This lesson was taught on the Sabbath of October 3, 2026, at Israel Church of the Firstborn in Indianapolis. With new faces coming into the class, Brother Obadiah wanted them to know what they are in for. The word of God is beautiful and precious, and it will bring you a lot of friends and a lot of family. But it is a sword, and a sword has two edges. It will also bring you enemies, persecution, lamentation and woe, sometimes from the people of your own house. The title comes from Ephesians 6:17, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and he follows that sword from the mouth of Jesus in Revelation, through Isaiah, Hebrews, Micah, the Gospels and Acts, the prophets who were persecuted for speaking it, and on to the day the sword of the Lord comes down on the nations. Every passage is read in the King James Version.
Watch the full lesson on YouTube.
The morning reading was Psalm 43:1-4, O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me. Brother Obadiah then opened the Sabbath script with Genesis 2:1-3 and Leviticus 23:1-3: God rested on the seventh day, blessed it and sanctified it, and the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest and a holy convocation in all your dwellings.
"The word of God is something that you don't take for granted. The word of God is something also that you live by, that you apply to your everyday life."
"It's going to bring you a lot of friends. It's going to bring you a lot of family. But it's another side to this. The word of God is also gonna bring you some enemies."
"When you look at a physical sword, it got two sides to it. You going to have one side of it that's going to be good, and then you going to have another side that is going to cut you. And you going to make a lot of enemies once you start telling the truth."
"It's a sword of the spirit because God's word is a spirit. Loving your wife, loving your husband, don't steal, keep the Sabbath day. Those are spiritual words."
1.His Name Is Called the Word of God
He starts with the coming of the Lord in Revelation 19.
Revelation 19:11-15 KJV11And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
"He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True. So we got another one of Jesus' names. The Lord is only looking for a few people to be faithful and true with him."
"In righteousness he doth judge and make war. All the wars that you see being fought in the world today, that's not in righteousness. That's for power. But when Jesus come back and set up his kingdom, he going to do it in righteousness."
"And his name is called The Word of God. Out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations."
"This is the Jesus that don't nobody talk about. But this is going to be the Jesus that's going to come back. Jesus got a controversy with the inhabitants of the world because they have broken the everlasting covenant."
2.He Hath Made My Mouth Like a Sharp Sword
"When you go back and read even the old prophets, you going to see that everything was pointing toward Jesus. Nobody wrote nothing different."
Isaiah 49:1-3 KJV1Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.
2And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;
3And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
"The Lord hath called me from the womb. When did that happen? When he came and told Mary that you gonna have a son, and you gonna call his name Jesus."
"He hath made my mouth like a sharp sword. So who was that we was just reading about, when they said his mouth was like a sharp sword? His name was called the Word of God. So we know we are talking about none other than Jesus."
"In the shadow of his hand hath he hid me. Think about a man that got a switchblade in his back pocket, and you don't know he got it. That's what the Lord was doing with his son."
Isaiah 49:4-6 KJV4Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.
5And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.
6And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.
"To bring Jacob again to him. That was what Jesus came for. Jesus came to save the nation of Israel."
"But he is also going to be a light unto the Gentiles, unto all of the nations that call on his name. If you only think that God is coming to gather the nation of Israel only, you are wrong for that. Anybody that call on the name of the Lord, they are going to be saved."
3.Put On the Whole Armour of God
"One thing you got to understand with serving the Lord, you got to have some strength. Some people do it for a while, but then after persecution and tribulation arise, they fall away from the word. You want to believe to the saving of the soul."
Ephesians 6:10-13 KJV10Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
"It's good that you come together. But this is the one subject that you got to learn to be strong on your own. You got to learn to be strong when ain't nobody else around, because everybody's not around you in the second and the third watch of the night."
"We wrestle not against flesh and blood. Don't hate the person. You got to hate the spirit that's in the person. You don't throw the person out of church. You got to cast the spirit out."
"And having done all, to stand. I did everything you told me to do, Lord, to the best of my ability. One thing God wants to see is you trying."
Ephesians 6:14-18 KJV14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
"Having your loins girt about with truth, the same way that Jesus was. His name was Faithful and True."
"This human body is designed to carry spirits. Either you going to carry the Holy Spirit or you going to carry the spirit of the devil. It's one of the two."
