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The Christ of Calvary
Luke 23:33,34
This was one of the most tragic days in all of history; a day of man’s greatest hate but the day of God’s greatest Love. Notice some important things about the Christ of Calvary.
I. Man of Courage.
I know that some have depicted Christ as a very feminine man with long, flowing, golden hair; a face with delicate feminine features, soft and fragile. BUT, He was Every Bit a MAN! Jesus was not feminine, not dainty, not delicate and fragile. He was a Man of Strength and Courage.
Its amazing what our Lord went through physically:
- Prayed all night; was arrested illegally in early morning hours; was hustled off to Pilate; then from Pilate to Herod and back to Pilate. He was totally fatigued.
- Then he was beaten and scourged. A crown of thorns was pressed down into his head. He endured more beating; he was spat upon; he was reviled and abused. And, all of this punishment was Before he was actually crucified.
- He was forced to carrying his heavy, rugged, wooden cross. We never read in the Gospels that he stumbled beneath the cross or fell under its weight. Its possible that he did, but there is no Biblical account of it. It is recorded that a man named Simon was compelled to help him bear his cross.
- Then Jesus was Crucified. Nails were driven into his hands and feet; the cross raised and dropped into the placement hole.
- At this point, as was the custom during a crucifixion, someone brought him a drink, which Jewish history states was either frankincense or myrrh mingled in strong wine, for the purpose of deadening some of the pain; a pain killer, to make the pain more bearable. Both Matthew and Mark record this incident and both say that when Jesus had tasted what the drink was, he deliberately refused it. Believe what you want, but I believe he refused it because he refused to make his suffering any less by artificial means. He intended to pay the price for sin without any diminishing of the price; without any lessening of the pain that it required. He was a man of Courage and would not accept any drug to dull his senses. He was fulfilling prophecies by the score and still had much to do and say before death came. He courageously took on the Pain; took on the Suffering; took on the Torment with no Short Cuts. This was amazing Courage; especially for one who could have called for thousands of angels to come to his rescue. Jesus could have had his tormentors destroyed and he himself delivered but he endured to the end.
In Isaiah 53, we read of a man who is despised, rejected, stricken, smitten, wounded, bruised, chastised, scourged, oppressed, afflicted, cut off, his soul made an offering for sin, and the passage concludes with this verse: 12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Yes, Jesus was a man of Courage!
II. Man of Compassion.
Never has a man loved like Jesus Christ Loved. He had already declared that there was no greater love than that of a man who would lay down his life for his friends. But Paul reminds us in Romans 5:8 that God commended his love toward us in that WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS, Christ died for us.
The Account here in Luke 23 especially displays the great compassion of our Lord even when he was in incredible pain and agony.
Vs. 27,28- And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. 28 But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.
-33,34- And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. 34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
Some say Jesus was referring to the Roman soldiers who were just doing their duty and really did not know what a terrible thing they were doing; however, I feel that Jesus was praying not only for the actual executioners, but for the Jewish people who should have known who he was and what they were doing but really they did not.
One writer said, With this one statement, Jesus Christ reduced the charge against these people from murder to manslaughter.
-39-43- While Jesus was dying in physical agony, he had compassion on the thief who cried out to him and saved him.
Jesus was a man Compassion!
III. Man of Conquest.
While it seemed to all those present that day that Jesus was being Defeated; that his Teachings were being Defeated, that his Ministry was being Defeated, that his Followers were being Defeated, that his Purpose was being Defeated, Everyone found out that in reality Jesus Christ had not Conceded Defeat, He had Conquered. Calvary was not a Catastrophe, Calvary was A Conquest.
John 19:30 records that Jesus cried out, IT IS FINISHED. He was not saying, “I Give Up, I’m Done in, I am finished, I Surrender, I’m beat.” NO- He was not waving a white flag of surrender and defeat, He was Celebrating Victory and Triumph.
Sin Had Been Defeated.
Satan Had been Defeated.
Hell Had been Defeated.
The Sin that had separated man from God ever since the Garden of Eden (approx. 4000 years), was now conquered. No man need ever again to suffer under Sin’s terrible dominion. The Curse of Death had been conquered. The Way to Life had been created.
Mt. 27:50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
Sinful Man could now be reconciled to a Holy God. Saved Man now had Access to a Holy God.
The New and Living Way had been Opened. What a Conquest!
Have you taken advantage of the Victories won by this Wonderful Christ of Calvary?
His Courage, Compassion, and Conquest are your ticket to Abundant Life here on the earth & Eternal Life in the forever after.
Luke 23:33,34
This was one of the most tragic days in all of history; a day of man’s greatest hate but the day of God’s greatest Love. Notice some important things about the Christ of Calvary.
I. Man of Courage.
I know that some have depicted Christ as a very feminine man with long, flowing, golden hair; a face with delicate feminine features, soft and fragile. BUT, He was Every Bit a MAN! Jesus was not feminine, not dainty, not delicate and fragile. He was a Man of Strength and Courage.
Its amazing what our Lord went through physically:
- Prayed all night; was arrested illegally in early morning hours; was hustled off to Pilate; then from Pilate to Herod and back to Pilate. He was totally fatigued.
- Then he was beaten and scourged. A crown of thorns was pressed down into his head. He endured more beating; he was spat upon; he was reviled and abused. And, all of this punishment was Before he was actually crucified.
- He was forced to carrying his heavy, rugged, wooden cross. We never read in the Gospels that he stumbled beneath the cross or fell under its weight. Its possible that he did, but there is no Biblical account of it. It is recorded that a man named Simon was compelled to help him bear his cross.
- Then Jesus was Crucified. Nails were driven into his hands and feet; the cross raised and dropped into the placement hole.
- At this point, as was the custom during a crucifixion, someone brought him a drink, which Jewish history states was either frankincense or myrrh mingled in strong wine, for the purpose of deadening some of the pain; a pain killer, to make the pain more bearable. Both Matthew and Mark record this incident and both say that when Jesus had tasted what the drink was, he deliberately refused it. Believe what you want, but I believe he refused it because he refused to make his suffering any less by artificial means. He intended to pay the price for sin without any diminishing of the price; without any lessening of the pain that it required. He was a man of Courage and would not accept any drug to dull his senses. He was fulfilling prophecies by the score and still had much to do and say before death came. He courageously took on the Pain; took on the Suffering; took on the Torment with no Short Cuts. This was amazing Courage; especially for one who could have called for thousands of angels to come to his rescue. Jesus could have had his tormentors destroyed and he himself delivered but he endured to the end.
In Isaiah 53, we read of a man who is despised, rejected, stricken, smitten, wounded, bruised, chastised, scourged, oppressed, afflicted, cut off, his soul made an offering for sin, and the passage concludes with this verse: 12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Yes, Jesus was a man of Courage!
II. Man of Compassion.
Never has a man loved like Jesus Christ Loved. He had already declared that there was no greater love than that of a man who would lay down his life for his friends. But Paul reminds us in Romans 5:8 that God commended his love toward us in that WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS, Christ died for us.
The Account here in Luke 23 especially displays the great compassion of our Lord even when he was in incredible pain and agony.
