Plucking corn

Deu 23:24 When thou comest into thy neighbour's vineyard, then thou mayest eat grapes thy fill at thine own pleasure; but thou shalt not put any in thy vessel. 

Deu 23:25 When thou comest into the standing corn of thy neighbour, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand; but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbour's standing corn.

Luk 6:1 And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.
Luk 6:2 And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?

They plucked the corn, rubbing them in their hands to remove the chaff from the barley or wheat corn. Being the sabbath they were on their way to a synagogue or the temple which was nearby. They plucked the corn and were keeping the law in Deut. 23:25. The Pharisees were looking for some offense so as to accuse him. The laws were quite strict and the penalty quite severe if they were not kept. Jesus broke no law. He is Lord of the Sabbath. The Bible says he brought grace and truth.

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

We do not like to hear of the hard things of the law, but they will be our judge if we are not under the safety and salvation of Jesus Christ who brought grace and truth. He took our punishment that the law required for our sins: his blood was poured out for our sins. Jesus keep me under your blood. Wash me of all sins and receive me at your coming. You are my atonement for sins.

Making excuses?

Deu 20:2 And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people,
Deu 20:3 And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them;
Deu 20:4 For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
Deu 20:5 And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it.
Deu 20:6 And what man is he that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not yet eaten of it? let him also go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it.
Deu 20:7 And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.
Deu 20:8 And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren's heart faint as well as his heart.

Compare this to the words of Jesus concerning being his disciple.

Luk 9:57 And 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.
Luk 9:58 And 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.
Luk 9:59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
Luk 9:60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
Luk 9:61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
Luk 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Luk 14:16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:
Luk 14:17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.
Luk 14:18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.
Luk 14:19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.
Luk 14:20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.
Luk 14:21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.
Luk 14:22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.
Luk 14:23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
Luk 14:24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

Mat 19:27 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?
Mat 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Mat 19:29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
Mat 19:30 But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.

You are in the Lord's army? Then be faithful, go forward in His service. Respond to his calling, put your hand to the plough and don't look back. Your life belongs to God, he is your master now. You will reap a spiritual harvest.

The wisest man

Psa 111:10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever. 

Deu 17:14 When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me;
Deu 17:15 Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother.
Deu 17:16 But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.
Deu 17:17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.
Deu 17:18 And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:
Deu 17:19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:
Deu 17:20 That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.

Solomon was the wisest man and yet he broke every one of these commands.

1Ki_4:26 And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.

1Ki_11:1 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;

1Ki_10:14 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold,

1Ki_10:23 So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom.

1Ki_11:4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

Wisdom requires obedience to God's commands. Jesus was the wisest man, without sin. His father is God Almighty and he is God the Son. He made all things, but came as a humble sacrifice for our sins. Now he is at the right hand of God, interceding for us.

Joh 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Joh 15:14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

Do not confuse abundance of things and positions of power as wisdom and success. If you are not seeking God and obeying him, it will all be taken away.

I come quickly

I am not going to give you a time chart of when Jesus Christ is returning, it is very soon. Be ready by being awake in the Spirit and staying close to God. He has promised that he is coming again to set up his kingdom.

Mar 13:31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
Mar 13:32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
Mar 13:33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

1Th 5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
1Th 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
1Th 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
1Th 5:4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
1Th 5:5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
1Th 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
1Th 5:7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
1Th 5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
1Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Rev 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Rev 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Rev 22:21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

If we are trusting in Jesus Christ we will be with him forever. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, The word of God is true.Come out from among them, for many shall perish in their sins. Keep witnessing of Jesus Christ and His salvation until he comes. He is coming soon. Are you hearing the voice of God?

Signs on the doorpost and gates

Deu 11:18 Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.
Deu 11:19 And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
Deu 11:20 And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates:
Deu 11:21 That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.

A mezuzah (from the Hebrew for "doorpost") is a small parchment inscribed with short scripture passages in Hebrew. The parchment is rolled up, placed in a decorative case, and attached to the doorpost of Jewish homes.

We do not write in Hebrew, but we can place scriptures on our walls, our door posts, our fences. I have seen farm fences with a Scripture verse. My store window has pictures with scripture verses. We are to get the word out, for the nation is fast becoming antichrist in spirit. Be faithful now and even use a bumper sticker, but watch your driving, for you carry a message of life, not to offend but to save.

About twenty years ago a saxophone player named Elmo gave me a bumper sticker. I have put it on my car bumper. It says Jesus is coming soon are you ready? Elmo was always ready to hand out gospel tracts. When he was in occupied Germany following world war two, he handed out tracts to the Germans and it started a revival. Elmo loved to play the old hymns. We would gather together and play them each Friday evening at a little Charismatic church. Elmo put all his heart into his music and into his witnessing. He was a good example to me. Pass on the good word to the next generation. Jesus loves us.

Two Covenants

Deu 8:1 All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers. 

Deu 8:2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
Deu 8:3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
Deu 8:4 Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.
Deu 8:5 Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee.
Deu 8:6 Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.

They were to obey God's commands and he provided manna, food from heaven for body and soul. He provided their needs all the way. Their clothes did not wear out, nor did their feet swell from years of walking with him. They were tested to see if they would obey and most failed the test. He had to punish them as a loving father.

Now consider the walk of God's people under the new covenant. God still wants obedience, we are tested by trials and he does provide for us when we follow him.

Mat 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
Mat 6:32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Jesus gave us a sample prayer as a guide for our prayers.

Mat 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Mat 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Mat 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.
Mat 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Mat 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

He will provide our daily bread and Jesus is our Manna, the Living Word of God. We are to get up early and gather it, eat it, and meditate on it.

Joh 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

Last night in a private chat room twelve of us gathered together for a communion service. First we had to pray to ask forgiveness for any sins we had. Then we took the elements; the unleavened bread, the body of Christ broken for us. We did eat it. Next we took the juice of the grape, symbolizing his blood. We drank it, as a reminder of his blood shed for our sins. What is the difference between the old and new covenant? Jesus gave us grace. He kept all the laws that we could not keep. We still are to obey God, but if we fail, grace keeps us from the eternal punishment of separation from God. Trials and tests will come. He loves us and will make a way for us to escape them (1cor 10:13). He may still correct us as a loving father, but we stay close to him all the way to the eternal kingdom of God.

Two Governments

Mar 12:13 And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words.
Mar 12:14 And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?
Mar 12:15 Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it.
Mar 12:16 And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar's.
Mar 12:17 And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him.

We have a responsibility to our nation which includes paying taxes. This is allowed by Jesus. There is also spiritual government or spiritual dominion and authority. What does God require of us in regards to His dominion? He requires truth and obedience and service. The world leaders often lie and manipulate and pretend to be servants, but they have a responsibility to protect the people. It would be good if our nation followed God, but I see that  there are wicked spirits in high places.

Eph 6:12 For 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.

We are citizens of a nation of the world and citizens of God's kingdom. We do fight spiritual battles every day, so we had better be equipped to withstand the evil day.

Eph 6:13 Wherefore 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.
Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Eph 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

We must realize that we are in a battle against the forces of evil, the demonic spirits of satan. They want to lead us away from God and to kill us.

1Jn 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

We must pay taxes to our government but our soul belongs to God. We are his adopted children through Jesus Christ. Satan wants to get us to sin and turn away. Jesus gave us the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to be our faithful companion. We are to walk in the truth of God doing the good will of God.

It was June 25, 1950 my brother's eighteenth birthday. Over the radio was a news report that North Korea had invaded South Korea. The United States was at war; the Korean War.  
My brother was soon called to serve his country as a soldier of the United States. This (police action) was over in three years, a bloody conflict. The good news is that Christian America planted gospel seeds in South Korea. The nation has some of the largest Christian churches in the world now.
We should pray for those in the military and pray for our leaders that they will serve under the authority of Almighty God and Jesus His Son. Pray for your own strength and obedience to God. Pray for me as Paul gave us an example.


Eph 6:19  And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,