False Prophets

Greetings in the name of Jesus! This is Rob Haymes. This program is called 15 Minutes With Jesus. Today we are going to talk about False Prophets. Let’s turn to Matt 24:1-14, Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down. Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age? And Jesus answered and said to them: Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, I am the Christ, and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. Verses 24&25, For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. Verse 12&13,  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. In the King James Version it says, Because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold. This is key. If you love yourself, as it is written in 2 Tim 3:1-5, let’s go there:  But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! If you love yourself and your pleasures; if you love money and the world more than God, you will fall prey to these false prophets. But if you truly love God, you will love His Words and you will seek to obey Him and love your brother and sister. Love is the fulfilling of the Law. Love does no ill to his neighbor.

You know, if you are selfish and hard hearted, because of all your sinful ways, you can come to God and humble yourself and admit it to Him; He already knows, but He loves you, and if you really want to be changed, you can ask Him and He will begin to lead you in righteous ways to break you of your stubbornness and rebellion, and if you will stay with Him, and if you will cry out to Him when it seems like you can’t go on, He will come and help you. He will test you to see if you are serious; to see what’s in your heart. We love Him because He first loved us and gave Himself to suffer and die a brutal death for us, to pay our ransom, to redeem us with His own righteous, precious Blood from all our sins and perversities; to cleanse us and bring us into His wonderful family of true saints that love Him and worship Him and the Father in Spirit and in truth. To get there you must yield to Him every day in prayer and let Him continue to lead you, denying yourself, and your own desires, your own understanding; taking up your cross, the will of the Father for you, and following Him. Jesus said, My sheep hear my voice and they follow me. He will lead you beside still waters; you will never thirst, and He will lead you into green pastures; you will never hunger. You will always be sufficient in Him, if you continue with Him. If you say, Lord, I don’t think I want to go that way, I want to go this way, or, if because of your own wicked ways you start to follow a false prophet, the Lord may let you go that way and prove you, as you wander in that wilderness, to see if you will turn again and cry out to Him, or if you will harden your heart to your own destruction. It is a fearful thing! Jesus said, Take heed! Let no man deceive you! We have been warned.

These men and women are bold. They know the scriptures, and they walk in power, showing signs and wonders with all confidence, making merchandise of you with feigned words, words that they make up, as they twist the scriptures for their own agenda. Let’s turn to Matt 7:13-20, Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Then He said,  Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. The sheep’s clothing is the Word of God. They speak the Word of God. They speak the truth. You look in the Scriptures and they’re speaking the Word of God, and you say, Oh, they’re speaking the Word of God, they’re teaching the Word of God, they must be of God. And by doing this, they will win your heart, unless you stay close to the Lord and stay in the Scriptures. The day will come when they will begin to speak lies, and if you are not in the Scriptures, if you are not following the Lord closely, you may be deceived. Right here Jesus said, you will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them. Examine their fruits. What is the fruit of their ministry? What is happening to the people in their ministry? What kind of behavior do they exhibit? Do they walk in love? Do they glorify Jesus? Are they truly glorifying Him? Are they keeping His Words? Search the Scriptures. Ask God to show you, if you have any question about anything that anybody says to you.

Let’s turn to Jude, the Book of Jude, verses 1-25, Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ:  (You know Jesus will preserve you, if you trust Him.)  Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness, or lasciviousness, and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke you! 

But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; 

raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. Verse 16, These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. 

These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Verse 24&25, Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen. Jude gives us a very important help in verse 20&21, But you, beloved…. keep yourselves in the love of God. This is the key. Jesus said, Continue in my Word and you will be my disciples indeed; you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. John said, you have no need that any man teach you. Let’s go there, 1 John 2:24-27, Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life. These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. The Holy Spirit will continue to teach you the Lord’s Word. He will continue to reveal the Word of God to you and lead you in it. That’s what Jesus meant when He talked about continuing in His Word; you’re going to be His disciple indeed, and you’re going to know the truth, and the truth will keep you free from the lies! Amen! The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth and He is no lie! He will lead you in all truth as you continue in Him, as you stay close to Jesus; always mindful of His sacrifice for you; His great love for you.