Vs. 27,28- And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. 28 But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.
-33,34- And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. 34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
Some say Jesus was referring to the Roman soldiers who were just doing their duty and really did not know what a terrible thing they were doing; however, I feel that Jesus was praying not only for the actual executioners, but for the Jewish people who should have known who he was and what they were doing but really they did not.
One writer said, With this one statement, Jesus Christ reduced the charge against these people from murder to manslaughter.
-39-43- While Jesus was dying in physical agony, he had compassion on the thief who cried out to him and saved him.
Jesus was a man Compassion!
III. Man of Conquest.
While it seemed to all those present that day that Jesus was being Defeated; that his Teachings were being Defeated, that his Ministry was being Defeated, that his Followers were being Defeated, that his Purpose was being Defeated, Everyone found out that in reality Jesus Christ had not Conceded Defeat, He had Conquered. Calvary was not a Catastrophe, Calvary was A Conquest.
John 19:30 records that Jesus cried out, IT IS FINISHED. He was not saying, “I Give Up, I’m Done in, I am finished, I Surrender, I’m beat.” NO- He was not waving a white flag of surrender and defeat, He was Celebrating Victory and Triumph.
Sin Had Been Defeated.
Satan Had been Defeated.
Hell Had been Defeated.
The Sin that had separated man from God ever since the Garden of Eden (approx. 4000 years), was now conquered. No man need ever again to suffer under Sin’s terrible dominion. The Curse of Death had been conquered. The Way to Life had been created.
Mt. 27:50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
Sinful Man could now be reconciled to a Holy God. Saved Man now had Access to a Holy God.
The New and Living Way had been Opened. What a Conquest!
Have you taken advantage of the Victories won by this Wonderful Christ of Calvary?
His Courage, Compassion, and Conquest are your ticket to Abundant Life here on the earth & Eternal Life in the forever after.
- Published on
God’s River of Life
Ezekiel 47:1-9
Intro: This familiar passage is a tremendous illustration or picture of God’s Great River of Life; God’s great river of blessings; God’s great river of abundance in the life of every Christian.
Ezekiel was given an amazing vision of a future temple which was glorious and inspiring. It was part of God’s plan for Israel during the Millennium, that wondrous 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ on the earth with his saints. While the vision of this Great River of God has a future Literal Fulfillment, right now it has a present Spiritual fulfillment. God has already Sent His River of Life into the World.
It started when Jesus was born in Bethlehem and then gave his life as the perfect sacrifice for sin. It continued when Jesus rose from the dead and ascended back into heaven. It began to Flow in earnest on the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Ghost was poured out upon believers and was given as the Comforter to the church throughout the ages of time.
I. The River’s Source.
You’ll notice in Ezekiel’s vision that this River flowed from the Temple. We know that the Temple was the earthly Dwelling place for God’s Presence and God’s Glory. In the holy of holies, God’s presence was Literal and Visible and Powerful. VERY few had ever SEEN the glory of God in the holy of holies.
The Temple was the Source of this Great River Of Life.
That reminds us that GOD himself is the ONLY source of true LIFE. No man can bring you Spiritual Life; no man can bring you Abundant Life; no man can bring you Eternal Life.
God is the Only Source of this Life.
God is the only Source of Salvation;
God is the only Source of Sanctifying Power;
God is the only Source of the fulness of the Spirit.
This great river of Life comes from God and God alone.
II. The River’s Course.
The last phrase of vs. 1 states that this river flowed at the “south side of the Altar.” Again, we know the significance of the Altar at the Temple.
The Altar was the Place of Sacrifice for Sin.
Even before the Tabernacle was created, men like Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob offered sacrifices to God on Altars they built just for that purpose.
In the Tabernacle, and the more permanent Temple, the Altar was still the Place of Sacrifice for Sin.
Ultimately, Calvary became the Eternal Altar where the perfect and holy Lamb of God was sacrificed to pay the price for All of mankind’s sin. This great River of Life flows by way of Calvary.
Without the sacrifice of Jesus Christ there is No Spiritual Life. Without the Blood of Jesus there is no Cleansing from sin.
What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
The Altar is the Place of Surrender.
The Altar is the place where Jesus sacrificed himself for us; and the Altar is the place where we make ourselves a Living Sacrifice for Him. Without the altar of surrender, you will not have spiritual life. Without the altar of surrender, you will not have the River of God’s blessings flowing through your life.
Don’t Avoid the Altar! Don’t try to bypass the place of Sacrifice for sin and don’t try to bypass the place of surrender of Self to God.
III. The River’s Force.
This River was one of Fulness and Fruitfulness.
A River of Fulness.
This river went from a small beginning in the Temple to being a River of fulness and depth. When the angel first measured the river, it was only ankle deep. That speaks to me of our initial experience with God. It starts rather shallow, so to speak. We come to God for Life and we don’t really Know much about it. We know what we experience and that’s about all; BUT thank God it’s only the Beginning, not the end. At the End this life is one of amazing Fullness.
The angel measured again and the river was up to the knees. That speaks to me of the necessity of Prayer in order to Grow and Flourish in this Christian life. There is a Deepening Interest here; and those who are serious about living for the Lord in the fulness of the Spirit will have a deepening interest that drives them to their knees.
The angel measured again and the river was to the loins or waist. This speaks to me of a Deepening Intensity. The loins in the Bible are a type of Strength and Power; of Action and Determination. Those who are serious about living for the Lord in the fulness of the Spirit will not only get into the river, they will Follow the River. The more you Follow this Great River of God, the deeper it gets; the greater fulness there is. Don’t be lazy spiritually; walking in ankle deep water is relatively easy, but wading through water up to your waist is more difficult and requires more intensity and effort. PRESS ON in God’s great River of Life. Don’t be content to Splash in it or Wade it in, Follow on to Know the Lord.
The angel measured once more and the River was so deep one had to swim in it.
Oh, that you and I would be Immersed in God’s Great River of Life! Oh that we would live in His fulness; in his abundance; in his power; in his glory and Blessing.
Don’t be content to Splash in this great river of life; don’t be content to Wade around in it; Press on until you are Immersed in it; Filled with it; Swimming in it; Living in it’s fulness.
A River of Fruitfulness.
Vs. 7- there were very many Trees on both sides of the river.
Vs. 8- the river flows through the Desert; and then to the Dead Sea which is Healed by its Flow.
Vs. 9- “every thing whither so ever the River shall come, shall LIVE.
Vs. 12 states that the trees which grow along the river, their Leaves will never fade and will serve as a healing medicine; they will bring forth Fruit on a regular basis and will never fail.
So it is that every one who really Launches Out into God’s River of Life will live a Life of Fulness and Fruitfulness. So that even when this earthly life has ended, we still Live On in the very Presence of the Lord and enjoy his Blessings For EVER! They never fade and never End. If you will really get into God’s River of Life, you will live a life of Fulness and a life of Fruitfulness!
Ezekiel 47:1-9
Intro: This familiar passage is a tremendous illustration or picture of God’s Great River of Life; God’s great river of blessings; God’s great river of abundance in the life of every Christian.
