Church Of The Lost Sheep

" I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing. " -Jesus of Nazareth, speaking to His closest disciples, 1st century John 15:5 in the Berean Study Bible Version [This is the 4 1st  lesson of this series] We study Scriptures for our own spiritual edification first, and to teach others second. Any other reason is not what it was intended for. We've talked more about this in a lesson in another series. God's Presence Followers of Christ today need to study Scriptures, and they need God's presence. Christ was with His disciples almost 24/7, eating, sleeping, travelling with them from one place to another; teaching them, and sitting in as He was teaching others. While with Him, they too were able to do the impossible, as Jesus did. After Jesus died. Peter and the rest of the disciples went back to doing what they were doing before they met Jesus. Peter along with sev...

"You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh,  that is,  of the heart." -Apostle Paul, writing to the 1st believers in Corinth, 1st century 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 in the King James Version [This is the  20th  lesson of  this series ] We are living in an age where everyone is skeptical, yet everyone is easily deceived at the same time. People investigate for themselves, yet they also readily believe and are even following blindly what others are saying or doing. New Testament Bible Because no one would typically say this, we need to mention that the Christian bible is a compilation of letters, letters written by followers of Christ in the 1st century. They weren't meant for the world. They were written for believers. More often than not, Jesus called peopl...

'And He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.' -Jesus of Nazareth, 1st century Luke 10:2-3 in the Berean Study Bible Version [This is the  19th  lesson of  this series ] We are living in a post pandemic world, in a postmodern society (or at least in a world where people have a postmodern mindset). These words of Jesus from back in the 1st century is actually still true today as it was in that century, and in every century and generation since. It will continue to be true now and in the coming generations (if we even get there). In fact, it got truer every passing century. Except in several places, in several generations, where and when the wolves ran with the lambs, disguised in sheep's clothing (but that's another lesson for another day). Post Modern So what is a postmodern mindset? Let us read an excerpt fr...

'He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee,  standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”' -Jesus of Nazareth, 1st century Luke 18:9-14 in the English Standard Version Bible [This is the  6th  message of this series] It's in our nature to think tha...

"In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." Matthew 5:16 in the New Living Translation Version ------ “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven." Matthew 6:1 in the New Living Translation Version [This is the  4th  lesson of this series] This dig into the bible is about the same way as in the previous message , and almost every other criticism about the bible. If you are observant, we are not going into those digs that contrast Old Testament verses with New Testament. We have already discussed about this in other lessons. But to give a quick reason. It is because the OT is the Jewish bible, the Christian Scriptures is the NT. The OT contains the Old Covenants and the NT, the present covenant. Here is a rundown on these . Backstory Jesus was born in Judea, in a Jewish society and into the Jewish faith. In His ...

" For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law." Romans 3:28 in the New International Version ------ " But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?" James 2:20 in the New King James Version [This is the  3r d  lesson of this series] This message is actually more important to a believer than an unbeliever, but because it is added to the long list that people hold on to, to justify their stand that the bible is unreliable, and the reason they don't believe it, we have to discuss this matter in the public square. I want to add though that I find it amusing that some unbelievers seemingly spend more time studying the bible (although more to find what's wrong with it) and talking about it than many believers. They spend more time trying to justify their unbelief than some believers do to justify their beliefs. Although I'm not raining on their parade, at the rate some of them are going,...

The Birth of Jesus " Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that a census should be taken of the whole empire.This was the first census to take place while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, since he was from the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to him in marriage and was expecting a child." Luke 2:1-4 in the Berean Study Bible Version [This is the  2nd  lesson of this series] Most of us has heard of the biblical narrative, Jesus was born in Bethlehem .  While Mary was pregnant with Jesus, she and Joseph had to take that trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem . Both towns are in Judea . The trip would have taken them about four days, on a donkey or walking, 14-20 miles a day. For long time believers, they should already know that God will use anyone, a...