Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego

Greetings in the name of Jesus! This is Rob Haymes. This is 15 Minutes With Jesus. Wherever two or three are gathered together in My name, Jesus said, there am I in the midst of them. To those of you who love Him in truth: mercy unto you and peace and love be multiplied. (Jude 1:2)

Thank you Heavenly Father, in Jesus’ name, for this program about Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. Let’s turn to Daniel 3:1, Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then a herald cried aloud: To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 

Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews. They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live forever! You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up. Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up. Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. 

He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.   Therefore, because the king's command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said to the king, True, O king. Look! he answered, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king's counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.   Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this. Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon. 

These three men would not bow down to the mightiest king of that day, nor to the idol that he had set up. They trusted in God and confessed that He would deliver them out of the fiery furnace and out of the king’s hand. And even if He would not deliver them, they would not serve his gods nor worship his idol that he had set up. So it is today: if you are a person who trusts in the Living God, and in His Son Jesus Christ, and He has placed you in government, on a federal, state, or local level, if you will trust Him with all your heart and remain faithful to Him to rule justly in the fear of God, He will uphold you; He will deliver you, and even if it is His will for you to suffer, or even die for His sake, for the truth’s sake, you will be eternally rewarded, along with many others who have gone before you, including your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who did no wrong, neither was any deceit found in His mouth, yet He suffered so much for the truth’s sake; to save us from our sins and from the burning fiery furnace: the lake of fire, the future eternal home of all liars, and all who refuse to repent and come to Jesus and do His Words; everyone whose name is not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.  

As you read Matthew 25, it is very clear that there are two places prepared for the entire human race, before the foundation of the world, from the very beginning. In verse 34, Jesus said, Come you blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. And in verse 41, Jesus said, Depart from Me you cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. This is the lake of fire. 2 Cor 5:10, For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men…

Wherever God has placed you in this life, if you trust in Him and do good, as He is leading you by His Holy Spirit, it will be well with you. Isa 3:10, Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands shall be given him. Concerning those who are in authority: Psalm 94:20, Shall the throne of iniquity, which devises evil by law, have fellowship with You? They gather together against the life of the righteous, and condemn innocent blood. But the Lord has been my defense, and my God the rock of my refuge. He has brought on them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; the Lord our God shall cut them off. Stand strong in Him, you man and woman of God! , and do His will, wherever He has placed you, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and see what He will do on your behalf. 2 Chr 16:9, For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. 1 Pet 2:15, For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. 

If you are a true follower of Jesus Christ, and He has called you into serving Him in the government, He is in you: greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. He that despises whosoever I send, Jesus said, despises Me, and whoever despises Me, despises Him who sent Me. All the angels, authorities and powers are made subject unto Him. If you will obey Him and do His will; fear Him and follow Him, He will give you favor and grace in dealing with all authorities and powers, but you yourself must obey Him. If you are in rebellion against Him, continuing in any sin, your authority will not work, and the people He has placed you over will not obey you. The centurion said to Jesus, I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me, and I say to this man, Go, and he goes, and to another, Come, and he comes, and to my servant, Do this, and he does it. He was a man under authority. You must obey Jesus, and you must also obey the ones He has put over you and honor them, even the evil ones, as unto Him. 

Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego were not in rebellion. They were completely submitted to king Nebuchadnezzar, but when he demanded them to worship another god or die, they had to refuse him, no matter what the outcome, in order to remain faithful to their God, the God of the whole Earth, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Their trust was in God, even if it meant death, and because of their faith and trust in Him, He came Himself, the Son of God, and delivered them from the power of the fire; not even the smell of smoke was found on them. Hallelujah! So will God uphold you and deliver you, if you, when you are tempted to sell out to anything corrupt or evil, if you will refuse and trust Him, and come boldly to His throne of grace to find grace to help in the time of need; His grace is sufficient for you. 

If God has put you in a position of any authority, you do not have to bow down to threats or pressure to make you disobey Him and serve the god of this world. Trust God, and obey Him and see what He will do in your life. As king Nebuchadnezzar said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants that trusted in Him, and have changed the king’s word and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any God except their own God, because there is no other god that can deliver after this sort.

