Webster’s Concise Dictionary of the English Language describes “seeking” by using such synonyms as searching, striving, trying, endeavoring, inquiring and requesting. “Loving” is associated with such words as affection, devotion, passion and enamored. A “loving marriage” is one in which each spouse strives to please the other in every way possible. In His Holy Bible, God describes His relationship with true saints as an espousal relationship in this life that, if maintained until the end of life, will result in a “marriage” between His Son and the espoused saint upon His return to earth. During the espousal (Eng.–engagement) period that lasts from conversion until death, each of the participants in the engagement proves to the other participant the depths of his/her love by doing everything possible to please him/her.

In Leviticus 16:1-13 and Deuteronomy 28:1-14 the God of the Old Testament (the Word who came to earth as Jesus of Nazareth–read The God of the Old Testament. Key word–Old) reveals the depths of His love for true converts (saints) who will become His “bride”/ “wife” upon His arrival. Note in the parable of the virgins (professing Christians) in Matthew 20 that half of those engaged to the Bridegroom (Jesus) maintained the proper relationship with Him while the other half did not. The result was that half of them were invited into the marriage feast while their counterparts were not. Obviously, the relationship for five of them had not remained a true mutual “I seek ways to please you” situation. To learn what happens to those who break the “seeking to please you” bond, read Leviticus 26:14-44 and Deuteronomy 28:15-68.

An honest look at the world situation reveals that 99.99% of her population is not trying to please the “Bridegroom” and will not be welcomed into the marriage feast upon His arrival at which time the first resurrection will take place (Rev. 20:6). As He tells us in His Holy Scriptures, the number of saints in the first resurrection will be quite small (Mat. 7:13,14; 22:14). Read The Three Resurrections. Key word–Three. Jesus said: “I am the resurrection and the life (Jn. 11:25). He also said that no one comes to the Father except through Him. This means that in order to be in the resurrection of the saints one must “walk as He walked” while on this earth (1 Jn. 2:6) and must overcome Satan’s temptations as He overcame them (Rev. 3:21/ 1 Jn. 3:1-10). Which brings us to the focal message of this series.

In Amos 5:14-25 we find God telling the Israelites that He hates the things they do during their religious meetings. The irony in this situation is that the things God hates are things HE COMMANDED THEM TO DO IDURING THEIR CONGREGATIONAL MEETINGS. Why, then, did He hate what they were doing in obedience to His orders? Verses 26,27 tell us that while they were doing what He told them to do in honor of Him, they were actually worshiping other gods. Their expressed love for Him was not matched by any attempts to please Him. In verse 24 He tells them to stop serving other gods and to seek to please Him by “… let(ting) judgment run down as water and righteousness as a mighty stream.” While they were singing songs of praise to Him, making offerings to Him and playing musical instruments in His honor they were kneeling before images that represented two heathen gods. We learn in other places that they were sacrificing their children to heathen gods, constructing mounds and planting groves in which to worship them. These were gods brought into the Israelite kingdom by Solomon’s heathen wives. The lesson presented here is that it does not matter what we do in honor of the Lord, if we do not obey His Word, everything we do is in vain (Mat. 15:8,9). God identifies with His Holy Scriptures. Let us now look at what Jesus defined as the two most important verses in the entire Bible.

When asked what was the greatest commandment in the (Ten Commandment) Law, Jesus replied “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second (greatest) is like it, ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ Upon these two commandments hang all the Law and the (writings of) the prophets.” He used the word “hang” because Hebrews wrote under the line instead of on it. Hebrew writing appears to be “hanging” from the line above it. Note that Jesus included the entire Old Testament in His instructions. Recall that the New Testament apostles used the Old Testament when teaching the New Testament Church the ways of the Lord. The New Testament would not come into being until after they were all deceased except John whom God used to put the Holy Bible together as one book of instructions. There should not be a break between the two testaments. Matthew begins where Malachi ends. Notice that in Luke 1:6 it is stated that Zachariah and Elisabeth were righteous because they “walked in all of the commandments and ordinances of the Lord perfectly.” The commandments and ordinances Luke is referring to came from the Old Testament. Zachariah and Elisabeth were righteous because they obeyed it. The only difference is that today we also have the New Testament. The Ten Commandment Law is a summary of the entire Old Testament. Obedience to both the Ten Commandments and the New Testament are required for salvation.

Relative to the above stated Biblical Truth, remember that “Satan, as a roaring lion, walks about seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). He already has 99.99% of the world’s population under his control. So who is he seeking to consume? THE CHURCH. He already has 99% of the church, so who does he have in his crosshairs? God’s true saints. Recall that Jesus said that no one is beyond Satan’s reach, that he is so deceptive that even God’s Very Elect can be seduced by him (Mat. 24:24). Please read that verse. In it you will find that the words “it were” have been ADDED TO THE ORIGINAL TEXT (in italics) to make it appear that the Very Elect (which all in “the church” claim to be) cannot be deceived by Satan. Those who believe the “once saved–always saved” theory use this verse to “prove” their “truth.” Removing the two added words reveals God’s Truth, that even His Very Elect can be seduced by Satan as he warns us again in verse 25. You have been warned. As He said in Matthew 24:24, MANY false ministers are unknowingly serving the devil by luring the salvation-seeking masses into Satan’s religious web called “the church.” Those within his religious system have created a disconnect between what they seek and the love they must have for the One who provides what they are seeking. That disconnect is found in the Lord’s “fine print” which this ministry is designed to proclaim. Recall that all ten of the “virgins” of Matthew 20 “knew” that they would marry the Bridegroom. Half of them did not make the cut. Why? The disconnect. L.J.