Ezekiel was given an amazing vision of a future temple which was glorious and inspiring. It was part of God’s plan for Israel during the Millennium, that wondrous 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ on the earth with his saints. While the vision of this Great River of God has a future Literal Fulfillment, right now it has a present Spiritual fulfillment. God has already Sent His River of Life into the World.
It started when Jesus was born in Bethlehem and then gave his life as the perfect sacrifice for sin. It continued when Jesus rose from the dead and ascended back into heaven. It began to Flow in earnest on the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Ghost was poured out upon believers and was given as the Comforter to the church throughout the ages of time.
I. The River’s Source.
You’ll notice in Ezekiel’s vision that this River flowed from the Temple. We know that the Temple was the earthly Dwelling place for God’s Presence and God’s Glory. In the holy of holies, God’s presence was Literal and Visible and Powerful. VERY few had ever SEEN the glory of God in the holy of holies.
The Temple was the Source of this Great River Of Life.
That reminds us that GOD himself is the ONLY source of true LIFE. No man can bring you Spiritual Life; no man can bring you Abundant Life; no man can bring you Eternal Life.
God is the Only Source of this Life.
God is the only Source of Salvation;
God is the only Source of Sanctifying Power;
God is the only Source of the fulness of the Spirit.
This great river of Life comes from God and God alone.
II. The River’s Course.
The last phrase of vs. 1 states that this river flowed at the “south side of the Altar.” Again, we know the significance of the Altar at the Temple.
The Altar was the Place of Sacrifice for Sin.
Even before the Tabernacle was created, men like Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob offered sacrifices to God on Altars they built just for that purpose.
In the Tabernacle, and the more permanent Temple, the Altar was still the Place of Sacrifice for Sin.
Ultimately, Calvary became the Eternal Altar where the perfect and holy Lamb of God was sacrificed to pay the price for All of mankind’s sin. This great River of Life flows by way of Calvary.
Without the sacrifice of Jesus Christ there is No Spiritual Life. Without the Blood of Jesus there is no Cleansing from sin.
What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
The Altar is the Place of Surrender.
The Altar is the place where Jesus sacrificed himself for us; and the Altar is the place where we make ourselves a Living Sacrifice for Him. Without the altar of surrender, you will not have spiritual life. Without the altar of surrender, you will not have the River of God’s blessings flowing through your life.
Don’t Avoid the Altar! Don’t try to bypass the place of Sacrifice for sin and don’t try to bypass the place of surrender of Self to God.
III. The River’s Force.
This River was one of Fulness and Fruitfulness.
A River of Fulness.
This river went from a small beginning in the Temple to being a River of fulness and depth. When the angel first measured the river, it was only ankle deep. That speaks to me of our initial experience with God. It starts rather shallow, so to speak. We come to God for Life and we don’t really Know much about it. We know what we experience and that’s about all; BUT thank God it’s only the Beginning, not the end. At the End this life is one of amazing Fullness.
The angel measured again and the river was up to the knees. That speaks to me of the necessity of Prayer in order to Grow and Flourish in this Christian life. There is a Deepening Interest here; and those who are serious about living for the Lord in the fulness of the Spirit will have a deepening interest that drives them to their knees.
The angel measured again and the river was to the loins or waist. This speaks to me of a Deepening Intensity. The loins in the Bible are a type of Strength and Power; of Action and Determination. Those who are serious about living for the Lord in the fulness of the Spirit will not only get into the river, they will Follow the River. The more you Follow this Great River of God, the deeper it gets; the greater fulness there is. Don’t be lazy spiritually; walking in ankle deep water is relatively easy, but wading through water up to your waist is more difficult and requires more intensity and effort. PRESS ON in God’s great River of Life. Don’t be content to Splash in it or Wade it in, Follow on to Know the Lord.
The angel measured once more and the River was so deep one had to swim in it.
Oh, that you and I would be Immersed in God’s Great River of Life! Oh that we would live in His fulness; in his abundance; in his power; in his glory and Blessing.
Don’t be content to Splash in this great river of life; don’t be content to Wade around in it; Press on until you are Immersed in it; Filled with it; Swimming in it; Living in it’s fulness.
A River of Fruitfulness.
Vs. 7- there were very many Trees on both sides of the river.
Vs. 8- the river flows through the Desert; and then to the Dead Sea which is Healed by its Flow.
Vs. 9- “every thing whither so ever the River shall come, shall LIVE.
Vs. 12 states that the trees which grow along the river, their Leaves will never fade and will serve as a healing medicine; they will bring forth Fruit on a regular basis and will never fail.
So it is that every one who really Launches Out into God’s River of Life will live a Life of Fulness and Fruitfulness. So that even when this earthly life has ended, we still Live On in the very Presence of the Lord and enjoy his Blessings For EVER! They never fade and never End. If you will really get into God’s River of Life, you will live a life of Fulness and a life of Fruitfulness!
- Published on
Faith that Overcomes
1 John 5:4
Intro: In recent years we have heard a lot about “faith. There have been faith teachers, faith healers, and faith movements that have put a bad taste in our mouths about Faith. BUT Faith is of utmost importance in Christianity. Though faith is sometimes misrepresented and misunderstood, we need to study it, meditate on it, wrestle with understanding it, pray for it, and practice it.
I. Have Faith.
In Mark 11:22, Jesus told his disciples, “Have faith in God.” That sounds too simple, yet it is basis of the entire Christian Life- Have faith in God.
Salvation comes by Grace through Faith.
God’s Part- Grace
Man’s Part- Faith
Assurance of Salvation requires Faith.
The Baptism of Holy Ghost comes through Faith.
Healing comes through Faith.
Everything we receive from God comes through Faith- HAVE FAITH.
Heb. 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
How often have you said, “I Just don’t have faith,” or “I just can’t seem to believe”
Rom. 12:3 “God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” God has given to Every person born, a “measure of faith.” There is enough faith given by God so that you can Believe on Jesus Christ and be Saved! Then you can continue in the Faith and can actually Grow in Faith.
II. Gain Faith.
In Luke 17:5 the “apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.” Hearing his wonderful teaching, they were overwhelmed by their lack of ability to live up to his standard. They knew they were unable; they knew they needed help; they needed More Faith. Probably every One of us would admit the need for MORE FAITH.
A. More Faith is Profitable.
-It will Strengthen our Relationship with our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, Holy Ghost.
-It will Strengthen our Character and make us more like Jesus.
- It will Increase our Intensity. We will have a greater vision, a greater burden, greater desire, and greater zeal.
- It will Increase our Usefulness; in our witness, in holy living, in prayer, in the gifts of the Holy Ghost.
We Know that more Faith is Profitable, but also:
B. More Faith is Possible.
We really can increase in Faith, Gain Faith. Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. This is not just a One Time “coming” of Faith, but a Continual “coming” of faith by hearing and believing the Word of God. In Rom 10:8, Paul calls the gospel that he has preached the “word of faith.”
When there is Hearing, there is Knowledge.
Then there must be Doing, Obedience.
Eph 6:16- TAKING the shield of faith. Notice that word, “taking.” You and I must “take” the shield of Faith; it is very possible.