These false prophets are not sent by God to you. Therefore they are not walking in His authority, and they have nothing to say to you. They walk in the false authority and power of witchcraft. They are Satan’s ministers. Let’s turn to 2 Cor 10:18, For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends. The Lord commends His true servants. Let’s move over to chapter 11: 13-15, For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers,   do you see that? Satan has his ministers,   also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. God has promised throughout the Scriptures He’s going to render to every one of us according to our works, and that includes false prophets.

Prophecy:

I am God Almighty. You who are listening to my servant Rob this day, give heed to these Words; I am warning you today! Take heed to these Words! This is a warning from Me says the Lord. The days are growing dark. Many deceivers are rising up, and they will show signs and wonders, as it is written in My Word, and you must stay close to My Son. You must learn to walk in the Spirit. You must learn My Word. You must study My Word. You must know what it says. For they will speak lies with great convincing power, and you will be deceived. If you do not love Me with all your heart, you will fall away. So I am warning you now: Seek me with all your heart!

 Precious Promises

Greetings in the name of Jesus! This is Rob Haymes. This program is called 15 Minutes With Jesus. Today we’re going to talk about Precious Promises. Let’s turn to 2 Pet 1:1-21, Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Verse 16, For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;  knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. Verse 2, Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. The promises are through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. The promises come through the Lordship of Jesus in your life. 

Let’s turn to Phil 3:7-14, But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.  Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Give diligence to make your calling and election sure. We have to be diligent to make our calling sure; with faith, virtue, which is excellence, knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, temperance, which is self control, Godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. In 1 Cor 13: 4-8, we read about love:  Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. In Matt 11:28-30 Jesus said, Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and Godliness; the exceeding greatness of His mighty power which He worked in Jesus when He raised Him from the dead. Eph 1:15-23, Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. 

There are so many wonderful promises which God has given us in His Son Jesus Christ. There’s no way, in this program, that I can share all of them. I just want to share a few of them. Here are some Precious Promises:

God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever lives and believes in Him should not perish, but inherit everlasting life. 

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness.

Forgive and you shall be forgiven. Show mercy and you will receive mercy. Give and it shall be given. Ask and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be opened unto you. 

When you pray, believe that you have received what you are asking for, and it shall be given you. 

If two or three of you shall agree as touching anything that you shall ask, it shall be given unto you.

If you walk after the flesh you shall die, but if you through the Spirit do put to death the deeds of the body you shall live.

Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all things that you need shall be added unto you.

If you love Me, Jesus said, keep My commandments, and I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter that He may abide with you forever.

The Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, He shall teach you all things.

Shall not the Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?

Jesus said, If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love.

Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.

In John 6 we read, Jesus said, He that comes to Me shall never hunger, and he that believes in Me shall never thirst.

He said, Him that comes to Me I will in no wise cast out. Hallelujah!

He said, Verily, verily I say unto you, he that believes on Me has everlasting life.

In John 11, Jesus said, He that believes on Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live!

Whosoever lives and believes in Me shall never die! Do you believe this?, He said to Martha. Do we believe it?

He also said, As the Father has loved Me, so do I love you. Continue you in My love. Do we believe that? 

Do you believe that Jesus loves you as much as the Father loves him?

In 1 John we read, This is the promise that He has given to us, even eternal life. In Him is life. He that has the Son has eternal life. He that has not the Son of God shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

In John 14 Jesus told His disciples, I will come again and receive you unto myself.

Jesus said, Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.  

He said, If you abide in Me and my Words abide in you, you shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you.

He said, If you keep My commandments you shall abide in My love.

Through these Precious Promises of God we can partake of the Divine Nature; we will be conformed to the image of God’s Son; we will be like Him. If we will seek after Him with all our hearts we will find Him, and we will escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. As you draw near to Jesus and seek to know Him, if you will take His yoke upon you and learn of Him, He will lead you in righteous paths to break you of your stubbornness and rebellion, and He will wash you and cleanse you of your corrupt ways that you learned from your fathers and from your old friends in the world. And He will give you His peace and righteousness and joy in the Holy Spirit, more and more, as you stay with Him and follow Him. Jesus said, If you will continue in My Word, you will be my disciples indeed, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.

