KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS
Monday – March 23, 2020, Adar 27, 5780
Greeting to our dear friends and partners, precious saints, sons and daughters of the only living God. Welcome back to this wonderful and empowering Bible Study of the Book of John. If you are reading this on Facebook please take a moment to hit the “love” and “share” buttons to give us feedback and to expand the reach of these teachings. Just as the sun is setting in the featured picture so is winter starting, starting, to set for this year. The pictures today, tomorrow, and Wednesday are courtesy of our granddaughter at Little Moments Photography. Ladies remember to get your flyer and register for the Women’s Conference coming up on the 30th of May at New Beginnings Church of God in Waterville, Maine. This is not a Church of God only function but is open to all ladies, all denominations, and all independent Churches. The theme is “The Virtuous Woman” of Proverbs 31:10-12. Registration is $25.00 with lunch provided. Now let’s turn our attention to our primary Bible text and read it aloud.
John 15:10-14 (KJV)
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
Perhaps some of us cringed just a little when we looked at the title of todays teaching. Perhaps we said; Oh no, back to love and obedience to the Word of God, the commandments of God, principally the love commandment (agape). We are in the final hours of Jesus’ ministry in the earth, the time for Him to go to the Cross and be our substitute is at hand, take the curse, suffer for our sin. As awful as that day was, I for one am so thankful that He, that God, loved me, loved us all enough to pay the price of salvation redeeming us from sin and the curse. Talk about love (agape) this is the pinnacle of agape (love) displayed by our Savior and the Father. Jesus (the Word) was a part of the co-equal Triune God before the womb of Mary and is so today. He, Jesus, the Word, did not need a Savior. His transition from Heaven into this sin filled and curse filled earth, the transition from being fully God to being flesh was no small deal. We owe Him heartfelt thanksgiving today and everyday down through eternity.
Let’s focus on verse ten for just a few moments as we prepare to move forward. God is so good. We have heard Jesus say this over and over in the last several verses. Do we suppose that this is important? How important? Without loving God, we cannot bear fruit, period. Saying we love God and loving God may or may not be in congruency (agreement or harmony). Love (agape) of God is doing the Word of God. Loving God involves faith for we cannot please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6). In addition, we must be led of the Holy Spirit in all of our ways, even our thoughts, and words. We must believe the Word of God, do the Word of God, all the while led of the Holy Spirit, and then we can say with full confidence that we love God. Of course, many say they love (agape) God in ignorance and there is a time of mercy and grace for that but it is not unending and explains a lot about the curse in peoples lives. It is not the will of God for the curse in any form to be present in the lives of any of His children. If somehow, we give the curse entrance and it gets a stronghold, He would that we discover it quickly and cast it out in the name of Jesus.
Please, please notice the “if” that starts off verse ten of our text. This “if” means that someone has a choice, freewill, God is not in control of this decision, that someone in control of this decision is us. We choose to keep His Word, His commandments or not. The will of God is for us to do all the Word of God and in that way walk as Jesus walked, doing all that He did, and the greater things. God will not make us do His Word and the devil(s) cannot make us not do their will, we chose. Many times, we are following after the flesh, the lusts of our own imaginations, and ignore the way of the Spirit. I wonder when or if we will awaken to our waywardness or if we will continue to follow blind guides and both of us go into and remain in the ditch. Let us prove everything we believe not by some doctrinal statement but by Scripture with two or more witnesses. Let us abandon the traditions of men and the doctrines of demons that has us mired in the curse, and without power. Let us understand the authority (dominion) God has given us in the earth, the Word to guide us in the Kingdom, and the availability of the Power of God to flow. Seems like it is time for us to quit thinking about getting God closer to us but for us to determine that we will seek after Him and get close, close, close to Him. I am not talking about a distance between us and the Lord but a distance in thought and word. Lord willing, I will pick up right here tomorrow. Remember, God is good, nothing but good, whatever is not good in our lives is not of God even in the least but is the thief.
Until our next publication, as a Bible Teacher and Prophetic Voice I speak this blessing over each and every one of you, receive it, believe it, and speak over yourself and your family by faith in Jesus name! Quit asking God to bless you, you are already blessed, you have the Blessing, give Him something to do by the words of your mouth. Once you know the will of God, decree the thing (Job 22:28, Isaiah 45:11, Mark 11:23). (The Blessing is the Holy Spirit) We have left God way to long with nothing to do in our lives.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
24 The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you;
26 The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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