Matthew 5:
27. You have heard it said; Do not commit adultery.
28. But I tell you that everyone seeing a woman with a view to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
29. So if your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and cast it away; for it is more expedient for you that one of your members perish than for all of you to be cast into gehenna (hell).
30. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and cast it away; for it is more expedient for you that one of your members perish than for all of you to be cast into gehenna and all of your body to be lost.

The continuation of the principle of the heart’s intent is again brought out in the words of the king, Jesus. It is not only the act; but, the thoughts of men that bring them into their own judgement. We cannot guard our every thought. We need power from above to aid us in the reality of Jesus and what He is giving us. Our understanding of this need of power must wait, for in time He will tell us. Let the want of further understanding, be upon our hearts, as we continue to study together.

Jesus is not asking us to amputate limbs; but, to cut off from our hearts the roots of any desires that would bring us into condemnation. It is far better to be crippled than to loose all in the final judgement. However, note Jesus repeated the condition of this surgery twice. Do not be confused, for He is saying we may need to cut more than once. Personally it seems that my own evil nature has caused very little of me to still exist. I find myself continually cutting off some other part of me, to reduce my sinful nature. Strangely enough it seems as if by my own hand I have become less and less; and, Jesus is becoming more and more. Praise God! The king is so wise. He has provided me with the plan and mission to discover and become who I was created to be. Does it not now become obvious? He is giving instructions on how to cut away my brokenness and watch Him gloriously restore those amputated pieces with renewed parts of who I was created to be before sin had corrupted them.

Matthew 5:
31. And it has been said: Whosoever dismisses his wife, let him give her a bill of divorce.
32. But I tell you that everyone dismissing his wife from himself for no other reason than fornication is the cause of her to commit adultery. And whoever marries a dismissed woman, commits adultery.

The word of the Lord is plain, we can but acknowledge it in our hearts and obey His will. The Jews had taken the law and made it into tradition. Jesus is but revealing the fulfillment of that law before the hearts of men. The law has not ended but is being completed in purpose; let it fill you within and eternally know the need of the Lord.

I have contained myself but now the restraining is let. There is a movement of the antichrist within the body of the Lord in the country of America. This evil is being led by false teachers. They have been blinded by the evil one into falsely culturalizing the scripture; even the very words spoken by the Lord.

Romans 1:
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in themf; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. (KJV)

These words of Jesus through the Apostle Paul are the fortification of the law to protect the covenant of marriage. The blessed relationship found in marriage; when two are made as one flesh.

Genesis 2:
24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. (KJV)

Marriage is but the reflection of the covenant that God has given to mankind, now fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ. A bond culminated in the final collection of the body of believers – The King’s bride. The entire scripture is but a history of that courtship and developing love. Marriage is a physical relationship that was created in the image of God’s covenant toward us. This is a major event that Satan has chosen to destroy. He started at the garden of Eden and has continued throughout history to this day. Satan is jealous of our love for God. He wants to be like God; and, covets our devotion. Look at the reasons for Satan’s choice and how he has sought to destroy: Abraham – with the promise of God, David – with the sin of the heart, Herod – to try and destroy the offspring of Israel. Do I say more? The decay of the moral fiber of man in any society is the sign of Satan’s desires to remove the promises of God from coming into the hearts of men. Do not let anyone come to you and try to justify a cultural immoral use of sex in the presence of scripture. Those of us whom have lived and dealt in divorce and re-marriage before and after the moment of our salvation, must need get into the word of God for His answers! Study please. If I were to teach my thoughts I would be usurping the Holy Spirit. Let Him instruct you.

Proverbs 18:22 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.(KJV)

1 Timothy 5:14 I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully. (KJV)

Matthew 5:
33. Again you have heard it said of the ancients: You should not perjure, but unto the Lord you shall repay your oaths.
34. But I tell you not to swear at all; neither by the heaven, because it is the throne of
35. God; nor by the earth, for it is the footrest; not by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King;
36. nor by your heads swear, because you cannot make one hair white or black.
37. But let the words of you be simple, yes, yes; or no, no; for in excess of these is evil.

I just do not know how one could make an interpretation of these verses to apply to all men in all situations. For example, the oath of truth in a court of law. This must be met by each one as they see, by the Spirit, for themselves. However, one point is plain. A simple yes or no is all that is required to be sufficient! Adding more to what we say to God by promise or oath is evil. The reasons are not for us to know, but the Lord has given us a warning. He has told us that a simple answer is enough. Look at this as a parent. If we ask a child to do something or not to do something, is not yes or no sufficient? To make them add a promise to their answer is only going to bind them into failure. The Lord has only asked us to live each day at a time. To bind ourselves by oath or a promise, above a simple yes or no, is to put the problems of tomorrow on those of today. Jesus does not want us living yesterday or tomorrow but now. Let us therefore heed the king’s warning and keep ourselves from harm.

