Internet Church Service – March 1, 2015

This week’s sermon title: The Sword of the Spirit. The word of God Manifested in the life of Jesus.
The mystery behind the little boy with the fish. Part 3.
The Lord's Supper.

Today’s Sermon Message:
The Sword of the Spirit. The word of God Manifested in the life of Jesus.
The mystery behind the little boy with the fish. Part 3.
The Lord's Supper.

Video & Audio

Please join us as we fellowship in the Word of God, listen to
Christian Music, Pray in Christ’s Name and Praise the Lord
in our Hearts and Minds.

ALL ARE WELCOME!!

# # # # # # # #

from - Romans 8:38-39

Thank you for joining us for today’s worship service. Please enjoy the music before you watch and|or listen to today’s message.

TIP to enlarge the print hold down the “Ctrl” key on your key board, while it is being held down, move your mouse forward until the desired print size is just right for you. To return to normal screen size, reverse the process (some will see a % in the lower right corner of your screen, normal is 100%)

The lyrics have been provided so you can sing along with the artist in your mind and soul; imagine that the artist’s voice is your voice. I’m not a very good singer myself so I often get the lyrics for some of my favorites and sing along in my mind and soul, this way it’s as if I’m doing the singing to the Lord; try it.

Hymn #1

In The Garden – Lyrics in Video
(Google puts the video commercials on most YouTube Christian videos.
You can usually skip the commercial if there is one.)

Hymn #2

It Is Well – Lyrics in Video
(Google puts the video commercials on most YouTube Christian videos.
You can usually skip the commercial if there is one.)

Preparing yourself for the study of God’s Word

Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is— you have trusted in Him for eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to take-in God’s Word so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge your sins privately to God the Father.

1 John 1:9 says—“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” NKJV (New King James Version)

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is faith alone in Jesus Christ alone:

John 6:47 says: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life.” NKJV

Notice again what John 6:47 says, “he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life.” It doesn’t say, “will have”; it says, “has.” Therefore, the very moment you believe Jesus Christ’s promise of everlasting life, you have it (it’s really just that simple), and it can never be lost or taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-18 says: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God’s Word, if there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Lectionary

The word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It cuts all the way through, to where soul and spirit meet, to where joints and marrow come together. It judges the desires and thoughts of the heart. (Heb. 4:12) GNB-UK

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living, so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed. (2 Tim. 3:16-17) GNB-UK

Do your best to win full approval in God's sight, as a worker who is not ashamed of his work, one who correctly teaches the message of God's truth. (2 Tim. 2:15) GNB-UK

Study to show yourself approved to God!

Opening Prayer
(Do your best to make it your own – below is a sample prayer)

Heavenly Father, we pray that we will all be richly edified by Your Word today and that You will make what we study today clear to us. We pray that all participants in this service as well as those who review it at a later date will be edified and blessed by today’s message. We pray this in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen

Our guest Pastor-Teacher is:

Robert McLaughlin - Grace Bible Church
and Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries

Doctrinal Statement

This ministry is non-denominational and is dedicated to teaching the Word of God from the original languages and making it available at no charge throughout the world.

Today's Sermon

To participate in today’s “Lord’s Supper” service (just before the sermon), grab a little piece of bread (preferably unleavened— e.g., flat bread or pita bread) and some Welch’s grape juice or red wine (about a teaspoon full) eat and drink when instructed to do so in service. You may consider getting some unleavened bread wafers from your local Christian book store for future communion services.

The Sword of the Spirit. The word of God Manifested in the life of Jesus.
The mystery behind the little boy with the fish. Part 3.
The Lord's Supper.

TO VIEW THE SERMON: Right click the link above, a small window will open then left click either “Open in New Window” or “Open in New Tab” and the church service notes page will open, it has three options in the upper right side of the page, right click the link titled “download mp3” and just like before, select either Open New Window or Open New Tab to open the MP3 player, this will leave the notes page open so you can move back to it, so go back to the notes page to follow along in the notes, the streaming audio should begin automatically in your default audio/video player (like, Windows Media Player).

If you need to leave the service, when you come back, to move the MP3 player forward, press and hold the left click down on the player progress bar where you see the little arrow under the time on progress bar and move your mouse forward

OPTIONAL: On-line Bible – NASB95

If you wish to use it, right click the link and in the drop-down box, left click the "Open Link in New Window"; when the new window opens, reduce the window size of both the on-line bible and the slideshow and configure them to be side-by-side. Also, the window opens to John 3:16, click the word “more” below the verse, you will then see two online bible columns, Use the column on the left as it is set for the NASB95, at the top of the column where you see John 3:16 in the search box, type the book and verse the Pastor asks you to go to a particular Bible verse, e.g., 1tim 5:21, or eph 3:10, etc., then click “Enter” on your key board. You can use the “right column” if you wish for a different bible version but you’ll need to type in the verse you want each time as I directed you for the column on the left side.

Hymn #3

Jesus Lover of My Soul – Lyrics in Video
(Google puts the video commercials on most YouTube Christian videos.
You can usually skip the commercial if there is one.)

CLOSING PRAYER:
(Again, below is a sample prayer, do your best to make it your own)

Heavenly Father, we pray that the Holy Spirit will make what I’ve learned today clear to me, for I pray this in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’s name. Amen

If you have any questions that are pertinent about today’s message, please don’t hesitate to ask, you are welcome to ask them via a private message or by a reply in today’s post. However, sometimes questions can be real short but require a much longer answer in order to give an adequate answer. If I don’t think that the question is able to be answered quickly I’ll reply back telling you that I’ll research it and get to you with the answer (it may even be a few days as I’m a little slower than I used to be). Please don’t let what I’ve just said make you hesitate to ask questions.

I want to thank all of you who have attended this Sunday service as well as those who will view it at a later time or date.

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can instantly receive eternal life: Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.

Weekly Bible Study – February 23, 2015

The soul is a gift from God to glorify God
and it is more important than the body.

PLEASE READ FIRST

Scripture References, Word & Phrase descriptions: If available on the website you're viewing this on, a few links (i.e., those without an already written scripture quote or brief explanation) are hover pop-up active, meaning the scripture reference will just pop-up if you hover your cursor over it (don’t click on the link, just hover your cursor over it), they work best using the Firefox browser – pop-ups in Internet Explorer, Chrome & other browsers only appear for a few seconds at best. If you don’t have Firefox (or hover pop-ups aren’t available on the website you’re viewing this on), that’s OK, move your cursor off and on the link until it is read; or left click the link which will open the verse at the online bible; or you can always use your Bible to look up the verses.

