SERMONS - BIBLE TEACHING - SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY - REVELATION
Patience
October 1, 2023
In your patience possess ye your souls.
Promises and patience - what a wonderful duo! Believe and hope in God's promises with patience. And that patience in waiting, with faith in God, who will deliver, shall lead to the reward.
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Do I expect the reward? Not as a deal in a marketplace. Though I don’t see it with my natural eyes, I believe in that reward, and so I press on, trusting in the promises of God. In our patience, we possess our souls.
Brothers and sisters, I will preach to you a little and to myself about patience. There is patience in love, patience in rebuke, patience after being accused, patience in longsuffering, patience in judging, patience onto forgiveness, patience in hope, and patience in obtaining promises.
For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
The one we will touch on today is patience in waiting with contentment. Many pastors in these perilous times, when evil seems to be rising to unprecedented heights, preach rightfully, the promises of God. Preaching that, as God is with us, we, being children of God, shall not need to be afraid because he will not forsake us. Amen to that.
How do we approach this truth? Is this the age of David, so we resist evil, or as the times of Jeremiah and Daniel, when we patiently endure knowing that we shall "return home"? As they did return, those of Israel who were exiled to the strange land. We are being "exiled". It is a spiritual exile. Do you not see it? Is this your country, the Christian country, or is it becoming a country of strange gods and strange powers? Peace. I do not mean it is this way because of out-of-control immigration; I mean this country, where God was in the camp, but is no more. He has been not only moved out of the camp but even cast out on the street.
And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.
I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
But be patient, have faith, and do not be angry onto sin. Do not rage against your government. Did you not help to build it? Some to your glory, and some to your shame? Did you not allow your own God to be moved out of your own schools, from your own government, and from your own homes? You did it in the name of your idol - freedom - which replaced your God rather than being from God, as in the past time it was from God. True freedom belongs to godly people. But many of you believe that freedom can exist without God. Freedom without God is slavery in sin. Now you are strangers in your own country, as in a strange land, because you have forsaken him, the Lord our God.
And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore doeth the Lord our God all these things unto us? then shalt thou answer them, Like as ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.
Peace. Vote in peace, while allowed, but do not riot. Gather in peace, not demonstrating with a pride in your hearts that says, "We will show them"; provoking one another, even some of those confused among you, into the fruits of hate. Find refuge in the love of the Lord, Christ Jesus.
Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
Have patience and endure all things.
beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Because not only shall we return, but we shall also have a full inheritance in all, heavenly and even earthly, in glory and even in justice; we shall possess it all in him.
Patience. Time is coming, and it is already here: the time of Daniel (as a meek and wise servant of God in the strange land), the time of Lot (delivered by angels), and the time of Enoch (translated by God); the deliverance is near.
In our patience, we possess our souls.
Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
Christ be in you, the hope of glory.
-By Lubomir
Bring Forth Fruit with Patience
October 8, 2023
But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
I love the Parable of the Sower in Luke 8 and Matthew 13. I love, in Luke 8:15, those words of the Lord Jesus: good ground, honest, good heart, keep, bring forth fruit, with patience.
Now, brothers and sisters, let's read Romans 10, verses 8 to 11:
… The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Let's look at these two passages: Luke 8:15 and Romans 10:8-11
In Luke 8:15, the Lord Jesus is pointing to the good ground, so as being ready to receive the seed, the word of God. And Paul, in Romans 10:8, describes that the word of faith is near, even in your mouth, ready to confess the Lord Jesus (Romans 10:9).
As we continue in Luke 8:15, the Lord Jesus points now to an honest heart, because without an honest heart there is no honest confession unto salvation, which is in the Lord Jesus. "With the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:10).
Then the Lord continues in Luke 8:15 pointing to a good heart, because without a good heart there is no understanding and believing of man unto righteousness. "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness" (Romans 10:10).
Then he says, "… having heard the word, keep it", as without keeping, what have you received? And how, if not kept, will it bring fruit? Keep it - the word of God - and with patience, believe it. Not as Adam and Eve, who were given the garden of Eden (with ready and good ground to bring forth fruit) just to keep it (Genesis 2:15), if they also kept the word of God (Genesis 2:17). I can also see that Adam and Eve were not patient with the workings of the Lord, what he prepared for them. They did not keep the word - the commandment of their God - and after the sin, were ashamed and hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God. This is in contrast to Romans 10:11 which says, "Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."