We must do something. We must repent of our evil ways and deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him every day. We must believe what He accomplished  through His sacrifice for us on the Cross. We must yield ourselves to Jesus to be baptized in water. Have you been baptized in water since you believed in Him? If you have been baptized, do you understand what took place in you? Jesus said, He that believes and is baptized shall be saved. Through water baptism you are baptized into His death, you are crucified with Him, and you are raised with Him into newness of life. It is very real and essential; it is not a religious exercise. The reason you don’t want to be baptized is because you don’t want to die. You want to continue as lord of your own life and continue in your own corrupt ways, which will inevitably  bring about your own destruction. Water baptism is the first step in following Jesus. You must be crucified and die with Him that you may inherit eternal life and live with Him. Your old sinful nature is destroyed thereby and you will be able to follow Him. You must then take the second step in following Jesus and be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, I’m going to be with the Father, but I won’t leave you alone. I’m going to send the Comforter. He shall teach you all things. It is absolutely essential for you, as a believer in Jesus, to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, that He may teach you all things and reveal Jesus to you; that you may be led by Him to do the will of the Father; to follow Jesus in the way. They that are led by the Spirit of God are the sons and daughters of God. The righteousness of God’s law is fulfilled in them who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Again, you have to yield; you have to surrender your own stubborn will to Him and let Him lead you in His good way. You will never regret it! Come to Jesus! Yield to Him! Take His yoke upon you and learn of Him; learn of all the things He has promised you if you will love Him and obey Him. He is not a respecter of persons at all. If you will yield to Him and obey Him, He will work His Precious Promises in your life, as you believe Him and trust Him. You have to trust Him because sometimes He will even lead you through the valley of the shadow of death. But He will be with you! He will be there in His power to comfort you! Oh the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgements and His ways past finding out!

 The Kingdom of God

Greetings in the name of Jesus! This is Rob Haymes. This is 15 Minutes With Jesus. Today we are going to talk about the Kingdom of God. Jesus said, Pray you this way, 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. It’s called the Kingdom of God. Jesus also said, 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. This is how the Kingdom of God works: Forgive, and you shall be forgiven. Give and you shall receive. Show mercy and you will receive mercy. May your Kingdom come Father; may your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. The Father has made His Beloved Son Jesus Christ to be King over all the Earth, because He humbled Himself unto the death of the Cross for our sins, to redeem unto Himself a holy people for His Kingdom with His own Blood. Jesus will soon be returning to the Earth to gather His people unto Himself, and to establish His throne in Jerusalem to rule and reign over the whole Earth for a thousand years; all His enemies being put under His feet; all those whom He has redeemed from the kingdom of darkness, whom He has chosen out of this present evil world, whom he has proven faithful through many trials and afflictions like unto His own sufferings, purging them, washing them and making them white; who have served Him, and who have loved Him with all their heart, being obedient and faithful in every good work according to His Father’s will, glorifying His Holy Name; they shall rule and reign with Him as kings and priests forever in His Glory. Hallelujah! 

Let’s turn to 1 Pet 1:1-25, Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied. 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.  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 you 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 do this: you purify your souls by obeying the Word of God as the Holy Spirit leads you, as He reveals it to you, and leads you to walk in it; that’s what Jesus talked about, continue in My Word; you’ll be my disciple indeed, and you’ll know the truth, and the truth will make you free; 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. 

