JULY Pastoral Letter

Seek First the Kingdom,

& His Righteousness...

Matt 6:33

IN THIS ISSUE:

- HARVEST REPORTS FROM THE FIELDS
- MATT 8 - EXPOSITION CONTINUES
- SOWING TO THE FLESH - CONSEQUENCES

THERE IS a stirring and quickening to the greater need of ‘intercession’ on the part of the Bride of Christ these days... enough so that we wanted to make mention of this vital activity and privilege that we have. No... it is not new by any means, however, The Holy Spirit is directing His Church to be MORE this praying, interceding agent as is Christ Jesus our High Priest and the Holy Spirit Himself Who ever lives to make intercessions for us! Hebrews 7:25 As the world drives dangerously down the road of idolatry, immorality, corruption, greed, pride and the pursuits of pleasure, more prayerful intercessions and pleading are needed... just as a Daniel (Chapter 7) who was standing in the gap for the nation Israel in captivity! He was always confessing his own sin and the sins of his people, 3 times daily. So must we today... for all the world, who will for the most part reject our Risen Saviour. Let us therefor come boldy to the throne through the merits of Jesus Christ alone, asking for MERCY and GRACE in this needy time! It is HIS CHURCH alone that carries this privilege and duty... For Christ’s sake. Amen. R. E.

A FEW REPORTS FROM THE HARVEST FIELDS

Brother Prasanna Reports for E India

420 come to Jesus

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.” Joel 2:28 -29

Warm greetings in Christ Jesus our Lord to dear beloved Family.

Praise God for all you have been praying for our FBF ministry in India. Thank you very much for your holy prayers, love and fellowship to reach India for Jesus Christ. God is using us to bring Glory and Honour to Him along among the pagan people and bringing them towards him and free from sin, sickness and bondage of Satan. Good news of the Gospel; proclaiming liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind and setting free those who are oppressed. .

We had night crusade meetings in different places among the remote villages, tribes and Hindu community places. All most 120 people gave their lives to be saved and another place 300 people are saved.

After preaching the Gospel and breaking the curses, Crusades in the name of Jesus the power of God began to roll across that field.

There are many testimonies i can share with you what God had done their life. He is pouring out His Spirit in all flesh.

Please keep in your holy prayer for the new souls saved and also the financial help as we are reaching people with Jesus and conducting crusade meetings and night prayer meetings different places.

By God's grace I am now back home and busy in our reach, need to catch up on many things here, pray through the implementation of what God is revealing.

Praise God - He is available right now to answer your prayers and our co – ministers are available to pray with you and encourage you in walking in victory over whatever situation you are now facing. Christ Jesus is greater and far more powerful than our circumstances, Amen!

Yours in His service,

Bro Prasanna & orphan children and family.

______ * ______

Brother Wachana Reports & encourages from Uganda:

Praise the lord brother Robert and fellow FBF servants.

CONGRATULATIONS! You have made the most important and exciting decision of your life. Thanks for the great work that you have faithfully been doing for God. Before this year ends, let’s walk out our inheritance. Every Christian has a realm of inheritance for Christ and you area of potential impact may be much larger than you realize. Don’t settle on small corner of your spiritual inheritance. Explore the limits of the influence God has given you.

Leaders do not live in the past; they live in the present and the future.

For us here we do request all the FBF saints to stand with us in prayer. The famine is too much especially Uganda, Kenya and Southern Sudan. In Uganda one kg of maize is 2000 ug sh. I do thank brother Omondi and his family who decided to cross from Kenya to Uganda to fellowship with us in Busia border FBF church. I encourage him that the long journey starts with one step... but the fields are white for the Harvest!

Brother Wachana - FBF Uganda

______ * ______

Sister Esther and FBF Team reports from OA crusades

230 come to Christ...

Hello man of God

Our God is still alive praise be to the almight one Amen and thanks very much for your supporting prayer with the team for my first time in ministering on open air crusade God open a deaf and head not only one 4 of them in kayunga district and 230 gave their life to the LORD hallelujah our God is good this time i managed to use my friend,s camera hope to send the photos on Thursday its a digitor he took the camera to print some photos Praise be to God ,

the second one i have not got the report yet but the next one in Wakiso district Gombe sub/county Sanga village pray for it its a conference and crusade we are expecting 300 participants

God bless you so much, Sister Esther and Team

______ * ______

Kitale Kenaya – Bro Ben reports

Hello Bro. Robert!