"And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. That's where we get the title of the lesson. You got to have the word of God dwelling in you at all times."
"Praying always with all prayer. No matter how busy you are, stop and take time for the Lord. And don't just pray for you. You got to pray for all of the saints."
4.Sharper Than Any Twoedged Sword
"You going to make a whole lot of friends and mothers and fathers, but you going to make a whole lot of enemies with this word too. Oh, you just interpreting the Bible to what you want it to be. No, we not. We just reading the book. Most people, they not fighting against you. They don't want to submit to the Lord. That's who they fighting against."
Hebrews 4:1-5 KJV1Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
2For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
3For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
4For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
5And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
"In order to serve the Lord, you got to be able to fear him. You got to be scared to sin."
"The word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith. They heard the word of God, but they didn't have no faith to endure it."
"The works were finished from the foundation of the world. The Lord already know who's going to make it into the kingdom. That's what the Sabbath day is pointing toward, the thousand year millennium, the thousand years of peace."
Hebrews 4:6-11 KJV6Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter there in, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
7Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
8For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
9There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
10For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
11Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
"They saw the cloudy pillar by day and the fire by night. They saw all the plagues the Lord put on the Egyptians. And it still wasn't enough for them to believe. They did not enter in because of unbelief."
"Your lifeline is the Sabbath. No matter if you had a bad week, when you come here and make it right with the Lord on this day, he going to take you into that next week with a fresh start."
"Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest. You ain't gonna willy-nilly get this spiritual body and live forever. You got to work for it."
Hebrews 4:12 KJV12For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
"The word of God is quick. That means the word of God makes you alive. And it's powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword. That's what the word of God is, and this sword will cut you down like a razor."
"It even discerns your thoughts and the intents of your heart. That's why you got to always have the thoughts that please God."
5.A Man's Enemies Are the Men of His Own House
Micah 7:1-4 KJV1Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit.
2The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net.
3That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up.
4The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity.
"The good man is perished out of the earth. It ain't a lot of us left in the world."
"They all lie in wait for blood. Tell me if this ain't applying to what you see out here today."
Micah 7:5-7 KJV5Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.
6For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.
7Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.
"This world is becoming so bad that sometime you can't even trust the people that call themselves your friends."
"Sometimes your husband can be your greatest enemy. Sometimes your wife can be your greatest enemy. You might be walking in the covenant, and you got a wife that's not walking in the covenant, and that ain't going to do nothing but bring war."
"Once you come with the sword of the spirit, your first enemies are going to be your nearest neighbor. Why are they enemies? Because the word of God is a sword, and the word of God will cut you."
"Therefore I will look unto the Lord. Once it start going a little bit rough for you, look unto the Lord."
Micah 7:8-9 KJV8Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.
9I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness.
"When I fall, I shall arise. That's all you got to do."
"When you know that you walking right and you mess up, you know you going to get punished for it. That's when you know you in the right place, because God gonna punish you for all of your sins."
6.Through Much Tribulation
"A lot of people think, he done turned to the Lord, he a real good person now. Yeah, you are becoming a good person. But when a man turn to righteousness, he makes himself a prey. And it's only because you reading the word of God."
St. John 16:33 KJV33These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
"In the world you are going to have tribulation. This is what you got to expect from the world once you get this sword of the spirit in you. He didn't say that you wasn't going to have it hard. But he overcame the world, and in the end he going to allow you to overcome the world as well."
He tells how, when he first came into the word and told his father he was going to do a report on how Easter was pagan, he saw an anger in his father he had never seen before. It was all because of the word of God. Then Acts 14, where Paul and Barnabas preached in Iconium.
Acts 14:1-7 KJV1And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed.
2But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren.
3Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
4But the multitude of the city was divided: and part held with the Jews, and part with the apostles.
5And when there was an assault made both of the Gentiles, and also of the Jews with their rulers, to use them despitefully, and to stone them,
6They were ware of it, and fled unto Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and unto the region that lieth round about:
7And there they preached the gospel.
"So we got people that's believing now, but we getting ready to have a turning point. The multitude of the city was divided."
Acts 14:8-15 KJV8And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked:
9The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,
10Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.
11And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.
12And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.
13Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people.
14Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out,
15And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:
"If you got the faith that you can be healed, you got to keep praying. This man was a cripple from his mother's womb, but he never lost faith."
"They called Barnabas Jupiter, and Paul Mercurius. These were the Gentiles. They was dealing with every pagan god on the planet, and they were just now coming into the word."
"The veil of the temple had already rent from the top to the bottom. They was leading these Gentiles wrong, knowing that the blood of Jesus was shed and you do not have to kill the animal no more."
Acts 14:16-18 KJV16Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.
17Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.
18And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.
Acts 14:19-22 KJV19And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.
20Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.
21And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch,
22Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
"They took Paul out and they stoned him because of the words that they were speaking. Because of the word of God."
"We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. That's how you going to get there. It ain't going to be no cakewalk. And if it wasn't easy for the Lord, then it ain't going to be easy for you."
7.Can Ye Drink of the Cup That I Drink Of?
"What'll make your walk easier? Number one is coming to class and keeping the Sabbath. Number two, understanding that you got new friends and you got a new family."
St. Mark 10:27-31 KJV27And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
28Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.
29And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s,
30But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
31But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.
"This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. With men it is impossible, but not with God. Whatever you going through, if you got the Lord it is possible. You got trouble in your marriage, take it to the Lord."
"He shall receive an hundredfold now in this time. That's why we call people to make sure that you come to class, because we love you and we care that you get salvation."
"But what are you going to get it with? With persecutions. It's not going to be an easy walk."
St. Mark 10:32-34 KJV32And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him,
33Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles:
34And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.
"Even when people was following Jesus, they were afraid, because they knew that Jesus was a marked man. So think about what it is when you going to follow Jesus today."
"They shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him. Who would think that the God that created this world, they gonna spit on him? But the third day he shall rise again."
St. Mark 10:35-40 KJV35And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.
36And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you?
37They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.
38But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?
39And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:
40But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.
"Jesus had already been baptized. So what baptism is he talking about? He going to be baptized with them blows that they going to be hitting him with. And that cup is going to be a cup of suffering. That's what you gonna get once you deal with Jesus."
"Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of. Once I die and sit on the right hand of the Father, everything that happened to me is going to happen to you."
8.This Is Your Hour, and the Power of Darkness
"Don't put the sword down because you get a little persecution. You got to keep going. People are suffering in the world right now, and we got to stay strong for one another."
St. Luke 22:44-46 KJV44And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
45And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow,
46And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.
"Being in an agony he prayed more earnestly. Do you pray more earnestly when you in your agony?"
"He found them sleeping for sorrow. They were so sad that Jesus was about to die that they cried themselves to sleep. But Jesus said, Why sleep ye? Rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation."
St. Luke 22:47-53 KJV47And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him.
48But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?
49When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?
50And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.
51And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.
52Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves?
53When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.
"Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss? He already knew that was the kiss of death."
"They came with a band of soldiers, and you had eleven men right there with Jesus ready to fight for him. That's the reason why God chose these people."
"Peter wasn't aiming for his ear. But Jesus touched his ear and healed him."
"This is your hour, and the power of darkness. The rulers of the darkness of this world was in power."
St. Luke 22:67-71 KJV67Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe:
68And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go.
69Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God.
70Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am.
71And they said, What need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth.
"Ye say that I am. Flesh and blood can't reveal it to you. The only way they was going to find out that he was the Christ, they had to get it from the Father."
"So what was he dying for? He was dying for the word that he spoke, because the word of God is a sword, and this sword is going to bring division."
9.Persecuted for Righteousness' Sake
The servant is no greater than his master, so he turns to what the servant must prepare for, in Saint Matthew the fifth chapter.
St. Matthew 5:3-12 KJV3Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit. That means that you humble. You got a humble spirit and a humble mind."
"Blessed are the merciful. Forgiveness and showing mercy. Those are things that you got to practice on a daily basis."
"Blessed are the pure in heart. Your thoughts got to be pure before your maker."
"You going to tell the truth about something and people going to come at you like you lying, and you reading it straight out of the Bible. And you going to get some false accusers."
"When life gets rough, you got to become what you are, and that is a faithful, rejoicing Christian. They persecuted all of the prophets which were before you. Not some of them, all of them."