Jesus said that since the time of John The Baptist, the Kingdom of God is preached, and every man presses into it. He said, Seek you first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. He said repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand. The Kingdom of God is not in word only, but in power. The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Jesus said also, The Kingdom of God comes not with observation, for the Kingdom of God is within you. When the Father raised Jesus from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit, He raised with Him a holy nation, a royal priesthood, a peculiar people to show forth His praises forever. This is the Kingdom of GOD! It is His Kingdom and He is GOD! HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND IS AND IS TO COME THE ALMIGHTY! He is worthy of all honor, praise, dominion, and blessing forever, and ever, and ever! Press into His Kingdom! Seek His Kingdom with all your heart! Eph 1:17-23, That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 

and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. Eph 2:1-8, And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 

among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 

even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. He said, if you will seek Him with all your heart, you will find Him. He said, If you seek, you will find. If you knock it shall be opened. If you ask you shall receive. If you don’t know Jesus, ask Him: Lord, I want to know you! Please let me know you, and the power of your resurrection, and the fellowship of your sufferings! Please change me and cleanse me! Please give me holiness and eternal life with you! I give you all that I have; I give myself to you! Please take me and teach me your good way and make me a blessing to you and the Father, and to all the people in my life! Ask, and you shall receive! Seek, and you shall find! Knock and it shall be opened unto you! 

If you knew that there was a billion dollars in gold, hidden in a field somewhere, and you had just enough money, if you sold everything you had, to buy that field, would you not buy that field? (There is a price) And would you not dig and dig and seek and seek and knock and ask until you found that treasure? Will you really be content to love this wicked world and your measly pleasures and the futile honor of men, and not seek the God of all glory, who loved you so much that He gave His only Beloved Son, who never sinned, though He was tried and tempted in every way as we are, to suffer and die for your sins on the Cross of Calvary, that you might inherit eternal life with Him in His glorious Kingdom forever?  Really? Will you not repent, and turn to Him with all your heart? The Bible says, the things that God has prepared for those who love Him have not even entered into the heart of man! Jesus said, Come to Me!, all you who are weary and heavy-laden, and take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am gentle and lowly of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

The Kingdom of God is in righteousness. You must turn from your evil ways. You must seek His righteousness. He said if you seek after righteousness you shall be filled. Believe what Jesus did for you; His sacrifice and suffering on the Cross for your sins. Believe that the Father raised Him from the dead; He died for your sins, and it shall be imputed to you for righteousness. Rom 4:21-25, talking about Abraham, and how he believed God,  And being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform, and therefore it was accounted to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised for our justification. Rom 5:1, Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. God made Him who knew no sin to become sin on the cross, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. In Him there is peace. Jesus said, My peace I give unto you; not as the world gives give I unto you; the peace that passes all understanding. Through faith in Jesus we have peace with God, and we have joy in the Holy Spirit. The joy of the Lord is our strength. 

The Kingdom of God is in power. The Apostle Paul said, I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes. Jesus said, Repent and believe the Gospel! If you will repent and believe the Gospel you will enter into God’s Kingdom and the power of God will work in your life to save you from all your destructions, to heal you, to deliver you, to provide for your every need, and to bless you and make you a blessing to many people, that you may bring forth fruit and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.

Interpretation of a message in tongues:

I am God Almighty. Those of you who are listening to my servant Rob, consider your ways, consider your doings, consider the cost, says the Lord. Trust Me. Call upon Me. Turn from your evil ways and I will give you eternal life with Me, with My Son, in His glorious Kingdom, if you will turn, if you will repent, but if you will harden your heart you will utterly perish says the Lord God.

Song:

The Kingdom is not meat and drink

But righteousness, peace, and joy

The Kingdom of God is not meat and drink

But righteousness, peace, and joy

Righteousness, peace, and joy

In the Holy Ghost

Righteousness, peace, and joy

In the Holy Ghost

 True Worship

Greetings in the name of Jesus! This is Rob Haymes. This is 15 Minutes With Jesus. Today we’re going to talk about True Worship. Let’s turn to 2Ch 5:1-14, This is talking about the dedication of Solomon’s Temple:  So all the work that Solomon had done for the House of the LORD was finished; and Solomon brought in the things which his father David had dedicated: the silver and the gold and all the furnishings, and he put them in the treasuries of the House of God. Now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, in Jerusalem, that they might bring the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD up from the City of David, which is Zion. Therefore all the men of Israel assembled with the king at the feast, which was in the seventh month. So all the elders of Israel came, and the Levites took up the Ark.  Then they brought up the Ark, the Tabernacle of Meeting, and all the holy furnishings that were in the Tabernacle. The priests and the Levites brought them up. Also King Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with him before the Ark, were sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered for multitude. Then the priests brought in the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the Temple, to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim. For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the Ark, and the cherubim overshadowed the Ark and its poles. The poles extended so that the ends of the poles of the Ark could be seen from the holy place, in front of the inner sanctuary; but they could not be seen from outside. And they are there to this day. Nothing was in the Ark except the two tablets which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they had come out of Egypt. And it came to pass when the priests came out of the Most Holy Place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without keeping to their divisions), and the Levites who were the singers, all those of Asaph and Heman and Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, stood at the east end of the altar, clothed in white linen, having cymbals, stringed instruments and harps, and with them one hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets— indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying: For He is good, For His mercy endures forever, that the House, the House of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the Glory of the LORD filled the House of God.   With one voice they lifted up praise and thanksgiving, with trumpets and instruments of worship, and with the Word of God, saying, For He is good, for His mercy endures forever. Then the Cloud, the Glory of God filled the House.  2Ch 6:1&2,  Then Solomon spoke: The LORD said He would dwell in the dark cloud. I have surely built You an exalted house, And a place for You to dwell in forever. Verse 40-42, Now, my God, I pray, let Your eyes be open and let Your ears be attentive to the prayer made in this place. Now therefore, Arise, O LORD God, to Your resting place, You and the Ark of Your strength. Let Your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, And let Your saints rejoice in goodness. O LORD God, do not turn away the face of your anointed; Remember the mercies of your servant David. 2 Ch 7:1-3, When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the Temple. And the priests could not enter the House of the LORD, because the Glory of the LORD had filled the LORD's House. 

When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the Glory of the LORD on the Temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the LORD, saying: For He is good, For His mercy endures forever. 

True worship requires a clear conscience, void of offence toward God and man. There must be repentance and confession of sin and real cleansing of filthiness and wickedness in order to come into God’s presence with a pure offering of praise. The Lord God gave the Children of Israel in old time; in the Old Covenant, the blood of sheep and oxen which they sacrificed unto Him to make an atonement for their sins before Him; that they might be forgiven of their sins and continue in fellowship with Him and not die. Now, in the New Covenant, He has given us the Blood of His Beloved Son Jesus Christ, who knew no sin, though He was tempted in every way as we are; He willingly gave Himself on the Cross to die for our sins, that through faith in Him, faith in His sacrifice and true repentance, we might receive forgiveness of sins and be cleansed, white as snow, from all our sins, and enter into fellowship with our God and Father; being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible; by the Word of God, which lives and abides forever; being His sons and daughters, serving Him in Spirit and in truth. Christ in you, the hope of Glory! 1Pe 1:18-23, 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 in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart; this is how we purify ourselves: by obeying the truth, the Word of God, through the Spirit, the Holy Spirit;  having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the Word of God which lives and abides forever. He has also given unto us His Holy Spirit, that we might be filled with His Spirit and be led by Him in all that we do every day, denying ourselves and taking up our cross and following Jesus to obey His Word and walk in His ways and offer to God true worship in the Spirit.

Let’s turn to John 4:6-24, Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, Give Me a drink. For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman? for Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, Give Me a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water. The woman said to Him, Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?  Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock? Jesus answered and said to her, Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 

but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life. 

The woman said to Him, Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw. Jesus said to her, Go, call your husband, and come here. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said to her, You have well said, I have no husband, for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly. The woman said to Him, Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 

Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship. Jesus said to her, Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But 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 a Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and truth. Mat 15:8&9, These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me, and in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. So it is today: true worship is of the heart; a heart that is given fully to God. God said of King David that he was a man after His own heart. David wrote the Psalms by the Holy Spirit and worshipped God and served Him with all his heart. So it is today; we must draw near to God with a true heart in repentance and faith in the Blood of Jesus; in the Holy Spirit, to offer unto God true worship in the Spirit and in truth; the Word of God. David gave us so many songs; psalms of praise and thanksgiving unto God. Eph 5:17-20,  Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Col3:1-17, If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. In the church today there is much worship being offered to God in vain; being founded in the doctrines of men; doctrines of false grace; turning the grace of God into lasciviousness. People are drawing near to God with their mouth, but their hearts are far from Him as they embrace these false doctrines to justify themselves to walk in the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind. Many are caught up in the beautiful music, the big sounds, the lights, and the glory of man, and they don’t realize that their worship is of the flesh, and many times of the wrong spirit, not in the Holy Spirit, and it is not acceptable to God.