Every child of God should be Gaining Faith! You should have greater Faith today than you’ve ever had. You should believe God’s Word more than you ever have. You should be more convinced of truth than ever before. You should believe God’s promises more, trust God’s power more, and experience doubt LESS.
Four times it is recorded that Jesus admonished his disciples about having LITTLE FAITH:
1) Mt 6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? (anxious about personal needs)
[also in Luke]
2) Mt 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. (Fearful in midst of storm)
3) Mt 14:31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? (Peter distracted by circumstances surrounding him)
4) Mt 16:8 Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? (Disciples not understanding spiritual truth he is presenting)
Faith that overcomes Must not only Exist but Increase!
III. Work Your Faith.
James 2:20- “faith without works is dead” James makes it clear, very clear, that our faith must be put to work. It must be in action and be used in real and practical ways.
Our Faith Works Only if We Work Our Faith.
Some Lazy Christians would SAY they would like to Have Faith & would SAY they want God to Increase their Faith, but it Doesn’t work like that. God gives to every man a measure of faith, but HE MUST USE IT. God says, More faith is available and profitable and possible, but we must pursue it.
James makes these important points concerning the need to Work our Faith:
1) Demons have “faith”- they know God and who Jesus is but they are not saved.
2) Abraham is acclaimed in Scripture for having great faith, but the way we know he had great faith was that he OBEYED God.
3) Rahab had such faith in the God of Israel though she knew nothing about Him, that she Hid the spies and asked for Mercy. Because of her faith, her life was spared, her family was spared, and she became mother in Israel and had a place in the genealogy of Christ.
Work Your Faith! Faith Requires Positive Action; Doing!
Luke’s thumbnail biography of Jesus does not say, “he went about not doing any harm,” it says, “he went about DOING good.”
The Golden Rule is not- “don’t do to another what you do not want him to do to you”, but rather- DO unto others as you would have them DO unto you. Faith is not about what I Don’t Do, but about what I Do.
Faith that Overcomes Must be Active not Passive.
Read God’s Word- Memorize God’s Word- Obey God’s Word. Pray Daily & Diligently. Pray Fervently and Faithfully. Be Faithful to Church. Be Faithful in Worshiping and Praising God. Work your Faith by paying your Tithes, by Giving Generously in offerings, by visiting the sick, by helping the needy, by sharing the gospel with the lost around you. Faith that overcomes must be Working Faith.
IV. Keep Your Faith.
Paul’s wonderful testimony at the end of life was that he had fought a good fight, finished his course and KEPT THE FAITH. It’s one thing to Have HAD faith at one time in your life, It’s another thing to have KEPT the Faith.
Will you allow the amusements of the world to take away your faith?’
Will you allow fleshly desires to take away your faith?
Will you allow disappointments of life to take away your faith?
Will you allow sickness to take away your faith?
Will you allow tribulations, trials, troubles of life to take away your faith?
Will you allow mistreatment, betrayal, or slander to take away your faith?
JOB kept his faith even when he lost everything but his very life. But the Rich Young Ruler lost his faith at the THOUGHT of giving up everything.
Some people have their Faith Overwhelmed. Some people have Faith that Overcomes.
Everyone that makes it to heaven will have faith that overcomes.
Everyone that has faith that overcomes will make it to heaven.
To each of the 7 churches in Revelation, there is a promise made and a reward given to “Him that Overcometh.” Jesus said in Mt 24:13- “He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”
Heb. 10:22,23- Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
This is the victory that overcometh the World- Even our Faith.
1 John 5:4
Intro: In recent years we have heard a lot about “faith. There have been faith teachers, faith healers, and faith movements that have put a bad taste in our mouths about Faith. BUT Faith is of utmost importance in Christianity. Though faith is sometimes misrepresented and misunderstood, we need to study it, meditate on it, wrestle with understanding it, pray for it, and practice it.
I. Have Faith.
In Mark 11:22, Jesus told his disciples, “Have faith in God.” That sounds too simple, yet it is basis of the entire Christian Life- Have faith in God.
Salvation comes by Grace through Faith.
God’s Part- Grace
Man’s Part- Faith
Assurance of Salvation requires Faith.
The Baptism of Holy Ghost comes through Faith.
Healing comes through Faith.
Everything we receive from God comes through Faith- HAVE FAITH.
Heb. 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
How often have you said, “I Just don’t have faith,” or “I just can’t seem to believe”
Rom. 12:3 “God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” God has given to Every person born, a “measure of faith.” There is enough faith given by God so that you can Believe on Jesus Christ and be Saved! Then you can continue in the Faith and can actually Grow in Faith.
II. Gain Faith.
In Luke 17:5 the “apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.” Hearing his wonderful teaching, they were overwhelmed by their lack of ability to live up to his standard. They knew they were unable; they knew they needed help; they needed More Faith. Probably every One of us would admit the need for MORE FAITH.
A. More Faith is Profitable.
-It will Strengthen our Relationship with our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, Holy Ghost.
-It will Strengthen our Character and make us more like Jesus.
- It will Increase our Intensity. We will have a greater vision, a greater burden, greater desire, and greater zeal.
- It will Increase our Usefulness; in our witness, in holy living, in prayer, in the gifts of the Holy Ghost.
We Know that more Faith is Profitable, but also:
B. More Faith is Possible.
We really can increase in Faith, Gain Faith. Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. This is not just a One Time “coming” of Faith, but a Continual “coming” of faith by hearing and believing the Word of God. In Rom 10:8, Paul calls the gospel that he has preached the “word of faith.”
When there is Hearing, there is Knowledge.
Then there must be Doing, Obedience.
Eph 6:16- TAKING the shield of faith. Notice that word, “taking.” You and I must “take” the shield of Faith; it is very possible.
Every child of God should be Gaining Faith! You should have greater Faith today than you’ve ever had. You should believe God’s Word more than you ever have. You should be more convinced of truth than ever before. You should believe God’s promises more, trust God’s power more, and experience doubt LESS.
Four times it is recorded that Jesus admonished his disciples about having LITTLE FAITH:
1) Mt 6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? (anxious about personal needs)
[also in Luke]
2) Mt 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. (Fearful in midst of storm)
3) Mt 14:31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? (Peter distracted by circumstances surrounding him)
4) Mt 16:8 Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? (Disciples not understanding spiritual truth he is presenting)
Faith that overcomes Must not only Exist but Increase!
III. Work Your Faith.
James 2:20- “faith without works is dead” James makes it clear, very clear, that our faith must be put to work. It must be in action and be used in real and practical ways.
Our Faith Works Only if We Work Our Faith.
Some Lazy Christians would SAY they would like to Have Faith & would SAY they want God to Increase their Faith, but it Doesn’t work like that. God gives to every man a measure of faith, but HE MUST USE IT. God says, More faith is available and profitable and possible, but we must pursue it.
James makes these important points concerning the need to Work our Faith:
1) Demons have “faith”- they know God and who Jesus is but they are not saved.
2) Abraham is acclaimed in Scripture for having great faith, but the way we know he had great faith was that he OBEYED God.