Thank you for reading this message from 15 Minutes With Jesus at roberthaymes.com . May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you who love Him in truth, Amen. (2 Cor 13:14)

 Behold The Man

Greetings in the name of Jesus! This is Rob Haymes. This is 15 Minutes With Jesus. Wherever two or three are gathered together in My name, Jesus said, there am I in the midst of them. To those of you who love Him in truth: mercy unto you and peace and love be multiplied (Jude 1:2).

Father, we thank you for this day; we just bless your Holy Name. Thank you for this message, Father, that you’ve given me by your Holy Spirit. I pray that you would open our hearts and give us grace to see your Son, in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Today’s program is called Behold The Man. It was the Passover; the time of the deliverance from the horror of darkness which the Children of Israel had suffered, being in bondage in hard labor in Egypt 400 years. Moses instructed them to choose a lamb without spot, faultless, and to roast it in the fire, placing the blood of the spotless lamb on their doorposts, that the angel of death would not come into their houses. The Lord said to them, And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where you are, and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be on you when I strike the land of Egypt. 

It was the Passover, and Jesus and His disciples gathered together in an upper room to eat the Passover meal together. That same night in which He was betrayed, Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, He brake it and said, Take, eat; this is my body which is broken for you. This do in remembrance of Me. After the same manner also He took the cup saying, This cup is the New Testament in my Blood; this do, as often as you drink it in remembrance of me.

It was the Passover, and Jesus travailed in prayer, that He might take the cup which the Father had given Him, to become the Lamb of God, and to be slain for the sins of all of us; to bear our sins in His body on the Cross, and to wash us from our sins in His own Blood. It was His love for the Father, and their love for us that enabled Him to overcome His own flesh and go to the Cross.

It was the Passover, and they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Hall of Judgement. Let’s turn to John 18:28-40, Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. Pilate then went out to them and said, What accusation do you bring against this Man? They answered and said to him, If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you. Then Pilate said to them, You take Him and judge Him according to your law. Therefore the Jews said to him, It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death, that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die. Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, Are You the King of the Jews? Jesus answered him, Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me? Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?  Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here. Pilate therefore said to Him, Are You a king then? Jesus answered, You say that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice. Pilate said to Him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, I find no fault in Him at all. But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews? Then they all cried again, saying, Not this Man, but Barabbas! Now Barabbas was a robber. So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. Then they said, Hail, King of the Jews! And they struck Him with their hands. Pilate then went out again, and said to them, Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him. Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, Behold the Man!  Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, Crucify Him, crucify Him! Pilate said to them, You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him. The Jews answered him, We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God. Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid, and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, Where are You from? But Jesus gave him no answer. Then Pilate said to Him, Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You? Jesus answered, You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin. From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar's friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, Behold your King! But they cried out, Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him! Pilate said to them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar! Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. Then they took Jesus and led Him away. And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. 

Behold the Man!: Jesus, the Son of God; conceived in the Virgin Mary’s womb; the Word was made flesh, therefore that Holy Thing that was born of her is called the Son of God. He is a man, in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Jesus was tempted, yet He never yielded; He never sinned. If He could be tempted, then He could have sinned. He was a man! Because He loved the Father, because He loved us, He never yielded. He overcame every temptation with fasting and prayer, speaking the Word of God by the power of the Holy Spirit, walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil. He overcame in the Garden of Gethsemane to offer Himself a perfect sacrifice on the Cross, and shed His Blood, His sinless life, to deliver us all from so great a death: eternal separation from God and all His goodness, in eternal torment, receiving the full reward for our own evil deeds. The Father is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and be saved from His wrath that will consume all the wicked; those that reject the sacrifice of his Beloved Son on the Cross for their sins. Jesus died for our sins, without fault, as Pilate confirmed, and He rose again to justify us, and to give unto all of us who believe in Him eternal life, to serve Him and the Father in His glorious Kingdom. Because He humbled Himself to the death of the Cross, the Father has given Him a name above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in Heaven, on the Earth, and under the Earth, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Confess Jesus as your Lord, and believe that He rose from the dead, and you shall be saved! For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, His name is Jesus, shall be delivered.  

