Fellowship Baptist Church

10/14/2020

God in Government

I have heard for many years that politics does not belong in the church, nor should the church meddle in politics. The phrase “separation of church and state,” for starters does not appear in the United States constitution. The actual wording is intended (as written) to keep government out of the affairs of the church, a trial faced in many of the nations of the world; i.e. England, France, Germany; to name a few. The impetus for the pilgrims to come to these shores initially was to escape governmental oversight of their view of scripture. At the same time it behooves us to look at scripture regarding government itself and who is really in charge here.
Let’s start with the Gospel of John, Chapter 19, begining with verse 9: “And went again into the judgement hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. Then said Pilate unto Him, Speakest thou not unto me? Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were from above, therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.” Reading this it is necessary to remember who Jesus is, namely, the very Son of God. The apostle Paul acknowledges this in Romans 13:1 - “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”
This and other scriptures which we will look at tells us who is really in charge, and of His activity involving His leadership in the affairs of men. For starters let’s look at Genesis Chapter 11, begining with verse one: And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another; Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the earth. The sinful imaginations of mankind showed themselves in this activity, which God overruled in the subsequent verses of this passage by confusing their language and scattering them over the face of the earth.
How about the promises God made to Abraham? First the fulfillment of His promise of a heir, a legitimate heir named Isaac, who was born from Sarah, NOT the illegitimate son born of the servant Hagar (whose descendants are still with us today, creating havoc and mischief around the world). Also the as yet unfullfilled promise of the land of Israel, which will be accomplished during the thousand year reign of Christ after the Tribulation period! (This promise was only partially fulfilled during the reigns of the kings of Israel and Judah)
One of my favorite examples of God’s leadership n the affairs of men is found in the book of First Samuel, Chapter 16. God had rejected Saul from being king over Israel due to sin in his life and told the prophet Samuel not to shed tears over him. Instead he was instructed to go the the house of Jesse and look over his sons, It wasn’t until David came before Samuel that the Lord said “This is the one,” God is the one who selected David to be king over Israel. At the same time may we also note that God Himself had selected Saul when the children of Israel rejected the leadership of Samuels’ sons and demanded a king. God’s response to their request is a classic indication of God’s leadership in the affairs of men. The complete account can be found in First Samuel Chapter eight. Samuel was old and his sons were unfit to to be judges and the people rebelled, demanding a king. Samuel, greatly troubled by this turn of events, turned to God, seeking His advice. God’s answer, starting in verse seven was “....Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee; for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not rule over them.” Samuel obeyed the Lord’s advice, including pointing out the pitfalls of having an earthly king, and yet the people did not listen, and as we know from our study of the scriptures, paid the penalty for not trusting in the Lord!
The present day divisions in our nation and the world can be traced to the same response God gave Samuel, “they have rejected me.” The Pilgrims and subsequent groups that immigrated to these shores did so in order that they may have freedom to worship God without the oversight of godless government interference. The Mayflower Compact, the very first governmental paper of this nation, opens with the phrase: “In the name of God, Amen.” B. F. Morris, in his monumental work The Christian Life and Character of the Civil Institutions of the United States gives us example after example of the God guided faith of the founders of this nation, starting with the Pilgrims. City after city, state after state, name after name this thousand page book reiterates the close relationship all who had a hand in the founding of this nation had with God. It is a book replete with example after example of the trust in God shown by these men and women! There are four sections covering the patriotic heart of the churchmen of various stripes supporting the fight for the freedoms given to us in the Declaration of Independence (a document whose tenets directly oppose the current purpose of the United Nations) and the U. S. Constitution! The current battle in the halls of government and the streets of our nation are more than just political, they also involve separation between people of God and those who are godless. Many of the people named in this book are ridiculed in our public schools today (if they are mentioned at all). From various church backgrounds they stood back to back to found and defend the right of God’s people to stand up and say as the psalmist wrote in Psalm 107:2, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, those whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy.”