3) Rahab had such faith in the God of Israel though she knew nothing about Him, that she Hid the spies and asked for Mercy. Because of her faith, her life was spared, her family was spared, and she became mother in Israel and had a place in the genealogy of Christ.
Work Your Faith! Faith Requires Positive Action; Doing!
Luke’s thumbnail biography of Jesus does not say, “he went about not doing any harm,” it says, “he went about DOING good.”
The Golden Rule is not- “don’t do to another what you do not want him to do to you”, but rather- DO unto others as you would have them DO unto you. Faith is not about what I Don’t Do, but about what I Do.
Faith that Overcomes Must be Active not Passive.
Read God’s Word- Memorize God’s Word- Obey God’s Word. Pray Daily & Diligently. Pray Fervently and Faithfully. Be Faithful to Church. Be Faithful in Worshiping and Praising God. Work your Faith by paying your Tithes, by Giving Generously in offerings, by visiting the sick, by helping the needy, by sharing the gospel with the lost around you. Faith that overcomes must be Working Faith.
IV. Keep Your Faith.
Paul’s wonderful testimony at the end of life was that he had fought a good fight, finished his course and KEPT THE FAITH. It’s one thing to Have HAD faith at one time in your life, It’s another thing to have KEPT the Faith.
Will you allow the amusements of the world to take away your faith?’
Will you allow fleshly desires to take away your faith?
Will you allow disappointments of life to take away your faith?
Will you allow sickness to take away your faith?
Will you allow tribulations, trials, troubles of life to take away your faith?
Will you allow mistreatment, betrayal, or slander to take away your faith?
JOB kept his faith even when he lost everything but his very life. But the Rich Young Ruler lost his faith at the THOUGHT of giving up everything.
Some people have their Faith Overwhelmed. Some people have Faith that Overcomes.
Everyone that makes it to heaven will have faith that overcomes.
Everyone that has faith that overcomes will make it to heaven.
To each of the 7 churches in Revelation, there is a promise made and a reward given to “Him that Overcometh.” Jesus said in Mt 24:13- “He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”
Heb. 10:22,23- Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
This is the victory that overcometh the World- Even our Faith.
- Published on
The Generation of the Upright
[Especially for Fathers]
Psalm 112:1-4
Intro: This is a message especially for fathers! As I read this passage in Psalm 112 I was arrested by the things the Psalmist said would be a part of those who were in the Generation of the Upright. Clearly, we men need are the leaders of our generation so let’s look at three things that are mentioned in this passage.
I. Reverence
You’ll notice that first of all the writer Praises the Lord, then he confidently states that the man who fears the Lord will be Blessed. The man who fears the Lord! Reverence!
Our world is very irreverent. Society as a whole was much more reverent in years gone by. Even though there has always been secular entertainment, it has not always been so Crude & so Rude; so irreverent & blasphemous. Even though early movies were not Christian by any means, at least they did not deliberately Mock God or Religion or Ministers or Priests and so on. Even though early secular music was Not Christian; at least it did not blaspheme God and godly morals; but it has now for some years. Comedians have been making people laugh for years but they didn’t use to do it by being disrespectful, irreverent, and vulgar; now that’s their common method.
Let me echo the Psalmist and Proclaim to you today- the Man who Fears God will be Blessed!
I found that the Word of God speaks about Fearing the Lord 75 times! Some of the references are Commands to Fear the Lord; some are Condemnations to those who do NOT Fear the Lord and many of them are about the Compensations that come to those who Do Fear the Lord.
Listen Dads- if you want God’s blessing in your life and in your home and in your family, you must have Reverence and Fear the Lord.
II. Righteousness.
The next thing the Psalmist mentions in regard to the Man who is blessed and is part of the Generation of the Upright is that he “Delights Greatly in God’s Commandments.”
He not only Fears God; He OBEYS God.
He not only has reverence for the Word of God; he is Committed to Obeying it.
He not only teaches his children About God; he teaches them about God’s Word.
I know that the world is hopelessly lost not only in irreverence but also in immorality.
I know that most of the church world is also lost in compromise and worldliness. They dress like the world; they talk like the world; they fill their minds with the world’s movies, music, and tv shows; they drink alcohol like the world and many even live immoral lives like the world.
BUT- the true man of God will be Righteous in his conduct and behavior.
NOT because he is trying to SAVE himself; no one can save himself by his own righteousness
But because he is SANCTIFYING himself and Separating himself from this sinful world JUST LIKE THE BIBLE REQUIRES!
The Bible does say that Without Holiness, NO Man shall see the Lord.
The Bible does say that we are to Come out from among the world and be separate; that we are not to touch the unclean thing; and that God will receive us and be our God and our Father.
We must be men of reverence and of righteousness.
The next thing the Psalmist mentions is that the Upright man will be:
III. Rewarded
“His seed ( his children; those he is responsible for here on the earth) they shall be mighty upon the earth.” “The generation of the Upright shall be blessed.”
So there is a Parental Blessing- his seed shall be mighty and his generation shall be blessed.
AND there are Personal Blessings as well. “Blessed is the MAN...” We men, we husbands, we fathers will be blessed if we Fear the Lord and Obey his Word.
Verses 4-9 Give a Number of blessings for the Generation of the Upright:
(4) They get Light in the midst of Darkness.
- They have Grace in their Life
- they have Compassion in their Heart
- they have Righteousness in their character
(5) they have Provision enough to Share
(6) they are Stable in the midst of Turmoil
- they are Remembered with Favor
(7) they are Free from Fear
- They have Assurance from the Lord.
(8) They Trust in the Lord and he Brings them Victory in their Battles
(9) They will Receive Honor both in this life and in the Life to Come.
Wow! There really are Great Blessings to the Generation of the Upright. May God help us men to be Reverent, Righteous, and Rewarded.
Happy Father’s Day!
[Especially for Fathers]
Psalm 112:1-4
Intro: This is a message especially for fathers! As I read this passage in Psalm 112 I was arrested by the things the Psalmist said would be a part of those who were in the Generation of the Upright. Clearly, we men need are the leaders of our generation so let’s look at three things that are mentioned in this passage.
I. Reverence
You’ll notice that first of all the writer Praises the Lord, then he confidently states that the man who fears the Lord will be Blessed. The man who fears the Lord! Reverence!
Our world is very irreverent. Society as a whole was much more reverent in years gone by. Even though there has always been secular entertainment, it has not always been so Crude & so Rude; so irreverent & blasphemous. Even though early movies were not Christian by any means, at least they did not deliberately Mock God or Religion or Ministers or Priests and so on. Even though early secular music was Not Christian; at least it did not blaspheme God and godly morals; but it has now for some years. Comedians have been making people laugh for years but they didn’t use to do it by being disrespectful, irreverent, and vulgar; now that’s their common method.
Let me echo the Psalmist and Proclaim to you today- the Man who Fears God will be Blessed!
I found that the Word of God speaks about Fearing the Lord 75 times! Some of the references are Commands to Fear the Lord; some are Condemnations to those who do NOT Fear the Lord and many of them are about the Compensations that come to those who Do Fear the Lord.
Listen Dads- if you want God’s blessing in your life and in your home and in your family, you must have Reverence and Fear the Lord.
