CHRISTMAS - NYOBS 66.02

CHRISTMAS

Was Christmas designed by Satan to soak up men's worship in order to deceive them?

In the Beginning

·         About a gazillion years ago, God made some people who ate some fruit they were not supposed to eat and then some angels that He made left their assignments in heaven and came down to earth and made a mess of things, then God flooded the earth and wiped them all out except for eight people in a boat.

·         Those eight people started life over again and God told them to multiply and scatter all over the earth.  But they did not listen to THE ONE GOD and made a new home in Babylon and built a tall tower to climb up in just in case it rained and flooded the earth again.

·         They made up a bunch of different little gods out of wood and stone and when God confused their language it changed the names that they called their gods, seemingly making even more gods.  Finally the people scattered like they were told to do in the first place, but now they had a whole bunch more of the little stick and rock gods that they didn’t want to make angry.

·         We pick up the story in Rome WAY LATER when they are having festivals and feast to keep all these little gods happy.

A little Background

·         About 300 years after Jesus was born, we find people starting to observe His birth in mid-winter, but why did they settled on the date of December 25^th ?

·         Sun worship is one of the main pillars of many older religions believing that we owe everything to the Sun.   The Winter Solstice is the victory of the Sun’s power over the forces of darkness. The Romans looked forward to the coming of spring where there would be renewed fertility of Crops and farm animals providing another year of food.

·         In the Roman Empire, the week of December 17-25 celebrated Saturnalia which was a pagan holiday festival that honored the deity Saturn who reigned over the world; humans spontaneously enjoyed the bounty of the earth without labor.  This was the time when the days had become shorter and the earth had symbolically died. - Winters were tough, and food was scarce so they felt a need to keep the god Saturn happy.

·         The week of Saturnalia celebration, gave an excuse for orgies, debauchery, dancing around, hijinks, feasting and gift-giving.  There was a cessation of any formal business and the Roman courts were closed, and Roman law dictated that no one could be punished for damaging property or injuring people during this week long period of lawlessness. The things that happened during the “Saturnalia celebrations” were almost unspeakable; they often included violence, rape, and even human sacrifice.

·         To top it off, on December 25^th, the Roman emperor Aurelian established a feast of the birth of the sun god “Sol Invictus” (The Unconquered Sun).

·         NOTE: All these celebrations became a magnet; TEMPTATIONS for Christians to participate; thus the early Church had a real problem to address.

Exodus 34:13 – Destroy alters – Break images – Cut down groves
¹³ But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: (KJV)

The Intervention

·         The Early Christian Church at first celebrated the birth of Christ in the spring, BUT not wanting Christians to participate in the winter pagan practices, they wisely invented a Holy celebration of their own to compete with the pagan holiday to act as a contrast to the pagan festivals. - They changed the day to celebrate the birth of the God-man, to be at the same time the pagans were celebrating their pagan festival, instead of worshiping the SUN god, they would worship the SUN of righteousness, the LIGHT of the World, the SON of God.

·         By the 4th century, the date for the winter solstice had moved to the 25^th of December and Pope Julius I declared that Jesus' birthday celebrations would also be on that day. This effectively transformed the Pagan occasion into a Christian holy day (holiday).

·         Constantine, the Roman Emperor was converted to Christianity and he combined the worship of the sun god with the worship of Christ.  - Christian leaders accepted Constantine's conversion in a positive light and saw the "Christ-mass" celebration as a vital part of the process of converting the pagan world.

·         Renowned Catholic liturgist Mario Righetti, writes, "The Church of Rome, to facilitate the acceptance of the faith by the pagan masses, found it convenient to institute the 25th of December as the feast of the temporal birth of Christ, to divert them from the pagan feast, celebrated on the same day in honor of The Invincible Sun”.

·         Practically all the known Sun-deities were born on the 25^th of December, so for symbolic reasons, Christian have chosen December 25^th to celebrate the birth of Christ as it is the shortest day of the year as the subsequent days begin to increase in length and this is when the amount of LIGHT begins to increase. – He is the LIGHT of the world, the SUN of righteousness, the SON of the living God.

John 8:12 – Jesus is the LIGHT of the world
¹² Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the LIGHT of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

 (ESV)

Malachi 4:2 – Jesus is the SUN of righteousness
² But for you who fear my name, the SUN of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. (ESV)

Matthew 16:16 – Jesus is the SON of the living God.
¹⁶ Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the SON of the living God.”

(ESV)

John 1:3-9 – The true light has come into the world
3 All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.
4 In him was life, and the life was the LIGHT of men.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the LIGHT, that all might believe through him.
8 He was not the LIGHT, but came to bear witness about the LIGHT.
9 THE TRUE LIGHT, which gives LIGHT to everyone, was coming into the world. (ESV)

Customs & Traditions

·         The Roman feast “Saturnalia”; the winter solstice celebration which took place in mid-December provided the model for the customs of today’s Christmas merry-making. - For example; they enjoyed games, gambling, played dress-up and recited poetry and indulged in lots of drinking.

·         The decorating of homes included evergreens and employed the burning of candles, elaborate feastings and the giving of gifts such as tablecloths, caps, socks, slippers, hairpins, combs, rings, toothpicks, tooth paste, baby items and puppies.

·         The traditional red and green Christmas colors of the red berries and evergreen leaves of the holly wreaths that we see, represented Male and Female FERTILITY and incubation and was worshiped as a promise of the sun’s return. 

