The Seven

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. Thank you for this day. We thank you Lord; we bless your holy name. I want to thank you for this message that you have given me today for your people. I pray that you would bless us to hear what you are saying and understand what you are saying; to humble ourselves and give heed to your Word. Thank you Father. Your Word is the truth.

Today’s program is called, The Seven. Let’s turn to Acts 6:1, Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word. And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. Then the Word of God increased, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Every ministry that is ordained and given by God is important, whether it be serving tables, cleaning the church, feeding the poor, teaching and preaching the Word of God, or ministering the songs of the Lord; whatever God has given us is important. The Apostles believed that this ministry of serving tables was so important that they said, Choose you out seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom whom we may appoint over this business. They chose seven men whom they set before the Apostles, and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. Stephen was a man full of faith and power and wisdom who was working signs and wonders and speaking boldly in the name of Jesus. Philip was an evangelist whom God used mightily, doing signs and miracles before the people. These men did not look down on that appointment by the Apostles to serve tables, but they gave themselves to the work; the widows and others were blessed, and the Word of God increased. There is no evidence of personal ambition, envy, or strife over this. 

Jesus came to serve, and to give Himself a ransom for all. Let’s turn to Luke 22:24, this is at the Last Supper; Jesus was with His disciples, verse 24, Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. And He said to them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called benefactors. But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.   Are you more important than Jesus?   Are you too important to serve tables?   Let’s turn to John 13:1, Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, Lord, are You washing my feet? Jesus answered and said to him, What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this. Peter said to Him, You shall never wash my feet! Jesus answered him, If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me. Simon Peter said to Him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head! Jesus said to him, He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you. For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, You are not all clean. So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. 

Let’s turn to Php 2:1, Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in Heaven, and of those on Earth, and of those under the Earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. He took upon Him the form of a servant; He made Himself of no reputation; He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. God highly exalted Him, and He will exalt everyone who will truly humble themselves and die to themselves to do His will and serve His people, to the edification, or building up, of the body of Christ to His glory. God has promised: he that humbles himself shall be exalted. 

Maybe nobody knows who you are. Maybe nobody seems to appreciate your obedience to Jesus, but He knows who you are; the Father knows who you are, and He will reward you, in due time, if you will continue steadfastly in obedience to Him. God takes care of His servants!

Let’s turn to 1 Pet 5:1, The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 

2 Pet 2:1, But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. Verse 17, These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. Let’s turn to the third epistle of John, verse 1, The Elder, To the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth: Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, who have borne witness of your love before the church. Verse 9, I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church. Diotrephes loved the preeminence; he was not a servant of the Lord nor of His Church.

These men do not have the mind of Christ. They walk in witchcraft and seducing spirits, deceiving and dominating the people. Just as the Apostle John dealt with Diotrephes, so will the Lord Jesus deal with you men who dominate and use and oppress His people. Verse 11, Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that does good is of God: but he that does evil has not seen God.

Philip was one of the seven. It was an honor in his life, and the lives of the others, that God chose them to take care of His Church; to serve tables and minister to widows and others. Acts 21:8, On the next day we who were Paul's companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him: Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven, that waited on tables; that cared for the Church.

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)

 The Spirit and The Water and The Blood

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 Father. We give you thanks. Thank you Father, Amen. We thank you Lord; we bless your holy name! We thank you for this program. Thank you for this day. Father, I pray right now, in Jesus’ name, that you would open our hearts to receive revelation of your love; of the gift of your Son, and what He went through for us. I pray that you would bless this program and bless your Word to our hearts, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Today’s program is called, The Spirit and The Water and The Blood. Let’s turn to John 1:1, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Verse 12,  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 

What does it mean to believe in His name? Let’s turn to Php 2:5, Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in Heaven, and of those on Earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Now let’s turn to Eph 1:3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in Heaven and which are on Earth—in Him. When you believe in His name, you believe in Him and what He did for you; how He suffered for you upon the Cross, to bear your sins in His own body; how He died and washed you from your sins in His own Blood, so that when you repent and believe in his name, and receive Him into your heart, you may be born of God.  Gal 4:6, And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into your hearts crying, Abba, Father. 