II. Righteousness.
The next thing the Psalmist mentions in regard to the Man who is blessed and is part of the Generation of the Upright is that he “Delights Greatly in God’s Commandments.”
He not only Fears God; He OBEYS God.
He not only has reverence for the Word of God; he is Committed to Obeying it.
He not only teaches his children About God; he teaches them about God’s Word.
I know that the world is hopelessly lost not only in irreverence but also in immorality.
I know that most of the church world is also lost in compromise and worldliness. They dress like the world; they talk like the world; they fill their minds with the world’s movies, music, and tv shows; they drink alcohol like the world and many even live immoral lives like the world.
BUT- the true man of God will be Righteous in his conduct and behavior.
NOT because he is trying to SAVE himself; no one can save himself by his own righteousness
But because he is SANCTIFYING himself and Separating himself from this sinful world JUST LIKE THE BIBLE REQUIRES!
The Bible does say that Without Holiness, NO Man shall see the Lord.
The Bible does say that we are to Come out from among the world and be separate; that we are not to touch the unclean thing; and that God will receive us and be our God and our Father.
We must be men of reverence and of righteousness.
The next thing the Psalmist mentions is that the Upright man will be:
III. Rewarded
“His seed ( his children; those he is responsible for here on the earth) they shall be mighty upon the earth.” “The generation of the Upright shall be blessed.”
So there is a Parental Blessing- his seed shall be mighty and his generation shall be blessed.
AND there are Personal Blessings as well. “Blessed is the MAN...” We men, we husbands, we fathers will be blessed if we Fear the Lord and Obey his Word.
Verses 4-9 Give a Number of blessings for the Generation of the Upright:
(4) They get Light in the midst of Darkness.
- They have Grace in their Life
- they have Compassion in their Heart
- they have Righteousness in their character
(5) they have Provision enough to Share
(6) they are Stable in the midst of Turmoil
- they are Remembered with Favor
(7) they are Free from Fear
- They have Assurance from the Lord.
(8) They Trust in the Lord and he Brings them Victory in their Battles
(9) They will Receive Honor both in this life and in the Life to Come.
Wow! There really are Great Blessings to the Generation of the Upright. May God help us men to be Reverent, Righteous, and Rewarded.
Happy Father’s Day!
- Published on
A Household Revival
Acts 10:1-8; 24; 33; 44
Intro: This is an inspiring story; especially because it is TRUE! It records a Revival that took place in a HOME! An outpouring of the Holy Ghost in a Gentile Home!
I. Personal Devotion.
In this chapter, we meet a man named Cornelius who was a Centurion in the Roman military. What set this man apart from all the others around him was this- He FEARED God!
He was a Roman; the Roman culture had Many gods; even their Caesar was considered a god and was supposed to be “worshiped” by loyal Roman citizens. However, here was a Roman who Feared the True and Living God. He didn’t know much about God but he obviously Believed that God existed; and that God would reward those who would diligently seek him. Those words sound familiar?
Here was a man with a Personal Devotion to God.
A Husband with a personal devotion to God.
A Father with a personal devotion to God.
Oh, how we men need to lead the way in our own homes in regard to this Personal devotion to God. It is not the wife’s responsibility to be the spiritual leader of the home; it is not her responsibility to have this Personal Devotion to God ALONE! Sure, every wife and mom needs to be personally devoted to God, but it Rests on the Shoulders of every man to have a Personal Experience with God; a Personal Relationship with God; a Personal Devotion to God.
Cornelius Feared God. Therefore, he Prayed regularly. Also he Gave generously.
He was A DEVOUT man; a devoted man; a man of personal devotion.
If you want the Spirit of God to work in your home you need this Personal devotion.
If you want your children to experience the Real Presence of God; to be genuinely Saved from sin; to be filled with the HG; to live their lives according to the Word of God and escape the Scars of Sin, you need to have this personal devotion and live it out as their example.
II. Prompt Obedience.
Not only did Cornelius have a personal devotion to God, but when he prayed and received the vision telling him to send for Peter, he Immediately Obeyed.
Look at vs 7- “and when the angel...was departed, he called two of his servants...(8) declared unto them all these things...and Sent them to Joppa.” Prompt Obedience!
If husbands and wives will be Quick to Obey the Lord, they will have revival in their household.
If dads and moms will be Careful to Obey the Lord and his Word, they will have revival in their household.
Sadly, there are parents who bemoan the poor spiritual state of their children who Never made it a priority in Their Own life to really Obey the Lord. If you are serious about having God’s presence in your household and in your family, You Must Obey the Lord.
Obey him in your personal devotion.
Obey him in your lifestyle.
Obey him in your church attendance.
Obey him in your business dealings.
Obey him in your Attitudes, in your Actions, and even in your Appearance.
Prompt Obedience!
III. Powerful Blessing.
As soon as Cornelius sent word to Peter, he also sent word to all of his family and some friends as well; he invited them to his house to hear Peter when he arrived.
His family was gathered there waiting when Peter arrived. “We are ALL here Present before God; To HEAR all things that are commanded thee of God.”
We are HERE; and we are ready to HEAR.
Their Hearts were Ready.
Their Hearts were Receptive.
They were Rewarded.
For while Peter was still preaching, they Believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; they exercised Faith in Jesus; they Believed in his supernatural birth; his miraculous ministry; his tragic death by crucifixion; and his Glorious Resurrection on the Third Day. They Believed unto Salvation and Immediately, the Holy Ghost Fell in their midst and Filled them ALL.
“The HG fell on ALL them which heard the Word and they Spake with Tongues and Magnified God.” Revival in the Household.
Oh how we need revival in our households! We are facing Pressures that have never been faced by any previous generation. We are dealing with Evil and Perversion, the like of which has never been dealt with before. Our children are growing up in a World that is Upside Down spiritually, and morally, and socially. Sin and perversion and violence and indecency Rule the world.
If we are going to survive as Christian Families in these Last Days we must have Revival in our Households.
Let’s Pray through to a Personal Devotion that will not waver.
Let’s Obey the Lord and his Word no matter what the world says; no matter what our co-workers say; no matter what others in our extended family say; no matter what the media and politicians say.
Then we will have Revival in our Households and Satan will be Repelled; and Resisted; and Removed; and Overcome.
Acts 10:1-8; 24; 33; 44
Intro: This is an inspiring story; especially because it is TRUE! It records a Revival that took place in a HOME! An outpouring of the Holy Ghost in a Gentile Home!
I. Personal Devotion.
In this chapter, we meet a man named Cornelius who was a Centurion in the Roman military. What set this man apart from all the others around him was this- He FEARED God!
He was a Roman; the Roman culture had Many gods; even their Caesar was considered a god and was supposed to be “worshiped” by loyal Roman citizens. However, here was a Roman who Feared the True and Living God. He didn’t know much about God but he obviously Believed that God existed; and that God would reward those who would diligently seek him. Those words sound familiar?
Here was a man with a Personal Devotion to God.
A Husband with a personal devotion to God.
A Father with a personal devotion to God.