I believe all is well on your end. The FBF team was in Kitale for preach and it was just

great. I left Bungoma town and picked Pst Wangoliko at Kamukuywa mkt

and when we reached Kitale Pst Reuben and Pst Elisha were at hand to

receive us. Pst Elisha is new to open air so I requested him to

observe keenly as I un-fold the Gospel. After me Pst Wangoliko took

the stage, followed by Pst Reuben. Since Pst Elisha had now observed

the 3 of us do it, his turn was come and he liked it very much. After

that I called for those who wanted to receive Christ and to my

surprise there were 17 souls. After leading them in short prayer, I

prayed for them and handed them to Pst Reuben since his Church is a

few metres away. Pst Wangoliko and I left Kitale at 7pm and you can

guess the time I got to Bungoma! Kitale people requested us to go back

there very soon and am told that some Pastors have promised to join

fbf should we go there again. There are other towns we are expected to

visit but how to get there is a problem. You see like from Bungoma to

Kitale currently 1 person requires 600 ksh. All Saints wherever you

are, let us pray that we may be able to receive the supply that will take us to

different places where people have never experienced the goodness of

FBF and open-air proclamation. Also let us pray Bro. Robert (fbf

founder) and the task a head. God bless fbf and all the Saints out

there, Shalom ~ Ben

Teaching on Matthew continues...

MATTHEW 8: AN EXPOSITION

(Matthew 8:1) When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.

Though the teaching of Jesus was radical and extreme, it had a drawing power—so much so that great multitudes followed Him. Truth is self-verifying and, though people may not like it, they can never forget it
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(Matthew 8:2) And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

A leper knelt before Jesus with a desperate appeal for healing. This leper had faith that the Lord could cure him, and true faith is never disappointed. Leprosy is an appropriate picture of sin because it is loathsome, destructive, infectious, and, in some forms, humanly incurable.

“Hansen’s Disease” is today’s term for leprosy. Lesions of the skin, superficial nerves, attacks the eyes, the genitals, extremities, basic internal corruption that eventually causes the erosion of tissue, and results in deformed and erosive extremities. It is a very loathsome disease and very visible in its later stages. It is a manifestation of the corruption within, what is causing the external appearance is the corrosion internally. Dapsone is a drug that treats it. Yet, in the 1980s around the world they have discovered that the resistance to that drug is increasing and therefore, they expect the existence of leprosy to increase. Leprosy is mostly prevalent in the low, humid, tropical areas of Asia, Africa, South America and the Pacific Islands. There are about 2 million known cases on the planet earth, and there might even be 11 million cases if all the cases were known. The disease does seem to be transmitted through prolonged physical contact, during certain times (certain times are contagious, others are not) and certain susceptibilities. It primarily gets transmitted through improperly sterilized hypodermic needles, and tattooing needles. In a Biblical sense, leprosy is very detailed in the Old Testament, as well as in the New Testament. There is no cure for leprosy in the Old Testament, other than the Lord Himself (Num 12:13; 2 Kings 5:1-15). In the Old Testament, God is also using leprosy as a symbol of sin. (the sin of presumption) This is exactly what sin is, a disease, an inner corruption that manifests itself outwardly especially in later stages.

In the mind of this leper, there is no basis for healing outside of God, by him calling Jesus, “Lord,” shows his understanding of Jesus being God incarnate. That leper is you and I. We all are S-I-N POSITIVE!! We have a disease worse than leprosy. We have a disease that God identified with leprosy in the Old Testament and His ritualism to educate them about the evils of leprosy applies to you and I, in that we are sinners. We have a disease and there is no known cure, only God Himself can make you clean. What do you have to do? Acknowledge who He is (Lord) and that He can make you clean.

(Matthew 8:3) And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

Lepers were untouchables. Physical contact with them might expose a person to infection. In the case of the Jews, this contact made the person ceremonially unclean, that is, unfit to worship with the congregation of Israel. But when Jesus touched the leper and spoke the healing words, the leprosy vanished immediately. Our Savior has power to cleanse from sin and to qualify the cleansed person to be a worshiper.