Isa 1:13-20, Bring no more futile sacrifices; incense is an abomination to Me. The new moons, the sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies—I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. 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, plead for the widow. 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. 

 Josiah

Greetings in the name of Jesus! This is Rob Haymes. This is 15 Minutes with Jesus. Today we’re going to talk about King Josiah. Let’s turn to 1Kings 13:1-6, And behold, a man of God went from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD, and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. Then he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar! Thus says the LORD: Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men's bones shall be burned on you. And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the LORD has spoken: Surely the altar shall split apart, and the ashes on it shall be poured out. So it came to pass when King Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, who cried out against the altar in Bethel, that he stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, Arrest him! Then his hand, which he stretched out toward him, withered, so that he could not pull it back to himself.  The altar also was split apart, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD. Then the king answered and said to the man of God, Please entreat the favor of the LORD your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me. So the man of God entreated the LORD, and the king's hand was restored to him, and became as before. I’m not going to read any more, there’s a lot more here about this prophet and what happened to him, but he prophesied 

of King Josiah by name, and this was hundreds of years before Josiah was ever born.

Let’s turn to 2 Kings 22:1-20, Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.  Now it came to pass, in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan the scribe, the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the house of the LORD, saying: 

Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may count the money which has been brought into the house of the LORD, which the doorkeepers have gathered from the people. And let them deliver it into the hand of those doing the work, who are the overseers in the house of the LORD; let them give it to those who are in the house of the LORD doing the work, to repair the damages of the house— to carpenters and builders and masons—and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the house. However there need be no accounting made with them of the money delivered into their hand, because they deal faithfully.  Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. 

So Shaphan the scribe went to the king, bringing the king word, saying, Your servants have gathered the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of those who do the work, who oversee the house of the LORD.Then Shaphan the scribe showed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest has given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king. Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, that he tore his clothes. Then the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Achbor the son of Michaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king, saying, Go, inquire of the LORD for me, for the people and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found; for great is the wrath of the LORD that is aroused against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us. So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. (She dwelt in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter.) And they spoke with her. Then she said to them, Thus says the LORD God of Israel, Tell the man who sent you to Me, Thus says the LORD: Behold, I will bring calamity on this place and on its inhabitants—all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read—because they have forsaken Me and burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore My wrath shall be aroused against this place and shall not be quenched. But as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, in this manner you shall speak to him, Thus says the LORD God of Israel: Concerning the words which you have heard—because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you, says the LORD. Surely, therefore, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; and your eyes shall not see all the calamity which I will bring on this place. So they brought back word to the king. 

2 Kings 23:1-27, Now the king sent them to gather all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem to him. The king went up to the house of the LORD with all the men of Judah, and with him all the inhabitants of Jerusalem—the priests and the prophets and all the people, both small and great. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant which had been found in the house of the LORD. Then the king stood by a pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people took a stand for the covenant. And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, the priests of the second order, and the doorkeepers, to bring out of the temple of the LORD all the articles that were made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven; and he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel. Then he removed the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense on the high places in the cities of Judah and in the places all around Jerusalem, and those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun, to the moon, to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven. And he brought out the wooden image from the house of the LORD, to the Brook Kidron outside Jerusalem, burned it at the Brook Kidron and ground it to ashes, and threw its ashes on the graves of the common people. 