Oh, how we men need to lead the way in our own homes in regard to this Personal devotion to God. It is not the wife’s responsibility to be the spiritual leader of the home; it is not her responsibility to have this Personal Devotion to God ALONE! Sure, every wife and mom needs to be personally devoted to God, but it Rests on the Shoulders of every man to have a Personal Experience with God; a Personal Relationship with God; a Personal Devotion to God.
Cornelius Feared God. Therefore, he Prayed regularly. Also he Gave generously.
He was A DEVOUT man; a devoted man; a man of personal devotion.
If you want the Spirit of God to work in your home you need this Personal devotion.
If you want your children to experience the Real Presence of God; to be genuinely Saved from sin; to be filled with the HG; to live their lives according to the Word of God and escape the Scars of Sin, you need to have this personal devotion and live it out as their example.
II. Prompt Obedience.
Not only did Cornelius have a personal devotion to God, but when he prayed and received the vision telling him to send for Peter, he Immediately Obeyed.
Look at vs 7- “and when the angel...was departed, he called two of his servants...(8) declared unto them all these things...and Sent them to Joppa.” Prompt Obedience!
If husbands and wives will be Quick to Obey the Lord, they will have revival in their household.
If dads and moms will be Careful to Obey the Lord and his Word, they will have revival in their household.
Sadly, there are parents who bemoan the poor spiritual state of their children who Never made it a priority in Their Own life to really Obey the Lord. If you are serious about having God’s presence in your household and in your family, You Must Obey the Lord.
Obey him in your personal devotion.
Obey him in your lifestyle.
Obey him in your church attendance.
Obey him in your business dealings.
Obey him in your Attitudes, in your Actions, and even in your Appearance.
Prompt Obedience!
III. Powerful Blessing.
As soon as Cornelius sent word to Peter, he also sent word to all of his family and some friends as well; he invited them to his house to hear Peter when he arrived.
His family was gathered there waiting when Peter arrived. “We are ALL here Present before God; To HEAR all things that are commanded thee of God.”
We are HERE; and we are ready to HEAR.
Their Hearts were Ready.
Their Hearts were Receptive.
They were Rewarded.
For while Peter was still preaching, they Believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; they exercised Faith in Jesus; they Believed in his supernatural birth; his miraculous ministry; his tragic death by crucifixion; and his Glorious Resurrection on the Third Day. They Believed unto Salvation and Immediately, the Holy Ghost Fell in their midst and Filled them ALL.
“The HG fell on ALL them which heard the Word and they Spake with Tongues and Magnified God.” Revival in the Household.
Oh how we need revival in our households! We are facing Pressures that have never been faced by any previous generation. We are dealing with Evil and Perversion, the like of which has never been dealt with before. Our children are growing up in a World that is Upside Down spiritually, and morally, and socially. Sin and perversion and violence and indecency Rule the world.
If we are going to survive as Christian Families in these Last Days we must have Revival in our Households.
Let’s Pray through to a Personal Devotion that will not waver.
Let’s Obey the Lord and his Word no matter what the world says; no matter what our co-workers say; no matter what others in our extended family say; no matter what the media and politicians say.
Then we will have Revival in our Households and Satan will be Repelled; and Resisted; and Removed; and Overcome.
- Published on
An Angel’s Easter Message
Mt. 28:1-8
Intro: This was a glorious morning! The morning of the resurrection of Jesus Christ! Most of the world was totally unaware of what had happened but Heaven was definitely Excited. An angel had been given the important task of rolling the stone away from the tomb and giving the first Easter Message to the world.
I. A Word of Assurance
Just as day began to dawn on that Sunday morning; Mary Magdalene, a faithful follower of Jesus, and Jesus’ own mother Mary, made the journey to the garden tomb hoping to be able to anoint the Body of Jesus; they wanted to show their love and pay their last respects; but there were a couple of things they did not know about:
1) The Pharisees and chief priests had persuaded Pilate to Seal the tomb with the official Roman seal and to place soldiers there as guards of the tomb. These ladies were concerned about being able to roll the stone away from the tomb but they didn’t know about the sealing of the tomb. They would not have been able to move that stone at all. Not only was it physically impossible for them; it would have been against the Law to do so, but they were not aware of it.
2) Even more important, while Pilate had commanded the tomb to sealed and guarded, God had commanded the tomb to be Opened and shown to the world.
So, when the ladies arrived, they were amazed to see that the stone had already been rolled away from the door of the tomb, and they were also amazed to see an Angel sitting on the stone.
I love the way its phrased in the Bible: the angel of the Lord descended from heaven and rolled back the stone from the door and Sat Upon It. As the women looked at the angel they saw his face shining bright like lightning; and his robe was brilliant white like snow.
How do you think you would react to such a sight? Amazed! Afraid! Feeling terror; Trembling in fear; not knowing what to think; surely not knowing what to say. So the first part of the angel’s Easter message was a Word of Assurance:
Fear Not! Don’t be afraid; there’s nothing to be fearful about; nothing to be in terror about.
I Know! I know why you are here; I understand your situation I am aware of your love for Jesus and your desire to anoint his body. Ye are Seeking Jesus who was crucified.
I can’t help but imagine that these women felt great assurance from these words!
I believe these words can bring us assurance today:
Fear Not!
I Know!
You are seeking Jesus; you want to know more about Jesus; you are here because you love Jesus and you desire to live for Jesus.
You and I don’t need to be Conquered by Fear- God KNOWS- he knows your fears; he knows your confusion; uncertainties; Knows your heart ache; knows your hurts; your disappointments; knows your afflictions- He Knows!
II. A Wonderful Announcement
He is not HERE! He is Risen!
He is not here in the tomb; he is not here in the place of the dead; he is not here in a grave or cemetery. He has risen from the Dead and He is Alive. What a wonderful announcement!
Do you realize how significant these few words were?
They were vitally important not only to these women; not only to his disciples who loved him; but to the whole nation of Israel; to the whole world at the time; to the whole world and all who live for ALL time. He is not here; he is risen!
- Redemption is Provided.
- Relationship is Restored
- Resurrection is Assured
III. A Worthy Assignment
- Come see the place where the Lord lay; take a personal look; see for your self that Jesus is not dead but alive; be convinced in your own heart that this is true.
- Go Quickly and Tell his disciples. Go! Don’t keep this to yourself; this needs to be told; this needs to be Proclaimed; this needs to be shouted from the housetops so to speak; Go tell it, And do it quickly- make haste; this is important; this is a priority; more important than anything else in your life right now; Do this First!
Notice vs 8- And they departed (How?) Quickly! with fear and Great Joy; and did RUN to bring his disciples word.
Also, it’s interesting to note that it was as they went in obedience to the angel’s assignment that they met the Lord Personally and were blessed by him.
I think this Angel’s Easter Message is just as timely for us today as it was for those ladies then:
God wants to assure your heart that you need not be Afraid- He knows you and your circumstances-you are not forgotten and alone
God wants you and I to remember that Jesus is not DEAD, he really is ALIVE! And because he is Alive, Redemption is provided; you really can be saved from Sin, Satan, and Hell.
Your relationship with God can be restored today.