Behold the Man!, mocked and spit upon, beaten and scourged with a Roman lash, a crown of thorns on His head, in a purple robe, giving Himself for you, a living sacrifice for your sins; your sins, not His! He was without fault; the only man that never sinned!

Behold the Man!, on the Cross, every bone out of joint, His body marred more than any man, for you!; for your sins! There He cried out, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do! This is love!; not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and gave His Beloved Son to die for our sins; mocked, scorned, rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; surely He has borne our sorrows and carried our pains, yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted, but He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed! The Father saw the travail of His soul for us and was satisfied. He died for our sins!

Let’s turn to John 20:19-31, Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, Peace be with you. When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.  So Jesus said to them again, Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you. And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained. Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, We have seen the Lord. So he said to them, Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe. And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace to you! Then He said to Thomas, Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing. And Thomas answered and said to Him, My Lord and my God! Jesus said to him, Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. 

Behold the Man!, risen from the dead!, victorious, glorified, justified from all the sins that were laid on Him: our sins; He was crucified for our sins and raised again for our justification; Rev 1:5-18,...Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the first born from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the Earth; to Him who loved us and who washed us from our sins in His own Blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father; to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever, Amen! Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him, and all the tribes of the Earth will mourn because of Him; even so, Amen! I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End says the Lord, who is, and who was, and who is to come; the Almighty. 

I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, and, what you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea. Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen! 

Thank you for reading this message from 15 Minutes With Jesus at roberthaymes.com . May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you who love Him in truth, Amen (2 Cor 13:14).

 Be Thankful

Greetings in the name of Jesus! This is Rob Haymes. This is 15 Minutes With Jesus. Wherever two or three are gathered together in My name, Jesus said, there am I in the midst of them. To those of you who love Him in truth: mercy unto you and peace and love be multiplied! (Jude 1:2)

Welcome, all of you who are reading this. I thank God for you. Today we’re going to talk about being thankful. Let’s turn to 1 Chron 15:25, So David, the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands went to bring up the Ark of the covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed-Edom with joy. Chapter 16, verse 1, So they brought the Ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. Then he distributed to everyone of Israel, both man and woman, to everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins. And he appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, to commemorate, to thank, and to praise the Lord God of Israel: verse 7, On that day David first delivered this psalm into the hand of Asaph and his brethren, to thank the Lord: 

David's Song of Thanks

Oh, give thanks to the Lord! 

Call upon His name; 

Make known His deeds among the peoples! 

Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; 

Talk of all His wondrous works! 

Glory in His holy name; 

Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord! 

Seek the Lord and His strength; 

Seek His face evermore! 

Remember His marvelous works which He has done, 

His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth, 

O seed of Israel His servant, 

You children of Jacob, His chosen ones! 

He is the Lord our God; His judgments are in all the Earth. 

Remember His covenant forever, 

The Word which He commanded, for a thousand generations, 

The covenant which He made with Abraham, 

And His oath to Isaac, 

And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, 

To Israel for an everlasting covenant, 

Saying, To you I will give the land of Canaan 

As the allotment of your inheritance, 

When you were few in number, 

Indeed very few, and strangers in it. 

When they went from one nation to another, 

And from one kingdom to another people, 

He permitted no man to do them wrong; 

Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes, 

Saying, Do not touch My anointed ones, 

And do My prophets no harm. 

Sing to the Lord, all the Earth; 

Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. 

Declare His glory among the nations, 

His wonders among all peoples. 

For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; 

He is also to be feared above all gods. 

For all the gods of the peoples are idols, 

But the Lord made the heavens. 

Honor and majesty are before Him; 

Strength and gladness are in His place. 

Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples, 

Give to the Lord glory and strength. 

Give to the Lord the glory due His name; 

Bring an offering, and come before Him. 

Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! 

Tremble before Him, all the Earth. 

The world also is firmly established, It shall not be moved. 

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the Earth be glad; 

And let them say among the nations, The Lord reigns. 

Let the sea roar, and all its fullness; 

Let the field rejoice, and all that is in it. 

Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the Lord, 

For He is coming to judge the Earth. 

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! 

For His mercy endures forever. 

And say, Save us, O God of our salvation; 

Gather us together, and deliver us from the Gentiles, 

To give thanks to Your holy name, 

To triumph in Your praise. 