St. Matthew 5:13 KJV13Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
"You got to be seasoned with salt all the time. And that salt represents none other than the word of God."
St. Matthew 5:17-20 KJV17Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
"He didn't come to change one law. You can't find Christmas in the Bible nowhere. You can't find Easter in the Bible nowhere."
"You got to do and teach. You just can't teach. A lot of people like to teach, but a lot of people don't like to do."
"The scribes and the Pharisees was keeping the ten commandments. But what was the difference? They were not covered under the blood of Jesus. They didn't even believe that Jesus was the Christ."
10.Freely Ye Have Received, Freely Give
"You got to be different from the rest of the world. When they bring those conversations to you at work, go silent."
St. Matthew 10:1 KJV1And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
He pauses here to explain how the disciples could cast out unclean spirits and heal, by binding and loosing, in Saint Matthew 18.
St. Matthew 18:18-19 KJV18Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
19Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
"You want to bind an evil spirit. So you get two or three people. You going to ask on earth, Lord, we want to bind this spirit of Satan out of this person. And then up in heaven they going to put the stamp of approval on it, and it's going to be bound."
"And if you want to loose the Holy Spirit on this person so they can be better, you ask on earth with two or three of us, and the Father and the Son put the stamp of approval on it in heaven. That's where you get the authority from."
St. Matthew 10:5-10 KJV5These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
6But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
8Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
9Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,
10Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.
"Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And we are a lost people. We are still lost."
"Freely ye have received, freely give. You cannot hold on to the word of God just for yourself. Once you get yourself straight, then you got to go out and help other people get themselves straight."
St. Matthew 10:11-15 KJV11And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.
12And when ye come into an house, salute it.
13And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.
14And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
15Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
"Everybody ain't worthy to receive the word of God. Shake off the dust of your feet. You did your job. You watched for them. You told them the word of God."
"Sodom and Gomorrah didn't hear the word of God. So you going to get it worse because you heard the word of Jesus and you still rejected it."
11.As Sheep in the Midst of Wolves
St. Matthew 10:16-20 KJV16Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
17But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
18And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
19But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
20For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
"Wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. A lot of people once they get this word, they want to beat everybody up with it, not understanding that thousands of people have read this book before you."
"If you in this for any form of glory, you in the wrong business. Man may get a little honor, but God get the glory."
"They will scourge you in their synagogues. The synagogue is the church. You going to even get persecuted by people that's in the church."
"It is the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. That's why you got to be careful not only with your mind, but with your mouth."
St. Matthew 10:21-25 KJV21And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
22And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
23But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
24The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.
25It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?
"Ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. People think, oh, people going to love me because I serve the Lord. No, they ain't. They going to hate you more."
"The disciple is not above his master. You going to get the exact same persecution that Jesus got, if not worse."
"If they called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more them of his household? If they call Jesus a devil, they going to call you one as well."
St. Matthew 10:26-33 KJV26Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
27What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
28And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
29Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
30But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
32Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
33But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
"Fear them not. Anything you think you doing in the dark, God going to bring it to the light."
"Fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. With age comes wisdom, and wisdom is you understanding that if you live wrong in this life, you are going to burn for eternity."
"Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven."
12.I Came Not to Send Peace, but a Sword
"Many people going to say, Lord, we cast out devils and fed people in your name. But Jesus going to say, I never knew you. So it does take all that. It take all that and then some for you to serve God."
St. Matthew 10:34-39 KJV34Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
35For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
36And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
37He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
38And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
39He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth. This is written in red. Jesus came to bring the sword. That's the title of the lesson."
"The fight wasn't because you left your dirty dishes in the sink. The fight is because of the word of God. You got half of the house dealing in paganism and half of the house dealing with the word of God, and it's going to bring division in your home."
"When you got to live under the same roof with a believer and an unbeliever, that's going to be straight spiritual warfare in your home."
"You can't love your family members more than Jesus. We raising soldiers. We raising people that's going to deal with the word of God."
"He that taketh not his cross. You got to bear your cross. You got to embrace that you have a problem, and you got to bear it."
He shared that he had to leave Memphis to get away from the life he was living there, knowing he would never have found the word if he had stayed. Sometimes, he said, a believer has to get rid of the old things and start over with a fresh start.
