Friday, April 24, 2015

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday April 26, 2015

Over 77,000 readers worldwide
larrydalexander.blogspot.com

WATCH OUT FOR DECEIVERS
(Love and obedience keeps us from deception)
(2 John)

In the Apostle John’s second letter to the Christian Church he expresses the need for Christians to beware of false teachers and teachings that arise out of the antichrist influence that has long existed in the world. In fact the antichrist influence predates the creation of mankind, as satan himself, has inhabited the earth since being ejected from Heaven by GOD the FATHER, long before HE created any other living beings on this planet.
The purpose of this letter is to encourage true Christians to continue in love, as well as to warn them against those whose job is to deceive believers in matters concerning their faith. Here John charges the believer not to participate in those evil things that deceivers bring into the Church from the world, under the guise of saying that “they are trying to attract people to CHRIST” by employing a “worldly familiarity”, or method.
CHRIST does not have, recognize, or endorse any worldly way of doing things, HE only recommends those GODly strategies that are already laid out for the Church in biblical literature. There is no room for “human ingenuity” in the Church (John 6:63b). Things that contradict the SPIRIT of GOD should be left outside the Church when people join, and those who pledge themselves to CHRIST must also pledge themselves to living “a changed life” that coincides with the teachings of JESUS CHRIST, the LIVING WORD.
Those who choose to come to CHRIST must do so by accepting the GODly idea of “katharisomen” into their spirit. Katharisomen is a Greek term that means, “separation from all people and things that defile”. It is a term that is discussed more in debt in 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1. When we join the Church where Christ JESUS is the head, we make a vow to change and no longer live as partners with those people and things that are intent on doing and promoting the lifestyles that GOD deems as evil.   
In the first century and beyond, heavy persecution dictated the Churches use of “code words, or expressions” whenever they communicated to each other in the various towns and cities where they had established Christian congregations (mostly house churches in hidden locations). Here in this letter, in verse one, we find the code words “favorite mistress”, or “chosen lady”, in the Greek “eklektos kyria”, and her “children”, in the Greek “teknon”, being used to hide the identity or exact location of the church from those who sought to infiltrate it with worldly ideas and false teachings, to the ends that the Church might be destroyed before it could take roots. GOD does not wish for us to mix the “holy” with the “profane” (i.e. “miming” with “praise dancing” in today’s Church), and the early Church went to great lengths to keep that from happening.
John begins the letter (v.4) by expressing his joy in how the newly founded church had been dedicating themselves to the righteous living and truth that they had been introduced to through the Word of GOD. Apparently John had recently met with some members of that particular church, and wanted to express how pleased he was with their Christian behavior in a public forum. He reminded the church to also stay in keeping with the commandment of CHRIST JESUS that we “love one another”.
John also reminded the church of how some had gone out of the church, who, did not truly believe their reports about CHRIST, and were giving the world a bad impression of how true Christian really behaved. They did not believe the “human example of perfection” that was presented by CHRIST during HIS life on earth, which was intended to show the world that “Christianity really does produce the best men and women”. In this letter, John urged the church to be diligent so that they might receive the full reward that they had worked so hard for (v.8). He tells them that they must never wander away from the teachings of CHRIST, and always keep their fellowship with GOD, and CHRIST, intact (v.9).
In verse 10 John warns Christians that if anyone comes to their church and does not teach the truth about CHRIST, don’t even invite them into your house, or encourage them in any way. JESUS perfectly obeyed GOD as a 100% human being and HIS very life tells us that we should too. Anyone who encourages a deceiver, or false teacher, becomes a partner with them in their evil work.
All of the central teachings of Christianity hinges on the 100% humanity and 100% deity of JESUS, our LORD. HE is the one and only “Hypostatic Union”, and the only way to GOD. HE is the one and only truth, and the one and only source of “eternal life”. No one, who doesn’t teach the humanity and deity of JESUS CHRIST, can ever be held up as a teacher of the Christian truth.

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander





                                 
LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website




Friday, April 17, 2015

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday April 19, 2015

Over 76,000 readers worldwide
larrydalexander.blogspot.com

BELIEVE GOD’S LOVE
(The HOLY SPIRIT helps us to love and overcome fear)
(1 John 4:7-5:5)

Since love originates with GOD in the Christian sense, a person who loves his fellowman is born of GOD, and thereby, in a very discerning way, knows GOD. By contrast, the absence of love can be viewed as evidence that a person does not know GOD. In 1 John 4:7-21, the apostle, and author of GOD, elevates the topic of “love” to yet another level. Here John shows us the divine and inseparable link between “GOD” and “love”.
GOD showed us how much HE loves us by sending HIS only begotten SON into the world, so that we would have eternal life through HIM (v.9). HE did not send HIM because we were so lovable, but rather, HE sent HIM because HE felt that HIS love for us required that HE rescue us from ourselves. Such an action from GOD provides the defining standard for love as we know it, and thus, we as Christians are responsible to love each other because we ourselves enjoy the privilege of GOD’s largesse. Not only is GOD the source of love, HE is love by way of HIS very nature. GOD is love, and anyone who doesn’t love HIS fellowman doesn’t know GOD.
Christians who say that they love all mankind, and indeed, really do have the love of CHRIST in their hearts, cannot stand by idly and watch while any other group of people different than themselves, is being treated unjustly, or is being oppressed in any way, without coming to their defense, in the name of JESUS. The love of CHRIST must be expressed fully by us, and exemplified through us, in our actions (v.12).
In the New Testament Greek, the word used for “abide” is “meno”, and it means “to stay in a given place, state, relationship, or expectancy”. If we abide in our relationship with GOD, our love will grow more perfect. And when our history judges us, we won’t be afraid to come before GOD, but rather, we can face HIM confidently, because our history will show that we tried to live like CHRIST, here on earth (v.17). Learning to show and express the divine love of CHRIST will dispel all “fear” of the coming judgment.
Because GOD is love, and JESUS’ new commandment is love, it only stands to reason that love will inevitably bring us closer to each other, and, at one and the same time, closer to GOD. It is only by love, that we ever come to know GOD, and it is only by GOD, that we come to know love.
All that we know now is partial and incomplete, because, until we finish our Christian race, we will remain children in the GODly sense of what true knowledge really is. We are incapable right now, of handling the Heavenly knowledge that GOD will one day impart to those who abide in HIM until the end. However, we do know now that if you don’t have love for those brothers and sisters that we now see around us, we will never be able to love GOD, WHOM we cannot physically see at any time.
GOD HIMSELF has commanded that we love, not only HIM, but also, our Christian brothers and sisters. And when we honor and obey that command, we can be confident that when we stand before the LORD, our conscience will be clear, and we will be able to face HIM without fear, guilt, or shame. Those who win their battle against the world are the ones who truly believe that JESUS CHRIST is the SON of GOD (1 John 5:5)

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander





                                 
LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website





Friday, April 10, 2015

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday April 12, 2015

Over 76,000 readers worldwide
larrydalexander.blogspot.com

LOVE ONE ANOTHER
(GOD’s love has to show in our actions)
(1 John 3:11-24)

The first epistle of John is perhaps the most difficult book in the New Testament to outline. In fact, many scholars argue that there is no outline at all, and that John had no logical plan in mind while writing it. Here in this letter, he was most likely writing down his personal, yet divinely inspired thoughts, on various themes as they were put on his mind by GOD.
In 1 John chapter 3, verses 11-24, John continues these divinely inspired ramblings by jumping back to the subject of “love one another”. However, here in this segment, he raises his plea to another level, as he urges his readers to transform their “words of love” into “GODly actions of love”. What does it profit a man to boast of his love and faith, if that love and faith does not compel him into action? (v.18)
The fact that we cast everything over to GOD does not give us a right to sit back and do nothing, for the true Christian, can never be just a spectator. Love is not just having knowledge of GOD’s existence, but rather, true love comes from knowing GOD on a personal level through prayer, and a close, careful, and sober study of HIS Word.
GOD’s love, is, quite literally, a reflection of HIS OWN heart flowing to us through CHRIST JESUS, and, the infusion of the HOLY SPIRIT in us. When we love our Christian brothers and sisters as CHRIST commands us, it serves as proof that we have passed from death (permanent separation from GOD), into eternal life (new life in CHRIST). A person, that has no love for his fellowman, has not passed into the light, but rather, continues to linger on, in darkness.
In verses 18-19 the apostle urges us to stop just saying that we love each other and start putting it into action. It is by our actions that we know when we are living in the truth, and knowing that, we can be confident whenever we stand before the LORD, even in those times when our hearts condemn us, as Peter’s did in John 21.
In reality, the only way we can prove our love for JESUS is by loving others, and the best way to show our love for each other is in our actions towards one another. Love is the greatest privilege the world has ever known, and it is also the world’s greatest enduring thing, however, inevitably, love brings with it, the world’s greatest responsibility. From the beginning, GOD made “responsibility” to be the obverse “privilege”, and then, he made “love” to be inseparable from the two.
In chapter 15 of the Gospel of John, verses 12-13, JESUS commands us to love one another as HE loves us, and there HE also tells us how to measure that love to see if it is sufficient enough to meet HIS demand. There JESUS states that, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (KJV).
JESUS goes on to state that we are HIS friends if we obey HIM, and if we obey HIM, HE will no longer refer to us as “servants”, but rather, we will become members of HIS holy family and household of GOD (v.14). Looking back, we now know that for Peter and all the other disciples, love brought a cross that they all had the privilege and responsibility of bearing in their own way. Love always involves responsibility, and it always involves a sacrifice. We don’t really love JESUS unless we are willing to take on HIS task, and take up our own cross.
We may never be able to write or think like the Apostle John, or be able to travel to the ends of the earth, and preach like the Apostle Paul. However, it is a certainty that we can all follow in the footsteps of Peter, by obeying the instructions of JESUS that were laid down to HIS disciples just prior to HIS ascension back into Heaven (John 21:15-17).
If we love JESUS, let each of us help someone else guard against going astray, and if we love JESUS, let each of us love one another all of the time, and if we love JESUS, let each us, as Christians, begin to feed JESUS’ sheep, with the nourishing spiritual food, of the Word of GOD.

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander





                                 
LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website






Friday, April 3, 2015

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday April 5, 2015

Over 75,000 readers worldwide
larrydalexander.blogspot.com

RESURRECTION GUARANTEED
(Our new life is sure because of the resurrection of CHRIST)
1 Corinthians 15

In the biblical Greek the word used for “resurrection” is “anastasis”, and it is “a moral recovery of spirit truth”, and in the physical sense, it means, “to stand up again”. The sins of Adam and Eve ushered physical death into the world, and by contrast, the resurrection of CHRIST JESUS brought spiritual life. Adam, the first man, came from the dust of the earth, while JESUS, the second man, came from Heaven (1 Corinthians 15:47).
It was William Barclay who wrote, “Cleverness can never be the basis of true religion, and true religion can never be the product of a man’s mind”. The resurrection of CHRIST is the essence of the Christian Faith, and is the core of all of the apostle’s teachings. No man is capable of producing or concocting a “True Religion”, or Faith. Only GOD, the CREATOR of Heaven and Earth is capable of meeting the qualifications necessary, and setting the examples, that every man can benefit from, 100% of the time. Man, through his imperfections, will never be able to spiritually rule over another man, and so, “Christianity” remains as the only true religion, simply because, it is the only religion that is a product of GOD’s mind. 
In 1 Corinthians 15 the Apostle Paul offers us an indebt understanding of the subject of the resurrection of CHRIST JESUS and the powerful impact that that resurrection has on those who choose to believe on HIM in this world. The resurrection is guaranteed through the sacrifice of CHRIST JESUS, the author and finisher of the only true faith, Christianity. He begins by reminding the Corinthians, in particular, and the world in general, of the important teaching that he had passed on to them in a previous time, regarding the resurrection of CHRIST. He then tells them of the many witnesses to that resurrection, which included himself, Peter, James, and many more, including all of the other apostles.
In verses 12-19 Paul embarks upon a logical argument explaining the centrality of the resurrection of CHRIST to the Christian Faith, and the belief that because of that resurrection, all who die believing in HIM will also be raised from the dead, and into eternal life with GOD, just as HE was. Our hope in CHRIST, “the Christian Hope”, is not just for this life, but rather, it is for the eternal life yet to come in Heaven. That is why true Christians are not “miserable people”, but rather, to the contrary, we are people who retain unshakable joy while still living here on earth.
It is a true fact that JESUS has been raised from the dead, and HE became the first fruit of a great harvest of believers who will be raised to life again. And just as death came into the world through Adam, resurrection from the dead into eternal life with GOD has been ushered in by JESUS CHRIST. Everyone dies because of their relationship to Adam, but everyone can live again, eternally, through their relationship with CHRIST JESUS. Death will be the last enemy of man to be destroyed, or nullified, and so, we must not be fooled by unbelievers. Remember, bad company corrupts good character. We have to come to our senses and quit living in sin by coming to know GOD on a personal and experiential, “life saving” level (Vs.20-34).
Paul concludes this chapter with the analogy of the “dead seed” that is planted and then, through nourishments from GOD, once again becomes “a living thing”, full of life and growth, producing life-giving food, and even more seeds for future growth. However, the dead seed (lost person) had to first fall into the hands of a sower (a witness) who could introduce it to “new life” (JESUS) by planting it firmly into the nourishment of GOD (The Word). Death is then swallowed up by victory, and its sting (sin) is taken away (Vs.35-58).    
 The person who has met and accepted the “Risen LORD” will be able to live forever in the joy of HIS presence. They will be able to come to rest in the knowledge that nothing can ever again separate them from HIS saving grace. And so, we should be able to see quite clearly now how no man can give another man that kind of religion. It is something that only GOD is capable of doing. That is why the Christian can “believe”, “share”, and “rejoice” in the saving power of GOD.
Through the birth, ministry, passion, death, and resurrection of JESUS CHRIST, GOD is saying to us, as only HE can, that HE loves us with an everlasting love that can withstand all of the suffering that this world has to offer. With GOD, it is possible for us to make “a moral recovery of a spiritual truth” found only in HIM, and when we accept that TRUTH, we become fully able “to stand up again” and live forever in the presence of the ALMIGHTY GOD in Heaven.

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander 





                                 
LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website