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel From everlasting to everlasting! 

And all the people said, Amen! and praised the Lord. 

Let’s turn to Psalm 100:

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! 

Serve the Lord with gladness; 

Come before His presence with singing. 

Know that the Lord, He is God; 

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; 

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. 

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, 

And into His courts with praise. 

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. 

For the Lord is good; 

His mercy is everlasting, 

And His truth endures to all generations.

 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! 

Let’s turn to Rom 1:18-25, For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 

because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.  Verse 21, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 

Let’s turn to Col 1:9-14, For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son, in whom we have redemption through His Blood, the forgiveness of sins. 

Let’s turn to Rev 4:1-11. A while ago, my wife and I were having lunch together at our kitchen table, and it came in my heart to read this account in Rev 4 about what it is like at the Throne of God right now. Verse 1, After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in Heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this. Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in Heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come! 

Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created. As I was having lunch with my wife at our table, I said to her, When I see God, the first thing that I will say to Him is, Thank You ! When I said that to her, the Lord spoke to my heart and said, You can say that to Me now. And as we began to thank Him, His presence came upon both of us, and remained upon us. God was there at our table, as we lifted up our hands, thanking Him and praising Him with all our hearts, for at least 15 to 20 minutes. He also spoke to us by tongues and interpretation, saying to us to look up unto Him, and walk with Him; that He is with us unto the end. This was a real time of refreshing in the presence of the Lord. As it says in Psalm 100, Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful unto Him and bless His name, for He is good, and His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations. As you begin to thank Him, and praise Him with all your heart, for all that He has done for you, first of all, by giving us His Son to suffer and die for our sins to bring us into fellowship with Him, to deliver us from all the power of darkness and bring us into His marvelous light; as you thank Him and praise Him for the things He has done in your life, for His kindness to you, and His great mercy in your life, for the “little” things, and the great things, for the people in your life; whatever comes into your heart, as you thank Him and praise Him, you will enter into His presence; He will respond if you are truly thankful. And by His presence and His power He will refresh you. He may show you something you need to repent of, to Him, or to someone you know. Then, as the Apostle Peter said, Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you. God appreciates it very much when we give Him thanks; He takes notice. He also takes notice, as we read in Romans, when we are not thankful; when we murmur and complain. It did not go well for the Children of Israel in the wilderness when they murmured and complained. Even if you are going through a very hard and difficult time, if you will pause and come before Him, and begin to thank Him, and give Him a real sacrifice of praise, He will respond; He will move on your behalf, and you will be lifted up above the trouble; you will be able to endure it, and He will be with you, and He will comfort you, and you will be able to comfort others that are in any trouble.

So, right now, those of you who are reading this message, especially if you are, as I just said: if you are in a situation of great trouble, of great pressure, of great distress; maybe you’ve lost a loved one, maybe you’re injured, maybe you’re having great trouble and oppression from the powers of darkness: remember your Lord, and how He suffered for you on the Cross, and all that He went through for you, and begin to give thanks! Just begin to thank God with whatever comes into your heart, whatever you are thankful for, whatever He shows you; give Him thanks right now! So we just thank you Father! We worship you together! We give you praise and honor and thanksgiving! Praise you Father! Praise you Father! Praise you Father! We just worship you and we thank you Father! Praise you Jesus, and thank you for your love and your sacrifice for us on the Cross! 

Interpretation of a message in tongues:

I am God Almighty! Those of you who are listening today to my servant Rob, Obey My voice! Listen to these Words that he has spoken to you! They are My Words. I ordained him to speak these Words to you today. If you will respond; if you will call upon My name; if you will be thankful unto Me, I will do as I have spoken; I will lift you up; I will inhabit your praises; I will bless you with My presence, if you will call upon Me and be thankful! But if you will continue to complain and murmur against Me, you will not be happy; you will suffer for it, says the Lord! So hearken diligently to My servant, and give Me thanks!, and you will see what I will do in your life, says the Lord.

