Friday, May 28, 2010

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary

For Sunday May 30, 2010
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A COMMUNITY AT RISK
(If we don’t become serious about knowing GOD’s word, here in the last days, we will be fooled)
(Jude)

Since the dawn of Christianity, it has been at risk of being contaminated by the evil forces of satan. And many individual professed Christian churches have failed because its members failed to get to know the word of GOD well enough, that they would not be misled by false teachers and preachers.
And, even though Christianity must operate as a welcoming community that has the GODly fear which enables them to love the sinner and hate the sin, we must also be able to avoid the pollution of those whom we seek to save by leading them to CHRIST.
In the difficult and often neglected epistle of Jude, the half brother of JESUS urges Christians everywhere to stand firm against false teachers and their philosophies, which act as a portal into the perverted practices of the Luciferic agenda.
Jude gives examples of GOD’s judgment on those vile people, who, past and present, try to steer Christians away from the most-high faith. He urges us to examine what people say, and, how they actually live their lives, so that we may be better able to determine, the difference between what is real, and, what is fake. And in today’s society, if we are not really, really tuned in to the word of GOD, we will be fooled.
King David warned us almost 3000 years ago, that, “The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest of men are exalted” (Psalm 12:8 – KJV). We, live in a nation where we continually exalt those men and women who profess to be anti-CHRIST. We buy their music and sing the lyrics of their anti-CHRIST doctrine. We buy their clothing lines and dress our children in the armor of satan that they produce. Clothing that contains all sorts of demonic symbols that are used to channel in satan and his angels into our homes, churches and lives.
We spend billions of dollars going to see their movies and attending their concerts of praise and satan worship. We buy their c.d.’s, and make sure we never miss one of their award shows. We live in a nation where more people call in to vote for the next American Idol, than has ever voted in any presidential election in the history of America.
So-called gospel singing artists are mixing with professed anti-CHRIST secular artist, creating a vehicle for satan to enter into the Christian church and become a part of the worship service that has been preserved for GOD, by GOD HIMSELF. Don’t look now America, but we are no longer a Christian nation, and we haven’t been for a long time.
Jude’s powerful epistle is directed at all of those, whom, GOD has called to leadership, all of those, who are loved by GOD, and, all of those, who are kept by the sacrifice of JESUS CHRIST. In other words, all professed Christians should take heed to keep themselves in the love of GOD, by defending the gospel that was preached by CHRIST and other men of GOD, as we all wait on mercy from JESUS CHRIST, unto eternal life.
Jude may have started out wanting to write a positive treatise on salvation, but ultimately, he ended up writing, perhaps, the strongest condemnation of false teachers and warning against participating in perverted practices, that can be found in all of New Testament literature.
His quotations and analogies of Old Testament events are not that of an authority, but rather they are that of one vividly describing a day of coming judgment that has already been substantiated in Old Testament judgments. We in America have become a community at risk, who, are in danger of the same kind of judgment that was delivered upon the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.
False teachers, and, those who promote the anti-CHRIST agenda through their works and lifestyle, will all have to make an account, and ultimately, receive their just due. And so will those, who, through their own ignorance of GOD’s word, choose to follow and exalt the vilest of men.

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander


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Friday, May 21, 2010

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary

For Sunday May 23, 2010
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A WELCOMING COMMUNITY
(Extend mercy as you have received mercy from GOD)
(Philemon 8-18)