Then he tore down the ritual booths of the sodomites that were in the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the wooden image. And he brought all the priests from the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba; also he broke down the high places at the gates which were at the entrance of the Gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were to the left of the city gate. Nevertheless the priests of the high places did not come up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their brethren. And he defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire to Molech. Then he removed the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun, at the entrance to the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathan-Melech, the officer who was in the court; and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire. The altars that were on the roof, the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD, the king broke down and pulverized there, and threw their dust into the Brook Kidron. Then the king defiled the high places that were east of Jerusalem, which were on the south of the Mount of Corruption, which Solomon king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the people of Ammon. And he broke in pieces the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images, and filled their places with the bones of men. Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he broke down; and he burned the high place and crushed it to powder, and burned the wooden image. As Josiah turned, he saw the tombs that were there on the mountain. And he sent and took the bones out of the tombs and burned them on the altar, and defiled it according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words. Then he said, What gravestone is this that I see? So the men of the city told him, It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things which you have done against the altar of Bethel. And he said, Let him alone; let no one move his bones. So they left his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet who came from Samaria. Now Josiah also took away all the shrines of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke the LORD to anger; and he did to them according to all the deeds he had done in Bethel. He executed all the priests of the high places who were there, on the altars, and burned men's bones on them; and he returned to Jerusalem. 

Then the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the Passover to the LORD your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant. Such a Passover surely had never been held since the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah. But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah this Passover was held before the LORD in Jerusalem. Moreover Josiah put away those who consulted mediums and spiritists, the household gods and idols, all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD. Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him. Nevertheless the LORD did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath, with which His anger was aroused against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him. And the LORD said, I will also remove Judah from My sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there. 

The Lord spoke to Josiah, and He said, Because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before the Lord, when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants; that they would become a desolation and a curse, and you tore your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, says the Lord. Josiah’s heart was tender toward the Lord. He loved the Lord God, and he purged Jerusalem and all  Judah and Israel from their abominations and their idols, and he proclaimed a passover, the likes of which was never done in all of Israel, not since the days of Samuel. In verse 22:2 it says, And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.

Let’s turn to 2 Tim 3:1-5, But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 

For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, (or covetous), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! This is idolatry, and it is rampant in the church of Jesus Christ today. The church is full of idols and abominations and wickedness, as it was in the days of the kings of Judah and Israel. Come out from among them and be  separate! 2 Cor 6:14-18, 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. The Scripture says, Holiness, without which no man will see the Lord.

Do you love God?  Will you love Him and keep His ways, even unto death? Or do you love yourself, and your pleasures, and the things and glory of this world, to your own destruction?  How is your heart? Is your heart tender like Josiah’s? Are you willing to humble yourself before the Lord, and give Him all your heart? The Lord already humbled Himself, and gave Himself a living sacrifice for you.

 Psalm 23

Greetings in the name of Jesus. This is Rob Haymes. This is 15 Minutes With Jesus. Today we’re going to talk about Psalm 23, but before we do, we’re going to start in Psalm 22. Let’s turn there now. Psalm 22:1-24, 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. But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in You; They trusted, and You delivered them. They cried to You, and were delivered; They trusted in You, and were not ashamed. But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people. All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him! But You are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother's breasts. I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother's womb You have been My God. 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. But You, O Lord, do not be far from Me; O My Strength, hasten to help Me! Deliver Me from the sword, My precious life from the power of the dog. Save Me from the lion's mouth And from the horns of the wild oxen! You have answered Me. I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You. You who fear the Lord, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel! For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from Him; But when He cried to Him, He heard. It is only because of what is revealed here in Psalm 22 of the sufferings of Christ that we can enter into the blessings of Psalm 23. Psalm 23:1-6, The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever. The Lord is my Shepherd. In order to partake of the promises in Psalm 23, first of all, the Lord must be your Shepherd. You must be following Him. If you are in rebellion against Him; continuing in any sin, refusing to repent; if you are in any unforgiveness, you are not following Him. Jesus died for your sins, and the sins of those people who did you wrong. He loved you and gave Himself for you and suffered for you that you might be forgiven and enter into fellowship with Him, and the Father, and with the people of God. So forgive them and love them so that you may be forgiven. In 1 John 1:8-10 it is written, 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. You must confess it! If you feel like you can’t face it; if you feel like you can’t forgive, cry out to Jesus! For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered. He will help you. He loves you. Come to Me, Jesus said, take my yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest unto your souls. Jesus gave Himself on that Cross to pay your ransom for all your sins, and to bring you into eternal life with Him; to forgive you, and wash you, and fill you with His Holy Spirit, that you might be led by His Spirit to follow Him in the righteous paths that the Father has planned for your perfection; to make you holy, separate from this present evil world, that you may walk with Him and serve Him all your days in holiness and righteousness, and bring forth fruit that remains to His Glory. Let’s turn to Mat 7:21-23, Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness! Not everyone who says Lord, Lord, is going into the Kingdom of Heaven, but they that do the will of the Father. 

