A Call to Worship: Heavenly Spaces

 

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Featured: Life Walk Bible Lesson 28: Walking with the Good Shepherd

Life Walk Lesson 28: Walking with the Good Shepherd 

Genesis 1:1-2

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 

The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.” 

Genesis 1:26-27

“Then God said, ‘Let Us make human beings in Our image, to be like Us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground. 

So God reared human beings in His Own image. In the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.”

Genesis 2:2 "On the seventh day God had finished His work of creation, so He rested from all His work.

Psalm 23 (NLT)

A Psalm of David, King of Israel

"The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing

He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths for His name's sake.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, 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 overflows.

Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

A Family way of Life

Genesis 4:1-3 [AMPC] Abel became a shepherd

1 “And Adam knew Eve as his wife, and she became pregnant and bore Cain; and she said, ‘I have gotten and gained a man with the help of the Lord.’

2 And [next] she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

3 And in the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground.”

Genesis 29:9 Rachel became a shepherd

9 “While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she shepherded them.”

Genesis 46:31-34 Jacob and his whole family became shepherds, just as their ancestors were

31 “Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, I will go up and tell Pharaoh and say to him, My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me.

32 And the men are shepherds, for their occupation has been keeping livestock, and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.

33 When Pharaoh calls you and says, What is your occupation?

34 You shall say, Your servants’ occupation has been as keepers of livestock from our youth until now, both we and our fathers before us—in order that you may live in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”

About my Father's Business

Genesis 48:15 and 49:24 God is the Shepherd

Genesis 48:15

15 “Then [Jacob] blessed Joseph and said, God [Himself], before Whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac lived and walked habitually, God [Himself], Who has [been my Shepherd and has led and] fed me from the time I came into being until this day,”

Genesis 49:24

24 “But his bow remained strong and steady and rested in the Strength that does not fail him, for the arms of his hands were made strong and active by the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob, by the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,”

Moses Became a Shepherd

Exodus 2:17

17 “The shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them and watered their flock.”

Exodus 3:1

1 “Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the back or west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb or Sinai, the mountain of God.”

Manifesting God’s Kingdom with What’s in Your Hand

The Rod and the Spirit

Exodus 4:2 [AMPC]

“And the Lord said to him, What is that in your hand? And he said, A rod.”

Exodus 4:17

“And you shall take this rod in your hand with which you shall work the signs [that prove I sent you].”

Numbers 27:17-19

17 “Who shall go out and come in before them, leading them out and bringing them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep which have no shepherd.

18 The Lord said to Moses, Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand upon him;

19 and set him before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation and give him charge in their sight.”

The Anointed One Brings Provision and Protection

1Samuel 16:15-19

15 “Saul’s servants said to him, Behold, an evil spirit from God torments you.

16 Let our lord now command your servants here before you to find a man who plays skillfully on the lyre; and when the evil spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well.

17 Saul told his servants, Find me a man who plays well and bring him to me.

18 One of the young men said, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who plays skillfully, a valiant man, a man of war, prudent in speech and eloquent, an attractive person; and the Lord is with him.

19 So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, Send me David your son, who is with the sheep.”

1Samuel 17:12-15

12 “David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah named Jesse, who had eight sons. [Jesse] in the days of Saul was old, advanced in years.

13 [His] three eldest sons had followed Saul into battle. Their names were Eliab the firstborn; next, Abinadab; and third, Shammah.

14 David was the youngest. The three eldest followed Saul,

15 But David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.”

1Samuel 17:17-18

17 “And Jesse said to David his son, Take for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain and these ten loaves and carry them quickly to your brothers at the camp.

18 Also take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See how your brothers fare and bring some token from them.”

1Samuel 17:20

“So David rose up early next  morning, left the sheep with a keeper, took the provisions, and went, as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the encampment as the host going forth to the battleground shouted the battle cry.”

1Samuel 17:49

“David put his hand into his bag and took out a stone and slung it, and it struck the Philistine, sinking into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.”

The Anointed One asks for What’s in Your Hand

1Samuel 25:1-44  — David asks Nabal for Provision

2Samuel 5:2

2 “In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord told you, You shall feed My people Israel and be prince over [them].”

Proverbs 4 

King David did not intentionally pass on to Solomon his gift of music, his generosity, or his skill in war. He passed on his wisdom, gained by costly experience {Proverbs 5:1}, and taught his son to be teachable, to seek understanding, wisdom, maturity, and moral courage.

God Uses what’s in His Hand

Isaiah 31:3-5 — God uses what’s in His Hand

3 “Now the Egyptians are men and not God, and their horses are flesh and not spirit; and when the Lord stretches out His hand, both [Egypt] who helps will stumble, and [Judah] who is helped will fall, and they will all perish and be consumed together.

4 For the Lord has said to me, As the lion or the young lion growls over his prey—and though a large band of shepherds is called out against him, he will not be terrified at their voice or daunted at their noise—so the Lord of hosts will come down to fight upon Mount Zion and upon its hills.

5 Like birds hovering, [Genesis 1:2] so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem; He will protect and deliver it, He will pass over and spare and preserve it.”

Living with the Good Shepherd

2Samuel 7:6-8 [God, the Good Shepherd, lives with His sheep]

1Kings 22:17 "Then Micaiah told him, 'In a vision I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd. And the Lord said, 'Their master has been killed. Send them home.”

Cross reference:

John 20:1-10 After Jesus’ death, the disciples went home.

John 1:10-14 

“He came into the world He created, but the world did didn’t recognize Him. 

He came to His Own people, and even they rejected Him. 
But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God. 

They were reborn — not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. 

So the Word became human and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. and we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”

John 14:23 “Jesus replied, ‘All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.”

Walking with the Good Shepherd

Psalm 28:9 "Save your people! Bless Israel, Your special possession. Lead them like a Shepherd, and carry them in Your arms forever."

Isaiah 40:11 He will feed His flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in His arms, holding them close to His heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young."

Psalm 77:20 "You led Your people along that road like a flock of sheep, with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds."

Psalm 78:71 "He took David from tending the ewes and lambs and made him the shepherd of Jacob's descendants -- God's own people, Israel."

Psalm 80:1-3 [AMPC]

1 “Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You Who lead Joseph like a flock; You Who sit enthroned upon the cherubim [of the ark of the covenant], shine forth

2 before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh! Stir up Your might, and come to save us!

3 Restore us again, O God; and cause Your face to shine [in pleasure and approval on us], and we shall be saved!”

Sheep without a Shepherd

Jeremiah 50:6 "My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray and turned them loose in the mountains. They have lost their way and can't remember how to get back to the sheepfold."

Song of Solomon 1:7-8

"Tell me, my love, where are you leading your flock today? 

Where will you rest your sheep at noon? for why should I wander like a prostitute [veiled woman] among your friends and their flocks? 

If you don't know, O most beautiful woman, follow the trail of my flock, and graze your young goats by the shepherd's tents."

Isaiah 13:14 "Everyone in Babylon will run about like a hunted gazelle, like sheep without a shepherd. They will try to find their own people and flee to their own land."

Isaiah 13:20 "Babylon will never be inhabited again. It will remain empty for generation after generation. Nomads will refuse to camp there, and shepherds will not bed down their sheep."

Isaiah 56:10-11 

"For the leaders of My people -- the Lord's watchmen, His shepherds -- are blind and ignorant. They are like silent watchdogs that give no warning when danger comes. They love to lie around, sleeping and dreaming. 

Like greedy dogs, they are never satisfied. They are ignorant shepherds, following their own path and intent on personal gain.”

Isaiah 63:11 "Then they remembered those days of old when Moses led His people out of Egypt. They cried out, 'Where is the One Who brought Israel through the sea, with Moses as their shepherd? Where is the One Who sent His Holy Spirit to be among His people?"

Jeremiah 10:21 "The shepherds of My people have lost their senses. They no longer seek wisdom from the Lord. Therefore, they fail completely, and their flocks are scattered."

Jeremiah 23:1 "'What sorrow awaits the leaders of My people -- the shepherds of My sheep -- for they have destroyed and scattered the very ones they were expected to care for,' says the Lord."

Jeremiah 23:2 "Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to these shepherds: 'Instead of caring for My flock and leading them to safety, you have deserted them and driven them to destruction. Now I will pour out judgment on you for the evil you have done to them."

Restoration Promised

Jeremiah 17:16 "Lord, I have not abandoned my job as a shepherd for your people. I have not urged You to send disaster. You have heard everything I've said."

Jeremiah 3:15 "And I will give you shepherds after My Own heart, who will guide you with knowledge and understanding."

Jeremiah 31:10 "Listen to this message from the Lord, you nations of the world; proclaim it in distant coastlands: The Lord, Who scattered His people, will gather them and watch over them as a Shepherd does his flock."

Jeremiah 31:24 "Townspeople and farmers and shepherds alike will live together in peace and happiness."

Jeremiah 33:12-13 

"This is what the Lord of Heaven's Armies says: This land -- though it is now desolate and has no people and animals -- will once more have pastures where shepherds can lead their flocks.

Once again shepherds will count their flocks in the towns of the hill country, the foothills of Judah, the Negev, the land of Benjamin, the vicinity of Jerusalem, and all the towns of Judah. I, the Lord have spoken."

Ezekiel 34:11-12 

"For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: 'I Myself will search and find My sheep.

I will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day."

Ezekiel 34:23-24 "And I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David. He will feed them and be a shepherd to them.

My servant David will be their king, and they will have only one shepherd. They will obey My regulations and be careful to keep My decrees."

Matthew 2:6 "And you, O Bethlehem in the Land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you Who will be the Shepherd for My people Israel."

The Interceding Shepherd

Amos 1:1, 7:14 Amos was a shepherd/prophet

Micah 7:14 "O Lord, protect Your people with your Shepherd's Staff; lead Your flock, our special possession. Though they live alone in a thicket on the heights of Mount Carmel, let them graze in the fertile pastures of Bashan and Gilead as they did long ago.

Nahum 3:18 "Your shepherds are asleep, O Assyrian king; your princes lie dead in the dust. Your people are scattered across the mountains with no one to gather them together."

Zephaniah 2:6 "The Philistine coast will become a wilderness pasture, a place of shepherd camps and enclosures for sheep and goats."

Zechariah 9:16 "On that day the Lord their God will rescue His people, just as a shepherd rescues his sheep. They will sparkle in His hand like jewels in a crown."

Zechariah 11:4-5 

"This is what the Lord my God says: 'Go and care for the flock that is intended for slaughter.

The buyers slaughter their sheep without remorse. The sellers say, 'Praise the Lord! Now I'm rich! Even the shepherds have no compassion for them."

Zechariah 11:7 "So I cared for the flock intended for slaughter -- the flock that was oppressed. Then I took two shepherd's staffs and named one Favor and the other Union.”

Isaiah 53:6-7

"All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's path to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on Him the sins of us all. 

He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet He never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, He did not open His mouth."

Zechariah 13:7 "'Awake, O Sword, against My Shepherd, the Man who is My Partner,' says the Lord of Heaven's Armies. 'Strike down the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn against the lambs.'"

Matthew 26:31 "On the way, Jesus told them, 'Tonight all of you will desert Me. For the Scripture says, 'God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of His flock will be scattered."

Matthew 23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let Me.”

Sitting with the Good Shepherd

Exodus 33:17

17 “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.’

18 Then Moses said, ‘Now show me your glory.’

19 And the Lord said, ‘I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.’”

Matthew 9:36 “When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

Deuteronomy 5:24

“And you said, ‘The Lord our God has shown us his glory and his majesty, and we have heard his voice from the fire. Today we have seen that a person can live even if God speaks with them.’”

John 14:21

“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

John 14:23

“Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”

Matthew 25:32-33

“All the nations will be gathered in His presence, and He will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at His right hand and the goats at His left.”

Revelation 3:21

“To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.”

Being a Shepherd, in the Family Kingdom of God

John 10 -- The Good Shepherd

John 21 -- Feed My Sheep

Protected and Cared for by the Shepherd

Acts 20:28 “So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock -- His church, purchased with His Own blood -- over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as leaders.”

1Corinthians 9:7 

“What soldier has to pay his own expense? What farmer plants a vineyard and doesn’t have the right to eat some of its fruits? What shepherd cares for a flock of sheep and isn’t allowed to drink some of the milk?”

Proverbs 27:23-27

“Know the state of your flocks and put your heart into caring for your herds, for riches don’t last forever, and the crown might be passed to the next generation.

After the hay is harvested and the new crop appears and the mountain grasses are gathered in, your sheep will provide wool for clothing, and your goats will provide the price of a field. 

And you will have enough goat’s milk for yourself, your family, and your servant girls.”

Matthew 10:12-13

“Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town. 

When you enter the home, give it your blessing.

If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your blessing stand; if it is not, take back the blessing.”

Proverbs 31:10-31 A Noble, Virtuous, and Capable Woman -- a Template for the Bride of Christ

Acts 20:28 “So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock -- His church, purchased with His Own blood -- over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as leaders.”

The Shepherd of our Joy, Peace and Rest

Psalm 16:11 “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of Your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.” 

KJV “Thou wilt show me the path of life: in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”

Septuagint [LXX] “Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; Thou wilt fill me with joy with Thy countenance: at Thy right hand there are delights for ever.”

Acts 2:28 “You have shown me the way of life, and You will fill me with the joy of Your presence.”

Hebrews 3:19 “So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter His rest.”

Hebrews 4:1 “God’s promise of entering His rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it.”

1Corinthians 1:4-9 — No lack; total provision, just as the King of Israel promises

Hebrews 13:20-21 

"Now may the God of peace -- Who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the Great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with His blood — may He equip you with all you need for doing His will. May He produce in you [in us] through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to Him. All glory to Him forever and ever! Amen.

Life with God

Psalm 103:7

“He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel.”

John 14:6

“Jesus said to him, ‘I AM the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’”

Psalm 25:4

“Make me know Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths.”

Psalm 25:10

“All the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and truth to those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.”

Talking to God

Scripture Reading: Psalm 119

Psalm 25:12

“Who is the man who fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way he should choose.”

Hebrews 10:7

“Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (In the scroll of the book it is written of Me) to do Your will, O God.’”

Scripture Reading:

Isaiah 43

Isiah 61

Isaiah 62

Isaiah 63

Luke 4

Ephesians 2:10

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

Psalm 16:11

“You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

Proverbs 2:7-9

“He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice, and He preserves the way of His godly ones. Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity and every good course.”

Proverbs 4:18

“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.”

John 8:12

“Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, ‘I AM the Light of the World; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of Life.’”

Proverbs 4:26

“Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established.”

Ephesians 5:6-10

“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and uprightness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.”

Psalm 89:14-15

“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; lovingkindness and truth go before You. How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! O Lord, they walk in the light of Your countenance.”

Psalm 57:10 
“For Your lovingkindness is great to the heavens and Your truth to the clouds.”

Philippians 2:12-13

“So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God Who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

Scripture Reading: Matthew 25

*Note particularly verses 40, and 45-46 — God’s expectations of us regarding “the least of these”

Matthew 11:11

“Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.”

How King David  saw himself:

Psalm 84:10

“For a day in Your Courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.”

How the Apostle Paul saw himself:

1 Corinthians 15:9

“For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.”

Ephesians 3:8-12

“To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.”

Philippians 3:1-6

“Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you. Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.”

1 Timothy 1:8-10

"But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching,”

Revelation 21:8

“But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Revelation 22:15

“Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.”

1 John 2:4-6

“The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” 

Cross References:

Acts 10:38

“You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”

Matthew 4:23-25

“Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people. The news about Him spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them. Large crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan.”

The Gospel John the Baptist, Jesus, and Peter Preached: “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.”

Matthew 3:1-3

“Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said, ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight!’”

Matthew 4:16-18

“The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great Light, and those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death, upon them a Light dawned. From that time Jesus began to preach and say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”

Acts 2:38 

“Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’”

Scripture Reading: 

Matthew 5

Matthew 6

Matthew 7

 A Commission for all Believers

Matthew 28:18-20

“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’”

Mark 16:15-18

“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. These signs shall accompany those who have believed: in My name they shall cast out demons, they shall speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.’”

Luke 24:44-47

“Now He said to them, ‘These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.’”

Cross Reference: Isaiah 2:1-5

“The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. Now it will come about that in the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us concerning His ways and that we may walk in His paths.’ For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many peoples; and they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war. Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.”

The Narrow Way

Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV) ~ The Narrow Gate

13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 

14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

Luke 13:22-30 ~ The Narrow Door

22 “Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as He made His way to Jerusalem.

23 Someone asked Him, ‘Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?’ He said to them, 

24 ‘Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.

25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’

26 Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 

27 But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’

28 There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.

29 People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the Kingdom of God.

30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”

Notice the similarity in language between this and when the people stood around the ark, asking Noah to let them in, once God had shut the door. {Genesis 7:16}

John 10:7-9 (in Context 1-9) ~ Jesus is the Gate

1“‘Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.

2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.

3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.

5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.’

6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what He was telling them.

7 Therefore Jesus said again, ‘Very truly I tell you, I am the Gate for the sheep.

8 All who have come before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 

9 I am the Gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.’

Notice the similarity between this and when God led the Children of Israel out of Egypt, sending the Angel of the Lord on ahead of them to find safe places for them. {Exodus 23:20-21}

The Temple Doors

1 Kings 6:4 “He made narrow windows high up in the temple walls.”

Ezekiel 40:16

16 “The alcoves and the projecting walls inside the gateway were surmounted by narrow parapet openings all around, as was the portico; the openings all around faced inward…”

Ezekiel 40:25 The gateway and its portico had narrow openings all around, like the openings of the others. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.”

Ezekiel 41:15-19 

15 “Then he measured the length of the building facing the courtyard at the rear of the temple, including its galleries on each side; it was a hundred cubits. The main hall, the inner sanctuary and the portico facing the court,

16 as well as the thresholds and the narrow windows and galleries around the three of them — everything beyond and including the threshold was covered with wood. The floor, the wall up to the windows, and the windows were covered.

17 In the space above the outside of the entrance to the inner sanctuary and on the walls at regular intervals all around the inner and outer sanctuary

18 were carved cherubim and palm trees. Palm trees alternated with cherubim. Each cherub had two faces:

19 the face of a human toward the palm tree on one side and the face of a lion toward the palm tree on the other. They were carved all around the whole temple.”

Ezekiel 41:26 “On the side walls of the portico were narrow windows with palm trees carved on each side. The side rooms of the temple also had overhangs.”

The windows and doors of the temple described in these passages all have narrow openings. Many years later, according to a Professor of Roman Architecture at Yale University, Diana E. Kleiner, churches built in the Gothic style also had tall, and narrow doors and windows, to reflect entering through the “narrow way.” 

Once we get to Revelation 21:16, and the description of the architecture of the New Jerusalem, we find once again three doors on each of the four walls. The length of the walls is described as 1,400 miles in length, "and as wide and high as it is long." The 1,400 miles is equal to 896,000.00000568 acres.   

Jesus Reveals His Glory

Matthew 17:1-20 and Luke 9:28-43 ~ The Mount of Transfiguration and the healing of the boy at the base of the Mountain 

The narrative makes clear that the demon did not bother the child always, but sometimes left him alone. Jesus declares that it is a perverse generation, which had clear choices, and were powerless to make them, for lack of faith in God to protect them, so they continually succumbed to the prevailing evil, unlike Jacob, who prevailed when he wrestled against spiritual warfare. Jacob was a man of faith, who walked in a promise, and believed, just as his father and grandfather before him did.

Cross references:

Deuteronomy 5:24; 18:15 ~ The Cloud overshadows them, just as when God appeared to Moses in the Sinai Desert; and when the Cloud appeared to Elijah when he prayed, recorded in 1 Kings 18:44, to affirm their faith.

Deuteronomy 32:20 “I will hide My face from them,’ He said, ‘and see what their end will be; for they are a perverse generation, children who are unfaithful.”

Proverbs 2:12-15 “Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men who's words are perverse, who have left the straight paths to walk in dark ways, who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.”

Luke 9:41 “‘You unbelieving and perverse generation,’ Jesus replied, ‘how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.’”

John 4:47-48 “When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to Him and begged Him to come and heal His son, who was close to death. ‘Unless you people see signs and wonders,’ Jesus told him, ‘you will never believe.’ {Chapter 4:43-54 in context}

Keeping Promises like God Does

Here is another proof of Jesus' Resurrection, for they kept their promise to Jesus to only tell of the experience on the Mount of Transfiguration after His resurrection. {2 Peter 1:16-21}

From: 4th Ezra 7:1-25 {Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament, R.H. Charles, Volume 2, Pages 580-581; In context} ~ Regarding choosing the narrow road

Verses 6-9 "Again, another illustration. There is builded a city which lies on level ground, and it is full of good things; but its entrance is narrow and lies on a steep [in precipiti in the height], having fire on the right hand and deep water on the left; and there is one only path lying between them both, that is between the fire and the water, and so small is this path, that it can contain only one man's footstep at once. If, now, this city be given to a man for an inheritance, unless the heir pass through the danger set before him, how shall he receive his inheritance?"

In context, the man asks the Angel of the Lord about Israel, and he is shown that "an heir must pass through the danger" so that we all may follow as co-heirs with Christ -- and we now know the man the angel speaks of as Jesus Christ.

Matthew 19:23-24 ~ The Kingdom of God is likened unto a camel going through the eye of a needle. It represents the narrowest road of all, unlike the river which empties into the sea, as represented in the analogy prior to that of a city, in 4th Ezra. The impossibility without being in Christ, "in that one man alone's footsteps" -- of entering into it -- is just as impossible as a camel getting through the space where a thread goes through a needle. If one isn't in the thread, like Rahab and her family -- the Blood-Line of Christ -- one cannot enter. We are saved by His Grace, and cleansed by His Blood, for He Who paid for us to enter into His Glory brings us into the Presence of our Father in Heaven by the power of His Precious Holy Spirit.

Let's look at what Abram said to one of the kings, after the battle:

Genesis 14:23 "that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or a strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, 'I made Abram rich.'

And again:

Genesis 38:28 "As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist and said, 'This one came out first."

Only God can make us "rich" for He is El Shaddai. Only God determines birthright, and keeps His promises, so that as children of God we are privileged to enjoy all the blessings of an heir with Christ.

Let's look at another "narrow road" experience:

Numbers 22:24-41; Chapters 23-24 ~ Balaam meets the angel of the Lord on the narrow road, and is instructed to speak only what God says to say

Numbers 23:19 "God is not human that He should lie, not a human being that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?"

Numbers 24:3b-4 "...The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly, the prophecy of one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty [El Shaddai], who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:"

Numbers 24:17-19 "I see Him but not now; I behold Him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the people of Sheth [or: all the noisy boasters]. Edom will be conquered; Seir, His enemy, will be conquered, but Israel will grow strong. A ruler will come out of Jacob and destroy the survivors of the city.”

Isaiah 55:11 "So is My word that goes out of My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

Genesis 1:2 "Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters."

Let’s look at 4th Ezra [Third Vision, Page 577-578, Chapter 6:38-59 in context; the record of the Creation of the Earth]:

4th Ezra 6:38-39 "And I said: O Lord, of a truth Thou didst speak at the beginning of creation upon the first day, saying, 'Let heaven and earth be made! and Thy word perfected the work. Then was the Spirit hovering; darkness and silence were on every side; the sound of man's voice was not yet before Thee."

John 12:42 gives us a glimpse into "when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith in the earth?"

"Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed Him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue;"

Under the Law of Moses, if one's sins were the kind of infraction of the Law so as to separate one from the Congregation -- to be cut off from Israel -- it was like being separated from God's love, and like being cast out of the Kingdom. In their effort to stay connected to the Congregation of God, they were willing to deny their faith in Christ publicly, if need be -- however, Jesus was asking them to step out in faith and listen, believe and follow Him on the Narrow Road, that Highway which Isaiah said was far above the adversaries of our faith -- the Way of Holiness {Isaiah 35:8}. 

It's best to read the whole Chapter, as it is very encouraging. Hallelujah to God Most High. Hallelujah to the King all Glorious! Save us, O Lord, by Your Grace, Your Gracious Love for us, Who has included us in Your Family, and called us Your children. Thank You Father, for this Love.

Staying on the Narrow Road is a choice, as seen by the miracle of healing and deliverance Jesus gave to the boy on the day after He was transfigured in secret. For those who give in secret, are rewarded openly with affirmation by, and accreditation from, God Himself, because He is our Father in Heaven. Glory to God Almighty, the Father of men and women and children who love Him, and follow Him wherever He goes.

There is a singularity of heart, which describes Issachar, in *The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs, {Testament of Issachar, and particularly Chapters 1-4}, which loves, serves, believes, and follows God, and a “convinced of this I know” that comes with belief, according to Paul the Apostle, so that even if one spouse does not believe, the rest of the family may be covered by the believing spouse, when they are pleased to dwell together. I truly believe this is one reason Jesus said, Pray for your enemies. For when we believe in Jesus, we not only have eternal life {John 11:26} but we sanctify others in our sphere of influence, so that they have a chance to repent, and be included in the Blood Line. {See also 1 Corinthians 7:14 and Galatians 3:5}

*THE TESTAMENT OF ISSACHAR, THE FIFTH SON OF JACOB AND LEAH.

1 1 The copy of the words of Issachar. For he called his sons and said to them: Hearken, my children, to Issachar your father; Give ear to the words of him who is beloved of the Lord. 2, 3 I was born the fifth son to Jacob, by way of hire for the mandrakes. For Reuben my brother 4 brought in mandrakes from the field, and Rachel met him and took them. And Reuben wept, and 5 at his voice Leah my mother came forth. Now these (mandrakes) were sweet-smelling apples 6 which were produced in the land of Haran below a ravine of water. And Rachel said: I will not give them to thee, but they shall be to me instead of children. For the Lord hath despised me, 7 and I have not borne children to Jacob. Now there were two apples; and Leah said to Rachel: 8 Let it suffice thee that thou hast taken my husband: wilt thou take these also? And Rachel said 9 to her: Thou shalt have Jacob this night for the mandrakes of thy son. And Leah said to her: 10 Jacob is mine, for I am the wife of his youth. But Rachel said: Boast not, and vaunt not thyself; for he espoused me before thee, and for my sake he served our father fourteen years. 11 And had not craft increased on the earth and the wickedness of men prospered, thou wouldst not now see the face of Jacob.

2 1 Then appeared to Jacob an angel of the Lord, saying: Two children shall Rachel bear, inasmuch 2 as she hath refused company with her husband, and hath chosen continency. And had not Leah my mother paid the two apples for the sake of his company, she would have borne eight sons; for this reason she bare six, and Rachel bare the two: for on account of the mandrakes the Lord 3 visited her. For He knew that for the sake of children she wished to company with Jacob, and not for lust of pleasure. For on the morrow also she again gave up Jacob. Because of the mandrakes; 5 therefore, the Lord hearkened to Rachel. For though she desired them, she eat them not, but offered them in the house of the Lord, presenting them to the priest of the Most High who was at that time. [*Note]

3 1 When, therefore, I grew up, my children, I walked in uprightness of heart, and I became a husbandman for my father and my brethren, and I brought in fruits from the field according to 2, 3 their season. And my father blessed me, for he saw that I walked in rectitude before him. And 4 I was not a busybody in my doings, nor envious and malicious against my neighbour. I never slandered any one, nor did I censure the life of any man, walking as I did in singleness of eye. 5 Therefore, when I was thirty-five years old, I took to myself a wife, for my labour wore away my strength, and I never thought upon pleasure with women; but owing to my toil, sleep overcame me. 6 And my father always rejoiced in my rectitude, because I offered through the priest to the Lord 7 all first-fruits; then to my father also. And the Lord increased ten thousandfold His benefits in my 8 hands; and also Jacob, my father, knew that God aided my singleness. For on all the poor and oppressed I bestowed the good things of the earth in the singleness of my heart.

4 1 And now, hearken to me, my children, And walk in singleness of your heart, For I have seen in it all that is well-pleasing to the Lord. 2 The single-(minded) man coveteth not gold, He overreacheth not his neighbour, He longeth not after manifold dainties, He delighteth not in varied apparel. 3 He doth not desire to live a long life, But only waiteth for the will of God. 4 And the spirits of deceit have no power against him, For he looketh not on the beauty of women, Lest he should pollute his mind with corruption. 5 There is no envy in his thoughts, [No malicious person maketh his soul to pine away,] Nor worry with insatiable desire in his mind. 6 For he walketh in singleness of soul, And beholdeth all things in uprightness of heart, Shunning eyes (made) evil through the error of the world, Lest he should see the perversion of any of the commandments of the Lord. 