Prepare yourself for learning the Word of God!

Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is; you have believed [trusted] in Him for His promised gift of eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to learn God's Word so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge (confess) your sins privately to God (i.e.; with your thoughts directed only to God the Father).

1 John 1:9 says: "If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (known sins) and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [unknown or forgotten sins]." NKJV (New King James Version) [italics added]

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is to have faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life:

John 6:47 says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." NKJV [italics added]

Notice again what Jesus said in John 6:47: "…he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." It doesn't say, "will have"; it says, "has." Therefore, the very moment you believe in Jesus Christ for His promise of everlasting life, you have it (it's really just that simple; nothing more and nothing less), and it can never be taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift (Ephesians 2:8c) of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-18 says: "¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. ¹⁸ He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God's Word. If there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Study to show yourself approved to God!

Grace Bible Church
Robert R. McLaughlin Bible Ministries

The Tree of Life is a weekly teaching summary:
God’s Word is Wednesday, Friday and Sunday mornings

STUDY TITLE:

The soul is a gift from God to glorify God
and it is more important than the body.



OPTION: If you would prefer to go directly to the Grace Bible Church website to read this study message, all verse reference links are active there (but not hover active) and Enlarged Text is also an available option – right click the above link then left click “Open Link in New Window” or “New Tab”

Terms & Abbreviations used:

PPOG = Predesigned Plan of God
Human Good = Evil + Good Deeds while not in fellowship with God
OSN = Old Sin Nature
TLJC = The Lord Jesus Christ
SSE = Spiritual Self Esteem
PVTD = Positive Volition Towards Doctrine
+H - The Happiness of God
NVTD = Negative Volition Towards Doctrine
Doctrine = Bible Truth

To look up other “terms”, go to:

Alphabetical Listing

BEGIN BIBLE STUDY
Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotes and references
are from the NASB – New American Standard Bible

The soul is a gift from God to glorify God
and it is more important than the body.

The real you, which is your soul and what you think, has privacy because every attribute of the soul, while real, is invisible. It is contained in the vessel that God will mould based on your volition. The soul is the gift that mankind has to choose positive or negative towards the living word for salvation and the written word after salvation. God manufactured a body for you through the agency of your parents, but God alone manufactured your soul and imputed it to your body at the moment of birth. Therefore the soul is of much more importance.

And do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (MAT 10:28)

God is the only one able to do that, but only based upon the volition of the individual, and in our passage in Rom 9 those individuals are the unbelieving Jews that Paul has great sorrow over. In ROM 9:22 they are referred to as vessels of wrath: What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? [as he did with Pharaoh]

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil; and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. (HEB 2:14-15)

“everyone therefore who shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.” (MAT 10:32)

This distribution of the escrow blessing of a formal announcement to the Father is mentioned in connection with the uniform of glory in REV 3:4-5.

Depending on this successful function of our ambassadorship we will differ in brightness or glory in eternity. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead (1CO 15:41-41). If the soul burns for Christ on the inside, there will be an outward shinning of Christ as a witness to the world, both by the tongue and the life.

If you burn within the soul with the filling of the Holy Spirit and PVTD you will shine in time and therefore shine in eternity in a uniform of glory (JOH 5:35).

“But whoever shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.” (MAT 10:33)

This verse doesn’t mean that the believer can lose his salvation. It means that the escrow blessing of being announced to the Father in REV 3:5 will be lost.

“Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. [throw out all those Christmas cards that say peace on earth.] For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's enemies will be the members of his household.” (MAT 10:34-36)

Some will value the flesh (the vessel) and some will value the soul in the only way it can be valued - positive volition to the living word. These will war with one another.

“He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me [they put flesh above God, the creature before the Creator. The flesh profits nothing]. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” (MAT 10:37-38)

Picking up your cross is a free-will submission to the purpose of the soul that God gave you; to bring glory to Him through submitting to His will and commands.

“He who has found his life [meaning to independently discover a life for yourself; emphasize “his life”] shall lose it [lose the real life, the zoe life, that God designed for you], and he who has lost his life [forsakes his own will and plans] for My sake [motivated to do this so that he may glorify God] shall find it.” (MAT 10:39)

There’s a big emphasis in the New Testament on a potential life that is the environment of the new creature. It is Christ’s life and what your “real” life is (COL 3:3; EPH 4:18). You won’t find life if you pursue your own independent will. The vessel is nothing; positive volition in the soul is everything. When that positive volition is there, God will mold the pot into an honorable vessel of mercy. Therefore you have perfect privacy to think what you want to think, to decide what you want to decide, and in the normal soul through self-consciousness to relate yourself to life as well as even to emotion.

All of these wonderful gifts have been imputed and encased in your body or vessel that can be a recipient of tremendous mercy or hardness of heart resulting in scar tissue of the soul. Furthermore, God created everything in His matchless grace and provided everything necessary for man’s free will to be positive toward God, both at God-consciousness and gospel hearing. So that while man has the opportunity of being negative as he so desires he also has the opportunity to be positive. There never was a person in the human race who did not have that opportunity. The body takes on the genetics of the father and mother, and therefore is flawed. The OSN takes on the genetics of the father only, and naturally it is flawed as well. But they are a part of the body and not the soul. The soul, man’s precious gift, came from God who created and He sovereignly imputed that soul to your vessel in time.

What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. (ROM 9:22-24)

Yet, through negative volition the soul can accumulate scare tissue, but not over night. Scar tissue develops over time. Pharaoh did not instantly develop scar tissue of the soul. God showed his forbearance, enduring with much patience his vessel of wrath that was destined for destruction. Scar tissue is not an instant development; it is like maturity which develops over a period of time. Pharaoh’s hardness of heart originated from a long series of free will decisions, all negative, including God-consciousness, gospel hearing, and the challenge of Moses to release the Jews from slavery. God could have instantly destroyed Pharaoh and had the Jews out of Egypt instantly. But God had another plan. And again, in Paul’s argument, who is anyone to question God on that plan.