(Matthew 8:4) And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

This is the first instance in Matthew's Gospel where it is recorded that Jesus commanded someone to tell no one of the miracle done for them or of what they had seen (see also Mat 9:30; Mat 12:16; Mat 17:9; Mar 5:43; Mar 7:36; Mar 8:26). This was probably because He was aware that many people, interested only in deliverance from the Roman yoke, wanted to make Him King. But He knew that Israel was still unrepentant, that the nation would reject His spiritual leadership, and that He must first go to the cross.

Under the Law of Moses, the priest also served as physician. When a leper was cleansed, he was obligated to bring an offering and to appear before the priest in order to be pronounced clean (Lev 14:4-6). Jesus told the leper to obey the law in this matter. Jesus said this would be a testimony to the priests. And so it was, for in the entire history of the nation there was no record of any Israelite being healed from leprosy other than Miriam (Num 12:10-15). One can imagine the dramatic impact when this man suddenly appeared at the temple and announced to the priests he had been cured of leprosy! It was no doubt a rare event for a leper to be healed, so extraordinary, in fact, that it should have alerted this priest to investigate whether the Messiah had appeared at last. Jesus in effect was presenting His “calling card” to the priests, for they would have to investigate His claims. But we read of no such reaction. The healed man, however, disobeyed Jesus’ orders to tell no one, for “he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter” [Mar 1:45]. Presumably, however, the man eventually made his way to the temple.

The spiritual implications of the miracle are clear: The Messiah had come to Israel with power to heal the nation of its illness. He presented this miracle as one of His credentials. But the nation was not yet ready for her Deliverer.

(Matthew 8:5-6) And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.

The faith of a Gentile centurion is introduced in striking contrast to the unreceptiveness of the Jews. If Israel will not acknowledge her King, the despised pagans will. The centurion was a Roman military officer in charge of about one hundred men, and was stationed in or near Capernaum. He came to Jesus to seek healing for his servant who had suffered a violent and painful paralysis. This was an unusual display of compassion—most officials would not have shown such concern for a servant.

This Gentile approached Jesus as Lord (as did the leper, Mat 8:2) and requested healing for a servant of his. Luke has doulos (“slave”), whereas Matthew has pais (“boy”), which may suggest the slave was young. He was paralyzed and suffering intensely, and he was near death (Luk 7:2).

Matthew seems to present the centurion as the one who seeks the help of Jesus, but Luke seems to say that the centurion sent elders to see Jesus (Luke 7:3).

Also, Matthew appears to say that the centurion himself comes to talk with Jesus. However, in Luke, the Bible says only the centurion’s representatives saw Jesus. Both Matthew and Luke are correct. In the 1st century, it was understood that when a representative was sent to speak for his master, it was as if the master was speaking himself. Even in our day this is still the case. Therefore, Matthew states that a centurion came entreating Jesus about his sick slave, when in fact the centurion sent others on his behalf. So, when Matthew declares that the centurion was speaking, this was true, even though he was (as Luke indicated) speaking through his official representative.

(Matthew 8:7) And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.

Jesus was on His way to go to a Gentile home. As a rabbi, He was not supposed to do that since it was considered to be unclean to entire a Gentile home.

(Matthew 8:8-9) The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

When the Lord Jesus offered to visit the sick servant, the centurion showed the reality and depth of his faith. He said, in effect, “I am not worthy that You should enter my house. Anyway, it isn't necessary, because You could easily heal him by saying the word. I know about authority. I take orders from my superiors, and give orders to those under me. My commands are obeyed implicitly. How much more would Your words have power over my servant's illness!”

(Matthew 8:10) When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

Jesus marveled at the faith of this Gentile. This is one of two times when Jesus is said to have marveled; the other time was at the unbelief of the Jews (Mar 6:6). He had not found such great faith among God's chosen people, Israel. This was a compliment to the Centurion and an indictment to Israel who should’ve first understood the authority of Who was standing before them.

(Matthew 8:11) And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

Here Jesus predicts that there will be a time when the Gentiles shall be allowed into the kingdom.

(Matthew 8:12) But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Children of the kingdom are those who were Jews by birth, who professed to acknowledge God as King, but who were never truly converted. But the principle applies today. Many children privileged to be born and raised in Christian families will perish in hell because they reject Christ, while jungle savages will enjoy the eternal glories of heaven because they believed the gospel message.

(Matthew 8:13) And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

Faith is rewarded in proportion to its confidence in the character of God. The servant was healed instantly, even though Jesus was some distance away. We may see in this a picture of Christ's present ministry; healing the non-privileged Gentiles from the paralysis of sin, though He Himself is not bodily present.

(Matthew 8:14) And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever.

Peter was a married man, and his mother-in-law lived with him.
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(Matthew 8:15) And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.

Ordinarily fever leaves a person greatly weakened, but this cure was so instantaneous and complete that she was able to get out of bed and serve Him—a fitting expression of gratitude for what the Savior had done for her. Her response to the healing was service! We should imitate her, whenever we are healed, by serving Him with renewed dedication and vigor.

(Matthew 8:16-17) When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils:
and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.

At evening, when the Sabbath was over (see Mar 1:21-34), the people surged to Him with many victims of demon-possession. These pathetic individuals were indwelt and controlled by evil spirits. Often they exhibited superhuman knowledge and power; at other times they were tormented. Their behavior sometimes resembled that of insane persons, but the cause was demonic rather than physical or mental. Jesus cast out the spirits with a word. By casting out demons, Jesus demonstrated His power over Satan, ruler of the demon world (cf. Mat 9:34; Mat 12:24).

He also healed all who were sick, fulfilling the prophecy of Isa 53:4 : “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.” Verse 17 is often used by faith-healers to show that healing is in the atonement, and that therefore physical healing is something the believer can claim by faith. But here the Spirit of God applies the prophecy to our Savior's earthly healing ministry and not to His work on the cross.

We have seen Christ exercising authority over disease and demons. It is only when He comes in contact with men and women that He meets with resistance—the miracle of human refusal.

(Matthew 8:18-20) Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side. And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

As Jesus prepared to cross the Sea of Galilee from Capernaum to the east side, a self-confident scribe stepped forward pledging to follow Him “all the way.”

The Lord's answer challenged him to count the cost—a life of self-denial. Following Jesus Christ is a commitment, not a hobby.

Though Jesus desired disciples who would follow Him and work in His harvest fields, He wanted only those who were properly motivated. Jesus’ reply to this scribe demonstrated His lowly character for He, in contrast with animals such as foxes and birds, did not even have a place where He could lay His head at night.

He had no permanent home, however, there were homes where He was a welcome guest and He ordinarily had a place to sleep. The Lord obviously knew the heart of this person and saw that he desired fame in following a prominent Teacher. Such was not Jesus’ character. This is the first of numerous times Jesus referred to Himself or was called by others the Son of Man (29 times in Matt., 14 in Mark, 24 in Luke, 13 in John). It points to Jesus as the Messiah (cf. Dan 7:13-14).

(Matthew 8:21) And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

Another well-meaning follower expressed a willingness to follow Him, but had a higher priority. Whether or not the father had already died makes little difference. The basic trouble was expressed in the contradictory words: “Lord ... me first.” He put self ahead of Christ. While it is perfectly proper to provide a decent burial for one's father, it becomes wrong when such a worthy act takes precedence over the Savior's call.

(Matthew 8:22) But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

Jesus answered him, in effect: “Your first duty is to follow Me. Let the spiritually dead bury the physically dead. An unsaved person can do that kind of work. But there is a work which you alone can do. Give the best of your life to what really lasts. Don't waste it on trivia.” We are not told how these two disciples responded. But the strong implication is that they left Christ to make a comfortable place for themselves in the world and to spend their lives hugging the subordinate. Before we condemn them, we should test ourselves on the two terms of discipleship enunciated by Jesus in this passage.

(Matthew 8:23-25) And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.

The Sea of Galilee is noted for sudden, violent storms that whip it into a churning froth. Winds sweep down the valley of the Jordan from the north, picking up speed in the narrow gorge. When they hit the Sea, it becomes extremely unsafe for navigation.

However, these guys were professional fisherman on the Sea of Galilee, they should have known what to do in storms like these. The fact that they were afraid implies that this storm was different from any other that they’ve ever experienced. This storm was supernatural in origin and that could be the reason why it was rebuked in the next verse…

(Matthew 8:26) And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

This reminds one of the passage in Psalms 107:23-30. The disciples had a lack of faith, because Jesus said that they were going to go to the other side (Mark 4:35) and hence have nothing to fear or be worried of. But it is to their credit that they went to the right Person when they felt their lives were in danger.

(Matthew 8:27) But the men marveled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

When a great calm descended, the men marveled that even the elements obeyed their humble Passenger. “What manner of man is this?…” Why, this is the Man who made the elements in the first place! How little they comprehended that the Creator and Sustainer of the universe was in the ship that day!

All disciples encounter storms sooner or later. At times it seems we are going to be swamped by the waves. What a comfort to know that Jesus is in the boat with us. “No water can swallow the ship where lies the Master of ocean and earth and skies.” No one can quell life's storms like the Lord Jesus.

(Matthew 8:28) And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.

On the east side of the Sea of Galilee was the country of the Gergesenes. When Jesus arrived, He met two unusually violent cases of demon possession. These demoniacs lived in cave-like tombs as they have been rejected by society. They were so fierce they made travel in that area unsafe. Mark and Luke wrote of one demon-possessed man, but they did not say only one. Presumably one of the two was more violent than the other.

(Matthew 8:29) And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

What they said was not known on earth at this time. They recognize that there is a time coming that they would rather avoid. They know that there is a time appointed, and they know that Jesus is in control of it. They are acknowledging His deity, and their destiny and His control of it.

(Matthew 8:30) And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding.

From Mark 5:13 we know that there were 2000! The question may well be asked: “What are the swine doing there?” since swine were illegal in Israel (Lev 11:7). There were a lot of Gentiles who lived in the region of the Gergesenes, which explained the presence of the swine as the pigs were raised in support of the Gentile culture.

(Matthew 8:31) So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.

They knew who Jesus was, and that He would finally destroy them. In these respects their theology was more accurate than that of many modern liberals. Sensing that Jesus was going to cast them out of the men, they asked that they might be transferred to a herd of many swine feeding nearby.

(Matthew 8:32) And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.

Strangely enough Jesus granted their request. But why should the Sovereign Lord accede to the request of demons? To understand His action, we must remember two facts. First, demons shun the disembodied state; they want to indwell human beings, or, if that is not possible, animals or other creatures. Secondly, the purpose of demons is without exception to destroy. If Jesus had simply cast them out of the maniacs, the demons would have been a menace to the other people of the area. By allowing them to go into the swine, He prevented their entering men and women and confined their destructive power to animals. It was not yet time for their final destruction by the Lord. As soon as the transfer took place, the swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea and drowned. This incident demonstrates that the ultimate aim of demons is to destroy, and underlines the terrifying possibility that two men can be indwelt by the number of demons it takes to destroy two thousand swine (Mar 5:13).

(Matthew 8:33) And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils.

We know that demons are at Satan’s control, they are some of his resources, they are malevolent, they are dangerous, they are around, and if you are not a Christian you are vulnerable to them. A demon-possessed person is not someone who simply has a psychiatric disorder. These things are real!

(Matthew 8:34) And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.

The herdsmen ran back with news of what had happened. The result was that an aroused citizenry came out to Jesus and begged Him to leave the area. Their condemnation is that they valued a herd of pigs more than the healing of two demoniacs. Ever since then Jesus has been criticized for the needless slaughter of pigs and has been asked to leave because He values human life above animals.

Some closing thoughts:

In this chapter... we see our Lord working through a lot of healing and deliverance. In every age and epoch, there is a great need for such super-natural work of our Lord Jesus. Greater works than these shall you do! He said. What works are those? Certainly all that Jesus has been doing... but more of the very work of God through His People... that is by the ‘speaking’ of His word... men and women can get not only deliverance, not only healing... but a NEW HEART and a NEW SPIRIT where by they might LIVE BEFORE GOD... in HIS HOLINESS AND PEACE!! Something mankind can never do by himself, no matter how much time is given to him. A brief look at history will tell us all we need to know about that.

Let us rejoice then, at the Great God and Saviour that we serve... Who is not only just, but loving kind, merciful and full of grace for His Church... who is still growing in the knowledge of Christ Jesus. May we with all commitment and pursuit... REDEEM the remaining time that we have on earth... reflecting His Glory and Good! Amen. May the LORD Bless you all in His teaching and treasures of abiding in His presence. The Editorial Staff

Repentance and consequences of sowing to the flesh

"The Consequences of Sin"

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7).