St. Matthew 10:40-42 KJV40He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
41He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.
42And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
"He that receiveth a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. That's each one teach one."
13.No Man Having Put His Hand to the Plough
"There's a cost of following, but you can't conceal the word because you know some bad things going to happen to you. Satan switch it around. Serve me, and I'll keep people from talking about you. That's why you got to try the spirit. Is that the spirit of Satan or is that the spirit of God?"
St. Luke 9:38-45 KJV38And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child.
39And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him.
40And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not.
41And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither.
42And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.
43And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples,
44Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.
45But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying.
"When you see bruising in the Bible, that bruising is associated with killing. This spirit was in him so bad that it was killing him."
"Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the child. The crowd was cheering. But Jesus turned to the disciples and said, the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men. Don't get too caught up with the pat on the back."
St. Luke 9:46-50 KJV46Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest.
47And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him,
48And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.
49And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.
50And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.
"He that is least among you all, the same shall be great. If you in this for any form of glory, it ain't going to happen here."
St. Luke 9:51-56 KJV51And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
52And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.
53And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.
54And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
55But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
56For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
"He stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem. Jesus knew he was getting ready to die, but he still looked steadfastly toward the mission of the Father."
"Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. Even as a servant of God, you can have a wicked spirit in you. Jesus is coming to save right now. He's going to come back to destroy a little bit later."
St. Luke 9:57-62 KJV57And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
58And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
59And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
60Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
61And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
62And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
"Everybody that's been walking in the word a long time and everybody that's new, you better consider the cost before you say that you going to follow Jesus. Jesus is the correct and only way to go. But you better understand what you getting yourself into."
"Let the dead bury their dead. The man's father died. Do you hear the cost of what it is to truly follow Jesus?"
"You start serving God, but then you stop. You was coming to class, but you stopped coming. You was praying, but now you stopped praying. When you put your hand to the plough and you look back at your past, you ain't fit for the kingdom of God."
14.Sanctify Yourselves Therefore, and Be Ye Holy
Next he lets the sword fall on sin, beginning with adultery, in Leviticus 20.
"If she tied to somebody, leave that woman alone. A lot of people feel like they getting away with it. But God said there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed."
Leviticus 20:7-10 KJV7Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.
8And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you.
9For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.
10And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
"I am the LORD which sanctify you. Like the Sabbath day is sanctified from every day of the week, I'm going to sanctify you."
"Every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death. This is a part of the Bible nobody want to read. They don't honor their mother and their father."
"The same punishment for sin in the Old Testament is going to be worse in the New Testament, because Jesus said if you just look on a woman to lust after her, you have committed adultery with her already in your heart."
Leviticus 20:13 KJV13If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
"It's very common in this world, and they think that stuff is normal now. But it ain't normal. It's not of God."
15.It Is Not Lawful for Thee to Have Her
"People don't like when you speak out against it. But you got to, because God don't like it. We going to show you what got the prophet of the highest killed."
St. Matthew 14:1-5 KJV1At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,
2And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.
3For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife.
4For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.
5And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
St. Matthew 14:6-10 KJV6But when Herod’s birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.
7Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.
8And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist’s head in a charger.
9And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath’s sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.
10And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.
"John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her. And John the Baptist got his head cut off for the word of God."
"The mother was behind it. That's why he wants you to have wise counsel, not unwise counsel."
Romans 1:26-27 KJV26For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
"They going to receive in themselves the recompence of their error which was meet. Meet means that it's going to be justified."
Romans 1:28-32 KJV28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
"A reprobate mind is different from backsliding. When you get the reprobate mind, that's when you can't turn back to God. And only God knows who has the reprobate mind. We can't determine that. You got to still keep helping everybody get the word of God."
"Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents. Tell me this ain't the last days."
"Not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. You better watch what you approve of."
16.Ye Do Always Resist the Holy Ghost
Then another man who was killed for the word: Stephen, in Acts 7.
Acts 7:1-5 KJV1Then said the high priest, Are these things so?
2And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,
3And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee.
4Then came he out of the land of the Chaldæans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell.
5And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.
"He gave him none inheritance in it, yet he promised that he would give it. You got to stay steadfast when God give you a promise. If God say he going to give you a spiritual body in the end, you got to believe that until the end, even though you don't have it."