·         Holly wreaths were gifts that were given to each other by the Romans to honor the god Saturn especially during the Saturnalia festival.  - In Roman mythology, holly was the sacred plant of Saturn.  - In Germany, a decoration of a sprig of holly was believed to protect the home from lightning, - In England farmers put holly on their beehives believing that at the “First Christmas” bees hummed in honor of the baby Jesus.

·         Ivy was the symbol of Bacchus the god of wine and revelry who wore it in his crown, and was it believed to be a symbol of eternal life.

·         Laurel or bay leaves were sacred to the sun god Apollo, the god of the pagan Romans. - The decorative wreaths were a sign of victory.

·         Mistletoe was a symbol of joy and peace for the Druids and was said to have magical properties that protected against thunder and lightning. Their Priests would cut mistletoe from an oak tree with a golden sickle, cutting it into small pieces, distributing it to the people. – Tradition has it that if enemies came upon each other underneath the woodland mistletoe, they had to form a truce and put down their weapons till the next day - Thus the origination of the custom of hanging mistletoe from the ceiling and kissing under it; I guess you can’t make war if you are kissing.

·         Wassailing was the pagan custom of what today we call CAROLING, the singing from door to door, with people often giving them food and drink. There was also the common habit of people gathering in groups and SINGING NAKED in the streets.  - Caroling was to give the sun a nudge to begin moving toward spring which seemed to work because sure enough, in spring things started to grow again. - The word "carol" actually means; a song or dance of joy and praise which was originally sung at the Pagan celebrations surrounding the Winter Solstice festival.

·         Bell ringing had its origin in the early pagan winter celebration of ringing of bells to drive out evil spirits.

·         Candles lighting throughout history, was to drive away the forces of cold and darkness and ward off evil. -  During the Roman Saturnalia festival, Tall tapers of wax were offered to Saturn as a symbol of his light and was also given as gifts to each other.

·         The Yule Log was placed ceremoniously in the fireplace; decorated with greenery, doused with alcohol and dusted with flour, then set on fire to smolder all night and for the twelve days of Christmas (December 25^th – January 5^th) as a reminder of the pagan’s bonfires that were set at the winter solstice.  – The fire was started with a piece of yule log that was saved from the previous year. -  This symbolized the return of the sun with the days beginning to get longer again.

·         For the twelve day of Christmas, they would light a candle, sing the appropriate verses of the Twelves days of Christmas song, feast, celebrate and give gifts to each other. The gifts were small, and given for luck and charity towards those who were less fortunate

Santa Clause

·         Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas and simply Santa. Kris Kringle comes from the German word “Christkindel” meaning Christkind. - Martin Luther intended it to be a reference to the incarnation of Jesus Christ, not as an infant, but as a young child bearing gifts to men - (Called Little Jesus, Jesus Boy, Jesus Child & God Child.)

·         Saint Nicholas of Myra was a 4th-century Greek Christian Bishop who had a reputation for secret and generous gift-giving to the poor. - He would put coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him and deposit baskets of food and clothes on the doorsteps of the needy. – He was particular known for providing dowries for a pious Christian family so that their three impoverished daughters would not have to become prostitutes in order to survive.

·         Father Christmas developed in the late Victorian period, first appearing in the mid-17th century in the aftermath of the English Civil War and was concerned with ADULT FEASTING and MERRY-MAKING and later Victorian Christmases developed into child-centered family festivals; Father Christmas became a “Bringer of Gifts”.

·         Odin a Germanic Pagan god was associated with death, the gallows, knowledge, battle, sorcery and frenzy was often depicted as a CHUBBY OLD MAN with a WHITE BEARD who wore a LONG FLOWING CLOAK.

Voices Rejecting Christmas

·         We were never commanded to observe the Birth of Jesus, only His death and resurrection. The politically correct word "holiday" has slowly replaced the word “Christmas” in greetings and advertisements; and if you will, I call it just plain Devilish.

·         Early Christians refused to recognize Christmas because they knew Jesus wasn’t born on December 25^th, and nearly all the signs and symbols associated with Christmas had recognizable pagan origins and it took some 200 years for it to gain acceptance and be viewed by SOME Christians as a celebration of the Lord’s birth.

·         There are many Christians who still oppose the celebration of Christmas as the Birth of Jesus Christ such as the Puritans, Mormons and some INDEPENDENT Baptist, Holiness, Apostolic Pentecostal and Church of Christ congregations; there are many other lesser known denominations that also renounce Christmas. – The history of the origin of all the practices appear to all be heathen and God said in scripture to come out from among the heathen; we are a set-aside “PECULIAR” people.

·         Satan has created myriads of false religions, rituals, "holidays" and celebrations to set himself in the place of Jesus Christ; to be the object of men’s worship. - Christmas is so designed just for Satan to soak up men's worship and deceive them from coming to a saving knowledge of the Word of God.

·         Some believe that Santa is an anagram for Satan who is a persona that is at home in the BURNING FLAMES of a fireplace, breaking into homes late at night, seeking out small children. His helper elves are fallen angels. -  Elves, Evil, Devil; get it -

·         Santa’s reindeer had what some would say; militaristic type names: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dunder and Blixem  - Dunder and Blixem came from the old Dutch words for thunder and lightning, which were later changed to the more German sounding names of Donner and Blitzen.