If the Lord is your Shepherd you will be seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all those things that you need will be added unto you; you shall not want. Luke 12:22-34,  Then  said Jesus to His disciples, Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. He will bless you. He will make you to lie down in green pastures. You will have good food, all that you need, with His blessings. But if you set your heart on the things that you want and need, and seek those things, you will not be able to follow Jesus. He will lead you beside still waters; a place where you can drink and be satisfied and refreshed and find rest. 

As you follow Him, He will lead you in paths of righteousness to restore your soul. The Lord has paths for you to walk in that will deal with your heart, and bring about righteousness in you. He will expose things in you and bring you to repentance and cleansing. Your soul will be restored from all the damage of sin and rebellion, pride and self-righteousness. If you’re going to follow Jesus you must stay on the path He has for you and let Him deal with your life and break you and make you righteous, until He leads you to the next path. Sometimes it hurts; sometimes it’s difficult and painful, but if you are following Him, He is with you for your greatest good, and it’s for His name’s sake, not yours. He will bring you to the place where your greatest desire is to glorify His name and please the Father; no longer yourself, and He will make you fruitful if you will be faithful to Him and follow Him unto death.

Eventually you will come to the valley of the shadow of death. No matter what He brings us to, we need not fear any evil, because He is with us, and He will bring us through that valley. His rod and His staff will comfort us. Jesus Christ has absolute authority over every power of darkness, over every principality, over every man, over every name that is named; that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord to the Glory of God the Father. He is Lord! As His sheep, if we will stay close to our Shepherd, and follow Him, we need not fear the wolves, the lions, or the bears, nor any other predators. His rod and His staff are in His hands to defend us, protect us, and comfort us. I will fear no evil for you are with me. In fact, Jesus will prepare a table before us in the presence of our enemies, right in front of those who want to destroy us, He will feed us, He will bless us, and anoint us with His Holy Spirit. Let’s turn to Luke 12:35-40, Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.  And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. 

Let’s turn to 1 Cor 10:12-24, Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say.  The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the fellowship of the Blood of Christ? We are blessed because of the Blood of Jesus; washing us and cleansing us, white as snow; that we might enter into communion with Jesus and the Father, and with one another, through His sacrifice of Himself on the Cross. Through repentance and faith toward Him our cup runs over; the blessings will come upon us and overtake us: the blessings of true righteousness, the blessings of true love, the blessings of the Holy Spirit, and the blessings of the Word of God; the blessings of true fellowship with the Lord through the Holy Spirit, and with one another. We will be blessed and our families will be blessed. Our work will be blessed. Our companies will be blessed. Our cities will be blessed and our nation will be blessed, IF we will repent and turn to Him with all our heart, and truly and wholeheartedly follow the Lamb of God wherever He leads us. And He will lead you if you are willing to follow Him. If you want to go your own way, and seek your own pleasures, He will not be leading you into all these blessings, and you will wander in your own wilderness until He deals with your life to bring you out of rebellion, dead religion, self-righteousness, and the doctrines of men, to really follow Him in the Spirit, and in truth; to truly love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and your neighbor also, as yourself. As we love God, and love one another, forgiving one another, walking in the light, we will have true fellowship with Him and with one another, and surely His goodness and His mercy shall follow us all the days of our life, and we will dwell in the House of the Lord forever. 

Choose you this day whom you will serve; whom you will follow. As for me and my house, we will follow our Lord Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd. Jesus said, I am the Good shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep.