![\"The](\"http:\/\/www.all-creatures.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/lambleft.jpg\")
<\/a>A Sermon Delivered to
\nThe Compassion Internet Church<\/p>\n
29 December 2013<\/p>\n
Frank L. Hoffman, Pastor<\/p>\n
Scripture References:<\/p>\n
Isaiah 63:7-9
\nMatthew 2:13-23
\nMatthew 5:9
\nHebrews 2:10-18
\nRevelation 21:4<\/p>\n
Who are the Lord\u2019s Godly people?<\/p>\n
They are the ones who live in the heavenly will of God, and who do everything in their power to end the corruption of His beautiful creation, which has become a den of iniquity with all kinds of suffering and killing of millions of our fellow human beings and billions of other animals.<\/p>\n
So, if we\u2019re considering making a New Year\u2019s resolution, let it be to become the peacemaking children of God that Jesus calls us to be, and to live as strong witnesses against the evil in the world as the Lord\u2019s Godly people.<\/p>\n
In Isaiah 63:7-9, we read about all that the Lord wants to do for us, and has done for His obedient and Godly people.<\/p>\n
7. I shall make mention of the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, the praises of the LORD,
\nAccording to all that the LORD has granted us,
\nAnd the great goodness toward the house of Israel,
\nWhich He has granted them according to His compassion,
\nAnd according to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses.<\/p>\n
This did happen, but when we look around the world today, and at all the violence, bloodshed, pain, suffering, and death, it appears the Lord is holding back His blessings, until we repent and return wholeheartedly to Him as His Godly people.<\/p>\n
8. For He said, “Surely, they are My people,
\nSons who will not deal falsely.”
\nSo He became their Savior.<\/p>\n
Jesus is our savior, but relatively few people are the peacemaking children of God who seek to live on earth according to the heavenly will of God, as He called us to be.<\/p>\n
These are His Godly people.<\/p>\n
9. In all their affliction He was afflicted,
\nAnd the angel of His presence saved them;
\nIn His love and in His mercy He redeemed them;
\nAnd He lifted them and carried them all the days of old.
\nNASB<\/p>\n
And He desires to do this again today, when people change back into the servants of the Lord and start freeing creation from its present corruption instead of adding to it with all our warring madness that harms millions of our fellow human beings, and people\u2019s hardness of heart and indifference to the suffering of animals which causes billions of animals to suffer and die every year.<\/p>\n
We need to listen to the Lord, as Joseph did when the Lord called upon him, as we are told in Matthew 2:13-23.<\/p>\n
13. Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise and take the Child and His mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.”<\/p>\n
14. And he arose and took the Child and His mother by night, and departed for Egypt;<\/p>\n
15. and was there until the death of Herod, that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, “Out of Egypt did I call My Son.”<\/p>\n
Just like Joseph, we are to flee from evil, as Herod typifies, and live as truly Godly people.<\/p>\n
16. Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its environs, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the magi.<\/p>\n
This premeditated murder of the innocent children by Herod is exactly the same kind of evil that is used by terrorist bombers, and those who operate factory farms and slaughterhouses.<\/p>\n
This evil is all around us, and we, as His Godly people, need to take a peaceful stand against it, in all its forms.<\/p>\n
17. Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying,<\/p>\n
18. “A voice was heard in Ramah,
\nWeeping and great mourning,
\nRachel weeping for her children;
\nAnd she refused to be comforted,
\nBecause they were no more.”<\/p>\n
In Revelation 21:4 we are told that this kind of mourning ends according to the heavenly will of God, which we are charged with bringing to earth.<\/p>\n
And if you have ever heard a cow and her baby mourn for one another when the baby is stolen from her when the baby is no more than two days old, we should easily recognize that God\u2019s heavenly will must also include the animals.<\/p>\n
With these things in mind, let\u2019s return to our Bible passage and see what happened after Herod died.<\/p>\n
19. But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying,<\/p>\n
20. “Arise and take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.”<\/p>\n
21. And he arose and took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.<\/p>\n
Joseph is one of the Lord\u2019s Godly people, so once again Joseph obeyed the call of God; but evil was still lurking around him, just as we often experience.<\/p>\n
22. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he departed for the regions of Galilee,<\/p>\n
23. and came and resided in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”
\nNASB<\/p>\n
These prophetic comments are included in the Bible to help us have faith and be strengthened in the power of the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n
This thought is continued in Hebrews 2:10-18, where the writer speaks about Jesus.<\/p>\n
10. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.<\/p>\n
Note carefully that we are told that Jesus brought many people to glory, but this does not mean all people, or even the majority of people, for unless we truly repent, and are seen and live as Godly people in his heavenly will, as peacemaking children of God, we cannot be brought into glory.<\/p>\n
Note what we are told in Matthew 5:9:<\/p>\n
9. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
\nNASB<\/p>\n
These are the Lord\u2019s Godly People.<\/p>\n
Now let\u2019s compare this with what we are told in Hebrews 2:10; we clearly see that only the \u201csons\u201d (children of God) are brought to glory.<\/p>\n
With this understanding, let\u2019s return to what we are told in our Hebrews passage.<\/p>\n
11. For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,<\/p>\n
12. saying,<\/p>\n
“I will proclaim Thy name to My brethren,
\nIn the midst of the congregation I will sing Thy praise.”<\/p>\n
13. And again,<\/p>\n
“I will put My trust in Him.”<\/p>\n
And again,<\/p>\n
“Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me.”<\/p>\n
These are the children of God.<\/p>\n
These are the Lord\u2019s Godly people.<\/p>\n
These are the ones who seek to end the corruption of this world, with all its violence and death that is inflicted upon millions of our fellow human beings and billions of animals every year.<\/p>\n
14. Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil;<\/p>\n
This is sharing in the life and death of Jesus Christ, so that we are protected from the schemes of the devil.<\/p>\n
And, we also can have the power over death, by choosing what we put on our plates and backs; for by refusing to eat or wear the products of death, we overcome the power of death.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, by living that way openly before others, we can encourage some of them to also become children of God and overcome death.<\/p>\n
15. and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.<\/p>\n
16. For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham.<\/p>\n
And all who truly believe have been adopted as sons and daughters.<\/p>\n
17. Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.<\/p>\n
18. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.
\nNASB<\/p>\n
In other words, Jesus humbled Himself to be in the likeness of a human being, so that He would understand how we are constantly tempted by the devil, so that He could better help us overcome the temptations.<\/p>\n
We can overcome the power of the devil over our lives.<\/p>\n
We can overcome the power of the devil over this world, beginning with our own lifestyles of cruelty-free living.<\/p>\n
We can be children of God and overcome the world though the power of the Holy Spirit who is with us.<\/p>\n
We can be the Lord\u2019s Godly people.<\/p>\n
Amen.<\/p>\n
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