·         Christmas Trees - Jeremiah the Prophet warns us to NOT FOLLOW THE TRADITIONS of the pagan nations which includes cutting down a tree in the forest and fastening it to  a stand to keep it from falling over and then decorating it with silver and gold. –

It’s in the Book -

1 Cor 15:33 – Birds of a feather flock together

33 Do not be misled: "Bad Company corrupts good character." NIV

2 Corinthians 6:17 – Be separate from the heathen
¹⁷ Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, (ESV)

Exodus 19:5 – You will be a peculiar people to me
⁵ Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a PECULIAR treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: (KJV)

2 Cor 6:14-15 – Do not be in partnership with an unbeliever.

14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? NIV

Jeremiah 10:1-2 – Do not learn the ways of the pagan nations
¹ Hear the word that the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel.
² Thus says the LORD: “Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them, (ESV)

Jeremiah 10:3 – Cut down a tree in the Forest
³ for the customs of the peoples are vanity. A TREE from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman.
Jeremiah 10:4-5 – Decorate it with silver and gold in a stand

⁴ They DECORATE IT with SILVER AND GOLD; they FASTEN IT with hammer and nails so that it cannot move.
⁵ Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good.” (ESV)

Esther 9:22 – Holidays – Feasting – Gift giving to one another
²² as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a HOLIDAY; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending GIFTS of food to one another and gifts to the poor. (ESV)

Matthew 2:11 – Offer Jesus Gifts Gold, Frankincense & Myrrh
11 And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him GIFTS, gold and frankincense and myrrh. (ESV)

Luke 22:19-20 – Command to observe His death; not birth
¹⁹ He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. DO THIS TO REMEMBER ME.”
²⁰After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you. (NLT)

Voices Embracing Christmas

·         The idea that a Christmas tree is wrong comes from Jeremiah the prophet who was just MAKING FUN of those who worship evergreen trees; he says they cut it down, take it home and put a stand on it to make it stand up, then decorate it with gold and silver and then he ends up by saying that such things can neither do you HARM nor GOOD

·         The word "Christmas" is a shortened form of the Catholic words; Christ Mass, it doesn't mean that anymore; it’s the day that Christians celebrate the birth of Christ.  What people thought and did 500 years ago is inconsequential.

·         There is a difference between the True meaning of Christmas and the Spirit of Christmas.  One is Theological and the other is Emotional.

·         The Theological meaning of Christmas has to do with Jesus Christ; the LIGHT of the world

·         The Emotional meaning has to do with LOVE, GIVING and PEACE on earth.  While they are separate, they are certainly related.

·         God knows whether we’re focused on expressing our gratitude for the gift of His Son or indulging in pagan revelry. - When we buy a gold cross on a chain, we are not worshiping the cross itself, but rather the One who died on it.

·         What is important is not the origins of the celebration, but their significance for us today as believers in the Son of God. – Most people don’t have a clue about the origins of Christmas, they just ENJOY the season of giving and the celebration of Christ’s Birthday. – There is no singing in the street naked, debauchery or worshipping trees or acknowledging Saturn as the pagan sun god; that just doesn’t even cross our minds.

·         We were never commanded to observe the Birthday of Christ; people JUST WANT TO. – Once a year, the whole world hears about CHRISTMAS and the name of Jesus Christ is put forward; how awesome is that. - NYOBS 20.02 – WHEN WAS JESUS BORN

·         Hanukkah and the Festival of Lights wasn't commanded by God to be observed, but it is just something that folks JUST WANT TO DO in remembrance of a deliverance; a Special Deliverance of Israel, a Special People. - NYOBS 47.15 – HANUKKAH & YOM KIPPER FEAST & FESTIVALS -- NYOBS 47.29 -  MACCABEES HOLY JIHAD

Col 2:16 – Don’t let anyone judge you in regards to festivals

16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. NIV

1 Peter 2:16-17 – Live as free men, but show respect to others

16 Live as FREE men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.

17 Show proper respect to everyone.

The Bethlehem Star

• There are two kinds of stars; those that are “fixed” and those that seem to “Wander”. They are called wandering stars because they move slowly in a predictable orbit reversing in time to start all over again. – The MAGI saw the star rising in the East and it endured.
• In September of 3 B.C. the star Regulus known as “The King’s Star” rises in the East in an elliptical orbit and seemingly forms a conjunction with Jupiter. -  Stacked together, but separate, they form a very bright star in the heavens. With the earth also moving, these two stars seem to wander in the heavens then STOP as they reach the end of their orbit. 

LOOK WHAT HAPPENED

This stacked conjunction occurred on

December 25th, 2 B.C. giving us the First Christmas.

Isa 40:26 – God created the stars

26 Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them by name

Job 9:9 – He calls the stars by name

9 He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south. NIV

Ps 147:4 – He numbered the stars

4 He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. NIV

Mic 5:2 – Prophecy - A Ruler will come out of Bethlehem.

2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times NIV

Matt 2:2 – The Star of King Jesus was seen rising in the East

2 "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him. NKJV

Last Thoughts

·         If you are “fully convinced” that you cannot observe the Christmas tradition because it is too steeped in paganism, then don’t observe it; it’s wrong for you.

·         If you are “fully convinced that you CAN honor God by participating in the Christmas season and you view it as the celebration of the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, then you should do it; it’s right for you.

·         One person esteems one day as better than another, while another person esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind and not judge the other. – SELAH -

Romans 14:5 – One person esteems one day better than another
5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. (ESV)

Jeremiah 10:3-5 – A Christmas tree cannot do evil nor good
³ for the customs of the peoples are vanity. A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman.
⁴ They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move.
⁵ Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do EVIL, neither is it in them to do GOOD.” (ESV)

1 Corinthians 4:5 - God judges us by the motives in our heart
5  Therefore DO NOT PRONOUNCE JUDGMENT before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God. (ESV)

Matthew 15:19  - Out of the heart comes our thoughts &motives
19  For OUT OF THE HEART come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. (ESV)

In the multitude of counselors,

there is wisdom.