In 1643 a confederation was formed between the colonies of Mass.,New Plymouth, Conn. And New Haven which stated “we all came into these parts of America with the same end and aim, namely, to advance the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to enjoy the liberties thereof with purity and peace, and for preserving and propagating the truth and liberties of the gospel.”
Many of the state constitutions during the War for Independence in one form or another acknowledged the supremacy of God in the affairs of men. I will quote from two of them, New Jersey and Pennsylvania chosen primarily because that is where I reside. New Jerseys declared: “That there shall be no establishment of any one religious sect in this province in preference to one another, and that no protestant inhabitant of this colony shall be denied the enjoyment of any civil rights on account of his religious principles; but that all persons professing a belief in the faith of any protestant sect, and who should demean himself peaceably under the government, should be capable of being elected unto any office of profit or trust, or of being a member of either branch of the legislature.” Pennsylvania’s constitution, adopted in 1776, declared that the Legislature should consist of “persons most noted for wisdom and virtue” and that every member should subscribe to the following declaration- “I do believe in one God, the Creator and Governor of the universe, the Rewarder of the good, and the Punisher of the wicked; and I acknowledge the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be given by inspiration.
One of the most significant scenarios of the early days of this republic (yes, it is a republic, NOT a democracy) took place during the Constitutional Convention. It has been recorded that for a number of days, the various representatives bickered, without coming to an agreement on anything, at which time at length venerable Benjamin Franklin stood to his feet and admonished the convention for their lack of faith and trust in the Lord. He said, “....how has it happened, sir, that we have not once thought of humbly applying to the Father of Lights to illuminate our understanding? In the begining of our contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for the Divine protection. Our prayers, sir, were heard and they were graciouusly answered.....I have lived, sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth-that God governs in the affairs of men......I therefore beg leave to move henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this assembly every morning.....
Oh that God would send men with that faith into the halls of Congress today!
We as a nation are in the midst of a great battle for the hearts and minds of those around us. It is a battle that can not be won by human inginuity, by human effort, the only answer is to be found in the hearts of those who, first of all will follow the instructions of Mr. Franklin given so many years ago and to witness to the power of Christ in our lives by living a sanctified life amongst our peers, and not giving in to the temptations of the world around us. While we watch the ungodly around us accomplish the horrific scenarios we see every day, it remains for us as God’s people
to remember that Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and to behave accordingly. While we are admonished in the book of Romans, chapter 13 to “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.” It is also incumbent upon us to realize that at some point we may be placed (with God’s permission) in the position of the Apostle Peter when facing the officers and captain of the high priest as found in Acts 5 the following is recorded - “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.....” (Verse 29). This is a scenario which is being repeated even today as Satan continues to bedevil, challenge, and otherwise live up to his reputation for being a challenge to God’s people. The warnings found in scripture are very real and will continue to be even to the end. 1 Peter 5:8 gives us fair warning to “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” At the same time it behooves us to continue to witness to those around us, presenting the gospel of Christ at every opportunity we are given; teaching that ALL have sinned and come short of the Glory of God (Romans 3:23). As sinners we all belong to Satan and are destined to an eternity in Hell no matter how much good we have done. Isa 64:6 ¶’ But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” Romans 6:23 says “The wages of sin is death.....” implying that a penalty is waiting for us as sinners; a penalty that actually has already been paid for us by Christ suffering, and dying on the Cross of Calvary! The rest of that verse says “....BUT the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Romans 5:8 continues “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” the penalty has been paid for our sins, opening the door for us to walk with Him and NOT with the devil! May I encourage you to today turn your life over to Christ if you have not already done so. Romans 10:13 says “....whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Please, if you have never done so, CALL UPON HIM TODAY!!
Pastor William J. Kerr October 11, 2020