God could have squashed Pharaoh after the first miracle, but there were others to consider. And by allowing Pharaoh to harden his own heart over 10 miracles demonstrated God’s power and made His power known. There were some in Egypt who needed to witness all the miracles and believe. There were others in the surrounding lands who would hear and believe. This was God’s sovereign desire so that many would believe and become vessels of mercy. Scar tissue is consistent and extremely tough. Only intensive discipline can soften it.

God kept Saul of Tarsus alive so that he could eventually say yes. We often don’t ask why God waited for Saul of Tarsus to become the worst sinner alive (as an ultra-religious murderer) before He knocked him off his high horse. Why wait till after so many had died or suffered in prisons? The answer is because God wanted to demonstrate His mercy. Here again we see the Sovereignty of God in acting in patience.

And yet for this reason I found mercy, in order that in me as the foremost [sinner], Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience, as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1TI 1:16-17)

The Greater the opposition, the greater manifestation of divine power resulting in greater evangelism of the world. We see many examples of God’s sovereign choice to be patient and the bountiful fruit that His patience produces. Adam and the woman were kept alive to receive salvation. God was patient with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God was patient with Moses. God was patient with the Jews who constructed the golden calf. Example after example where the patience of God produces fruit to His glory, whether the person is a believer or unbeliever.

Man cannot blame the mistakes and errors of his own decisions on perfect and incorruptible God. If God chooses and rejects; pardons and punishes whom He pleases, He does so on the basis of His perfect integrity which includes His righteousness and His justice. It is not arbitrary. Arbitrary and prejudiced mankind assumes that God is prejudiced and arbitrary. But mankind cannot superimpose his own weaknesses on God. Freedom; man’s free-will produces inequality. We all begin equal at the moment of salvation, but that is where equality ends. Man’s objection to the inequalities of time as well as eternity is really an objection to the possession of freedom and the right of self-determination which produces these inequalities. This is why man, in his evil, opts for communism or socialism in which freedom is taken away. Those who support such things are afraid of freedom, afraid of taking responsibility for their own decisions, and afraid of the successes and failures that come with truly free self-determination.

In eternity past there was a printout of election and predestination according to God’s foreknowledge of each believer’s free-will decisions. If you are a believer you have election and pre-destination from God. That’s at salvation. What you do with that election and pre-destination is the sum total of your decisions in time. Those free-will decisions are all seen by the foreknowledge of God. When man objects to the printout of all his free-will decisions in light of election and predestination he fails to realize that his own volition determines his exclusion from the blessings of God. Therefore, man’s irresponsibility and depravity is never more dramatically portrayed than when he seeks to blame God for his own thoughts, his own decisions, and his own actions.

God is not obligated to save the unbeliever. God is not obligated to bless the reversionistic believer, that is a matter of momentum under the plan of grace. God is not obligated to impute blessing to the reversionistic believer in time, nor to impute rewards to him at the judgment seat of Christ. However, God’s obligation is to Himself. God’s obligation is to His policy, grace. God does not make an exception for the nicest person who ever live, the sweetest personality, the most sincere, the kindest, etc. God honors Christ the living word and after salvation He honors Bible doctrine the written word. This is the issue and God is obligated to that. Man is always trying to bend God to his own thinking and then saying, “This is God’s will.” The quotation from Isaiah 29:16, which Isaiah applied to the nation, Paul applies to then individual Jew.

Then the Lord said, “Because this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote, Therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; And the wisdom of their wise men will perish, And the discernment of their discerning men will be concealed.” Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the Lord, And whose deeds are done in a dark place, And they say, “Who sees us?” or “Who knows us?” You turn things around! Shall the potter be considered as equal with the clay, That what is made would say to its maker, “He did not make me”; Or what is formed say to him who formed it, “He has no understanding”? (ISA 29:130-16)

In the context of Rom 9 Paul has combined the doctrine of God’s perfect integrity with the reality of man’s arrogance and his ignorance to establish the true issue of God’s omniscience in knowing who would be positive and who would be negative.

Paul isn’t talking to the elect who believed and have momentum in His plan to attain spiritual maturity, but in context he is speaking to the condemned Jew who has rejected Christ as Savior, who has refused the Shekinah glory and is now grasping at straws in an attempt to justify his error. To blaspheme and malign the perfect wisdom and justice of God is the irrational act of a desperate person. Irrational because of after having made hundreds of free will decisions, culminating in judgment, God is blamed and maligned for thus shifting the responsibility from their erroneous decisions and blaming it on the sovereignty of God.

Paul uses a debater’s technique to refute this blasphemy and to shift the responsibility right back to human free will where negative volition has manufactured its own hardness of heart. Paul says that if God wants to make a pot of honor and a pot of dishonor from the same lump of clay, does He have the right to do so? The answer is yes. God has the authority but that isn’t the issue. The issue is, does the individual pot recognize divine authority? Does the individual pot make decisions compatible with divine authority? That is the issue.

What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. (ROM 9:22-24)

God has done everything He can to save mankind, but free-will is the issue, therefore the reality is; Vs 22 - vessels of wrath are unbelievers and in vs. 23 - vessels of mercy are believers.

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life:
Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.

Internet Church Service – February 22, 2015

This week’s sermon title: The Sword of the Spirit. The word of God Manifested in the life of Jesus.
The mystery behind the little boy with the fish. Part 2.

Today’s Sermon Message:
The Sword of the Spirit. The word of God Manifested in the life of Jesus.
The mystery behind the little boy with the fish. Part 2.
Video & Audio

Please join us as we fellowship in the Word of God, listen to
Christian Music, Pray in Christ’s Name and Praise the Lord
in our Hearts and Minds.

ALL ARE WELCOME!!

# # # # # # # #

from - Romans 8:38-39

Thank you for joining us for today’s worship service. Please enjoy the music before you watch and|or listen to today’s message.

TIP to enlarge the print hold down the “Ctrl” key on your key board, while it is being held down, move your mouse forward until the desired print size is just right for you. To return to normal screen size, reverse the process (some will see a % in the lower right corner of your screen, normal is 100%)

The lyrics have been provided so you can sing along with the artist in your mind and soul; imagine that the artist’s voice is your voice. I’m not a very good singer myself so I often get the lyrics for some of my favorites and sing along in my mind and soul, this way it’s as if I’m doing the singing to the Lord; try it.

Hymn #1

Amazing Grace – Lyrics in Video
(Google puts the video commercials on most YouTube Christian videos.
You can usually skip the commercial if there is one.)