Proverbs 11:14

I am grateful to those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical

information, and scripture verses.  Because of them I can stand on their shoulders

and see further that I otherwise ever could have.

                                                                                                                                     

A Commentary; Critical, Experimental and Practical - Eerdmans

Antiquity of the Jews – Flavius Josephus Matthias

Apocrypha – Goodspeed

Baker Commentary on the Bible – Elwell

Bible Almanac; The – Packer-Tenney-White

Bible Commentary – F.B. Meyer

Bible Dictionary – Harper and Row

Dake’s Annotated Bible – Dake

English Standard Version Bible – ESV

Expositor’s Bible Commentary – Frank E. Gaebelein

Illustrated Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s

Illustrated Bible Dictionary; The – Tyndale

Interlinear Greek-English New Testament - Baker

King James Version Bible – KJV

Matthew Henry’s Commentary - Zondervan

Mysteries of the Bible – Readers Digest

Nave’s Topical Bible - Zondervan

New International Dictionary of the Bible; The – Douglas - Tenney

New International Version Bible (2011) – NIV

NOTE: The “new” NIV has been corrupted and made gender neutral.  AVOID IT.

Thru the Bible – J. Vernon McGee

Vincent’s Word Studies of the New Testament – Mac Donald

Who’s Who in the Bible – Paul D. Gardner

Wycliffe Bible Commentary; The – Pfeiffer & Harrison

Wikipedia –

Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible; The – Tenney

KINGDOM KEYS - BIND & LOOSE - NYOBS 65.22

KINGDOM KEYS - BIND & LOOSE

Has man been given the KEY to forgive sins on earth; causing it to happen in Heaven?

If so; why do we need a Savior?

A Little Background

·         Jesus was addressing the Twelve Disciples and asked the question, “Who do the others think that I am” – They offered up many responses of what people were saying, then He asked them point blank; “But who do YOU think that I am”.

·         Peter is often seen as the spokesman for the inner circle and responded for the twelve by stating; “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God”; speaking for all of them.

·         Jesus response sets up THREE deep spiritual thoughts that still “ROCK” us today;

1.  On this ROCK I will build my church – What is this Rock? – Did Jesus change Simon Bar-Jonah’s name to Peter? - Is Peter the Rock?

2.  There are KEYS to the Kingdom of Heaven – Do we need keys to be able to enter into the Kingdom? Were the keys just given to Peter or to all the Disciples? – Keys are plural; so what are all these keys for?

3.  BINDING & LOOSING – What are we binding and loosing? – Is it Biblical for men to be able to bind or loose something on earth and cause the binding or loosing to happen in Heaven?

Matthew 16:13-14 – Who do people think I am?
¹³ Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
¹⁴ And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” (ESV)
Matthew 16:15-17 – Who do you guys think I am?

¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
¹⁶ Simon Peter replied, “YOU ARE THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD.”
¹⁷ And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. (ESV)

Matthew 16:18 – On this rock I will build my church
¹⁸ And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

(ESV)

Matthew 16:19-20 - Keys of the Kingdom – Bind and Loose
¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
²⁰  Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. (ESV)

Matthew 18:18 – Bind and Loose on Earth – Same in Heaven
¹⁸ Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (ESV)

The Rock

·         When Peter uttered the words “YOU ARE THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD”, he was confessing what had been hidden; the “revelation” of Yeshua - Emanuel; God is with us - The Messiah.

·         Flesh and Blood has not “Revealed” this to you. - The word “Revealed” comes from the Greek word “apokalupto”; meaning to remove the veil or covering so as to expose what has been hidden; to make manifest. – The Revelation was; Jesus Christ is the Rock that now dwells within Simon. - This was when Jesus changed “Simon; son of Jonah’s” name to “PETROS” which means Rock, but then went on to say, that “on this PETRA, I will build my church”; Petra is a rock that is larger than Petros.

·         I find it interesting, that when Peter was being chastised by the Lord, He called him Simon and when he was being commended, He called him Peter; I think to remind him of who he WAS before Christ and who he IS now in Christ; this is also a reflection for us in our life.

·          Jesus said that upon this revelation; this confession, this ROCK of truth, that He would build His Church.  - He was not making an “apostolic statement” that He would build His Church on Peter and Peter knew this when he called the Believers; LIVING STONES. - 

·         The Rock is Jesus, He is the cornerstone, the foundation for the Living Stones; which are the Prophets, the Apostles and you and me.

·          Peter did not go to Rome and start a new church as tradition would have it, but he and the rest of the Apostles stayed in Jerusalem – It’s in the Book - NYOBS 10.02 – THE PLAYERS – THE DISCIPLES

·         The “Apostolic Authority” to forgive Sins was never transferred to any man to be passed down through a line of successors. - It is so much simpler than that; it is written; whosoever believes in the Name of Jesus the Christ, their sins are forgiven. – BAM –

Matthew 16:17-18 – Simon’s name changed to Petrus - Rock
¹⁷ And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
¹⁸ And I tell you, YOU ARE PETER, and on this ROCK I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (ESV)

Luke 20:17 – Jesus is the Cornerstone
¹⁷ But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the CORNERSTONE’? (ESV)

Acts 4:11-12 – The Rock of Salvation – Jesus Cornerstone
¹¹ This Jesus is the STONE that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.
¹² And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (ESV)

Ephesians 2:19-22 – The foundation of the Apostles; Jesus
¹⁹ So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
²⁰ built on THE FOUNDATION of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the CORNERSTONE,
²¹ in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.
²² In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. (ESV)

1 Peter 2:5-6 – Believers are Living Stones
⁵ you yourselves like LIVING STONES are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
⁶  For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a CORNERSTONE chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

(ESV)

1 Corinthians 3:10-11 – Living stones built on Christ’s Foundation
¹⁰  According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled MASTER BUILDER I laid a FOUNDATION, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.
¹¹ For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

(ESV)

Acts 10:43 - Everyone that believes receives forgiveness of sins
⁴³ To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

(ESV)

Acts 8:1 – Peter did not go to Rome – Stayed in Jerusalem
¹ Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, EXCEPT THE APOSTLES.