In Luke 8:15, our Lord Jesus is laying out the way a believer ought to receive the word of God unto salvation and keep it, bringing forth the fruits of the Holy Spirit with patience of the "new man" - the changed man - the one who received the finished works: the death, the burial, and the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus.
Keep the word of God deep in your heart, water it, and let it bear the fruits from the "good ground". Walk according to the word with the patience of the saints; receive it with everyday joy and with continuous thanksgiving onto the Lord Jesus Christ. With faith and, again to say, with patience, endure the workings of the Spirit in you, in the "new man", being not offended by the new guest, the Holy Ghost, and his warring against the flesh and the devil. Bury (1 Corinthians 15:31, Luke 9:23) that "old man" - his sins in the flesh - deep, so as not to be ashamed in the presence of the Lord, your High Priest.
Christ be in you, the hope of glory.
-By Lubomir
Mirror and Glass
October 15, 2023
For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
Brothers and sisters, we will take a look at this amazing picture of the sun and the moon, the reflection in the mirror, and seeing through the glass.
The Sun is the picture of Christ, our Lord Jesus
The Moon is the body of Christ, his bride, the Church.
The moon looks beautiful and bright only because the sun shines its light on it. As brothers and sisters in Christ, we are that Moon, the reflection of the Sun of righteousness, Christ. But, if we put our own mirror in front of the Moon (us), a solid mirror between the Moon and the Sun, the Moon sees just itself and also becomes dark, not reflecting the light of the Sun. As such, do we look at ourselves to see ourselves, or do we look at Jesus, our Lord? Does the Moon look into the mirror and say, How beautiful and shiny do I look? Or rather, does the Moon look at the Sun, and then it is seen in the beauty of the reflection of the Sun? Well, then, look at the Sun of righteousness to reflect his righteous glory. And as more and more of the light of the Sun shines on the Moon, it gets brighter and brighter. But then, one day, at last, it shall be transformed into the same image, from glory to glory, as being the image of the Sun. That is the body of Christ.
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
We ought to look and see through that glass; not seeing ourselves as in a mirror, but through a glass, seeing Christ. How do we know we see him? We are reflecting his image; his light is abiding in us; we are not in the darkness but rather doing works of that light. Not because of our own light, but as a reflection of his. So, we see Christ through that glass, but we also reflect him, as in the mirror. He is behind that glass, even not so clear glass, seeing somewhat darkly at times, nevertheless we "see" him. We have him in our thoughts. If we do not see him, it is because we are looking at ourselves. And the glass, through which we are supposed to see, becomes a solid mirror in which we just to see ourselves. Refusing to see anything else but ourselves, blinded by our own image, again that glass, which was offered to us, through which we were supposed to see God, becomes so dark. Solid dark, nothing to see through, but only a mirror reflecting our own natural image. We are then separated from God, not seeing God behind that solid mirror, just ourselves in front of the mirror.
The mirror is our "vail". The glass is our "see".
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
Do not make God into your own image, of your own likings, or even of your own hobby. That would not be the true God, only your god of your own imagination, and as such it is not only your own but also separated from the true God, because there is only one true God, not a personal variant of each man's heart and mind. You cannot make God to your likings. But rather, God makes you into his pleasure and image, in the likeness of his Son, if you are his child.
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
We shall be like him. And such God is looking at his Son when he looks at you. Be that good son, adapted and transformed by God into the glorious image of his only begotten Son of God.
Christ be in you, the hope of glory.
-By Lubomir
My Sheep Hear My Voice
October 22, 2023
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
My sheep hear my voice
Oh, brothers and sisters, hear his voice; do not say to each other, We do not need to hear his voice, we are saved by his grace. What? You are debtors to your Lord.
Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
Now, is he your Lord, or is he your Christmas present? Or a way out of hell, only?