05/14/2020

Wednesday message from R. Trebour
May 13,2020
The Greatest Sermon Ever Preached

Introduction : lesson #1

To our congregation at Fellowship Baptist Church and to the uttermost Parts of the World ! As we enter another week of Quarantine , I hope and Pray that everyone is faring well and keeping their eyes on our Great God and Savior the Lord Jesus Christ . I know that Elsa and I are feeling the effects of this Quarantine, as I call it Cabin fever ! We miss being with you all ! The Corona Virus known as Covid 19 ,this Pandemic reached New Jersey in Bergen County on March 2,2020 that was the date of the first confirmed case that was detected , at this time Governor Murphy declared New Jersey a State of Emergency on March 9,2020 ,shutting down Schools and none essential Businesses. Quarantining its residents to a mandatory stay at home Law ,until further Notice . It has not been an easy time for all of us to go through with no end in site . A total # of confirmed cases in New Jersey reaching 140,743 with a confirmed 9,508 fatalities . Our Prayers cry out to the Lord , For all the families that have suffered through this Pandemic with illnesses and lose of Loved ones . This Pandemic has brought to our attention of how fragile life is . Perfect healthy people one day and than Deathly sick the next ! It should be an eye opener to us as Christians to be more about the Fathers Business of witnessing for the Lord ! We Have had so many opportunities for witnessing in the past and I know myself that I did not take every opportunity available to me ,that I had for witnessing for the Lord . We can make so many excuses why we do not witness the way that we should be . I think of those 9,508 fatalities ,and about how many of them were saved in Christ Jesus ? How many of us Christians have passed some of those people by in their daily life’s and did not witness to them . Only the Lord Knows how many and who were saved and how many were not . The point here is to take advantage of our God Given Time here on Earth to do the things for God that are important .

# 1 Pt. I think of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ shortly after the starting of His Earthly ministry. The Sermon on The Mount , Known as the Beatitudes “meaning a series of Blessings . Jesus did not waste time about witnessing to people ,he started to do his Fathers business immediately after being Baptized by John the Baptist at the Jordan River. “Read : Matthew 3:13-17
Jesus Starts His preaching Ministry in “Matthew 4:17 From that Time Jesus began to Preach , and to say , Repent: for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand “, so Jesus starts his Preaching ministry with the Same Words that John the Baptist stated in Matthew 3: 2 Repent Ye : for the Kingdom of God is at Hand . A person has to see Themselves lost in their sin before than can be Saved and Repent of their Sins . Repenting is a complete change of course a complete 180 Degrees , to change Direction : We were all heading in the wrong Direction before we repented and received Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of our Lives . We were all heading to Hell at one time , Now as Born Again Believers we are on the right course Heading to Heaven . Before the Sermon On the Mount the next thing that Jesus Does is to call His Disciples.
#2 Jesus now calls His first 4 Disciples Read “Matthew 4:18-22 “
# 3 Jesus now Goes to all around the Regions of Galilee ,Teaching In synagogues, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom ,Healing all manner of sickness and all manner of Diseases . Read “Matthew 4:23-25
*The Fame of Jesus is now spreading for He is drawing many crowds to hear him speak !
“Matthew 5:1 And Seeing the multitudes , He went up into the mountain :and when He was set ,his disciples came unto him :
V2 And He opened his Mouth , and Taught them ,saying ,
V3 Blessed are the Poor In spirit ; for Theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.
V4 Blessed are they that Mourn : for they shall be Comforted .
V5 Blessed are the Meek : for hey shall inherit the earth = “ land”
V6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness : for they shall obtain mercy .
V7 Blessed are the merciful : for they shall obtain mercy .
V8 Blessed are the pure in heart : for they shall see God
V9Blessed are the peacemakers : for they shall be called the children of God .
V10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven .
V11 Blessed are ye , when men shall revile you , and persecute you , and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely ,for my sake .
V12 Rejoice , and be exceedingly glad : for Great is your reward in heaven : for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you . “
These verses do not show a person how to be saved , but rather describe the characteristics of one who is saved . I will go through these verses in a lesson to follow . My point was to show you the characteristics of the saved in Christ , of how the Christian character should shine through a Dark a Dying world . The world Is in Need of the Risen Son not Sun But The Risen Son of God.
#4 Jesus preaching on the mount known today as the Mount of Beatitudes over looking the Sea of Galilee . His fame is spreading rapidly through out the Regions of Galilee.
The Sermon on the Mount is the Longest Sermon Preached in the Bible By Jesus and the Most Powerful ! It shows us how Christians should behave and live out their lives , to be Christ Like . Some Theologians consider the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount the New Testament equal with The Old Testament 10 Commandments . I want us to look at “Matthew 5: 17-19 “ (Jesus Speaking )
“Matthew 5:17 Think Not that I am come to destroy the Law , or the Prophets : I am not come to Destroy , but to Fulfill . Jesus is making it clear to his Disciples ,that He has not come to destroy the Law . That is , The New Testament Gospel is not Contradictory to the Old Testament Law ; Rather it Is the Ultimate Fulfillment of the Spiritual intention of the Law . Jesus Came to Fulfill the Law , Jesus is the only one who could have and did keep the whole law . James the half Brother of Jesus and writer of the Book of James makes it clear that if you break one part of the Law your guilty of breaking them all .
“ James 2:10 -11 “ For whosoever shall Keep the whole Law , and YET OFFEND in ONE Point ,he is Guilty of all.
“ V11- For he said , do not commit adultery , said also , do no kill . Now if thou commit no adultery , yet if thou kill thou art become a transgressor of the law .
So James is teaching no matter what part of the law is Broken we are guilty of all . We know from Scripture that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Law ! Jesus did what was impossible for us to do , if we Break one part of the Law we are guilty of all .
“Matthew 5:1 And seeing the Multitudes , He went up into a mountain : and when He was set , His disciples came unto Him . ( Multitudes = large number of people ) Jesus was preaching to large crowds even after the start of His Ministry :
Why ? In the Gospel of John 7:45-46 even the Officers saw something very special in Christ Jesus :
“John 7:45 -46 Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees ; and they said unto them , Why have you not brought Him?
V46 The officers answered , Never man spoke like this man .
Answer : This was an instance that even sinful men were compelled to speak well of the Savior : they never heard a Man speak like this Before ! No not Cesar ,the scribes nor the Pharisees spoke like that of Jesus .
We as Christians should be telling others about Jesus and that Jesus saves !
“Romans 10:17 So then Faith cometh by hearing , and hearing by the Word Of God ! “.
Jesus Preaching on the Sermon on the Mount was God himself speaking to the Multitudes . I can not even imagine hearing the Gospel Preached by the Author of the Gospels ,no not the writers but the Author Himself , the God man , The Messiah the Lord God the Son of God Himself ! This is more than My finite Mind can take in . The God of Creation Speaking to His Creation “man” That he made in His Image ! WOW ! Thank God for Him giving the New Testament writers the ability by the power of the Holy Spirit to write down the Word of God for future Generation to have the Opportunity to to hear and read the Word of God and have the opportunity to become saved In Christ Jesus .
#5 More People need to hear the Truth Of Gods Word ! Could you imagine in this Generation of Man , Women and Child ,hearing the Truth of Gods Word ! This Country Of Our Needs a Revival , but just think for a minute , in reality this Country needs a resurrection because you can not Revive what is dead in their sins and Trespasses they need to BE BORN AGAIN ! You can only revive those who have Backslid away from the Lord those are the Ones that need to be Revived , at times we all need a Revival, to be Shaken Up ! To get back on Track ! To many Christians become complacent (unconcerned )in their Christian Walk . Being self satisfied . We must be aware to not let our Fire for the Lord turn into a Kindle . There are millions of People who need to hear Gods Word , to this evil Dying World of Sinners , who have turned their backs on the God of all Creation . You ,me , being his witnesses are Gods Her-alders of Gods Word the Good News , to the Lost of this age . May we be Faithful to our calling!

We are experiencing things in life that we did not expect , our life style have changed Immensely due to this Corona Virus -Covid 19 . The Lord has Chastened Israel for turning their Back on the one True God Time and Time again during Old Testament times .
Question ? To answer to your selves ,do you think that God is upset with Our country The United States of America , as well as the rest of the World ? Especially the suppose to be Christian Nations Like Ourselves ? Our country was built on the God of the Bible and we are slowly letting others take God away from us ! God Help Us

Our Lord God and Savior , my wife Elsa and I pray for this Country as well for those who do not Know you Personally as their Lord and Savior , we pray that they will come to the Saving Knowledge of your Son before it is to Late !

Please Keep Elsa and I in Pray as we will keep all of you in our Prayers .
Love In Christ Jesus Elsa and Ron

Benediction: Grace Be unto you , and Peace ,from God our Father , and From the Lord Jesus Christ .

05/12/2020

This is the link for Dale
Anderson's Sunday School lesson:

John 18.32 Lord's Day May 10, 2020

05/09/2020

A TRIBUTE TO AND FOR MOTHERS
May 10, 2020
Fellowship Baptist Church

This Sunday, traditionally known as Mother’s Day, gives us pause to reflect on the influence mothers have on their offspring. In the midst of all of the celebrating, the recognition of our individual mothers, including those who are no longer with us, it is good to look at the scripture regarding God’s plan for mothers. Many times mothers better reflect God’s heart regarding children, hence the frequent references in scripture to the heart of God as His relationship man, His creation. His love, His sorrow, His patience, His exasperation, His justice, etc. all are reflected in a mother’s relationship to her children. For my purposes today I am going to examine one mother in particular, Mary, chosen to be the mother of Jesus.
First off it is important to note that Mary was CHOSEN for the role she was to play in God’s eternal program of salvation. Turning to Luke chapter one we can note a number of things regarding this choice.
In verse 27 of the same we see that she was a virgin, she was engaged to marry Joseph, and the fact that emphasis was placed on her being a virgin gives note to her standing before God. The angel that appeared to her in verse 28 confirmed her innocency, and the special status she had with God. “Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee, blesed art thou among women.” (Like 1:28) Verses 29 to 33 describe for us the information Mary was given, describing who this babe she alone was to conceive, His greatness, and it is especially important to note in the ending of verse 33 that His eternal existence is referred to, i.e. “Of His kingdom there shall be no end.”
As a confirmation of God’s ability to bring this to pass the angel referred to Elisabeth’s conception in her old age (beyond the normal age of childbearing), noting “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” (Luke 1:37)
The humility of Mary can best be found in verses 46-55, in which she continually gives God the credit for His blessings upon herself, starting with the phrase “My soul doth magnify the Lord...” showing a personal relationship with God. Compare this with Psalm 23:1 “The Lord is MY Shepherd...” indicating a very close, personal relationship, a “one-on-one” type of relationship. The very type of relationship God originally intended for mankind at the time of creation, a closeness that was broken by disobedience.
Even as we look at Mary, it is also important to note that, although special in the position God placed her, she was not the only woman who walked close to God, and was rewarded accordingly. Elisabeth, Hannah, (I Samuel 1), Sara (Genesis 21), the Shunamite woman (2 Kings 4:14-17) to name a few.
Mary’s song of rejoicing is also very significant. In addition to her praise of God, her own humility shows through. Let’s consider the entire sentence referenced above ‘My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.” That personal relationship shines through the whole statement including the reference to God as her SAVIOUR! Her humble humanity as a sinner saved and blessed by God shines through this sentence alone. In verse 48 she references her humility in the phrase “the low estate of His handmaiden;” In verse 49 and following she rehearses the Greatness of God in numerous ways, acknowledging His strength, His mercy, His justice, and His fulfillment of His promises. A good comparison could be made to God’s description of a virtuous woman as found in Proverbs 31!
Our Lod’s compassion for mothers is shown even during His crucifixion. In Luke He turns and says to the :”Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children” and in John, seeing His mother standing with John He says “woman, behold thy son” then to John He says, “Behold thy mother. And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.”
On this Mother’s Day, as we honor mother’s let us not forget that God made mothers, creating them with special instincts, love, and purposes. As I close this brief message may I ask you to turn to Ephesians 5 and note verses 25 to 31 and see the honor God placed upon mohers and wives. May God bless all those women whom god has blessed to be mothers.
MAY GOD BE PRAISED!