(NKJV)

Side Bar – The Church

·         It is interesting to me that Paul says that he was NOT taught the Gospel by the preaching of any man, but through the revelation of Jesus Christ. – Understand, this occurred after the resurrection of Jesus. -  Paul even states that those who seemed to be quite influential added nothing to what Jesus had already revealed to him.

• Peter had not instructed Paul in the Gospel, nor did Peter know anything about the Gospel being made available to the Gentiles; he heard about this for the first time from Paul. – With that being said, it seems highly unlikely that Peter would be considered as head of the church as tradition has expounded.

·         Jesus after His resurrection appeared FIRST to James, His half-brother before He appeared to the other disciples.  This is probably when James was converted to Christianity. Tradition has James as an important leader in early church history and was appointed as the FIRST BISHOP of Jerusalem by the apostles and the Lord Himself. – It would seem that James would have headed up the church, not Peter nor Paul.

·         The Church would have seemed to be built first with Peter’s leadership, then it looked like it might become Paul’s leadership, or perhaps even James, but in the end, it is JESUS; the Rock, the Cornerstone, that is the foundation of the Church. – JESUS AND NO OTHER. -

Galatians 1:11-12 – Paul didn’t receive the Gospel through Peter
¹¹ For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel.
¹² For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

(ESV)

Galatians 2:5-6 – Others added nothing to God’s instructions
⁵ to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.
⁶ And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me.

(ESV)

Acts 13:46 - WE ARE TURNING TO THE GENTILES
⁴⁶And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, WE ARE TURNING TO THE GENTILES. (ESV)

Galatians 2:7 – Peter didn’t know about the Gentile inclusion
⁷ On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised (The Gentiles), just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised (The Jews)

(ESV)

Matt 13:55 - James – half-brother of Jesus

55 "Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? NIV

1 Cor 15:6-7 – Jesus appears to him after His resurrection.

7 Then he appeared to James, THEN to all the apostles, NIV

Gal 2:8-10 – James becomes a leader to the Jews.

9 James, Peter and John, those reputed to be PILLARS, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. NIV

Acts 21:18 – James and the leaders.

18 The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. NIV

James 1:1 – James, the writer of the book of James

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, NIV

The Keys

·         What is missed about the Keys to the Kingdom is that they were not for the SWEET BYE AND BYE, but for the NASTY NOW AND NOW; the present – Jesus said the kingdom of God was at hand; a present reality.

·         The Keys to the Kingdom were not given to just Peter, the spokesman for the twelve, but given to all the disciples who were present; to the CHURCH. – This was not about the  exclusive rights to open or close Heaven to specific individuals, but about the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ which FAITH is required or the door is already shut; the KEYS

a)    Open the Kingdom of Heaven to all who would receive the Gospel, believing by FAITH and

b)    Close it to those who obstinately reject the Gospel and would not believe.

·         The KEY of the house of David opens what none can shut; and shuts, what none can open. – The trusted servant of the King was the gate keeper and had access to the temple. The keys were hooked on his shoulder symbolizing that he was the only one who had the authority to open and close the doors of the King’s house.  These keys, the symbol of authority and power are symbolically passed down to Jesus Christ through the linage of David. – It is Jesus who can allow or disallow someone entrance into the kingdom - NO OTHER

·         The Religious leaders; the Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes abused the teaching office that had been entrusted to them by rejecting THE KNOWLEDGE of the Gospel Message and thus were hindering others who were wanting to embrace it.  Jesus said they would NOT enter the kingdom of Heaven and were also hindering others from doing so.

·         These Church leaders were the guardians of the Law yet they had deprived the people of the true understanding of it, having in their mind NOT the concerns of God, but merely human concerns. – They were known as experts of the Law, but became Blind Guides who misunderstood, misappropriated and misused the Keys to the kingdom that were given to them, and they became a “Stumbling Block” for others;

·         The MASTER KEY to the Kingdom is the KNOWLEDGE of the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ, that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins and eternal life through His name. This Key has been entrusted to us, to GO, teach the message of the Gospel and make disciples all over the world.

·         FIRST KEY – Opened the gates of Heaven for Jewish Believers; there were added that day about three thousand souls and they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

·         SECOND KEY – Opened the gates for the Samaritan believers; the half Jew and half Gentiles. – They heard the Word preached, saw demons cast out, rejoiced and had hands laid on them and they received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

·         THIRD KEY – Opened gates for Gentile Believers - While Peter was still preaching, the Holy Spirit fell on all the Gentiles who heard the word and the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. They exclaimed “can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have”?