Stephen walks them from Abraham through Joseph, Moses and the wilderness, which Brother Obadiah read from verses 6 through 24.
Acts 7:37-43 KJV37This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.
38This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
39To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,
40Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
41And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
42Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness?
43Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.
"A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you like unto me. We know that prophet that was going to be just like Moses was going to be Jesus."
"Their hearts turned back again into Egypt. He went up there for forty days and they just lost their mind."
"They took up the tabernacle of Moloch. Moloch was the god where they would put the child in the burning statue's arms and sacrifice the child."
Acts 7:51-53 KJV51Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
52Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
53Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
"As your fathers did, so do ye. What did they do in the wilderness? They knew the word of God, but they wouldn't do it. So they would not enter into his rest."
Acts 7:54-60 KJV54When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
55But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
57Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
58And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.
59And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
60And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
"He knew about the persecution he was going to get, but still he stayed strong on the mission."
"Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. As they was murdering him and shedding innocent blood, he said, don't even lay this sin to their charge. That's the sign of a humble servant."
"Why did they kill him? Because of the words that was coming out of his mouth."
17.His Word Was in Mine Heart as a Burning Fire
The last example of persecution is Jeremiah, who prophesied that Judah would go into captivity to Babylon for seventy years.
Jeremiah 20:1-6 KJV1Now Pashur the son of Immer the priest, who was also chief governor in the house of the LORD, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things.
2Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD.
3And it came to pass on the morrow, that Pashur brought forth Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then said Jeremiah unto him, The LORD hath not called thy name Pashur, but Magor-missabib.
4For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will make thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends: and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes shall behold it: and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive into Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword.
5Moreover I will deliver all the strength of this city, and all the labours thereof, and all the precious things thereof, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give into the hand of their enemies, which shall spoil them, and take them, and carry them to Babylon.
6And thou, Pashur, and all that dwell in thine house shall go into captivity: and thou shalt come to Babylon, and there thou shalt die, and shalt be buried there, thou, and all thy friends, to whom thou hast prophesied lies.
"They got the man of God, the prophet, and put him in stocks by the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the Lord."
Jeremiah 20:7-10 KJV7O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.
8For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily.
9Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
10For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.
"That's how you feel when you come into the word of God. Sometime you think everybody going to love you, everybody going to receive you, but it don't happen like that."
"The word of the Lord was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily. You can get weary trying to help people that really don't want to listen to you. That's why the Lord tells you in Hebrews 10, cast not away your confidence."
"I will not make mention of him. How many of us have said this? But his word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones."
"All my familiars watched for my halting. Your familiars are your family and your friends. They was waiting for Jeremiah to fail."
Jeremiah 20:11-13 KJV11But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.
12But, O LORD of hosts, that triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause.
13Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers.
Jeremiah 20:14-18 KJV14Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed.
15Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad.
16And let that man be as the cities which the LORD overthrew, and repented not: and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting at noontide;
17Because he slew me not from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always great with me.
18Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?
"He hated his life because he kept going through it for the word of God. Sometimes the word of God can make you feel like that. But you got to understand what you in this thing for. The Lord was with him as a mighty terrible one."
18.To Make a Difference Between the Unclean and the Clean
"A lot of people, when it come to food, they definitely don't want to be told what they can eat. Well, I've been eating pork all my life and it ain't done nothing to me yet. I want our newcomers to hear this."
Leviticus 11:1-8 KJV1And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them,
2Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth.
3Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.
4Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
5And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
6And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
7And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.
8Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.
"You didn't make yourself. He is the potter and we are the clay. So God know what we are supposed to eat and what we should not eat."
"If you going to eat from the beasts of the earth, you got to have these characteristics. It parts the hoof, it is clovenfooted, and it cheweth the cud."
"I grew up in the country, so we ate a whole lot of rabbit growing up. But once I came into the word of God, I realized I could not eat these things no more."
Leviticus 11:9-12 KJV9These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.
10And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you:
11They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcases in abomination.
12Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.
"If it don't have fins and scales, you cannot eat it. You can't eat the shrimp, the lobster, the scallops."
Leviticus 11:45-47 KJV45For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.
46This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth:
47To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten.
