuine and alive, that Spirit is God, John 16:12-15. The apostle Paul says that if anyone changes the gospel it really isn’t good news at all, it’s actually bad news. This principle is what makes the original gospel unique, Galatians 1:6.                                                                                                                                                                           

Lesson Two: …About The Resurrection, Mt. 28:1-8, Mk. 16:1-8, Lk. 24:1-8, Jn. 20:1-10 & 1^st Cor. 15:1-3.

The problem with raising the dead, is that death must be faced again, unless your raised immortal. This is why the resurrection of Jesus is good news. He makes a way for us to be raised immortal. Remember that people in ancient times were merely raised to die again.  Our biggest fear is conquered here.  

A.  Son of the Widow of Zarephath by Elijah, 1Kings 17:22

B.  Son of the Shunammite by Elijah, 2nd Kings 4:35

C.  Dead man restored to life at the touch of Elisha’s bones, 2nd Kings 13:21

D.  Son of the Widow of Nain by Jesus, Luke 7:15

E.  Daughter of Jairus of Capernaum by Jesus, Matthew 9:25, Mark 5:42, Luke 8:40-56.

F.   Lazarus of Bethany by Jesus, John 11:44

G.  The Saints after Christ’s Resurrection  in Jerusalem by the Spirit of Christ, Matthew 27:52.

H.  Tabitha of Joppa by Peter, Acts 9:40 

I.   Eutychus of Troas by Paul,  Acts 20:9-12 

The main difference between those listed above and the resurrection of Jesus, is they all needed someone else to raise them, whereas, Jesus raised & ascended Himself! By this, Jesus proves He is God’s Son. Romans 1:4. For us personally, the amazing fact is that Jesus made a way for His resurrection to be linked by faith with our spiritual death to sin. Compare John 3:3-5 & Romans 6:3-7. Peter & Paul both teach that a Christians baptism is linked by faith to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, 1^st  Peter 3:21. This is good news! In the world, we do not like to pay the ransom money to free victims. We are afraid the kidnappers will get what they want. But God paid the ransom money because the resurrection guarantees the kidnapper (Satan) will not get you.

The Resurrection is Real

1. The change in Saul and the early Apostles prove it beyond doubt!1^st Corinthians 15:1-17 & 2^nd Corinthians 11:22-28

2. The Completed work of the Holy Spirit is spiritual not physical.  All the apostles & disciples expected physical
Israel to be physicallyempowered by the Messiah. Jesus empowered spiritualIsrael with the resurrection. The Holy Spirit as a gift, empowered them and us to grow His fruit and prove the message of the Messiah true to this day. Physical Israel will never will be empowered as in the days of David. The Kingdom is spiritual, Luke 17:21-22. We are the circumcision, Philippians 3:3.  The ascended and resurrected Messiah, made this possible, John 14:16-17 & Acts 1:8.

3. His Empty Tomb, guarded by Jewish Temple Soldiers that had personalconcerns, is proof of His resurrection’s reality.  Matthew 27:58-66.

Lesson Three: …About Peace Between God & You, Romans 10:15 & Ephesians 6:15-19 

How often do parents and children find themselves arguing and even fighting between themselves? Sometimes, entire families are torn apart by bitter words and hateful actions. We have all been there to a lesser or greater degree. Why is it, we humans tend to hurt the ones we love the most?  This is a global phenomena between every person and God Himself. We have all found ourselves at odds with God our Father. Sometimes we even accuse Him, blaming Him for the evil in the world which ruins our happiness and hurts us beyond words. What can anybody do about this problem? The Good News is that Jesus is and has the answer to being angry, bitter or even an enemy of God.

 Here are the facts of life every human needs to know:

1. God is the Father of our human spirit. Hebrews 12:9.

2. Every responsible adult (human spirit) commits sin. Romans 3:10 & 23.

3. Sin’s deceitful nature creates a war between our body and spirit. Romans 7:20-24.

4. The war makes us enemies to our Father, as we fall in love with the world. James 4:4.

5. But God loves the world (enemies) and He proved it in the Passion of Jesus, John 3:16.

6. Jesus invites us to love Him in return by obeying God. John 14:15-17, Romans 5:8.

7. If we obey and are given the Spirit of Christ, our Peace with God begins. Eph. 6:15-19, Acts 2:38-39 & 5:32, 

        Ephesians 2:13-17.