Luke 11:52 – The Key to the Kingdom of Heaven is Knowledge
⁵² Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away THE KEY OF KNOWLEDGE. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.” (ESV)

Matthew 16:23 – Lawyers became a Stumbling Block
²³ Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a STUMBLING BLOCK to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

(NIV2011)

Matthew 28:18-20 – GO and make disciples – Teach - Baptize
¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
¹⁹ 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,
²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

(ESV)

John 3:18 – FAITH in Jesus Christ is Required
¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. (ESV)

John 3:3 – You must be born again
³ Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one IS BORN AGAIN he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (ESV)

Romans 10:9 – Confess with your mouth - Believe in your heart
⁹ because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (ESV)

Acts 10:43 - Everyone who believes receives forgiveness of Sins
⁴³ To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives FORGIVENESS OF SINS through his name.” (ESV)

John 3:16 – Believe in the name of Jesus and have eternal life
¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (ESV)

Acts 2:38-42 - FIRST KEY – Opened gates for Jewish Believers
³⁸ And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
³⁹ For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”
⁴⁰ And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”
⁴¹ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
⁴² And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. (ESV)

Acts 8:4-17 - SECOND KEY – Opened gates for the Samaritan’s
⁴ Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.
⁵ Philip went down to the city of SAMARIA and proclaimed to them the Christ.
⁷ For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much joy in that city.
¹⁴ Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that SAMARIA had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John,
¹⁷ Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. (ESV)

Acts 10:34-48 – THRID KEY – Opened gates for Gentile Believers
³⁴ So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality,
³⁷ you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed:
³⁸ how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
³⁹ And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree,
⁴⁰ but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear,
⁴¹ not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
⁴² And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead.
⁴³ To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
⁴⁴ While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.
⁴⁵ And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit WAS POURED OUT EVEN ON THE GENTILES.
⁴⁶ For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared,
⁴⁷ Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”
⁴⁸ And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days. (ESV

Isaiah 22:22 - The Key of the house of David – Opens & Closes
²² And I will place on his shoulder the KEY of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. (ESV)

Revelation 3:7 – Jesus has the Key of David
⁷ And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who HAS the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. (ESV)

Matthew 4:17 - The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand
¹⁷ From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (ESV)

Binding and Loosening

·         I feel a need to discuss the Torah, the first five books of our Bible as well as the entire extended Hebrew scriptures that takes us into the New Testament.

·         The authority of the Rabies permitted or disallowed certain practices; they had the wisdom to know what was “Kosher”, what to permit and what to forbid. - They would make decisions based on their scholastic reasoning of the Torah and the commentaries of the Talmudic writings.  – The Binding and loosing would be in tandem with heaven and dealt with church members who were promoting incorrect doctrine or were engaged in sinful behavior.

·         Binding – Fasten, tie, constrain, shut, close, stop, govern. - Certain activities are declared bound, prohibited or forbidden in their Torah compliant Spirit led lives.

·         Loosing – Unbind, untie, free, release, open – Certain activities are declared loosed, allowed or permitted in their Torah compliant Spirit led lives.

·         When our Bible was first translated, those who translated it knew nothing about the Hebrew Culture nor the science of linguistics; they just translated the “Greek”, word for word into “English”.

·         When the Greek text was translated back to the original Hebrew of the TORAH, some new understandings and adjustments took place which brought new enlightenment to what the New Testament Hebrew text was originally meant to convey.

·         Such is the scripture concerning Binding and Loosing, This “Enlightenment” brought about new translations of the Bible, with the intent; NOT to make it say what we wanted it to say, but to uncover the TRUTH of what the text originally intended to convey.  Centuries of misinterpretations are just now coming to light; such is found in the Amplified Bible and the New American Standard Bible.   

·         In the Greek, the words “bound” and “loose” were spoken in the “periphrastic future perfect passive construction” which means that the words should have been translated, “shall have been bound already or shall have been loosed already”.

·         Binding or Loosing is dependent upon what heaven has already willed rather than what we as Christians decree.

·         Man cannot bind or loose something on earth and cause it to be bound or loosed in heaven.  In other words, man cannot forgive sins on earth and cause heaven to forgiven the sins.  Scripture bears out that the Key to opening and closing these doors is held only by Jesus Christ and we can only STATE, based on scripture, what has already been bound or loosed in heaven. – God is not obligated to bind or loose what men decree.

·          IF MAN CAN FORGIVE SINS, THEN WE DO NOT NEED A SAVIOR !

Matthew 16:19 – Must be what is already declared in heaven

¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind (declare to be improper and unlawful) on earth must be what is already bound in heaven; and whoever you loose (declare unlawful) on earth must be what is already loosed in heaven.

(AMP)

Matthew 16:19 – Must be what is already declared in heaven
¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven."

(NASB)

Isaiah 22:22 – The Key of the house of David – Opens/Closes
²² And I will place on his shoulder the KEY of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. (ESV)

Revelation 3:7 – Jesus has the Key that OPENS and CLOSES
⁷ And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who HAS the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. (ESV)

Bind & Loose by Revelation

·         Peter had a vision of a sheet coming down from heaven with all kinds of unclean animals forbidden by the Mosaic Law.  God told him to kill them and EAT, because they were now clean.

·         What was once forbidden; BOUND, a common thing has now been LOOSED; a clean thing.  (I think this is when Peter has his first BBQ pork sandwich; maybe NOT, it might have been Catfish, Shrimp, Lobster, Hushpuppies, French fries, slaw and some Sweet Southern Tea.)

Acts 10:10-15  - Unclean animals bound – Now clean - loosed
¹⁰ And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance
¹¹ and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth.
¹² In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air.
¹³ And there came a voice to him: “RISE, PETER; KILL AND EAT.”
¹⁴ But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.”
¹⁵ And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” (ESV)

Bind & Loose by Church Discipline

·         The Rabbinic notion of binding and loosing was in the “Order of Church Discipline” dealing with a brother or sister in Christ who had sinned. – It did TWO things;

·         a)  It provided Church Rules on the methods and actions of a Spirit filled Godly life and

·         b)  Provided the authority of Church Discipline; to excommunicate disobedient members.