Thank you for reading this message from 15 Minutes With Jesus at roberthaymes.com . May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you who love Him in truth, Amen! ( 2 Cor 13:14)

 A Holy Fellowship

Greetings in the name of Jesus! This is Rob Haymes. This is 15 Minutes With Jesus. Wherever two or three are gathered together in My name, Jesus said, there am I in the midst of them. To those of you who love Him in truth: mercy unto you and peace and love be multiplied. (Jude 1:2)

Thank you Heavenly Father. We give you thanks for this day; Thank you for this program that you’ve given me. Thank you Lord. Today’s program is called, A Holy Fellowship.

Let’s turn to 2 Cor 6:14, Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. 2Co 7:1  Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 

Ok let’s turn to 1Pet 1:13, Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, Be holy, for I am holy. And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 

He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit, that’s how we purify ourselves, by obeying the truth through the Spirit, in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the Word of God which lives and abides forever.

Chapter 2, verse 1, Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. In John 4:23, Jesus said to the woman at the well, that the hour is coming, and now is when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth; in Spirit and in truth: the doctrine of Christ with the Holy Spirit. In 2 John 1:9, Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds. 

Jesus said, In Mark 7:6, Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men. Verse 13, making the Word of God of no effect through your tradition… When we hold to our religious traditions, and the doctrines of men, and thereby reject or set aside the doctrine of Christ, our worship is in vain. We offer to God all kinds of worship, but it is not acceptable to Him.

Let’s go to Isa 1:2, Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O Earth! For the Lord has spoken: I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against Me; the ox knows its owner and the donkey its master's crib; but Israel does not know, My people do not consider. Verse 16, Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, (and the unborn), plead for the widow. Isa 1:18  Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

If we will come to Jesus, and confess our sins to Him; if we will humble ourselves before the living God and repent of the evil of our doings and turn to Him with all our heart, He will forgive our sins, because of the sacrifice of Jesus, who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own Blood. And we can enter into true fellowship with Him and with one another. The Blood of Jesus, through faith in His shed Blood, washes us white as snow when we confess our sins to Him. Our conscience is purged thereby from the offence, and we walk on with God, and with one another, in holiness and true fellowship.  

Let’s turn to 1 John 1:1, That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us. 1 John 2:1, My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. 

God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, We have fellowship with one another, and with the Father, and with His Son, and the Blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. 1 Pet 2:9, But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. If you are walking in darkness, and you say you have fellowship with God, you are a liar; you are deceived, and you are not practicing the truth. If you don’t have fellowship with God, you don’t have a church. Let’s say that again; if you don’t have fellowship with God, you don’t have a church. In Rev 2, Jesus said, I know your works. Verse 5, Remember therefore from whence you are fallen, repent and do the first works, (your first love), or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from it’s place, unless you repent. In Rev 1:20, …the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven Churches. The Lampstand is the Church in the light.

You can come together and sing and preach and do all kinds of things, but if you don’t have that fellowship, you don’t have a church; you don’t have the light, and you don’t have the life. If you walk in darkness, you don’t have fellowship. The Church is a holy fellowship in the light. Jesus said to His Apostles in John 15, Now you are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you. In John 13, Jesus said to Peter, He that is washed, needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean. Jesus cleanses us through His Word by His Holy Spirit, teaching us and leading us in doing it every day. He said, If you continue in My Word, you will be My disciple indeed, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. Whoever commits sin (or practices sin), is the slave of sin, Jesus said, and a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever, therefore, if the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed. 

In the Early Church, they continued steadfastly in the Apostles’ doctrine, the New Testament Scriptures, and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in prayers. As they continued steadfastly in obedience to the Apostles' doctrine, they had holy fellowship. We have the Apostles’ doctrine available to us; if we will read it, and consider it, and prayerfully seek God for understanding, and obey His Words to walk in the light, we can have that Holy Fellowship, and our worship and our spiritual sacrifices will be acceptable to Him.

Thank you for reading this message from 15 Minutes With Jesus at roberthaymes.com . May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you who love Him in truth. (2 Cor 13:14)

 Jesus Taught Us To Pray

Greetings in the name of Jesus! This is Rob Haymes. This is 15 Minutes With Jesus. Wherever two or three are gathered together in My name, Jesus said, there am I in the midst of them. To those of you who love Him in truth: mercy unto you and peace and love be multiplied. (Jude 1:2)

Thank you Heavenly Father; we thank you for this day; we thank you for this program that you have given me: Jesus Taught Us To Pray.