Let’s turn to John 3:1, There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him. Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to Him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again, (born from above). The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.  Verse 14, 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. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God. Verse 3, Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Verse 5, Jesus answered, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. When you believe in the name of Jesus Christ, you are born from above; born of the Spirit; God has sent the Spirit of His Son into your heart; you are born of God; born from above, and you become His son or daughter in Jesus. Jesus Christ is in your heart and you are in Him. 

What does it mean to be born of water?  Let’s turn to Rom 6:1, What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?  Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Verse 4, Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Crucified with Him; buried with Him, and raised with Him through water baptism. Gal 2:20, I have been crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me; 

Are you crucified with Christ, really? Does He truly live in you?,  and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. This is what it means to be born of water: you are truly crucified with Jesus; baptized into His death; your old sinful man is crucified with Him, and you are raised with Him, a new creature in Christ, born of water, through the Spirit and faith.  

What about the Blood? It is because of His Blood, that He shed upon the Cross, that your sins can be forgiven. Because Jesus lived as a man and was tempted in every way as we are, Heb 4:15, and He never sinned; He never yielded to the temptations, therefore He is without sin, and He is the only one who could offer Himself upon the Cross for the sins of the whole world. Only the perfect, spotless, precious, sinless Blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ our Lord, could atone for the sins of the whole world, that whosoever would believe in Him might not perish, but inherit eternal life. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow, and you shall no longer be rejected, but you will be accepted in the Beloved, in the One who loved you and gave Himself for you. 1 John 5:1, Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear witness in Heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one. 

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).

 A Psalm And A Teaching / A Habitation For The Lord

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.

Father, we thank you for this day; we thank you for this program. Father, I pray that you would open our hearts to receive your Word this day by the Holy Spirit. Thank you Father, in Jesus’ name, Amen. 

In 1 Cor 14:26 we read, How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. Today we have a psalm and a teaching, both of which are based in Psalm 132, speaking about A Habitation For The Lord.

My Habitation

By David Hickman and Rob Haymes

From Psalm 132 and Zephaniah 3:17

I will not come

Up into my house

Or my bed;

I will not give

Slumber to my eyes

Until I find

A habitation for the Lord

The mighty God of Jacob.

For I have loved

The habitation of Thy house

And the place Thy honor dwells.

The Lord thy God in the midst of thee

Is mighty; He will save;

He will rejoice over you with joy;

He’ll rest in His love;

He’ll joy over you with singing.

This is My rest;

Here will I forever dwell,

And I will teach Her My covenant,

And I will clothe Her

With My salvation,

For I have chosen Zion,

And I desire Her 

For My Habitation,

And the place My honor dwells.

The Lord thy God in the midst of thee

Is mighty; He will save;

He will rejoice over you with joy;

He’ll rest in His love;

He’ll joy; He will rejoice

Over you with joy;

He’ll rest in His love;

He’ll joy over you with singing;

He’ll joy over you with singing.

He’ll joy over you with singing.

I will not come

Up into my house

Or my bed;

Until I find

A habitation for the Lord

Let's turn to Psalm 132, Lord, remember David and all his afflictions; how he swore to the Lord, and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob: Surely I will not go into the chamber of my house, or go up to the comfort of my bed; I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the Lord, a habitation for the Mighty God of Jacob. Verse 13,  For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His habitation: This is My resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her poor with bread.  I will also clothe her priests with salvation, And her saints shall shout aloud for joy.  Let’s turn to 1 Ch 17:1, Now it came to pass, when David was dwelling in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under tent curtains.  Then Nathan said to David, Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you. David had it in his heart to build a house for the Lord: a glorious Temple in Jerusalem, but God sent the prophet Nathan to tell him in verse 10, …furthermore I tell you that the Lord will build you a house. And it shall be, when your days are fulfilled, when you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your seed after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My Son; and I will not take My mercy away from him, as I took it from him who was before you. And I will establish him in My house and in My kingdom forever; and his throne shall be established forever.  Clearly God was telling David about Jesus, the Seed of David, that He would build the Temple of the Lord. In verse 13, He said, I will be His Father and He shall be My Son. 

Let’s turn to Zec 6:12, Then speak to him, saying, Thus says the Lord of hosts, saying: Behold, the Man whose name is the Branch! From His place He shall branch out, and He shall build the Temple of the Lord; yes, He shall build the Temple of the Lord. He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on His throne; so He shall be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. 