5 1 Keep, therefore, my children, the law of God, And get singleness. And walk in guilelessness, Not playing the busybody with the business of your neighbour, 2 But love the Lord and your neighbour, Have compassion on the poor and weak. 3 Bow down your back unto husbandry, And toil in labours in all manner of husbandry, Offering gifts to the Lord with thanksgiving. 4 For with the first-fruits of the earth will the Lord bless you, even as He blessed all the saints 5 from Abel even until now. For no other portion is given to you than of the fatness of the earth, 6 whose fruits are raised by toil. For our father Jacob blessed me with blessings of the earth and of 7 first-fruits. And Levi and Judah were glorified by the Lord even among the sons of Jacob; for the Lord gave them an inheritance, and to Levi He gave the priesthood, and to Judah the kingdom. 8 And do ye therefore obey them, and walk in the singleness of your father; [for unto Gad hath it been given to destroy the troops that are coming upon Israel].

6 1 Know ye therefore, my children, that in the last times Your sons will forsake singleness, And will cleave unto insatiable desire; And leaving guilelessness will draw near to malice; And forsaking the commandments of the Lord, They will cleave unto Beliar. 2 And leaving husbandry, They will follow after their own wicked devices, And they shall be dispersed among the Gentiles. And shall serve their enemies. 3 And do you therefore give these commands to your children, that, if they sin, they may the more 4 quickly return to the Lord; For He is merciful, and will deliver them, even to bring them back into their land.

7 1 Behold, therefore, as ye see, I am a hundred and twenty-six years old and am not conscious of committing any sin. 2 Except my wife I have not known any woman. I never committed fornication by the uplifting of my eyes. 3 I drank not wine, to be led astray thereby; I coveted not any desirable thing that was my neighbour's. 4 Guile arose not in my heart; A lie passed not through my lips. 5 If any man were in distress I joined my sighs with his, And I shared my bread with the poor. I wrought godliness, all my days I kept truth 6 I loved the Lord; Likewise also every man with all my heart. 7 So do you also these things, my children, And every spirit of Beliar shall flee from you, And no deed of wicked men shall rule over you; And every wild beast shall ye subdue, Since you have with you the God of heaven and earth (And) walk with men in singleness of heart. 8 And having said these things, he commanded his sons that they should carry him up to Hebron, and bury him there in the cave with his fathers. And he stretched out his feet and died, at a good old age; with every limb sound, and with strength unabated, he slept the eternal sleep.”

[*Note: It is recorded in the Book of Enoch, that in the beginning, when the angelic Watchers who sinned against God cohabited with human women and thereby birthed the races of giants, that they taught the women about plants, and root cuttings, and then the women became pregnant. 1Enoch 7:1-2; Rachel refused this method of becoming pregnant. It is possible to manipulate productivity, however it is not God's best for us, for children are a gift from God. (Psalm 127:3-5)]

Living Righteous Before God and Angels

John 1:47 KJV “Jesus saw Nathaniel coming to Him, and saith of him, ‘Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!’”

Verse 51 “And He saith unto him, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the  angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’”

Cross References: Mark 1:13, 8:38, for our witness of, and our belief in Jesus Christ is before the angels, who will gather the elect {Mark 13:27}.

The Sign of the Fig Tree

Genesis 3:7 ~ Adam and Eve Sew Fig Leaves for a Covering

1Kings 4:25 ~ A place of safety

1Kings 20:7 ~ A Time of healing

Mark 11:13-20 ~ The Fruitless Fig Tree {Proverbs 27:18}
Mark 13:26-29 ~ Understanding the Season, the Timing of God for all things, with singularity of heart.

Encouragement:

Keep the Faith. Keep believing, and trusting in God -- He keeps all of His good promises. {Joshua 21:45} Don't come before Him empty-handed, but always come to Him with words of belief.

See: Exodus 3:21 and Exodus 23:15; Hosea 14:2