We do well to make God our "hobby", says another. Do you hear yourself? You make God? Christ Jesus? And you do well when you do that? Your hobby that you are making to your liking? Is he made out of carved wood? Do you like his face now? It is a face of your imagination, not his likeness.
Now, how can you hear his voice, God's voice, if you are holding a carved image of him in your hand likened to your image? And you say that he whispered, or something, to your conscience to take your relatives to a devilish heavy metal concert. You've got HIS approval to do so, you say. What? That was our Holy God? No, my friend, that was the spirit of error, and a mighty error if that. Repent from your heathen religion and turn to the real God, the God who is holy and loves you with real love, unmeasurable and unsearchable, holy love. Believe in Christ Jesus, the Lord, not a god formed in your own heart, but God who opened your heart to him. As it is written: …whose heart the Lord opened (Acts 16:14).
And I know them
Oh, brothers and sisters, take this one to your hearts, it is not if you know the Lord, but that he knows you.
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
You ask: How does he know me? By HIS WORKS in you. You do not see any of God's works in you? Any changes in what you are after in your life? And I do not mean just that you come to your church every Sunday, though that's good. But: Do you hate sins you once loved, do you see it as your enemy? Do you love God's laws you once disregarded? Do you love his holiness, or you just love his free ticket to heaven? Do you seek him and to understand him? Do you seek his presence? Do you pray to God? Not only to help you with your finances and such, but to help you in love of him, in love of your brethren. To help you to overcome the trials, your sinful nature. Do you give a thanks to God continually? Do you call on him? Not just that one time, when your pastor told you to record that day and hour, but continually? Do you call upon the name of the Lord Jesus, to help you overcome your selfishness and to trust and depend on him?
I mean, is the Lord who you say is in your heart just locked in your heart and mute, dead like? Or is he alive in your heart and, as such, in and on your mind; do you have the Spirit of Christ? Tremble, if the former applies to you; rejoice if it is the latter.
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Call on him, the Lord Jesus, continually.
And they follow me
And such follow him, as they who hear his voice, he knows them, and they follow him. What is our Lord teaching here? He is teaching us that we belong to him, and not to another man, not even to the bishop or pastor, but to him on high, he is our Shepherd, our High Priest. Such we hear him, the Lord Jesus, and learn of him in the word of God. Follow him and not another. We can and should come together in his name, Jesus's name, and pastors can preach their good sermons, and we can sing good songs of praise to him. Come to your pastor's church but follow Jesus and eat of his bread of life; he broke a portion for you. Follow the Spirit of God coming to the church, not the pastor's spirit. You are not saved by another, but by the Lord Christ Jesus.
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Christ be in you, the hope of glory.
-By Lubomir
The Glory of God
October 29, 2023
Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judæa again. His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again? Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him. These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him. Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.
Brothers and sisters, we know and have been taught that God thinks differently than us. His ways are not our ways, and his thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8). Even here, in the passage in John 11, he says, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God.
For the glory of God.
For this glory of God to be magnified, here Jesus waited, instead of rushing to the place, for Lazarus. Scripture says first that he loved them, and it continues as follows: When he had heard that Lazarus was sick, he abode two days still in the same place, where he was. Still in the same place where he was. Calm of God.
We see here, of course, this absolute confidence of the Son of God. Have confidence in your God, our Lord Jesus Christ. His plan of deliverance and manifestation of his glory may not always be "intuitive" to our understanding. But God may have many ways to manifest his glory. This was one of them. He declares about the sickness of Lazarus: "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God."
He (our God) waits; he is in control; he creates the moment of his glory; he does not only react to that moment.
Take heed and believe it. That God above, above, above you. That God in control of you all, not just helping some. The God who opens hearts, and the God who hardens even wicked hearts. The God not just locked in your hearts, but living and present in you and with you. Do not just think that God is for you, but also that he has us for himself. Not just that he is to be enjoyed, but that he is to be reverend, being the Lord. His name is Jesus, and he is our Lord and Christ. He is the word of God. His name is the Word. Bread of life.
For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
And he creates, he does not just react; he establishes, he does not just fix. In a way he finishes before he even starts.
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Amen.
Christ be in you, the hope of glory.
-By Lubomir
Note:
*This verse is missing in some bible translations.