Isa 9:6, For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. 

Luke 1:26, Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women! But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.  

Let’s turn to Eph 2:19,  Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy Temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a habitation of God through the Spirit. This is the New Testament fulfillment of Psalm 132.

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. Chapter 7, verse 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. It is a holy Temple: a holy Habitation of God. Glory to God! 

God is making a holy people; He is purifying unto Himself His own special people: lively stones, that He is building together upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Cornerstone, into a holy Temple in the Lord: a spiritual house; a holy priesthood, that we may offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Unholy sacrifices, in the flesh, are not acceptable to Him; He will not accept them. Nor will He inhabit an unclean house. God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ, in the light. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and don’t do the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with Him, and with one another, and the Blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. God desires a pure Temple: a holy habitation to dwell in, and He will have it!, through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus, and the work of the Cross in our lives: the breaking down of our hard, stubborn, rebellious hearts, that we may love Him and one another with a pure heart fervently.  Psalm 16:11,  You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. 

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.

 Married To Another

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.

Thank you Father for this day! Thank you Lord for this program. Father, we thank you; we bless your holy name, thank you Lord! Today’s program is called Married To Another. Let’s turn to Rom 7:4, Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. Wherefore, my brethren, you also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that you should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. Jesus Christ dwells in our hearts by faith through the Spirit, and through our union with Him, in His love, we bring forth fruit unto God unto His glory. Verse 6, But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. Rom 8:1, There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit: married to another; serving in the newness of the Spirit. Verse 4, That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. How are we walking?  For they that are after the flesh do mind, (set their affection on), the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Verse 8, So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Verse 10, If Christ be in you, (married to Christ), the body is dead because of sin, (crucified with Christ; baptized into His death), but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. Rom 8:4, …the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Verse 12, Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if you live after the flesh, you shall die: but if you through the Spirit do put to death the deeds of the body, you shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. If you are being led by the Spirit; if you are denying your flesh every day, taking up your cross, and following Jesus to do the will of the Father, you are walking as a son or a daughter of God. You cannot say so if you are walking after the flesh to do your own will. 

Let’s turn to Gal 5:16, I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. Verse 16, This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh…verse 18, But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Verse 24, And they that are Christ's…  are you Christ’s?  Do you belong to Jesus?  …they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 

Let’s look at Romans, chapter 6, verse 1, What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Verse 14, For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. Verse 22, But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Let’s look at 1 John 4:7, Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. Verse 16,  And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.  

The only way that we can do this; the only way that we can truly walk in the Holy Spirit and overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil, and overcome our own flesh, is in the love of God. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation, or atonement, for our sins. We desperately need a revelation of the love that God has for us: that He would do this, and the love that Jesus has for the Father, and for us: that He would take that cup that the Father gave Him, in the Garden of Gethsemane, and go to the Cross, to suffer so greatly, in His body and His soul, though He had never done anything wrong, for us; to become sin upon that Cross; all the sins of the human race being laid upon Him, and to be separated from His Father for the first time in all eternity, and to die for our sins and shed His precious Blood to fully atone for them before the Father.  When the Father separated from Jesus, because He cannot fellowship with sin, that’s when Jesus cried out, My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me? 

Let’s turn there, Psalm 22:1, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning? O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; and in the night season, and am not silent. Verse 11, Be not far from Me, for trouble is near; for there is none to help. Many bulls have surrounded Me; strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me. They gape at Me with their mouths, like a raging and roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; it has melted within Me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death. 

For dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots. This is clearly talking about our Lord Jesus Christ as He suffered on the Cross.  He took it all;  Jesus took it all,  even separation from His beloved Father,  for one reason:  the love that God has for us,  that whoever lives and believes this report: that Jesus was crucified for our sins, and that He was raised again by the glory of the Father for our justification; that He overcame Hell and Death, and the grave; that He is at the right hand of the Father right now, alive forevermore, making intercession for us,  they shall be saved and inherit eternal life in Him. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. 1 John 4:16, And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. Do you know this love? Do you have understanding and revelation from God of His great love for you: that He gave His Son for you upon the Cross. Do you know this love? Do you believe the love that God has for you? God is love, and he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God in 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, Amen.