"Those that are new and those that's watching online, you need to read Leviticus 11 in its entirety."
To show how God feels about it, he goes to Isaiah 65.
Isaiah 65:1-5 KJV1I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name.
2I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;
3A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick;
4Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine’s flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels;
5Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.
"A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face. He talked about them dealing with pagan gods, sacrificing in gardens and burning incense upon altars of brick. But he also talked about them eating swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels. The vessel in this case is talking about the body."
Isaiah 65:6-7 KJV6Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom,
7Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the LORD, which have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom.
Isaiah 65:9-12 KJV9And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.
10And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me.
11But ye are they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number.
12Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not.
"I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob. He getting ready to talk about Jesus."
"When I called, ye did not answer. You did not turn from your evil way. You still continued on in your sins."
Isaiah 65:13-16 KJV13Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed:
14Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit.
15And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord GOD shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name:
16That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.
"Those that's going to make it in the kingdom, they going to rejoice, and those that's not going to make it into the kingdom, they shall howl for vexation of spirit."
Isaiah 65:17-20 KJV17For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
18But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
19And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.
20There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.
Isaiah 65:21-25 KJV21And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.
22They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
23They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.
24And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
25The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.
"We can't wait for that, to see a child die at a hundred years old."
"This is the reward for you keeping the word of God your entire life. This what you going to get in the end."
19.The Sword of the LORD Is Filled With Blood
Then he gets down to the real sword, the sword of the Lord, in Isaiah 34.
Isaiah 34:1-4 KJV1Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it.
2For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter.
3Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcases, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood.
4And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.
"They got him in the manger with his little halo around his head. But this is the Jesus that they don't tell you about. He going to fill the mountains with their blood."
"Not only is he going to destroy the earth, he is also going to put out all of the constellations."
Isaiah 34:5-8 KJV5For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment.
6The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea.
7And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.
8For it is the day of the LORD’s vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.
"Idumea is Edom. And these lambs and goats and rams, this is talking about people in this case."
"The year of recompences for the controversy of Zion. We going to find out exactly who Jerusalem belongs to in the end. The Lord going to come back and settle the controversy of Zion."
20.Out of His Mouth Went a Sharp Twoedged Sword
Revelation 1:1-3 KJV1The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
2Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
3Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
"The Father giveth to Jesus. Jesus give it to the angels. The angels give it to the Israelite. And the Israelite give it to the rest of the sons of Adam."
"Blessed is he that readeth. You got to read your Bible. And keep those things which are written therein, for the time is at hand."
Revelation 1:4-8 KJV4John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
5And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
6And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
7Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
8I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
"Jesus came and washed us from our sins in his own blood. Not with the blood of animals."
"Alpha means the first. Omega means the last. That's what Jesus is."
Revelation 1:9-16 KJV9I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
10I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
11Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
12And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
13And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
14His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
15And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
16And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
"His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace. When you burn something, that let you know that he is black. But if he was white, it wouldn't make no difference if he got me salvation."
"And out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword. That's the sword of the spirit."
Revelation 1:17-18 KJV17And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
18I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
"I am he that liveth, and was dead, and have the keys of hell and of death. That's the God that we serve."
Closing Word
He closed the same way he started, in Ephesians 6.
Ephesians 6:16-17 KJV16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Ephesians 6:23-24 KJV23Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
24Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.
"And that is the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. And we hope you got some understanding in Jesus name."
Brother Obadiah's lesson was that the word of God cuts both ways. It makes you alive, it gives you a new family of brothers and sisters, and it is the sword in the armour of God. But the same word divides soul and spirit, sets a man at variance against his own house, and draws the hatred of the world, because the servant is not above his master. Jesus was mocked and killed for the word he spoke, John the Baptist lost his head, Stephen was stoned, Paul was left for dead, and Jeremiah was put in the stocks. So count the cost, put your hand to the plough and do not look back. Keep the commandments, keep the Sabbath, stay close to one another, and through much tribulation enter into the kingdom, until the one whose name is called The Word of God returns with the sharp sword of his mouth.
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This lesson was taught at our Sabbath service at Israel Church of the Firstborn in Indianapolis, IN. Join us every Saturday at 12PM, or watch the Sabbath live online.