The Binding or Loosing is based on the acceptance or rejection

of the Gospel as it reflects Heavens perspective on the matter.

·         Step 1 – If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.

·         Step 2 – If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.

·         Step 3 – If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

·         Step 4 – If he does not repent, then “Let him who has done this be removed from among you”; excommunicate him from the church; from his friends with the hope and prayer that his sinful nature will be destroyed and this will turn him around and his soul will be saved.

·         Step 5 – If he repents; welcome him back into the Church. – Forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow; reaffirm your love for him.

·         How many times should you forgive? – As many times as a brother repents, not seven times, but seventy times seven; so many times that you loose count.

·         The Key’s to the Kingdom opens the sacrament of The Lord’s Table to Believers who are walking according to the Spirit, and closes it to un-believers or Make-believers who are not walking after the Spirit. – We are taught to EXAMINE OURSELVES concerning sin in our lives and seek forgiveness before we participate in the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, otherwise we bring God’s judgment on our lives; bringing sickness and perhaps even an early death. – NYOBS 05.11 – LORD’S SUPPER -- NYOBS 03.07 – BAPTISM -- NYOBS 62.02 – INFANT BAPTISM

Matthew 18:15 – Step 1 – Go to your brother alone
¹⁵ If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.

(ESV)

Matthew 18:16 – Step 2 – Next Take a someone with you
¹⁶ But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. (ESV)

Matthew 18:17 – Step 3 – Next take it to the Church
¹⁷ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

(ESV)

1 Corinthians 5:1-5 – Step 4 - Church Discipline; Excommunicate

¹ It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife.
² And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.
³ For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing.
⁴ When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus,
⁵ you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. (ESV)

Matthew 18:21-22 – Forgive 490 times or till you lose count
²¹ Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”

²² Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. (NKJV)

2 Corinthians 2:6-8 – Repented – Reaffirm your love to him
⁶ For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough,
⁷ so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
⁸ So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. (ESV)

1 Corinthians 11:27-28 – Examine yourself before the Lord
²⁷ So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
²⁸ That is why you should EXAMINE YOURSELF before eating the bread and drinking the cup. (NLT)

1 Corinthians 11:29-30 – Unworthiness brings judgment
²⁹ For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking GOD’S JUDGMENT upon yourself.
³⁰ That is why many of you are WEAK and SICK and SOME HAVE EVEN DIED. (NLT)

Example of Church Discipline

·         The may be seem extreme, but a man and his wife sold some property and decided to give some of the money to the Church.  They were free to do whatever they wanted to do with the money. - They kept some of the money, BUT told the church they were giving all of it.

·         Peter called out the couple before the church because they LIED; telling them they could have kept ALL the money and it would have been just fine, but instead they had lied to the Holy Spirit; and so God “took them out”.

·         Paul calls out Peter before the church because of his HYPOCRISY – FIRST – because; before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party and SECOND because the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, and THIRD so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

·         Jesus calls out Peter in private as a “STUMBLING BLOCK”.  - Jesus had just explained that He was going to be killed and raised the third day, when Peter rebuked him for his words and Jesus told him he was acting like Satan; his mind was not on the things of God, but on the things of man.

Acts 5:1-10 – Peter calls out a couple lying to the Church
¹ But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property,
² and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
³ But Peter said, “Ananias, why has SATAN FILLED YOUR HEART TO LIE TO THE HOLY SPIRIT and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?
⁴ While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? YOU HAVE NOT LIED TO MAN BUT TO GOD.”
⁵ When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it.
⁶ The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.
⁷ After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
⁸ And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.”
⁹ But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.”
¹⁰ Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. (ESV)

Galatians 2:11-21 – Paul calls out Peter in his hypocrisy
¹¹ But when Cephas (PETER) came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.
¹² For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party.
¹³ And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their HYPOCRISY.
¹⁴ But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas (PETER) BEFORE THEM ALL, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
¹⁵ We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners;
¹⁶ yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
¹⁹ For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God.
²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
²¹ I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. (ESV)

Matthew 16:23 – Jesus calls out Peter as a Stumbling Block
²³ Jesus turned and said to PETER, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a STUMBLING BLOCK to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” (NIV2011)