This Scripture holds a warning that is not too well received by many believers. The warning—BE NOT DECEIVED-means that even though God forgives the penitent sinner, there will be a consequence to that which he has sown in the flesh. In fact, the next verse tells us so even more clearly:

“For he that soweth in his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (v. 8).

Anything sown in the flesh will have eternal consequences, and anything sown in the Spirit will bring a harvest of blessings that will never end.

The popular perceptions that Christians can sin with impunity or no consequence has no biblical basis whatsoever. The spiritual principle is, “whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” This is a universal; it has always been true. It is true now and will be so until the season of sowing is forever ended. No one is exempt from this law; neither the sinner nor the saint. And this truth is as old as Adam and Eve, who for their sin were cast out of the garden, putting the whole human race in jeopardy. Let us not be deceived!

I have already mentioned the sins of our first parents. Let us now look at another convincing biblical proof that sin has its consequences, even for the best of saints, by looking at the life of King David’s sins of adultery and murder. In fact, by looking at David, we are looking at a man who, God said, was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22).

Preacher, Sunday school teacher, layman, beware: if you commit adultery, you will suffer for the consequence of that sin until the end of time. God has not changed. The God of King David is our God. His name is I AM. He said, “I am the Lord, I change not” (Mal. 3:6).

Forgiveness removes the consequence of eternal punishment. Praise the Lord! But forgiveness does not remove the temporal consequences. Forgiveness brings restoration with God. Praise God! And we have learned from the Sermon on the Mount that the sin of adultery not only extends to the flesh but also to the spirit: “That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matt. 5:28).

Do not think for one moment that a man who looks at pornographic material will not suffer the consequences of the sin of adultery. A man who is in adultery, whether it be physical or spiritual, is a man whose prayers will not be heard and whose life will not be blessed. “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” God is against the adulterous spirit as much as he is against the adulterous act. And once adultery has been committed, things will never be the same! Such was the case with King David.

David Reaped What He Sowed

In 2 Samuel 11, we read of the sins of David. In chapter 12, we read of the consequences. First notice why David sinned. David’s sin of adultery began because there was a day when he did not keep his heart. There was a day when he did not sing God’s praises, when he did not pray. And on that day, he ended up at the wrong place, at the wrong time. That’s the background. He saw, he lusted, and he acted. He took someone’s wife, sending her husband to be slain in battle, and then he felt good, successful, and happy. He thought he had done nothing wrong. For a short time, David felt no remorse, no sorrow, no guilt. When we stop keeping our heart, when we stop praying and praising, we can sin with impunity, or we just might keep up certain rituals of religious duties to convince ourselves and others that everything is fine.

David was blinded by the gravity of his sin of adultery. Most people who have committed adultery in the flesh or are in pornography are spiritually blinded by the gravity of that sin. It is the same with any other sin: murder, selfishness, criticism, etc. Were it not for a man of God, David may have gone on to his grave out of fellowship with God. But isn’t God wonderful!? Isn’t God merciful!? “And the Lord sent Nathan unto David” (2 Sam. 12:1).

Consider it an act of God’s mercy when he sends a man of God to awaken you. The punishment for adultery is death. Because of God’s justice and holiness, anyone in adultery, pornography, or other sin does not deserve to live another day. He has despised the commandment of the Lord and despised the Lord himself (12:9–10). But because David repented in his heart, God forgave him and gave him another day, and another day, and so on.

But oh, dear friend, see the judgment of God! Because David had despised the law of the Lord, and the Lord himself, notice the list of consequences, the heavy baggage he had to pull the rest of his life:

1. The Sword Shall Never Depart from Thy House.

“Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife” (12:10).

Notice the word never. Is that a long time or is it longer than that? His children would suffer, his grandchildren would suffer, his great-grandchildren would suffer, and on and on forever! We read in some cases that the iniquity of the fathers shall be visited upon their children unto the third and fourth generation (Num. 14:18), but David’s suffering, because of his adultery, goes beyond the fourth generation. God, through the prophet, said that the sword would never leave his house. Adultery is so serious! Is there anything much worse than the sin of adultery? Brother, if you take another man’s wife into your life, what are you doing to your children and grandchildren and so on? Will the consequences ever end?

2. Your Sin Shall Be Revealed.

“For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel , and before the sun” (2 Sam. 12:12).

Your sin will find you out. When a husband goes to bed with someone else’s wife, he is blinded to the consequences. When he watches pornography behind closed doors, he thinks no one will ever find out. Oh, be not deceived. Every Bible published speaks of this sin of David. What man does in secret, God will reveal it openly. When you commit adultery, even though you repent and are forgiven, you will lose the respect of all godly people. You will lose their trust. You will lose your honor. Your testimony will never have the same strength. It will hurt and disappoint your children more than you could possibly ever imagine. Your children will know it. Your grandchildren will know it, and your great-grandchildren will see an ugly spot in the family tree forever. What you do in private, God will reveal it unto all under the sun. How costly is sin? Can it be measured?

3. I Will Raise Evil out of Thine Own House (12:11)

After David had been forgiven and restored to God, God planted a tree of evil in his house. God said, “I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house.” If you have committed adultery, whenever evil arises in your house, you will be tempted to say, “The devil is fighting us terribly,” when you should realize that it is the Lord himself who has planted the tree of evil in your life because of your great sin against his holiness. Is this harsh? Is this unfair? Is this unjust? No, “let God be true, but every man a liar” (Rom. 3:4).

It is harsh to lust after another woman! It is unjust, it is unfair! It is devilish. It is what the devil wants us to do. Do not find fault with God, or a worse thing will come upon you. Be thankful that when you repent and turn from your wickedness, you do not have to pay the ultimate price: banishment from God to a place where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched.

The evil planted in a house because of adultery may come through the children, through financial hardship, through sickness, etc. The sins of the father or mother will often be repeated by their children. For example, the sexual immorality of David was found in his son Ammon, who raped his sister Tamar. Immorality and the sword never left the house of David.

4. Your Enemies Will Blaspheme the Lord. (v. 14)

This means that the unbelievers will show utter contempt for the Lord. They will despise the Lord. Adulterers and fornicators cause unbelievers to despise God. It will cause them to make a mockery of Christianity. Forgiveness and restoration – yes! But what baggage did David have to carry the rest of his life! Is it worth it to commit adultery? Is it worth it to be unfaithful to our spouse? Is it worth it to go into pornography?

5. The Child Born unto Thee Shall Die. (v. 14)

Forgiveness and restoration were given to David, but the first fruit of his sexual union was death. Where, my friend, is the blessing in sin? Can you find it? Can anyone find it?

Where Do We Go from Here?

Where do we go when we have failed miserably? We go on with God! That is what David did. Anything less than that will mean eternal damnation, more mockery of the enemy, more damage to others, and a yet heavier wagon for us to pull the rest of our lives. So the rest of David’s life consisted of two things: the harvesting of thorns and the sowing of good seeds.

As you have sinned, my dear friend, you will suffer the consequences. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption...” (Gal. 6:7–8a). But remember that once you have repented and are forgiven, you must now be so much more diligent in sowing in the Spirit in order to reap a harvest of blessings that will never end: “...but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (v. 8b).

Yes, you must pull the heavy wagon of consequence of what you have sown in the flesh. No one can pull it for you, but God’s grace is sufficient for you. So sing the song of the redeemed while you pull that wagon, cast out God’s gospel seeds generously wherever you go as you pull, and you will bring forth fruit thirty-fold, sixty-fold, and perhaps, one hundred-fold. There will be blessings coming out of your life after all. Hence, you will be in that great company of the “such are some of you” church people, people who Paul said were fornicators, idolators, adulterers, sexual perverts, thieves, and drunkards, but who are now washed, justified, and sanctified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (1 Cor. 6:9–11).

Bro R Schultze

Much emphasis is given by our LORD and the Apostles in their teaching on the importance of the PREACHING or DECLARING the Gospel of Jesus Christ! It is the POWER of God on earth as given to men (Rom 1.16)... as it provides the most coverage in every area.

The words used for PREACH, PREACHING carry with it the Open Air Proclamation just as a TOWN CRIER! It is never a 2 eay conversation... but a DECLARATION TO ALL! The Church Bride of Christ is to be the VOICE of the Bride and the Bridegroom in this untoward generation.

It has been, and remains the privilege of this ministry to expose men to this dimension of the Gospel as prescribed by our LORD JESUS CHRIST! May we present the Truth in Love... as Jesus did. Amen.

Mark 16:15-16, 1:14, Matt 9:35, 24:12-14, Luke 4:18, 4:43, 24:47,

Acts 5:42, 10:42, 1 Cor 1:18