Matthew 5:
38. You have heard that it was said: An eye in behalf of an eye and a tooth in behalf of a tooth.
39. But I tell you not to oppose evil; but to the one who strikes you on your right cheek, turn and give him the other one;
40. and to the one who wishes to judge you and take your clothes, allow him and give him your coat also;
41. and to the one who shall impress you a mile’s distance, go two with him.
42. Give to him that asks, and do not turn away the one wishing to borrow from you.

If we have known the Lord; who are we? Who is the judge of the world’s intent? Who is to be our judge? Are we able to judge? These questions are all answered. If we have known the Lord we know we are no judges; we are the fruit of our sorrow reborn and nothing more. Jesus is our judge. Jesus is the judge of the evil upon us. He did not say oppose the movement of evil upon you. Have we forgotten? Rejoice when you have been blessed with persecution for the sake of my name in righteousness. Jesus is commanding us to remain under His judgement and wait upon Him. Why else are we to answer plainly yes or no. He alone will restore your coat. Let the king lead your heart through the presence of evil; not around evil. The blessing of the Lord God will abound in your heart and in the hearts of those who persecute you, unto their repentance or unto their judgement.

Have we become so callus that we have forgotten the giver, and kept the gift? How can we but give and give to those that ask us, when we have been given all; and, have deserved nothing. I pray God will be with us and in us. Let the spirit flow over us that we may know only but to continually give in Jesus’ name.

You could justly reply, “That sounds all well and good but, how can I do this?” I would say as well myself, that what the Lord has asked us to do seems impossible. For if some evil so-and-so did that to me, well I would . . . And the Lord says go the second mile, turn the cheek. How? I have tried so hard, but it is so difficult. Yes, it is very difficult. Even the Lord himself sweat blood in deep distress of a second mile with God – let alone with an unbeliever. Yet Jesus has prevailed. The only conclusion is but to lean harder upon the resources of the spirit of God within; and, less and less upon our own nature. We must grow up concerning the ways of God. We must mature under His instruction. We must press on to the higher calling.

Matthew 5:
43. You have heard that it was said; You are to love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
44. But I say to you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; so
45. that you may become the sons of the Father in the heavens, because He makes the sun to rise on both evil and good men and rains on the just and the unjust.
46. For if you but love the ones loving you, what reward have you? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?
47. and, if you only greet your brothers, what excess do you have? Don’t even the Gentiles do the same?
48. Be therefore perfect as even your heavenly Father is perfect.
6.1. Take heed not to do righteousness in front of men with thought of being seen by them; otherwise, you will not have a reward with your Father in the heavens.
2. Therefore, when you do alms, do not sound a trumpet in front of you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogue and in the streets, so that they may be glorified by men; truthfully I tell you, they will have their reward.
3. But when you do alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand does.
4. so that your alms may be seen in secret; and your Father, the one seeing in secret, will repay you.

Did we envision that the Lord made us only to receive? No, the king has spoken and we must move according to His will. Love given to the lover is not worthy of a reward, it is it’s own reward by being given. We must love at all cost or we are lost; for, if we do not love all men, we are not the sons and daughters of God. Without a love that has no boundaries, we have failed to learn what the peace of God is. How can we refer to ourselves as the sons of God and not know or be the witness of His peace? How can one call himself a son of God and not love those whom the Lord has shown His love to? He died for all men, not just the ones we care about. Rain does fall on the just and on the unjust. Love from above must also reign in our hearts and issue as a river on the just and on the unjust.

Hear God humbly; if we do not love those who persecute us we do not know the true fellowship of the spirit in our hearts. He is not asking us to kindle false love nor to confuse love with affection for someone. Just love. Don’t be confused, Jesus said love, not like. There is a difference; and, most of us by our common sense know the difference. Love from the king flowing through us is automatic, learning or having to like someone is a matter of our choice. Praise the Lord! He does reign within us and we do know the fellowship of His spirit. We can feel the tug of His reign with power. Live and love and let the will of the Father be done. We are called to be perfect as the Father is also perfect. How can we, unless we too have the same spirit and share the same glory and the same power; yes the same power.

If your God is too small or not very powerful, if you find yourself not very dependant upon Him; then He is not very perfect and neither will you be. The power of the almighty God is available to all who call upon His name and obey His will in faith and love. Our love must be shown in secret to give the glory to the Father. We were not made manifested in His love by the sounding of our trumpets in the streets, but by the Lord Jesus descending alone into the depths of hell for three days. If we do blow our horns we will receive the reward of our arrogance. Live humbly before the spirit of the Living God within your heart in awe and praise.

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Kenneth D. Davis

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