Let’s turn to Luke 11:1, Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. So He said to them, When you pray, say: Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. 

Ok, let’s read in Mat 6:5, And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, (closet, or secret place), and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. 

First of all, you get alone with God; no distractions; not in public. Second, you pray to your Father in Heaven. Third, you give Him glory! Amen! Fourth, you pray for His Kingdom, and His will to be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Jesus said, Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you shall ask anything in My name, He said, I will do it.  1 John 5:14, Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. 

That the Father may be glorified in the Son. Are you seeking the honor of God? Do you want Him to be glorified?, the One who loved you and gave His Son for your life, upon the Cross, to save you from your sins; to save you from death and Hell and eternal fire? Is your heart right with Him, or are you seeking your own glory; your own pleasures? This is so important, first of all, that we understand this: that we pray to the Father in Jesus’ name, and Jesus will do it, that His Father may be glorified through Him. Jesus honors His Father. 

Jesus said, in Mat 18:19, Again I say to you that if two of you agree on Earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in Heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them. We come together in Jesus’ name, two or three or more, asking the Father in His name, and Jesus will do it, that the Father may be glorified in Him. 

Jesus said in John 15:7, If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. In verse 5, Jesus said, I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. We are in Him, and He is in us, and we are keeping His Words; loving the Father and loving Him, and His Word in our hearts is bringing forth fruit to the glory of the Father. As the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. That’s what Jesus said. We need to believe that: As the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love. This is My commandment: that you love one another as I have loved you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another. We abide in Jesus through keeping His commandments. If we love Him, we will keep His commandments, and we shall abide in His love, and whatever we ask the Father, in Jesus’ name, He will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. This is His commandment: that we love one another. If we are not loving one another; if we have unforgiveness or hatred toward a brother or a sister or even an enemy, and we will not humble ourselves to love Jesus  and keep His Word in the situation, our prayers will not be answered. 1 John 3:22, And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. 

Jesus said in Mark 11:22, Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, Be removed and be cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in Heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.  But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in Heaven forgive your trespasses. Mat 21:22, And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive. Mat 5:23, Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. The same is true of prayer: not only do you need to forgive, when you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, but also, if anyone has anything against you, you need to go to them and confess your fault to them, and be reconciled to them as much as possible, by the grace of God, that He may receive your prayer and answer you.  Sin and unforgiveness block prayers. If you have sinned against God, or your brother, and not repented, He will not hear you until you repent. And if you will not forgive others, same thing. 

Let’s go to Luke 18:1, Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, Get justice for me from my adversary. And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. Then the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the Earth?  Don’t faint! Keep believing and crying out to God. If you faint, repent, and get back to believing, and keep on crying out until you receive the answer, Amen! These are the things that Jesus spoke, that we may understand how to pray, and how to get our prayers answered. 

Verse 9, Jesus also told this parable to some that trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others.  Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess. And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to Heaven, but beat his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me a sinner! I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. God is a very present help in the time of trouble, and He grants grace to the humble. When you are in trouble, and you cry out to Him for help in the time of need, and you are full of pride, and lifted up in your heart, He may have to humble you: you may not find the help you need. Those, however, who will humble themselves before Him will find grace. 

Let’s go to Luke 22. We’re going to read about Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Verse 39, Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him. When He came to the place, He said to them, Pray that you may not enter into temptation. And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done. Then an angel appeared to Him from Heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow. Then He said to them, Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation. And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him. But Jesus said to him, Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss? Jesus said, Pray, that you enter not into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. You don’t know what is ahead in your life. You must pray, and overcome in your prayers, so that you can be faithful and fulfill the will of God for your life. If you don’t pray, you will enter into temptation, and you may not be able to overcome. 

Interpretation of a message in tongues:

I am God Almighty. Those of you listening to My servant Rob today, he is teaching you about My Son, and how He taught you to pray. Listen carefully to My Words that He spoke, and put them to work in your own life, that I may answer your prayers; it is My desire to answer your prayers, says the Lord God.

Thank you for reading this message from 15 Minutes With Jesus at roberthaymes.com . May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you who love Him in truth, Amen. (2 Cor 13:14)