The world will never have any use for Christianity, unless, we as Christians, prove through our behavior, that Christianity produces the best men and women. And one of the best ways for Christians to reflect GOD’s image, is by showing forgiveness and mercy towards one another.
Paul’s personal epistle to Philemon is a terse, but wonderfully written letter to a friend and close co-worker in CHRIST, by the same name. It is written during Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome in the early A.D. sixties, just a few years prior to his death.
Philemon was a wealthy Christian who lived in the city of Colosse, and, who was the employer of a run-away servant named Onesimus (Oh-NESS-ih-muss)., whom Paul indicates, had refused to work off his debt to Philemon, and, had probably, in addition, stolen from him to finance his own escape (Philemon verse 18).
In biblical times, it was quite common for a person to trade menial services for money, food, or other things, or, to place themselves in bondage to another person in order to pay off a debt that was owed to that person. They became that person’s servant for as long as it took to pay off the debt (up to six years for Hebrew male servants – Exodus 21:2), and in some instances, the debt would even fall to the servant’s offsprings for payment, becoming the burden of the next generation (Exodus 21:4-6).
In the King James Version of scripture, the word "slave" or "slaves" is translated from the original language only twice, once in the Old Testament (Jeremiah 2:14), and once in the New Testament (Revelation 18:13). In all other occurances, including this passage of Philemon, the word "servant" is translated from the original Greek and Hebrew text, not "slave". The definition of the word "slave" is "one who is bound in servitude to another without payment for services (beyond the food and clothing necessary to sustian)". The word "servant" is defined as “one who is employed to perform services for financial gain, or in lieu of payment of debts owed”.
Onesimus was indebted to Philemon and thereby was his servant. He had run away from his responsibility of serving off his debt. However, while he was on the run, and hiding in Rome, he came across Paul, who converted him to CHRIST. He then began working with Paul in the church and became quite an asset to Paul’s ministry in Rome.
However, Paul realized that Onesimus had a responsibility to Philemon and that he should somehow make restitution for his wrongdoing. He felt that Onesimus must return to Philemon, offer to make things right, and ask for mercy regarding his offensive actions against his superior.
Here in this letter, Paul pleads with Philemon on Onesimus’ behalf, asking him to show mercy on the Christian brother who voluntarily returned to face punishment for his transgressions, not the unbeliever who had wronged him earlier by violating their agreement and stealing from him. Paul asked this graciously as a favor to him, rather than demanding, as Philemon’s superior, that he comply to his wishes (verses 8-9).
Paul wanted Onesimus to be reconciled to Philemon, who was also a Christian, so that he would have a chance to demonstrate his new approach to life as a Christian who desired to render honest service to a superior.
I believe that it would be safe to assume that Philemon yeilded to Paul’s stirring request. In fact, there is great historic speculation that this is the same Onesimus who later became the Ephesian bishop whom the great early church leader, Ignatius, mentions in several letters to the church at Ephesus.
GOD wants us to show love, mercy, and kindness to those who live around us, and, to everyone, whom we may come in contact with on a daily basis, even if they are not related to us, or, don’t look like us.
Christianity challenges us to become a welcoming community that can grow beyond our discriminatory practices and behavior and become more like CHRIST, by allowing “self” to wither away, and die from our hearts. And it also requires us to show mercy, and to forgive our debtors, just as GOD forgives us our debts, through the vicarious sacrifice of CHRIST JESUS.

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander


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Friday, May 14, 2010

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary

For Sunday May 16, 2010
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A CHOSEN COMMUNITY
(Living the new life)
(Colossians 3)

GOD entered into the physical, material world in the person of JESUS CHRIST, and in a real human body, won salvation for all mankind. JESUS not only showed us how to live in our human existence, HE also showed us how true spirituality, by definition, means living a human life here on earth, in union, with GOD the FATHER, in Heaven.
The Apostle Paul understood that all wisdom could be found in CHRIST JESUS, and so here in Colossians 3, he urges the Christians at Colosse to continue to abide in CHRIST, and aspire to reflect HIS image to others, through their own behavior.
If believers are to be identified with CHRIST, they can no longer live under Jewish law which could rob them of their rewards in Heaven, nor, could they afford to be deceived by the vain philosophies of the Gnostic teachers who had already infiltrated many of the Christian Churches in the first century.
It is important for the Christian to fully understand that they have been raised to life with CHRIST, and, as a result, must set their hearts on the things of Heaven, and put to death, their desires for the things of this world. We are no longer permanent residents of this earth, but rather we’ve become citizens of Heaven, and therefore, the laws of GOD, not the laws of the Jews, or of man, must become paramount to us.
In the Greek, the word used for “world” is “kosmos”. It is from this word that we derive our English word “cosmos”. In the spiritual sense, it is “that complex intertwining of sinful desires that shape our world of lost humanity”.
When we choose the Christian walk, we automatically become strangers to worldly behavior. An experiential relationship with GOD is a Christian’s greatest asset, and thus, as GOD’s people, we must strive to live the kind of life with others, that JESUS lived when HE was here on earth.
What we do in, and with, our bodies is of deep concern to GOD. Everything, that we say and do, reflects on the GOD, we say we know and love. The theme of us being a “new creation” is a familiar one in the writings of Paul, and that common theme is just as vivid here in this letter to the Colossians, as it is in any of Paul’s doctrinal epistles. When we become Christians, we are expected by GOD, to die to the world. GOD then justifies us, and raises us up into a new life with CHRIST, and therefore, anything that is foreign to CHRIST, should become foreign to us. We put to death, all those things that we used to do that were not pleasing to GOD, and we embrace those things that are.
Paul ends chapter three of this epistle to the Colossians, (verses 18-25) with this advice on how we are to live our new lives within the framework of the roles we have been assigned to at birth by GOD, as men, women, and children, whom GOD intended, to comprise the family households. Wives must submit to their own husband, husbands must love their own wife, and treat her gently, and children must obey their parents at all times.
It must not be forgotten that JESUS HIMSELF was raised on scriptures, and HE based HIS entire ministry on what those scriptures say, and, HE also approached HIS death, with words of scripture on HIS lips. The word of GOD serves as a daily reminder of what our conduct should be towards each other, and, towards GOD HIMSELF. By exemplifying GODly conduct in our daily walk, we, invariably uplift the name of JESUS our CHRIST, and, our LORD.

