Psalm 137
By the rivers of Babylon,
There we sat down and wept,
When we remembered Zion. Upon the willows in the midst of it
We hung our harps.
For there our captors demanded of us songs,
And our tormentors, jubilation, saying,
“Sing for us one of the songs of Zion!”
How can we sing the Lord’s song
In a foreign land?
If I forget you, Jerusalem,
May my right hand forget its skill.
May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
If I do not remember you,
If I do not exalt Jerusalem
Above my chief joy.
Remember, Lord, against the sons of Edom
The day of Jerusalem,
Those who said, “Lay it bare, lay it bare
To its foundation!”
Daughter of Babylon, you devastated one,
Blessed will be one who repays you
With the retribution with which you have repaid us.
Blessed will be one who seizes and dashes your children
Against the rock.

The Saddest of All Psalms!

Written by the prophet Jeremiah, this Psalm is said to be the saddest of all Psalms! It is a lamentation that was brought forth after the prophet gave repeated warnings to Israel of the coming of Babylonian invaders, only to find himself among the captives, weeping.

This week, we are going to go through this psalm, verse by verse and talk about how our current "invasion" impacts the church, your family, and your life.
​

1. Does Babylon exist today? If so, who/what is it? 
2. What are the similarities between Babylon, and the secular humanist and progressive movements of our day?
3. Who are the major players?
4. Why doesn't the church seem very concerned about it, today?
5. Finally, how do we resist, going forward? 

We have finally made it to the last of the foundational principles: Eternal Judgement. I know...you can probably assume that this will be all fire and brimstone. But actually, eternal judgement looks a lot different for the believer -- especially those who have been obedient to God's purpose, to which they are called. So, we are going to jump head-first into the "fire and brimstone" part, and honestly, it isn't much different from what you may have heard. In fact, it's ugly. Still, if you are a believer, the horror of hell should only motivate you to give your life to pulling others "out of the fire." You are safe. 

So, let's start with the Great White Throne judgement!  

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15).

If you are a believer, this is not your fate. This great white throne judgement is the fate of the ungodly, unrepentant sinner. Such people are judged according to their works on the earth. As a result, their every sin is brought before them. There is no escape from this judgement. It is the precursor to eternal damnation. Sadly, nearly all of us know someone who will face this throne while still in their sins. This is why we have an urgency to share the most important message in the history of mankind -- the gospel. 

Jesus gives warning of this terrible and FINAL judgement. This lake of fire was not prepared for human beings. It was prepared for the devil and his angels. Sadly, people cling so tightly to the enemy, that they face the same judgement. 

Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41).

Hell, "...where the worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:44, 46, 48).

"...the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day" (1 Thessalonians 1:7-10). (Notice that in this verse, it gives a distinction between the fate of the unglodly, and the fate of the godly in the same verses.)

While we can clearly see the damnation of those who do not know God or obey the gospel, there is admiration in all who believe! This means that judgement day for the believer is a great day! It is a day of glorious victory!

But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, And every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. (Romans 14:10-12).

We will stand before the judgement seat!

It sounds like a terrifying day, but is it? The greek word for "judgement seat" is the word "bema". It is different from the word used for judgement throughtout the gospels (krisis), which speaks to damnation and condemnation. The term, Bema, speaks to a judgement as you would see in an Olympic game. It is literally a raised podium from which judgements are made for reward. From here, the "least" and the "greatest" in the kindgdom of heaven are determined (see Matthew 5:19). 

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God (2 Corinthians 5:10-11).

See? "But, we...". Again, there is a distinction between we, and the ones we are trying to persuade. We are made manifest to God. The "terror" is why we persuade those outside of His will. THe judgement seat of Christ is not a place of fear and condemnation for the believer. We will not have all of our sins recounted before us, all over again. God has said that you "...sins and iniquities, He will remember no more." So, why would He bring up our past, blood washed, forgiven past again? It is gone, and resolved. Christ's "Bema" is not a seat of trembling and punishment. This (I believe) is where you get your rewards.

5 Crowns

1. Incorruptible Crown (1 Corinthisans 9:25)
2. Crown of Rejoicing (1 Thessalonians 2:19) See also, Luke 15:10 (REJOICING)
3. Crown of Life (James 1:12, Revelation 2:10)
4. Crown of Glory (1 Peter 2:4)
5. Crown of Righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8)

As you can see, we ought to rejoice in the glorious future that lies ahead. The day of judgement will be a delight and rejoicing for those who believe. Even as we give account of all o our works, whether good or bad, our soul shall be saved!

According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire (1 Corinthians 3:10-15). 

Your works will be judged, but you, yourself, shall be saved! What you do with your life can either be gold, silver, and precious stones, or it can be wood, hay and stubble. It will all be tried by fire. The Day shall declare your works. Whether you are great of the least in the kingdom is dependent on your obedience to God on earth. But again, if you are a believer, your soul shall be saved!!!

Question: What is your greatest concern about the Day of judement?  














   

But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable (1 Corinthians 15:13-19).

First of all, Christ Foster did a fantastic teaching last week on The Laying on of Hands. One thing about studying the foundational principles is that you get to learn things that you won't learn anywhere else. If you listen to what is being taught, it is practical. You can do this! Even more valuable (in my opinion) is the opportunity to apply what you learn when we gather together for prayer on Tuesday nights. I know...it's late. Soon, we will have prayer sessions at a more manageable time. However, I want you to understand that the sacrifice is worth it all. In fact, nothing of value comes without sacrifice, and prayer is one of those things. All that to say...come to prayer as often as you are able. The times demand it. 
Speaking of the times, I feel the need to go in a diferent direction tonight. We are now on the Resurrection of the Dead portion of the foundational teachings, and we will dive into  that topic, tonight. (For good reason, Niral II is burning to share what he understands about this). However, I want to get a bit more in the here, and now. I don't know if you can feel it, or see it, but there are some things going on in the world that we need to talk about, and pray about. I am concerned that if we are not careful, we will keep doing church, and become victims of whatever the world brings across our path. Here are some examples:

• COVID Delta Variant 
• Major crisis in South Africa
• Haiti, Burundi, Tanzania presidents -- all dead.
• Door-to-Dood vaccine checks
• FDA announces new vaccine risks
• Communism in Cuba is being revolted against
• Women's Health Protection Act (allowing abortions up to birth)
• SF Gay Choir: We're coming for your children
• Canadian churches under persecution
• Transgenderism in the military, while China and Russia rise in power
• 2020 Election audits are showing MAJOR issues, and media is ignoring it

Most of the time, the media reports on these things as though they are a bunch of random, disconnected coincidences. Then, anytime someone tries to discover a connection between them, they are labeled a "conspiracy theorist." In an effort to discredit the exposure of an evil agenda, this culture will label you in their own terms in order to define you, and discredit (and even persecute) you. It is more convenient to them, for believers to get lost in the world of social media, entertainment, busyness, and self-centeredness. They don't want you to see plainly, the evil that is actually happening in the world.  

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.Now as Jannes and Jambres [Exodus 7: 11, 22, and 8:7,18] withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was (2 Timothy 3:1-9).

Even with their folly manifest to everyone, people will still not believe the truth -- even those who go to church.  The answer to this issue is the ministry of Spirit-led intercession. In the midst of the turmoil in the world.

Read: Ezekiel 22:23-31
Read: Isaiah 59

Questions:

1. This Jesus who dies on the cross over 200 years ago: Is He alive?
2. What does this reality mean to our present day Christianity? 
3. Will there be apostasy, or revival in these days? 
4. ​How does intercession fit into this equation? 

Purpose: 
To transmit:  blessing, Authority, Wisdom, The HS, a Spiritual gift or a ministry
To commission: 

1. To recognize God’s appointment)
2. To set apart for a certain task or ministry
3. To endorse
4. Equip with authority needed.

Laying on of Hands in the Old Testament
In Blessing: 

1. Isaac blessed Jacob  - Gen 27
2. Jacob (Israel) blessed Ephraim over Manassah… greater blessing came through right hand (Gen 48:14-20). 

In consecration of offerings:  (Principle of transmission)

1. Hands laid on sacrifice by priest (to symbolically transfer guilt) Lev 1:4; 3:2; 4:15; 16:21 and on the scape goat. 
2. Lev 4:15 “And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bull before the Lord: and the bull shall be killed before the Lord” (Lev 4:15) 
3. Read Num 8:10-16 to commission Levites, set apart, and consecrate  
4. Moses lays hands on Joshua to commission, give authority and the spirit of wisdom. 
5. Read Num 27:18-23 “commission” “give authority” 
6. Read Deut 34:9  Moses to Joshua “filled with the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him; and the Israelites obeyed him, doing as the LORD had commanded Moses” (Spirit and Authority was imparted or transferred) 

Laying on of Hands in the New Testament
In Blessing: 

1. Mark 10:16 “And he took them (the children) up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them” (NRSV).
2. Matt 19:15 “”And he laid his hands on them and went on his way”

God’s concern is to bless his children.  
Action point: The second most prominent and powerful blessing in Scripture, is those that come from Father or grandfather blessing their children. 

1. Read Num 6:22-27: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.” 

Believers should bless and not curse.

1. Read James 3:9-10. 

In the Baptism of the Holy Spirit: 

1. Acts 8:17 
2. Acts 9:17
3. Acts 19:1-6

In Healing/exorcism/miracles by Jesus:

1. Matt 8:3 “He stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I do choose. Be made clearn!” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed” 
2. Matt 8:15 “he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve him.” 
3. Matt 9:18 Jairus appeals that the Lord would come and lay His hand upon her daughter. 
4. Luke 4:40 “Wile the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him; and laying his hands on each one of them, he was healing them.” 
5. (See also Mark 1:31, 41; 3:10; 5:23; 6:5, 56; 7:32; 8:23, 25; 9:27; Luke 4:40; 6:19; 13:13; 14:4) and 

In Healing by the early church (Acts 3:7; 5:12, 15; 9:12, 17; 14:3; 19:11; 28:8)

1. Read Mark 16:18 We are commissioned to lay hands on the sick for their recovery. “They shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover” 5th sign that follows believers. 
2. Read Acts 9:12, 17 Paul’s blind eyes healed through Ananias laying on of his hands and be filled with the Holy Spirit. 
3. Read Acts 14:3 
4. Acts 19:11 “God did extraordinary miracles through [the hands of (in Greek)] Paul, so that when the handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, their diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them.” 
5. Acts 28:8 His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. (NIV)
6. Read James 5:14 “Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.” Related but involves anointing with oil… symbolic and obedient act for healing… includes touching the person. 

• We lay on hands by faith… 
• by obedience to the voice and leading of the Holy Spirit. 
• by need… those asking for healing.

To Commissioning, imparting, sending, equipping
Stephen and colleagues 

1. Read Acts 6:1-6 – identifies a person’s call to a specific task:
2. “They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their lands on them” (Acts 6:6)

Paul and Barnabas

1. Read Acts 13:1-5     
2. “Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off” (Acts 13:3).
3. “Do not neglect the gift (charismatos) that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy (singular) with (meta) the laying on of hands by the council (body) of elders (presbuteros)” (1 Tim 4:14) 

Public validation in the church of his gifts and commissioning. 
Be affirmed locally; do not go rogue. 

1. “I am giving you these instructions, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies (plural) made earlier about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight” (1 Tim 1:18)

Impart a spiritual gift:
“For this reason, I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through (dia) the laying on of my hands; 7 for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.” (2 Tim 1:6) NRSV)

1. Gift – “God’s favor graciously and undeservedly bestowed through the working of his Holy Spirit”   Also could be spiritual gifts given to believers for ministry in the Church.
2. Read Romans 1:11 
3. ”For I am longing to see you so that I may share (Gk: impart) unto you some spiritual gift”  
4. We do not impart anything in our own power, but by the direction and power of the Holy Spirit (cf. 1 Cor 12:11). 

Dangers: do not lay hands hastily!
“Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, and do not participate (share) (κοινώνει ἁμαρτίαις) in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.” (1 Tim 5:22) 
Warning: do not hastily receive the laying on of hands! 

1. If blessings can be imparted, the opposite can happen. 
2. Alexander William Ness, in his book Transference of Spirits has observed the dangers of a negative transference of spirits by ministers with various problems.
3. A minister with sexual immorality problems, counseling couples who start having similar problems. 
4. Leader of prayer group with a very critical spirit, ministering to the prayer group who become equally as critical and developed an unholy faithfulness to this critic.
5. “A layman who went far astray in doctrine, laid hands on followers, ministered to them and soon they were deceived and accepted his false doctrines, hook, line and sinker.”

Be careful of what kind of spirit you submit yourself to when you ask someone to lay hands on you. 

1. There are lying spirits in false prophets, the spirit of man (Ezek 13:3) ( I got pushed over one time in an altar line by the pastor), 
2. “The spirit that now works in the children of disobedience” (Eph 2:2)
3. Unclean spirits (Matt 10:1)
4. Seducing spirits (1 Tim 4:1)
5. Read: 2 Cor 11:13-15

Make sure the person laying on of hands is trustworthy, has integrity, knows the word of God, “You shall know them by their fruit” Matt 7:16

1. Be alert, on guard in your Spirit… tune in to the Holy Spirit asking for discernment of Spirits. If you feel a check, you can pray protection over yourself or refuse the laying on of hands. 1 Peter 5: 8, 9 “be sober, be vigilant because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”  
2. This danger can be avoided by walking rightly and humbling before ethe Lord, reading the word of God regularly, praying, loving the Lord, worshipping, being obedient to submit where God plants to you under godly order and leadership.
3. If you are walking rightly with the Lord, you need not fear inadvertently picking something up.  
4. If you can remember back to a time when prayed over and something did not seem right or you picked up something, not of the Lord. Submit to God, Identify it, renounce it, take authority over it and command it to go. (James 4:7-11)

Safeguards 

1. “First, this ministry should never be exercised lightly or carelessly, but always in a spirit of prayer and humility. 
2. Second, the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit should be sought at every stage: With whom to pray? When to pray? How to pray? 
3. Third, the believer who lays on hands must know how to claim on behalf of his own spirit the continual purifying and protecting power of the Blood of Christ.
4. Fourth, the believer who lay on hands must himself be so empowered by the Holy Spirit that he is able to overcome any kind of evil spiritual influence seeking to work in or through the one upon whom hands are laid.
5. When they four safeguards are not carefully observed, there is a real danger that harmful spiritual results may follow, the practice of laying on of hands – either in the one who lays on hands, or in the one on whom hands are laid, or in both.” (Derek Prince, “Laying on of Hands” booklet (Fort Lauderdale: Derek Prince Publications)

“…one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5).
 
So, we are still in the foundational principles and the sincere milk of the Word. We started out with repentance from dead works. Then, we moved on to an AWESOME teaching on faith toward God by Ose Burnett. This week, we get to dive into the topic of the doctrine of baptisms. Notice, it says “baptisms’ – plural. Yes, there is more than one baptism in the New Testament. The three we will cover this week are: Baptism into Christ Jesus, the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, and water baptism.
 
Before we go on, let’s investigate what baptism actually means. It comes from the Greek word, baptidzo, which means to be fully immersed by someone into something. It means to dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge (of vessels sunk), to cleanse by dipping or submerging, to wash, to make clean with water, to wash one's self, bathe, to overwhelm. Originally, it described what a person did when they wanted to change the color of clothing, cloths, etc. The cloth would be dipped into a container, and left there until the cloth was a brand-new color because it was so saturated with the dye.
 
Baptized into Christ Jesus

• For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13).
• For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ (Galatians 3:27).

 
This happens at the moment of repentance and belief in Jesus Christ. This is what was spoken of in Ephesians 4:5, which says, “…one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” Of course, we are investigating three different baptisms, but this is the one required for salvation. It is not water baptism. Here, the Holy Spirit baptizes you into Christ Jesus. This is done by Him, without your participation, at the moment of conversion. This is the only baptism REQUIRED for salvation. It is the baptism that enters you into the body of Christ. Again, there is nothing we need to do to receive this baptism except to repent, and call upon the Name of Jesus as our Lord. The rest is done by the Holy Spirit, placing us “in” Christ. The evidence of this baptism is the fruit (Matthew 7:16).
 
Baptized in the Holy Spirit
 ​“John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16). 
This is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. But, what is it, really? So much has been said to associate this with the speaking in other tongues that we have oftentimes forgotten the real significance of this baptism. It is an immersion into the power of God, and according to the biblical record, speaking in tongues plays a huge role in it. In nearly every instance where people were filled with the Holy Spirit, they spoke in tongues and prophesied. Still, something deeper happens, and John explains it: “His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire” (Luke 3:17). There is a sanctification and purification that happens when a person is baptized in the Holy Spirit. See, we are baptized in the HOLY Spirit. We are immersed into the power of God so long, we change in a way that impacts the world around us (Acts 1:8). We go from those who hid our faces from Christ, to those who shine with His glory. We become those who demonstrate the grace of Christ.
 
Water Baptism

• And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”(Matthew 3:16-17)
• But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. (Acts 8:12)
• Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. (Acts 8:13)
• And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.” (Acts 8:36 – 38)
• And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.”(Acts 9:17-18)

 
This baptism is performed by believers, and there must be a baptizer, water, and a person being baptized. You can be baptized at any time after salvation. Water baptism is a symbolic action to show that the old “you” is dead, and you are a new creation in Christ, raised from spiritual death. It is a public, outer declaration of an inner change. Jesus taught that we should baptize, and it is a priority. It is a special event, just as important as marriage and communion. He says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). In the early days of the church, water baptism could very well have been a death sentence, due to increasing persecution from the Romans and Jews throughout Israel. Baptism takes the secrecy out of conversion, as they would go out to a large body of water to publicly declare Jesus Christ, and immerse themselves in the presence of everyone. It bring to mind the words of Jesus, “Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God (Luke 12:8).
 
Questions:

1. If you have been water baptized, what exactly do you believe it did for you? 
2. Do you have an assurance that you have been baptized into Christ Jesus? 
3. What do you think might hinder a person from being baptized int he Holy Spirit?  

 
Additional scriptures on water baptism:
Acts 8:12-13
Acts 8:36, 38
Acts 10:44-48
Acts 16:14-15
Acts 16:29-34
Acts 19:1-5

Hi family! This is Ose here...
This week Pastor Niral assigned me the task to teach on Faith toward God! I'm excited about delving into the scriptures with you. This is an important part of our foundation, and we have to be able to articulate it to ourselves, and the world.

Remember, we are going back to the foundation to lay some truths down again.

The scripture focus is Hebrews 6:1, 2:

Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment (Hebrews 6:1-2).

Here's a question that I'd like you to ponder on, and you'll be answering this tomorrow at church:

​Suppose I were to die today, and I stood at the door of Heaven. If God asked me, "Why should I let you into Heaven?" -- what would I say?

Your answer will tell you everything you need to know about YOUR faith.

Scriptures to underline in your Bible:

Hebrews 11:6
John 3:36
John 5:28,29
John 14:6
Acts 4:12
2 These. 1: 8, 9
Romans 5:12
Psalm 51:5
Romans 3:23
Exodus 34:7
Romans 5:8
Ephesians 1:7
2 Corinthians 5:17
Hebrews 6:1
Ephesians 1:13
Ephesians 2:10
Romans 1:17

After-Church Study Questions:

1. Take the time to write down a personal Statement testifying according to Scripture of your own salvation by no other name but the name of Jesus (see Acts 4:12). 

2. If someone were to ask you to explain your faith in God and every man's need for the sin-cleansing power of the blood of Jesus Christ, what would be your scriptural answer?

3. Do you find your confidence in what you do for Christ or in what Christ has done for you? If all you have accomplished in life was stripped away, would you face an identity crisis and not know how to define yourself? Or would you rest in the abiding knowledge of who you are in Him? Be honest as you answer why or why not.

4. Can you identify any area in your life where sinful attitudes and fleshy traits may have been allowed to remain unchecked? Now is the time for you to eliminate them. 

5. Also, evaluate your life to find actions or activities that you may feel good about but that God never asked you to get involved in. Do you recognize anything that fits in the category of "dead works"? If so, take time to repent and get these areas of your life realigned with what you know God has asked you to do.


*Questions taken from the book, "Build Your Foundation" by Rick Renner.​

Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits. (Hebrews 6:1-3)

Repentance is the primary initial message of the gospels:

Matthew 3:2 – Repent (John the Baptist)
In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
 
Matthew 4:17 – Repent (Jesus)
From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
 
Mark 6:12 – Repent (Disciples)
And they went out, and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.
 
Luke 13:3, 5 – Repent, or perish. (Jesus)
“I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.
 
The charge to repent was the primary message of John the Baptist, Jesus, and the early disciples.  Even after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, the message was clear: People needed to change their minds, and abhor their past sins in order to receive forgiveness. Forgiveness was never automatic. It only came after a person humbled themselves, and turned away from their own wickedness and sin. There is no forgiveness without repentance.

What is repentance? 
 
Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).  
 
Repent is translated from the Greek word metanoeo, which means to change one's mind; to change one's mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins. Repentance comes after one becomes conscious of their sins. When consciousness of sins comes, there is a corresponding action that God requires of us. Consciousness of sin, without active repentance will keep you dead in your sins (see Luke 13:3, again). So, it’s not enough to know that you are in your sins. Action must be taken, now.
 
"Repentance is not the mere acceptance of a new philosophy or new idea. It is actually a decision made to completely change one’s thoughts, behavior, and actions or to entirely turn around in the way one is thinking, believing or living. It is more than sorrow. It is more than an apology. It is a solid, intellectual decision to take a new direction and revise the pattern of one’s life. It is a decision" (Renner, Rick, 2021, Build Your Foundation). Get the book here. 
 
Repentance means that some practical changes will need to be made if you are to have a relationship with God. Without delay, your known sins must be abandoned. If you are too spiritually weak to abandon them immediately (addictions, etc.), then at the very least, there should be a push in the opposite direction such as a solid recovery program. It could also mean to cancel subscriptions to things that give you access to sinful materials. It could also mean to talk to a mature believer about the weaknesses you have. Whatever the case, actions must be taken to strive against sin (see Hebrews 12:4). 

​When one has truly repented, they will begin to live a lifestyle that resists, and strives against the dead works that held them bound. Dead works are the things we do that produce death. The scripture tells us that, “…the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Perhaps you can name some examples of “dead works” that have existed in your own life.
 
How can you be sure you have repented?
 
“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance” (Matthew 3:8).
 
Proof of repentance is always reflected in your behavior. It’s more than an emotion. It’s more than “I’m sorry.” It involves the decision to do something different. Looking at Psalm 32:1-5, you will see what repentance actually is:
 
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer. I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
 
According to verse 5, if you have truly repented, it means you have:

1. Acknowledged your sin
2. Shown honestly with God by not hiding your sin
3. Confessed your sin
4. By faith, received forgiveness of your sin

 
In conclusion:
 
Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never drive away (John 6:37).
 
Repentance is the way we get into relationship with God. As mentioned in an earlier teaching, YHWH wants to be wanted. He wants to be loved. He wants us to desire Him. He is not interested in rejecting you or sending you to hell. It seems as though He wants to be sure that YOU are not interested in going to hell. When a person turns to the Lord, there is a guarantee of freedom that dies not involve you fixing yourself, but God Himself, restoring your soul.
 
Questions:

1. Can you think of any “dead works” that exist in your life which may require repentace?
2. What would stop a person from repenting of their sins?
3. What is the greatest benefit (that you can think of), of repenting? 

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So ok...milk. Seriously? Are we really going to start studying elemental principles of the faith? Shouldn't we be focused on the prophetic swirl in the current church atmosphere? Shouldn't we be taking on ourselves, the mantles of intercessors from apostolic ambassadors and holy men and women of yesteryear? Maybe we should be doing some spiritual mapping to defy the impact of reptillian adversaries in the underground dwellingplaces. Yes...shouldn't we be routing power-demons and shifting principalities to predetermined locales so the glory of the ekklesia can be advanced into strategic realms? Maybe. But, maybe not. At least, not now. 

When the storm comes (you know, the one they prophesied would come), you will have nothing to rely on but your foundation. Speak as deep as you want about these pseudo-spiritual concepts which make us sound special, but ummm...when is the last time you memorized a scripture? Can you name the books of the Bible? What is the Pentateuch? Wisdom literature? History books? Major and minor prophets? What are the synoptic gospels? The Pauline 13? The general 8? 

I have come to realize something. We can talk to Christians about their opinions all day, but there are few that will discuss the Bible, itself.

​Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment (Hebrews 6:1-2).

Some of us have been in church for many years (even decades!) but lack a foundation. This becomes evident when the storms of life come. What's most amazing is that if you compare the amount of time spent in church and applied that to other things, then clearly we should be masters at the scriptures by now. For example: Imagine being in athletic training. Would you be an athlete by now, if you had trained for ten years? What about higher education? What level of education can you attain (from where you are now) in the next ten years? How about a move to Japan? If you had been living there for ten years, would you know the language by now? Would you know the culture? Would you be able to start a business? Pay taxes? Live a solid life? 

The answer is "YES" to all of the above. Why is it then, that we can spend the same ten years in church, going every week (sometimes multiple times per week), and still not be acquainted with the books of the bible? We still cannot articulate the gospel. We still don't really know what repentance is. We still seek our own desires, and not the desires of Christ. We still don't forgive, love, show mercy, give bountifully, rejoice in trials, love our spouse and our children! Why are these things lacking? It's because of the foundation. For many of us , it is lacking, after all these years in church, trying to get the "deeper things of God." 

In this next season, we will NOT be moving on from the elementary principles. We will dive right in and stay there until through our maturity, we have qualified to move on. It is imperative that we be mature in the spirit. I mean, actually mature, and not just LOOKING mature. We are going to put discipleship and foundation building at a premium. We are going to drink some milk -- sincere milk. Then...we will see change at a deeper level. Let's start here:

39 Books of the Old Testament:

• Gel and DJ Jr. 12...12...12...endurance never ends. (The Law and History)
• Just powerful poetry, even sensuality. (Poetic Wisdom Literature)
• I'm just learning every day. (Major Prophets)
• His just and outstanding jewish ministers. Noble heroes, zealous hearts, zealous men. (Minor Prophets)

It was more than a church service or an experience in worship. The Word of the Lord was fulfilled, and people became free. Tonight, let's discuss and dissect what happened, and why it matters.  

I hope you are not offended by the idea that we are still on this topic of...offense. See, it is truly a big deal. It is a heaven or hell issue. It is a spiritual leadership issue. Yes...if you are prone to holding offense, you cannot lead, spiritually. You have to be able to endure persecution. You have to be able to forgive those who constantly speak against you. You have to bless those who curse you. Still once you get over the initial shock of having to act the exact opposite of your natural and carnal impulses, you'll see that the idea of LOVING mercy (Micah 6:8) is not too difficult. It really boils down to coming to the end of yourself (as Inelda so eloquently shared last week). 

This week, we will discuss the offspring of offense: Judgements. 

Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. (Romans 5:18).

Offense leads to judgement. God, who is perfect in all of His ways, and held within Himself the plan to redeem all of mankind through the blood of His Son is the only true and righteous judge. He has the exclusive right to judge as He sees fit. So the idea of offense, leading to judgement makes sense when speaking of God, who holds the power of life, death, and resurrection. Mankind was in so much bondage to sin, that God had to give us his Law to show us just how much of an offense we were committing. Then, His judgement pronounced us guilty, and we were unable to work our way out of it. 

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:19-20).

God's righteous judgement is designed to expose us as us guilty. We on the other hand, do not have the same right to pronounce such a verdict on another human being.  While His judgement is righteous judgement, our judgement leads to sin. It puts us in a place of assumed (and false) superiority over the one we judge. In judging others, we find ourselves in the state of being sinners, accusing sinners of sinning against our sinful selves. The truth is, every abuser is a sinner. Every abused person is a sinner. The entire world is filled with tainted people hurting and judging tainted people. The only way out is mercy, which by no chance, is a primary attribute of God. 

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, not of works, lest an man should boast (Ephesians 2:4-9).

We were created to be good! We were not created to be a problem to God. Still, the enemy tries to decieve us into thinking that we are some type of mistake. However, God is not incompetent. I know it sounds basic, but read this deeply: He knows how to make people! 

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (Ephesians 4:10).

The only way for this to happen was through His rich mercy, which as we know triumphs over judgement. It renders judgement powerless. Yes, He in His great love, made a way for mercy to be possible for sinful men, even knowing that His character does NOT clear the  guilty. This is only possible through Jesus -- the guilty one of Exodus 34 who for our sakes, would not be cleared.  

A lot had to happen for us to have this great salvation. Calvary's cross cost a lot. To take upon yourself genuine godliness and cancel judgement to show mercy to another human being in Jesus' name (even if it to your loss) gives proof that you have decided to enter the Kingdom. It means that you no longer look at people according to their sins against you (Psalms 103:10). It means that you were serious when you recieved Jesus (Matthew 5:7). It means that your prayer life is valid (Mark 11:25). It means that the judgements toward you will be filled with mercy (Matthew 7:1-2). You will read what you sow (Galatians 6:7-9). If you cancel the judgments you have against others today, mercy will be your reward. True freedom will be your inheritance, right now. 

Finally, think of your offender. It may be a parent, child, spouse, former friend, social media troll...anyone. In prayer, let...them...go in this way: "Father, I forgive them from the heart, in Jesus' name. Pour blessing upon their lives. Let them be found in you. Make a way for them to enter your kingdom. Bring mercy, not judgement to their lives."