Hymn #2

In Christ Alone – Lyrics in Video
(Google puts the video commercials on most YouTube Christian videos.
You can usually skip the commercial if there is one.)

Preparing yourself for the study of God’s Word

Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is— you have trusted in Him for eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to take-in God’s Word so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge your sins privately to God the Father.

1 John 1:9 says—“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” NKJV (New King James Version)

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is faith alone in Jesus Christ alone:

John 6:47 says: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life.” NKJV

Notice again what John 6:47 says, “he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life.” It doesn’t say, “will have”; it says, “has.” Therefore, the very moment you believe Jesus Christ’s promise of everlasting life, you have it (it’s really just that simple), and it can never be lost or taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-18 says: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God’s Word, if there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Lectionary

The word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It cuts all the way through, to where soul and spirit meet, to where joints and marrow come together. It judges the desires and thoughts of the heart. (Heb. 4:12) GNB-UK

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living, so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed. (2 Tim. 3:16-17) GNB-UK

Do your best to win full approval in God's sight, as a worker who is not ashamed of his work, one who correctly teaches the message of God's truth. (2 Tim. 2:15) GNB-UK

Study to show yourself approved to God!

Opening Prayer
(Do your best to make it your own – below is a sample prayer)

Heavenly Father, we pray that we will all be richly edified by Your Word today and that You will make what we study today clear to us. We pray that all participants in this service as well as those who review it at a later date will be edified and blessed by today’s message. We pray this in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen

Our guest Pastor-Teacher is:

Robert McLaughlin - Grace Bible Church
and Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries

Doctrinal Statement

This ministry is non-denominational and is dedicated to teaching the Word of God from the original languages and making it available at no charge throughout the world.

Today's Sermon

The Sword of the Spirit. The word of God Manifested in the life of Jesus.
The mystery behind the little boy with the fish. Part 2.

(Due to technical difficulties, there are no notes accompanying this sermon)

TO VIEW THE SERMON: Right click the link above, a small window will open then left click either “Open in New Window” or “Open in New Tab” and the church service notes page will open, it has three options in the upper right side of the page, right click the link titled “download mp3” and just like before, select either Open New Window or Open New Tab to open the MP3 player, this will leave the notes page open so you can move back to it, so go back to the notes page to follow along in the notes, the streaming audio should begin automatically in your default audio/video player (like, Windows Media Player).

If you need to leave the service, when you come back, to move the MP3 player forward, press and hold the left click down on the player progress bar where you see the little arrow under the time on progress bar and move your mouse forward

OPTIONAL: On-line Bible – NASB95

If you wish to use it, right click the link and in the drop-down box, left click the "Open Link in New Window"; when the new window opens, reduce the window size of both the on-line bible and the slideshow and configure them to be side-by-side. Also, the window opens to John 3:16, click the word “more” below the verse, you will then see two online bible columns, Use the column on the left as it is set for the NASB95, at the top of the column where you see John 3:16 in the search box, type the book and verse the Pastor asks you to go to a particular Bible verse, e.g., 1tim 5:21, or eph 3:10, etc., then click “Enter” on your key board. You can use the “right column” if you wish for a different bible version but you’ll need to type in the verse you want each time as I directed you for the column on the left side.

Hymn #3

In His Time – Lyrics in Video
(Google puts the video commercials on most YouTube Christian videos.
You can usually skip the commercial if there is one.)

CLOSING PRAYER:
(Again, below is a sample prayer, do your best to make it your own)

Heavenly Father, we pray that the Holy Spirit will make what I’ve learned today clear to me, for I pray this in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’s name. Amen

If you have any questions that are pertinent about today’s message, please don’t hesitate to ask, you are welcome to ask them via a private message or by a reply in today’s post. However, sometimes questions can be real short but require a much longer answer in order to give an adequate answer. If I don’t think that the question is able to be answered quickly I’ll reply back telling you that I’ll research it and get to you with the answer (it may even be a few days as I’m a little slower than I used to be). Please don’t let what I’ve just said make you hesitate to ask questions.

I want to thank all of you who have attended this Sunday service as well as those who will view it at a later time or date.

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can instantly receive eternal life: Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.

Weekly Bible Study – February 16, 2015

Heaven. Part 5

PLEASE READ FIRST

Scripture References, Word & Phrase descriptions: If available on the website you're viewing this on, a few links (i.e., those without an already written scripture quote or brief explanation) are hover pop-up active, meaning the scripture reference will just pop-up if you hover your cursor over it (don’t click on the link, just hover your cursor over it), they work best using the Firefox browser – pop-ups in Internet Explorer, Chrome & other browsers only appear for a few seconds at best. If you don’t have Firefox (or hover pop-ups aren’t available on the website you’re viewing this on), that’s OK, move your cursor off and on the link until it is read; or left click the link which will open the verse at the online bible; or you can always use your Bible to look up the verses.

Prepare yourself for learning the Word of God!

Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is; you have believed [trusted] in Him for His promised gift of eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to learn God's Word so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge (confess) your sins privately to God (i.e.; with your thoughts directed only to God the Father).

1 John 1:9 says: "If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (known sins) and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [unknown or forgotten sins]." NKJV (New King James Version) [italics added]

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is to have faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life:

John 6:47 says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." NKJV [italics added]

Notice again what Jesus said in John 6:47: "…he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." It doesn't say, "will have"; it says, "has." Therefore, the very moment you believe in Jesus Christ for His promise of everlasting life, you have it (it's really just that simple; nothing more and nothing less), and it can never be taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift (Ephesians 2:8c) of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-18 says: "¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. ¹⁸ He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God's Word. If there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Study to show yourself approved to God!

Grace Bible Church
Robert R. McLaughlin Bible Ministries

The Tree of Life is a weekly teaching summary:
God’s Word is Wednesday, Friday and Sunday mornings

STUDY TITLE:

Heaven. Part 5.



OPTION: If you would prefer to go directly to the Grace Bible Church website to read this study message, all verse reference links are active there (but not hover active) and Enlarged Text is also an available option – right click the above link then left click “Open Link in New Window” or “New Tab”

Terms & Abbreviations used:

PPOG = Predesigned Plan of God
Human Good = Evil + Good Deeds while not in fellowship with God
OSN = Old Sin Nature
TLJC = The Lord Jesus Christ
SSE = Spiritual Self Esteem
PVTD = Positive Volition Towards Doctrine
+H - The Happiness of God
NVTD = Negative Volition Towards Doctrine
Doctrine = Bible Truth

To look up other “terms”, go to:

Alphabetical Listing

BEGIN BIBLE STUDY
Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotes and references
are from the NASB – New American Standard Bible

Heaven. Part 5.