William J. Kerr, Pastor

05/02/2020

GOD’S PROMISE TO DAVID
MAY 3, 2020

It is hard to believe that the enforced “social distancing” because of the Covid 19 virus is now entering the seventh week for us at Fellowship Baptist Church. It has been frequently quoted that “you really don’t appreciate something until it is no longer there.” Along with many of you I do miss being with you at the various activities of the church. I pray for all of you daily, and I pray for the time when thhis is all over and we can once again gather together. Somehow sending these condensed versions of messages, and conversing via telephone just does not cut it. It’s just not the same as being able to greet each one of you in person, experiencing that personal touch that can only come from an in person presence. Let us continue to pray for each other, communicating via phone (and where possible, e-mail), anticipating the day when we can get back together. What a day that will be! Now down to business with this weeks message:

PLEASE READ PSALM 89

The above Psalm is one that is rich in many ways and for our purposes today we will start at verse #19, looking at God’s promise to David as recorded by Ethan the Ezrahite. Many times God chooses one whom we least expect to be chosen for His purposes. God’s choosing of David, recorded in 1 Samuel 16:12-13, is a clear cut example of how God chooses one to be His servant. In that passage as the son’s of Jesse were paraded in front of Samuel and he saw them from the eyes of man, God rejected all until David was brought in from the fields. Then God said, “Arise, anoint him: for this is he.” In verse 7 of this passage God tells Samuel “the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” Verses 20 and 21 confirm the passage in 1 Samuel, calling David God’s servant, noting that He was anointed by God, established by God, and strengthened by God. Verse 23 assures one of God’s protection of David. One of the things we should not, and keep in mind as we read through this passage is that David was chosen to be King over God’s people, Israel. In a prophetic sense, God is, through this Psalm also showing His over plan for the nation of Israel. In this vein it is also important to keep in mind that God cannot lie(1 Samuel 15:29; Ps. 89:35, & Titus 1:2), and all of the prophetic content of this passage, even the unfulfilled portion, WILL be fulfilled in God’s time.
In verse 24 are three promises made regarding David, the first being God’s faithfulness. God, being who He is, is always faithful to His word, maybe not as we as humans think of faithfulness, but as He sees fit to accomplish His purposes iin His overall plan of the ages. While we “see through a glass darkly” (1 Cor. 13:12), there is coming a time when we will in glory, know all things ourselves. The passage in 1 Corinthians continues “...now I know in part; but then I shall know....” Note the use of the word “shall.” meaning somethig definite!
Next mentioned is God’s mercy. Our God is a merciful God to those who acknowledge Him. Looking at many passages of scripture we see examples of God’s mercy to those who confess and repent of their evil deeds. Accordingly I am aware of God’s mercy to me in my lifetime as I have been the receipient of His mercy and grace in my salvation. (See Lamentations 3:22).
The close relationship between God and David (and the nation of Israel) is very well expressed in the following 5 verses. In verse 25 God is refering to the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates river, allowing him to have sovereignty over all, partially fulfilling the promise made to Abraham in Genesis 15:18. Verse 26 can be paralleled with Psalm 23:1; that personal relationship that belongs to one who belongs to God. Verses 27-29 places emphasis on not only that relationship within the current time frame, but also is prophetic regarding the Lord Jesus. The phrase in 27 “higher than the kings of the earth’ can only refer to Jesus, who is “King of Kings and Lord of Lords!” (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14 & 19:16). While verse 28 confirms God’s everlasting faithfulness, verse 29 can refer to no other then the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus was born of the genealogical line of David, Mary being a direct descendant of David. What a glorious promise we see in that verse - “His seed (David’s) will I make to endure forever (Jesus, the Alpha and the Omega), and his (David’s) throne as the days of heaven.” Christ will rule from the throne of David when He returns for the Millenium! Praise God! May you find as rich a blessing from this passage as I have found. William J. Kerr - Pastor (856-629-5882)