Of course, there are many more details attached to these facts, which make up the entirety of the gospel.

Understanding the Shoes of Preparation, (Eph. 6:15), which make our feet perform PERFECT TIMING (which is beautiful), Romans 10:15. Don’t forget the illustration of team players coordinating a goal with their feet in soccer.  What better way to create peace/friendship with God, than to be on His side and helping the SCORE! The reception of the gospel into someone’s heart is the very first step forward in God’s strategy to save them and WIN their soul. Compare 1^st Peter 3:1 & Philippians 3:8.     

Lesson Four: …About The Lordship of Christ, Romans 15:19-29 & 2^nd Corinthians 9:13, 10:14, 2^nd Ths. 1:8. 

Many people mistakenly think that making Jesus Lord of their life, is a great sacrifice and takes away from our enjoyment of this world. But the opposite is actually true. The Lordship of Christ over our lifestyle is the greatest blessing we can incur in this world. It is good news to know that the God of Love rules and dictates our priorities and actions. Life in this world is hard for everyone in one way or another, the rain falls on the good and the evil, it’s not how the rain affects us that counts, but rather, what you do with it that really matters. When we do what Jesus would do with the rain of life, it’s a real blessing. It is good news to know what Jesus would have us do. If we can learn from this, we can truly know how GOOD it is to have Jesus Lord over our lifestyle. To call someone “Lord” doesn’t mean much today, as Festus called Agrippa “lord”, shows how the word is used flippantly in politics, Acts 25:26. But how is the words Lord used in your everyday speech?   Jesus is Lord over terrestrial forces, he proved this first in the making of wine from water, Jn. 2:1-12. And in instantly creating loaves & fishes for over 9,000 people in different occasions, Jn. 6:1-4, Mk.8:1-10, and also for instantly withering the fig tree, he proved his sovereign judgment in nature, Mt.21:18-22. And over celestial forces, proving this when he walked on water, Mk. 6:45-52, Jn.6:15-21. And over our climate, he proved it when he stilled the storm & sea, Mk. 4:35-41, Mt. 8:23-25.  And over animals, showing instant control in riding the young colt of a donkey, never trained nor ridden on before, during the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Lk 19:28-40. And of the sabbath, fulfilling the old law of Moses with it’s prophecies and making null & void all of it’s commandments against us on the cross, Lk 6:1-5, Col. 2:14.  And over the demons, proving this when demons cried out for mercy in His presence, and He showed them none, Luke 8:26-39, 11:24. Jesus is also Lord over the human body, the most complicated and amazing of His creations, He proves this in the many marvellous healings of human weaknesses and deformities in His miracles, Mat. 4:24 & Jn. 21:25.

            Is Jesus truly Lord over you?  Here are 4 people who recognized Him as their Lord, how did it change their life?  
Elizabeth expressed her faith in the Lordship of Jesus, when she greeted Mary as the mother of her Lord, Lk 1:43. Because of her faith, she raised John the Immersionist, giving the world a fulfilment to prophecy and one of the best examples of godly zeal. Mary of Magdalene wept for the body of her Lord, thinking it was stolen, Jn. 20:11-13. Because of her love for her Lord, she was strengthened by the Lord himself and given the privilege of  being the first witness of his resurrection.   Remember 2nd Tim. 4:8. Paul the Apostle knew that to call Jesus his Lord meant sacrifice, Php. 3:8.  Thomas the Apostle knew Jesus as The Lord and expressed his personal and public dedication to Him as offering his own life, Jn. 11:15-16, but The Lord Jesus was not truly his own Lord, until he saw Jesus resurrected, THEN, Thomas said, “My Lord, My God”, Jn. 20:28.  Secular history records Thomas as a lifelong faithful apostle and left this earth as a martyr for his Lord.  We may never physically see Jesus, but we do have the mind of Christ in His word, 1Cor. 2:16, and the Spirit of Christ in our heart, Rom. 8:9.  If you are looking when both His word and his promised Spirit is displayed, you can see His Lordship, Eph. 1:18.