We have been noting some of the privileges that will take place in Heaven especially for the winner believer. One of the major ones, as we have noted, is the Tree of Life.

REV 2:7, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.”

REV 22:2, “And on either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”

REV 22:14, “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.”

Remember there were four categories of trees in the Garden of Eden.

1. Every tree being desirable to the sight is the first category which is designed for the prosperity of the soul.

2. The category called “good for food”.

3. The Tree of Life.

4. Tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Because the man and the woman ate of the tree of the knowledge of good evil, there are now two trees of life that he can eat from. As an unbeliever, he first of all needs to eat of the first tree of life which is called the Cross.

1PE 2:24, and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree [KJ], that we might die to the sin nature and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

GAL 3:13, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”

The tree being called a curse actually came from DEU 21:22-23, “And if a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance.

Whenever an individual looks and believes upon the tree of the cross, that’s how he becomes a born again believer. Then he is ready to eat from the second tree of life in time called wisdom or the tree of life which pertains to Bible doctrine, PRO 3:18
. Because God, in His grace, has provided for us our own Garden of Eden, which I call the PPOG, we can eat of the tree of life which is the perfect spiritual environment in this life which I call the PPOG. In this life, we can only be happy in the perfect environment of the PPOG. After the fall, the purpose for the creation of man could only be perpetuated by God cutting man off from the Tree of Life in the garden of Eden and providing a new Tree of Life: the Cross, 1PE 2:24, and then Bible doctrine, PRO 3:18
.

We have documented in detail the fact that God did not want man to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good evil because He did not want us to be a position where we had to choose the plan of God over the plan of Satan. Because in the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, good represented the plan of God, while evil represented the plan of Satan. God, in His perfect will, did not want us to be in a position where we had to choose one or the other. He would have rather seen His creation remain perfect and never have to choose to make a choice between good or evil. But of course, He knew what was going to happen and therefore He provided a solution. As He always does.

We did not need to know the plan of God and the plan of Satan until we fell. For example, we would not have to know evil, sin, legalism, self-righteousness, religion, and the PPOG, if we had not fell or eaten from the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil. These are only an issue to man in the state of spiritual death as a sinner. In the garden, neither good nor evil were an issue because of the first three categories of trees.

One which was good for soul stimulation. One for physical stimulation, and for our spiritual stimulation.

1TH 5:23, Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In a state of innocence or in a state of perfection, man didn’t have to understand good and evil to have a relationship with God. Only in sinfulness and spiritual death must man understand the issue of good versus evil. Therefore the Tree of Life for the believer today is Bible Doctrine or PVTD. Now, how do you discover the Tree of Life in time?

PRO 3:13-16, How blessed is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding. For its profit [wisdom or metabolized doctrine] is better than the profit of silver, and its gain than fine gold. She [wisdom] is more precious than jewels; and nothing you desire compares with her [wisdom or metabolized doctrine]. Length of days is in her right hand [the right hand represents the hand of power]; in her left hand [the Secondary hand] are riches and honor.

This simply means that capacity for life must precede riches and honor.

PRO 3:17 Her ways are gracious ways, and all her paths are peace.

Then our main verse: PRO 3:18, She [chokmah, wisdom, metabolized doctrine] is a Tree of Life to those who take hold of her.

However, man was cut off from the tree of life because of his positive volition to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Tree of Life was provided by God’s grace to be associated with man’s positive volition, which was to be expressed in his free will toward the PPOG. And so your PVTD is a manifestation of you eating from the Tree of Life in time. However, once the kingdom of darkness sees that you are positive, it’s time for you to get ready for the distractions to positive volition. And there are many distractions to Bible Doctrine which we began to note Friday evening with the difference between distractions from doctrine and distractions to positive volition. You can have PVTD and have certain distractions hinder that positive volition.

We noted that thorns are used to describe distractions to positive volition toward Bible Doctrine. In MAT 13:7 “and others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. Then in MAT 13:22 “and the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. You can have PVTD and have it hindered by the worries of this life, or the deception caused by riches.

There is another problem which many believers face which can also extinguish or suffocate PVTD and that is arrogant subjectivity. Arrogant subjectivity is an overemphasis of your personal problems when listening to Bible Doctrine being taught. If your problems are on your mind while listening to doctrine being taught, you won’t hear anything; you’ll just be trying to make the doctrine fit into your problems. And that’s why you must have self discipline to set your problems aside before listening to the teaching of the word of God. Every message is not going to be for your present personal problems. In fact, more than likely it will be for your future problems.

That’s why when Peter said in 2PE 3:17 you therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard lest, being carried away by the error of unprincipled men, you fall from your own steadfastness. Knowing this beforehand is the Greek word proginisko which means to have knowledge beforehand or before the moment needed the knowledge is given.

Now, Bible Doctrine is the essential of life, which demands perception and inflexibility in determining the reality in life.

What Bible Doctrine says should be the reality to you, 2PE 1:16-21.

Peter, James and John had the opportunity to get a glimpse experientially of our Lord’s glory and the Second coming.

MAT 17:2, And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.

That’s His uniform of glory.

2PE 1:16 for we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

There were a lot of Myths and stories about “gods” coming down to the earth. And Peter is saying we have not followed the Greek Myths or fables but Bible doctrine. So Peter is talking about the Second Advent or the Second coming of Christ.

And it’s not based on Myth but on the source of many passages in both the Old and New Testament.

This doctrine is not a reality today on the basis of empirical knowledge but on the basis of the fact that it stands written forever in the word of GOD. And the principle that Peter is about to raise is simply this. What is reality, especially to you?

Is reality what you see?
Is reality what you smell?
Is reality what you taste?
Is reality what you hear?

Or, is reality what is found in the word of God?