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander


Larry D. Alexander - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Friday, May 7, 2010

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary

For Sunday May 9, 2010
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A DISCERNING COMMUNITY
(Stand firm in the most-high faith that is found only in CHRIST JESUS)
(Colossians 2)

Paul prayed constantly that the believers in all Christian Churches really learn and come to understand the power that they all have in CHRIST JESUS. Here in Colossians 2, we see how he agonized for the churches at Colosse and Laodicea, even though he had never visited them personally.
It is a wonderful thing that we pray for those whom we know and love, however, our prayers for Christian unity and growth must inherently include those brothers and sisters in other places, throughout this world, whom we’ve never met, yet we’ve been made aware of their needs.
The Christian hope has, throughout the history of the Church, served as motivation to make life on earth, conform more fully, to the word of GOD. All the information we have about CHRIST, and Christianity, comes to us, from those who actually saw the miracles of CHRIST performed, and, who actually heard HIM speak. All of these saints wrote down, and passed down this information, as a means of encouraging believers, not as a means of satisfying historical curiosity. Perhaps the most important element contained in all of this information is the fact that men and women must always pray.
When we pray consistently for one another, we are standing firm and building on our foundation that we have invested in, based on our commitment to the MOST-HIGH FAITH. The treasures of all wisdom, knowledge, and discernment are hidden in CHRIST, and by “hidden”, I don’t mean “concealed”. The treasures of knowledge, wisdom, and discernment are “stored up” in CHRIST, but they are assessable to all who come to believe GOD.
Paul cared deeply for the people of Colosse, even though he had never been there to visit with them during any of his missionary journeys. He prayed for them agonizingly because of the heresy of the Gnostics that had infiltrated the church there. He wrote this letter to them at his first available opportunity, because he wanted to encourage them to remain steadfast, and continue to be a community willing to always stand strong in the truth of GOD’s word.
His goal was that the people of Colosse would remain knitted together by their mutual love for CHRIST, and find their comfort, by having complete understanding of GOD’s plan for them, through HIM. They must not be taken in, or deceived by those who come with persuasive arguments that differ from the teachings of JESUS CHRIST. They should remain obedient to GOD’s word, and allow its roots to grow deep into their minds and hearts.
Divine exaltation belongs to CHRIST. In CHRIST we find all that we need, and in HIM, we see exactly what GOD is like. JESUS is the visible likeness of the invisible GOD in Heaven and only HE can usher us into GOD’s OWN glorious presence when our day has come.
When we came to CHRIST, we were circumcised by a spiritual means, not a physical one. It was a spiritual procedure that continues to cut away at our sinful nature by means of a continuing presence of the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD in us. When we were baptized spiritually in CHRIST, we were buried with CHRIST, and then, raised into a new life, with GOD. And we must trust in the almighty power of GOD, WHO raised CHRIST from the dead physically, to sustain us into the final stage of the human existence, which is an eternal life with GOD in HIS Kingdom.

A Sunday school lesson by
Larry D. Alexander


Larry Dell Alexander - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia