The GOSPEL of MATTHEW: Ch. 9 Concluded – The MESSIAH and HIS KINGDOM MESSAGE

We will now conclude Ch. 9 of this study, picking up in vs. 18; the Messiah is continuing in His ministry of healing when He comes across yet another person in need. This time it turns out to be one of the religious authorities, the ones that opposed Him nearly at every turn. Yet, our LORD, humble and meek will go and serve this man's dire need, and heal his daughter of the illness that threatens her life...

MATTHEW 9:18-21

18 While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live. 19 And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples. 20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: 21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. 22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

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The GOSPEL of MATTHEW: Ch. 9: Part ONE – The MESSIAH and HIS KINGDOM MESSAGE

By James Fire

Scripture speaks abundantly of the Divinely empowered healing abilities of the Messiah of Israel. Such passages from Isaiah and elsewhere (as we have seen in Ch. 8 in our study) reveal that the Messiah would make the lame man leap for joy, the blind to see, the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak (ISAIAH 35:5-6).
These miraculous signs would be evidence to prove who the Messiah-King would be. As mentioned before, it's very much like the story of The LORD of the RINGS where Aragorn the lowly Ranger from the North was identified as the King of Gondor because he was able to heal, which would be an attribute of a true King of that realm: 

     

“Aragorn's humility and self-sacrifice gained him the hearts of the inhabitants of Gondor's capital city. His healing abilities were noted also by the people of Gondor; as Loreth said, 'The hands of the King are the hands of a healer, and so shall the rightful king be known'. The people hailed Aragorn as King that same evening.” (Taken from wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aragorn).  
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PART 1 - A Review of Understanding Christian Zionism – Israel's Place in the Purposes of God

This series is based on the book written by Paul R. Wilkerson UNDERSTANDING CHRISTIAN ZIONISM

Commentary provided by James Fire

What is Zionism? It is a term that is often used disparagingly by some who think either that the people in that land have no rights or claim to it, that they are not 'real Jews' or that the Zionist agenda is at best a work of the flesh or at worst satanic and not at all of God.

Others who adhere to amillennial eschatology or its subsequent variations believe that the church is 'the new Israel' since the nation of the Jews have rejected their Messiah.

TTUF adheres to a pre-millennial eschatology, fully recognizes Israel, not necessarily for her own claims, but because of the promises of God which He made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the twelve tribes of Israel as recorded in sacred Scripture.

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ALL OTHER GROUND IS SINKING SAND

Update: Rick Warren's Purpose Driven False Gospel
by Anne Kisly

This morning I read Roger Oakland's latest commentary titled, Rick Warren and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.  The article discuss Warren's recent interview on the Roman Catholic channel, EWTN and the controversial statements made by a this very popular modern day preacher, a.k.a, "America's Pastor."  For me, that title alone should be cause for concern.  Though claiming not to compromise biblical truth, Warren's own words condemns him of deception.  

In a recent interview, Saddleback’s Rick Warren went on the Catholic Wordlwide EWTN channelA.  This interview is a clear picture that Warren preaches his Purpose Driven ideology, and not the true Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Vatican recently sent a delegation, about 30 bishops, from Rome to Saddleback, to talk about the "new evangelization", which Rick Warren claims he fully supports. 
Warren’s pastor-training programs welcome Catholics in a USA article posted on Warrens website:

“…Warren's pastor-training programs welcome Catholics, Methodists, Mormons, Jews and ordained women. “we have Catholic ‘purpose-driven’ churches … “I'm not going to get into a debate over the non-essentials. I won't try to change other denominations. Why be divisive?” (This evangelist has a ‘Purpose’” by Cathy Lynn Grossman, USA TODAY, July 21, 2003)

In 2005, Warren’s Southeast Asia Purpose Driven node reported on the roll out of PD to Roman Catholic churches in the Philippines… Also in 2005, Catholic Online.com featured this press release: Purpose Driven Church “Goes Catholic”

The Purpose Driven Church will—for the first time ever—be bringing their evangelical message of living out God’s five purposes to a Catholic Church: Holy Family Parish in Inverness, Illinois. …Each day’s session begins at 9 a.m., and will be delivered by Pastor Bret Schrock of the Purpose Driven Ministries. http://www.catholic.org/prwire/headline.php?ID=1306

"There are Purpose Driven congregations in more than 200 different denominations and associations. Our desire is to work with denominations to strengthen their churches. Each church can maintain its own heritage and doctrinal convictions while cooperating with others on accomplishing the five purposes" (http://rickwarren.typepad.com/rick_warren/2007/05/seven_myths_abo.html )

“And, you know, growing up as a Protestant boy, I knew nothing about Catholics, but I started watching ETWN, the Catholic channel, and I said, ‘Well, I’m not as far apart from these guys as I thought I was, you know?” (Rick Warren, May 23, 2005, the Pew Forum’s biannual Faith Angle conference on religion, politics and public life, Event Transcript) (Emphasis added)

By the way, Rick Warren does not look at Roman Catholicism as a false religion, but a true religion. Then again, Warren believes that there is truth in all religions.

I should probably state that I am not against catholic people who sincerely believe that Roman Catholicism is the one true faith. I don't hate Catholics. I desire that they come to BIBLICAL SALVATION and the TRUE CHRIST of the Bible.

What is the "New Evangelization" by the Catholic Church?  The New Evangelization targets Christians, to "come home" to the "true" church. It is a program designed to win the world to the Eucharistic Christ. 

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ARE YOU FEELING BATTLE WEARY?

by A.M. Kisly

Are you feeling battle weary? I have been. Have you ever experienced times in your life when there seems to be a battle on every side?   We sometimes experience great conflict in our lives.    Those conflicts can come from anywhere; in the home, in the workplace, with friends and neighbors…even within the body of Christ. 

As believers, the most difficult battles we face are spiritual. The Bible teaches there is a conflict between God and Satan for the souls of men and believers are in the middle of that conflict.

Spiritual strength and courage are needed for our spiritual warfare and suffering. We are to be strong "in the Lord and in the power of His might."  We are to, “Put on the whole armour of God, that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”  Ephesians 6:11
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The GOSPEL of MATTHEW: Ch. 8 – The MESSIAH and HIS KINGDOM MESSAGE:

By James Fire

The LORD Jesus Christ began His teaching ministry in the Gospel of Matthew in Chapter Five by going up into a mountain (MATT. 5:1) and sitting down; His disciples all gathered around to listen, as did the people who were hungry for a word from the LORD. Up until the time of John the Baptist and the LORD Jesus, there had not been a prophet in Israel for about four hundred years!

I find it interesting that the Holy Spirit found it necessary for Matthew to make note of this, that He went up into a mountain; one might wonder, 'Why was it important for us to know that Jesus went up to a mountain to preach? Why is it significant that He did this as opposed to going to a hill or a river or a lake?'

In Scripture, mountains are sometimes symbolic of kingdoms as we see here in the book of Daniel:

DANIEL 2:35
Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

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