Introverts & Extraverts - Rabbit Trail

• The President of Carolina Christian Broadcasting occasionally would ask me to find scriptures while he was spontaneously responding to questions on LIVE TV… I got to be part of his presentation while assisting with a computer in a back room. – He was an EXTRAVERT; a natural in front of the TV Camera and I was an INTROVERT and avoided the camera  if I possibly could, but behind the scenes, I was a natural. – I loved what I did, and was honored to be a part of WHAT HE DID.
• Simon Peter was an EXTRAVERT; “a natural” out in front; presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and he had a partner, an INTROVERT named Andrew who loved what he was quietly doing behind the scenes.
• Andrew was Simon Peter’s Brother. - In the beginning, Andrew was a disciple of JOHN THE BAPTIST and was the first to be called by Jesus to be a part-time disciple, but also continued as a fisherman with Peter and with their partners; two other brothers James and John. - It was Andrew that BROUGHT Peter to Jesus to become a Disciple. - Andrew is noticeably quiet in the background, as Peter, James and John seem to dominate the inner circle; but he seems to be forever busy, just BRINGING others to meet Jesus.
• Andrew’s heart did not resent living in the shadows and being a SUPPORTING ACTOR of his brother Peter who took the leadership role. - He saw value in SERVING QUIETLY in the background.
• He delighted in BRINGING anyone and everyone to meet Jesus. - Most people come to Christ because of a personal testimony of a friend, neighbor, office worker or relative.  - Because Andrew BROUGHT his brother Peter to Christ, another 3000 received eternal life. – WOW -
• Everyone is not called to be a Simon Peter, but we can ALL be an Andrew – We can be “BRINGERS” – The Holy Spirit is responsible for planting the Seed. - We are responsible for watering the seed. - God is responsible for the Harvest. – Our job is the easiest; we just water.  
• Man CANNOT forgive sins; that’s why we need a Savior and we need men like Simon Peter out front teaching and men like his brother Andrew in the back helping to park cars.
• You probably know a Simon Peter - Find a way to BRING just one person to meet him. – As an introvert all we have to do is WATER and sometimes God will allow us to see a harvest.

Binding Satan – Loosening his hold

·         Can someone Bind Satan and loose people from his nefarious activities? - I certainly have heard this all my life. - This concept comes from combining two scriptures.  That of having the keys to bind and loose and the other to bind the strong man (Satan) and take his goods which are deemed to be money, political power and the people he controls.

·         Nowhere in scripture did anyone every utter the phrase, “I bind you Satan”.  What I found was; the Archangel Michael instead of challenging Satan, said “THE LORD WILL REBUKE YOU”. – Another scripture says “the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded”.

·         The strong man of scripture is surely Satan who previously had the lives of us as believers bound up, but we are now FREE from his chains and power, because Yeshua; Jesus the Christ has given us authority over him and his ways.  - Should we make a declaration concerning binding Satan that the early church did not teach nor practice?

·         Paul was pretty strong on making up new practices, he said: If ANYONE is preaching to you A GOSPEL CONTRARY to the one you received, let him be ACCURSED.

Matthew 16:19 – You can bind and loose
¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (ESV)

Matthew 12:28-29 – Bind the strong man and take his goods
²⁸ But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
²⁹ Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first BINDS THE STRONG MAN? Then indeed he may plunder his house. (ESV)

Jude 1:9 – The Lord will rebuke Satan
⁹ But when the ARCHANGEL MICHAEL, contending with THE DEVIL, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “THE LORD REBUKE YOU.” (ESV)

Acts 19:15-16 – Evil spirit beat them up took their clothes
¹⁵  But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?”
¹⁶  And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. (ESV)

Galatians 1:8-9 – A Contrary Gospel – Let him be accursed
⁸ But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.
⁹ As we have said before, so now I say again: If ANYONE is preaching to you A GOSPEL CONTRARY to the one you received, let him be ACCURSED. (ESV)

Last Thoughts

·         Jesus is the Word made flesh, who is the true one, the Holy one who has the key of David that opens what no one man can shut, and shuts what no man can open.

·         The power of the Keys is the faithful proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes; first to the Jew, then the Samaritan, then to the Greek; the Gentiles; which would be us.

·         We have options with the Keys; -- a) We can do nothing through ignorance of the power of Jesus that lives within us -- b) We can abrogate our responsibility and just give the keys back to God. -- c) We can bind and loose according to the revelation received and become a part of what God has already done by being a BRINGER of someone to the Good News.

·         We are Ambassadors for Christ who have already been given power and authority to speak and act on behalf of the King; to bind and Loose on earth what He has already bound and loosed in Heaven – The “Revealing” to Peter was the removing of the vale which gave us the revelation of knowing who we are serving; THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD who is the ROCK and has all the KEYS, even the keys of death and Hell. - Rev 1:18

2 Corinthians 5:20 - We are ambassadors for Christ
²⁰ Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, GOD MAKING HIS APPEAL THROUGH US. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (ESV)

In the multitude of counselors,

there is wisdom.

Proverbs 11:14

I am grateful to those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical

information, and scripture verses.  Because of them I can stand on their shoulders

and see further that I otherwise ever could have.

                                                                                                                                     

A Commentary; Critical, Experimental and Practical - Eerdmans

Antiquity of the Jews – Flavius Josephus Matthias

Apocrypha – Goodspeed

Baker Commentary on the Bible – Elwell

Berean Bible Society

Bible Almanac; The – Packer-Tenney-White

Bible Commentary – F.B. Meyer

Bible Dictionary – Harper and Row

Dake’s Annotated Bible – Dake

English Standard Version Bible – ESV

Expositor’s Bible Commentary – Frank E. Gaebelein

Illustrated Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s

Illustrated Bible Dictionary; The – Tyndale

Interlinear Greek-English New Testament - Baker

King James Version Bible – KJV

Matthew Henry’s Commentary - Zondervan

Mere Christianity – C.S. Lewis

Mysteries of the Bible – Readers Digest

Nave’s Topical Bible - Zondervan

New International Dictionary of the Bible; The – Douglas - Tenney

New International Version Bible (2011) – NIV

NOTE: The “new” NIV has been corrupted and made gender neutral.  AVOID IT.

Reasonable Faith – William Lane Crag

Seeing Eye; The – C.S. Lewis

Thru the Bible – J. Vernon McGee

Vincent’s Word Studies of the New Testament – Mac Donald

Who’s Who in the Bible – Paul D. Gardner

Wycliffe Bible Commentary; The – Pfeiffer & Harrison

Wikipedia –

Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible; The – Tenney