You may experience something, however, if what you experience does not line up biblically, your experience though real, is wrong. This is one of the major issues that all believers have to determine at some point. If you decide that reality is found in the word of God then it is inevitable that you must make Bible doctrine your number 1 priority. For whatever reality is to you that’s what you make your number 1 priority in your life. If your reality is a man or woman, then you make them your number 1 priority. Therefore, your chances for happiness are slim and dim and none. But, if you find reality in Bible doctrine then you will turn out to be a great lover and a very wonderful and thoughtful person. And you will end up having a very marvelous and wonderful time in life. It all depends on what reality is to you! If reality is Bible doctrine than you’re in for a very wonderful time. Reality is found in the doctrine of the word of God not in empiricism or experience. Empirical phenomena is what you see, feel, taste, touch, and hear.
So, Peter, even though he has experienced a glimpse of the Second coming will emphasize “doctrine over experience”. He will say in verse 19 “and so we have the prophetic word made more sure.” The prophetic word made more sure is Bible doctrine. What was more real to Peter? Seeing Christ on the mount of transfiguration as He would appear at the Second advent and hearing the voice of God the Father or Bible doctrine metabolized about the subject?

MAT 17:1-8, And six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and *brought them up to a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him!” And when the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were much afraid. And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one, except Jesus Himself alone.

Was this more of a reality to Peter or was the word of God more of a reality. Peter will answer that! He will state that metabolized doctrine is more real than experience.

2PE 1:17-18, for when He [TLJC] received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to him by the majestic glory, “this is My beloved son with whom I am well pleased” and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the Holy mountain.

Now that was their experience. “We” refers again to Peter, James, and John.

However, notice 2PE 1:19-21, and so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

So, reality can only be determined by what is taught in the word of God. Personal problems are non essentials, which demand the application of doctrine, and at the same time flexibility, regulation, and restraint when involved in the function of perception and metabolization of doctrine. You must restrain yourself, and not think about your problems when listening to the teaching of Bible Doctrine. You are insulting God when all you think is you and your problems and what you’re going through.

MAT 6:25-33, “For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his life’s span? And why are you anxious about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these. But if God so arrays the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more do so for you, O men of little faith? Do not be anxious then, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘With what shall we clothe ourselves?’ For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.”

You cannot learn doctrine when you’re thinking about your problems. If you think your problems are more important than anything else in life, you are inflexible about your personal problems, therefore disassociated from reality. Personal problems must not be a distraction to objectivity when under Bible teaching. You can’t think about your problems and hear concentrate on doctrine at the same time. Everyone has problems. Look at how Peter put it in 1PE 5:6-8, Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life:
Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.

Internet Church Service – February 15, 2015

This week’s sermon title: The Sword of the Spirit. The word of God Manifested in the life of Jesus.
The mystery behind the little boy with the fish. Part 1.

Today’s Sermon Message:
The Sword of the Spirit. The word of God Manifested in the life of Jesus.
The mystery behind the little boy with the fish. Part 1.
Video & Audio

Please join us as we fellowship in the Word of God, listen to
Christian Music, Pray in Christ’s Name and Praise the Lord
in our Hearts and Minds.

ALL ARE WELCOME!!

# # # # # # # #

from - Romans 8:38-39

Thank you for joining us for today’s worship service. Please enjoy the music before you watch and|or listen to today’s message.

TIP to enlarge the print hold down the “Ctrl” key on your key board, while it is being held down, move your mouse forward until the desired print size is just right for you. To return to normal screen size, reverse the process (some will see a % in the lower right corner of your screen, normal is 100%)

The lyrics have been provided so you can sing along with the artist in your mind and soul; imagine that the artist’s voice is your voice. I’m not a very good singer myself so I often get the lyrics for some of my favorites and sing along in my mind and soul, this way it’s as if I’m doing the singing to the Lord; try it.

Hymn #1

I Am A New Creation – Lyrics in Video
(Google puts the video commercials on most YouTube Christian videos.
You can usually skip the commercial if there is one.)

Hymn #2

I Can Only Imagine – Lyrics in Video
(Google puts the video commercials on most YouTube Christian videos.
You can usually skip the commercial if there is one.)

Preparing yourself for the study of God’s Word

Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is— you have trusted in Him for eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to take-in God’s Word so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge your sins privately to God the Father.

1 John 1:9 says—“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” NKJV (New King James Version)

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is faith alone in Jesus Christ alone:

John 6:47 says: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life.” NKJV

Notice again what John 6:47 says, “he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life.” It doesn’t say, “will have”; it says, “has.” Therefore, the very moment you believe Jesus Christ’s promise of everlasting life, you have it (it’s really just that simple), and it can never be lost or taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-18 says: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God’s Word, if there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Lectionary

The word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It cuts all the way through, to where soul and spirit meet, to where joints and marrow come together. It judges the desires and thoughts of the heart. (Heb. 4:12) GNB-UK

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living, so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed. (2 Tim. 3:16-17) GNB-UK

Do your best to win full approval in God's sight, as a worker who is not ashamed of his work, one who correctly teaches the message of God's truth. (2 Tim. 2:15) GNB-UK

Study to show yourself approved to God!

Opening Prayer
(Do your best to make it your own – below is a sample prayer)

Heavenly Father, we pray that we will all be richly edified by Your Word today and that You will make what we study today clear to us. We pray that all participants in this service as well as those who review it at a later date will be edified and blessed by today’s message. We pray this in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen

Our guest Pastor-Teacher is:

Robert McLaughlin - Grace Bible Church
and Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries

Doctrinal Statement

This ministry is non-denominational and is dedicated to teaching the Word of God from the original languages and making it available at no charge throughout the world.

Today's Sermon

The Sword of the Spirit. The word of God Manifested in the life of Jesus.
The mystery behind the little boy with the fish. Part 1.

(Due to technical difficulties, there are no notes accompanying this sermon)

TO VIEW THE SERMON: Right click the link above, a small window will open then left click either “Open in New Window” or “Open in New Tab” and the church service notes page will open, it has three options in the upper right side of the page, right click the link titled “download mp3” and just like before, select either Open New Window or Open New Tab to open the MP3 player, this will leave the notes page open so you can move back to it, so go back to the notes page to follow along in the notes, the streaming audio should begin automatically in your default audio/video player (like, Windows Media Player).

If you need to leave the service, when you come back, to move the MP3 player forward, press and hold the left click down on the player progress bar where you see the little arrow under the time on progress bar and move your mouse forward

OPTIONAL: On-line Bible – NASB95

If you wish to use it, right click the link and in the drop-down box, left click the "Open Link in New Window"; when the new window opens, reduce the window size of both the on-line bible and the slideshow and configure them to be side-by-side. Also, the window opens to John 3:16, click the word “more” below the verse, you will then see two online bible columns, Use the column on the left as it is set for the NASB95, at the top of the column where you see John 3:16 in the search box, type the book and verse the Pastor asks you to go to a particular Bible verse, e.g., 1tim 5:21, or eph 3:10, etc., then click “Enter” on your key board. You can use the “right column” if you wish for a different bible version but you’ll need to type in the verse you want each time as I directed you for the column on the left side.

Hymn #3

There Is None Like You – Lyrics in Video
(Google puts the video commercials on most YouTube Christian videos.
You can usually skip the commercial if there is one.)

CLOSING PRAYER:
(Again, below is a sample prayer, do your best to make it your own)

Heavenly Father, we pray that the Holy Spirit will make what I’ve learned today clear to me, for I pray this in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’s name. Amen

If you have any questions that are pertinent about today’s message, please don’t hesitate to ask, you are welcome to ask them via a private message or by a reply in today’s post. However, sometimes questions can be real short but require a much longer answer in order to give an adequate answer. If I don’t think that the question is able to be answered quickly I’ll reply back telling you that I’ll research it and get to you with the answer (it may even be a few days as I’m a little slower than I used to be). Please don’t let what I’ve just said make you hesitate to ask questions.

I want to thank all of you who have attended this Sunday service as well as those who will view it at a later time or date.

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can instantly receive eternal life: Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.

Weekly Bible Study – February 9, 2015

Heaven. Part 4

PLEASE READ FIRST

Scripture References, Word & Phrase descriptions: If available on the website you're viewing this on, a few links (i.e., those without an already written scripture quote or brief explanation) are hover pop-up active, meaning the scripture reference will just pop-up if you hover your cursor over it (don’t click on the link, just hover your cursor over it), they work best using the Firefox browser – pop-ups in Internet Explorer, Chrome & other browsers only appear for a few seconds at best. If you don’t have Firefox (or hover pop-ups aren’t available on the website you’re viewing this on), that’s OK, move your cursor off and on the link until it is read; or left click the link which will open the verse at the online bible; or you can always use your Bible to look up the verses.

Prepare yourself for learning the Word of God!

Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is; you have believed [trusted] in Him for His promised gift of eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to learn God's Word so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge (confess) your sins privately to God (i.e.; with your thoughts directed only to God the Father).

1 John 1:9 says: "If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (known sins) and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [unknown or forgotten sins]." NKJV (New King James Version) [italics added]

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is to have faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life:

John 6:47 says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." NKJV [italics added]

Notice again what Jesus said in John 6:47: "…he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." It doesn't say, "will have"; it says, "has." Therefore, the very moment you believe in Jesus Christ for His promise of everlasting life, you have it (it's really just that simple; nothing more and nothing less), and it can never be taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift (Ephesians 2:8c) of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-18 says: "¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. ¹⁸ He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God's Word. If there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Study to show yourself approved to God!

Grace Bible Church
Robert R. McLaughlin Bible Ministries

The Tree of Life is a weekly teaching summary:
God’s Word is Wednesday, Friday and Sunday mornings

STUDY TITLE:

Heaven. Part 4.



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Terms & Abbreviations used:

PPOG = Predesigned Plan of God
Human Good = Evil + Good Deeds while not in fellowship with God
OSN = Old Sin Nature
TLJC = The Lord Jesus Christ
SSE = Spiritual Self Esteem
PVTD = Positive Volition Towards Doctrine
+H - The Happiness of God
NVTD = Negative Volition Towards Doctrine
Doctrine = Bible Truth

To look up other “terms”, go to:

Alphabetical Listing

BEGIN BIBLE STUDY
Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotes and references
are from the NASB – New American Standard Bible

Heaven. Part 4.

ISA 7:14, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.”

ISA 9:6, “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”

The ultimate reward or decoration for us in Heaven will be the Order of the Morning Star. This decoration is taken from and named after our Lord’s third royal patent or title which is, “the King of kings, Lord of lords, the bright Morning Star;” (Rev 22:16, 2PE 1:19).

It’s important to note that the Order of the Morning Star is given to winner believers as the highest of all decorations in escrow blessings given by God. The interesting thing is that the Order of the Morning Star and the attainment of the different crowns allow us to enjoy the privileges that accompany eating of the Tree of Life. The winner believer can eat from the Tree of Life in the Paradise of God, located in the New Jerusalem. By the way the paradise, paradeisos according to the Theological word study of both the Old and New Testament is defined as a gazebo or a place of relaxation and entertainment.

So, because this gazebo is located in Heaven it will be the quintessence of rest and relaxation for the winner believer who will be rewarded by God in a special way. Therefore, let’s look at the passages and the principles of blessings that come from being able to eat of the fantastic blessings that accompany the Tree of Life. First of all, the Tree of Life is associated with perfect life and environment in the Garden of Eden as well as the perpetuation of a right relationship with God, GEN 2:9; GEN 3:22. For example in GEN 2:8-9, and the Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there he placed the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the Tree of Life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

When man sinned and was driven out of the garden and he was cut off from the Tree of Life, GEN 3:24.

In GEN 3:22-24, Then the Lord God said, “behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, lest he stretch out his hand, and take also from the Tree of Life, and eat, and live forever” Therefore the Lord God sent him out from the Garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. So he drove the man out; and at the east of the Garden of Eden he stationed the cherubim, and the flaming sword which turned every direction, to guard the way to the Tree of Life.

The literal Tree of Life is not seen again by man until the eternal state, REV 2:7; REV 22:2, 14. It’s interesting that the importance and prominence of the Tree of Life is that the human history began with the Tree of life in Gen 2 and ends with the Tree of life in Rev 22.

REV 2:7, ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches. to him who overcomes [nikao - the winner], I will grant to eat of the Tree of Life, which is in the paradise of God.
Again the word paradise, paradesos, according to the Theological word study of both the Old and New Testament is defined as a gazebo of relaxation and entertainment. Then in REV 22:14, blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the Tree of Life, and may enter by the gates into the city.

Now the interesting thing is that in this life there is only one Tree of Life for mankind and it is related to the word of God or Bible doctrine, PRO 3:18, She [doctrine] is a Tree of Life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who hold her fast. And positive volition is also related to the Tree of Life in PRO 13:12, Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled [positive volition] is a Tree of Life.

This is why the Tree of Life will be located forever in the New Jerusalem, Rev 22:2. It will be a place where the word of God is glorified and where desire is totally fulfilled. Also notice that eternal happiness is associated with the Tree of Life, in REV 22:14 when it says not blessed but happy are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the Tree of Life, and may enter by the gates into the city.

Now, in GEN 2:9, we noted that there are four categories of trees in the Garden of Eden.

First of all, in GEN 2:9 we read and out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the Tree of Life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The first category is said to be every tree being desirable to the sight is the first category which is designed for the prosperity of the soul. All happiness must be related to the soul, to what you think. Happiness is not a set of circumstances. If you have capacity from doctrine in the soul, then you can express that happiness regardless of your circumstances. So category one was designed for man’s pleasure of soul and for his capacity for happiness.

The second category of trees was the category called “good for food”. Man also had physical happiness or happiness of his body. Food and beverages were designed to express happiness, to stimulate, to perpetuate health. In fact, notice what God said to the Jews who had prospered because of their PVTD in DEU 14:22-27, “You shall surely tithe all the produce from what you sow, which comes out of the field every year. And you shall eat in the presence of the Lord your God, at the place where He chooses to establish His name, the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the first born of your herd and your flock, in order that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always. And if the distance is so great for you that you are not able to bring the tithe, since the place where the Lord your God chooses to set His name is too far away from you when the Lord your God blesses you, then you shall exchange it for money, and bind the money in your hand and go to the place which the Lord your God chooses. And you may spend the money for whatever your heart desires, for oxen, or sheep, or wine, or strong drink, or whatever your heart desires; and there you shall eat in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household. Also you shall not neglect the Levite who is in your town, for he has no portion or inheritance among you.”

3JO 1:2, Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.

The third category: The Tree of Life. The Tree of Life was both the capacity for perfect happiness and blessing, and total appreciation of God’s grace in the spiritual realm. The Tree of Life was and is related to the total happiness of man when he was first created. Today, the closest you can come to the Tree of Life is reaching spiritual maturity. People have asked what would have happened if man had eaten from the Tree of Life after he had sinned against God? If man, in spiritual death, had eaten from the Tree of Life, he would have lived forever in his present state of sinful immortality, in the status of spiritual death, and would eventually be condemned with the entire human race totally to the lake of fire. You cannot have an old sin nature and eat of this particular Tree of Life. That’s why the Lord said in GEN 3:22, “behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, lest he stretch out his hand, and take also from the Tree of Life, and eat, and live forever”

The point is that you cannot have God’s perfect happiness and live in spiritual death and sin. So the present Tree of Life is provided by God’s grace associated with man’s positive volition, which was to be expressed in his free will toward the plan of God. However, a new tree had to be selected in order for happiness to exist. And that new tree is found in 1PE 2:24 and he himself bore our sins in his body on the tree. By expelling man from the garden, man could now choose to eat from the tree of the Cross. However, remember that only winners in the Christian life have the privilege of eating continually and habitually from the Tree of Life in the garden of God in eternity.

REV 2:7, “To the winner, I will give to him the privilege of eating from the Tree of Life which is in the paradise of God.”

Category four is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God in His grace has provided for us our own Garden of Eden which I call the PPOG, a perfect spiritual environment in this life. In this life, we can only be happy in the perfect environment of the PPOG. So after the fall, the purpose for the creation of man could only be perpetuated by cutting man off from the Tree of Life and providing a new Tree of Life: the Cross. By remaining in the Garden in spiritual death, man would have been immortal with unhappiness. Therefore, God cut man off from the

Tree of Life. And this was another manifestation that justice has to come before love.

Judgment had to come because condemnation must precede salvation. So man was originally designed for perfect happiness. Perfect happiness excludes boredom. Man sins many times because he becomes bored and familiar with it all. When we try to relieve boredom with excitement, we destroy the whole principle of God’s perfect happiness. For you can’t have God’s perfect happiness without capacity.

So, the Tree of Life perpetuates happiness and prosperity in both the human soul and body in perfect environment. Now, the first three categories are designed for man in innocence, and for the believer in resurrection body.

1. Every tree being desirable to the sight,
2. Those good for food,
3. The Tree of Life

Man did not need to have the knowledge of good and evil. Good represented the plan of God, evil represented the plan of Satan. We did not need to know the plan of God and the plan of Satan until we fell. We would not have known evil, sin, legalism, self-righteousness, religion, and the PPOG, if we had not fell or eaten from the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil. These are only an issue to man in the state of spiritual death as a sinner.


In the garden, neither good nor evil were an issue because of the first three categories of trees. In innocence man didn’t have to understand good and evil to have a relationship with God. Only in sinfulness and spiritual death must man understand the issue of good versus evil. And therefore the Tree of Life for the believer today is Bible doctrine or PVTD.

PRO 3:13-18, How blessed is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding. For its profit is better than the profit of silver, and its gain than fine gold. She [wisdom] is more precious than jewels; and nothing you desire compares with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a Tree of Life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who hold her fast.

Knowledge of Bible doctrine is the only Tree of Life available to the believer after salvation. And so learning doctrine in time is as close as we can get to the happiness of the Tree of Life. And for the believer who recovers and doesn’t quit no matter what, that believer will have fantastic blessings and rewards in heaven based upon the privilege of eating from the Tree of Life.

Now, how do you discover the Tree of Life in time?

PRO 3:13, How blessed is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding.

The word blessed is the word ashreey meaning happinesses. Wisdom is chokmah. which is the Old Testament word for epignosis doctrine or metabolized doctrine.

PRO 3:14, For its profit [wisdom or metabolized doctrine] is better than the profit of silver, and its gain [is better] than fine gold.

You cannot even compare riches with wisdom for it is wisdom which gives you a capacity for life not riches.

PRO 3:15-16, She [wisdom] is more precious than jewels; and nothing you desire compares with her [wisdom or metabolized doctrine]. Long life is in her right hand; [the right hand represents the hand of power]; in her left hand [the secondary hand] are riches and honor.

This simply means that capacity for life must precede riches and honor.

PRO 3:17, Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace.

The word pleasant is the Hebrew word no`am meaning gracious. Peace is shalowm meaning prosperity.

PRO 3:18 she [chokmah, wisdom, metabolized doctrine] is a tree of life to those who take hold of [to seize, to be constant, to continue, to be established, to retain] her, and happy are all who hold her fast who obtain, follow close, maintain, retain, support, or to hold strongly with her.

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life:
Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.