Your final resurrection to eternal life can be secured by your trust in him.
Finally- you and I should take this message everywhere we go. It should be a priority for us to tell others about our Risen Savior and Living Lord.
For, just as he came the first time, he is coming back again and we must be ready and watching!
Even so come quickly Lord Jesus!
Mt. 28:1-8
Intro: This was a glorious morning! The morning of the resurrection of Jesus Christ! Most of the world was totally unaware of what had happened but Heaven was definitely Excited. An angel had been given the important task of rolling the stone away from the tomb and giving the first Easter Message to the world.
I. A Word of Assurance
Just as day began to dawn on that Sunday morning; Mary Magdalene, a faithful follower of Jesus, and Jesus’ own mother Mary, made the journey to the garden tomb hoping to be able to anoint the Body of Jesus; they wanted to show their love and pay their last respects; but there were a couple of things they did not know about:
1) The Pharisees and chief priests had persuaded Pilate to Seal the tomb with the official Roman seal and to place soldiers there as guards of the tomb. These ladies were concerned about being able to roll the stone away from the tomb but they didn’t know about the sealing of the tomb. They would not have been able to move that stone at all. Not only was it physically impossible for them; it would have been against the Law to do so, but they were not aware of it.
2) Even more important, while Pilate had commanded the tomb to sealed and guarded, God had commanded the tomb to be Opened and shown to the world.
So, when the ladies arrived, they were amazed to see that the stone had already been rolled away from the door of the tomb, and they were also amazed to see an Angel sitting on the stone.
I love the way its phrased in the Bible: the angel of the Lord descended from heaven and rolled back the stone from the door and Sat Upon It. As the women looked at the angel they saw his face shining bright like lightning; and his robe was brilliant white like snow.
How do you think you would react to such a sight? Amazed! Afraid! Feeling terror; Trembling in fear; not knowing what to think; surely not knowing what to say. So the first part of the angel’s Easter message was a Word of Assurance:
Fear Not! Don’t be afraid; there’s nothing to be fearful about; nothing to be in terror about.
I Know! I know why you are here; I understand your situation I am aware of your love for Jesus and your desire to anoint his body. Ye are Seeking Jesus who was crucified.
I can’t help but imagine that these women felt great assurance from these words!
I believe these words can bring us assurance today:
Fear Not!
I Know!
You are seeking Jesus; you want to know more about Jesus; you are here because you love Jesus and you desire to live for Jesus.
You and I don’t need to be Conquered by Fear- God KNOWS- he knows your fears; he knows your confusion; uncertainties; Knows your heart ache; knows your hurts; your disappointments; knows your afflictions- He Knows!
II. A Wonderful Announcement
He is not HERE! He is Risen!
He is not here in the tomb; he is not here in the place of the dead; he is not here in a grave or cemetery. He has risen from the Dead and He is Alive. What a wonderful announcement!
Do you realize how significant these few words were?
They were vitally important not only to these women; not only to his disciples who loved him; but to the whole nation of Israel; to the whole world at the time; to the whole world and all who live for ALL time. He is not here; he is risen!
- Redemption is Provided.
- Relationship is Restored
- Resurrection is Assured
III. A Worthy Assignment
- Come see the place where the Lord lay; take a personal look; see for your self that Jesus is not dead but alive; be convinced in your own heart that this is true.
- Go Quickly and Tell his disciples. Go! Don’t keep this to yourself; this needs to be told; this needs to be Proclaimed; this needs to be shouted from the housetops so to speak; Go tell it, And do it quickly- make haste; this is important; this is a priority; more important than anything else in your life right now; Do this First!
Notice vs 8- And they departed (How?) Quickly! with fear and Great Joy; and did RUN to bring his disciples word.
Also, it’s interesting to note that it was as they went in obedience to the angel’s assignment that they met the Lord Personally and were blessed by him.
I think this Angel’s Easter Message is just as timely for us today as it was for those ladies then:
God wants to assure your heart that you need not be Afraid- He knows you and your circumstances-you are not forgotten and alone
God wants you and I to remember that Jesus is not DEAD, he really is ALIVE! And because he is Alive, Redemption is provided; you really can be saved from Sin, Satan, and Hell.
Your relationship with God can be restored today.
Your final resurrection to eternal life can be secured by your trust in him.
Finally- you and I should take this message everywhere we go. It should be a priority for us to tell others about our Risen Savior and Living Lord.
For, just as he came the first time, he is coming back again and we must be ready and watching!
Even so come quickly Lord Jesus!
- Published on
Intro: Acts17:1-10 gives the historical account of how the Gospel came to the city of Thessolonica for the very first time. Paul and Silas had been beaten and imprisoned in Philippi but God had delivered them in a mighty and supernatural way. They were asked to leave and went on to Thessalonica. For three weeks Paul preached in the local Synagogue. Luke records that some of the Jews believed but then he states that a “great multitude of Greeks” believed and a number of the chief women of the city. The Jews who refused to believe the Gospel, started a riot and Paul and Silas had to leave in the middle of the night.
Paul sent Timothy back to Thessalonica for a short time to strengthen the new believers and help them organize their local assembly. When Timothy rejoined Paul in Corinth and gave him the report of new converts in Thessalonica, Paul was thrilled by the great report and wrote them this first epistle; not only the first to them but the first of all the epistles he wrote.
These two verses (9,10), state briefly the Proof that these Thessalonians were Genuine Christians, even though only a short time had passed from when they had their first exposure to the Gospel of Jesus.
I. Converted.
“How you Turned to God”
That’s what Conversion is! It is a Turning to God.
Turning to God with your Mind; turning to God with your Will; turning to God with your Heart, your spirit, your innermost being; turning to God with your life.
When someone claims they have become a Christian but their life does not Turn To God; they show that they have not been genuinely Converted! So Peter preached in Acts 3:19- Repent and Be Converted! In Acts 15:3 Luke states that when Paul returned to Jerusalem after his Missionary Journey, he “declared the conversion of the Gentiles.” They had Turned TO God.
But there is another part of being converted: They turned “TO God FROM idols.” Just as there was a Turning TO there was necessarily a Turning FROM. How could someone really turn To God without Turning From idols? It’s clear from Scripture that no man can worship idols and still be a true worshiper of the Almighty God. This was an obvious proof that these believers were Genuine Christians, for they Turned From their idols; they stopped worshiping idols; they removed any from their home; they no longer went to the Idolatrous Temple in their town; they did not practice any of the old idolatrous ceremonies anymore.
So it is that when a person becomes a Genuine Christian, they are Converted! They Turn TO God and they Turn FROM Sin, From the world and its pleasures; From the world’s associations and activities; from the desires of the flesh that are directly opposite of God’s holy Word.
The Thessalonians had been Converted.
II. Committed.
They had turned to God from idols “To Serve the living and true God.” To Serve!
This was not just an emotional experience that lasted for a week or two and then faded. This was not just a temporary conversion. They left their idols behind and turned to the Lord, To Serve Him.
They dedicated their entire life to the Lord; they consecrated themselves to Serve Him for the rest of their lives. Now, it was no longer about ME, MYSELF and I; not about what I want to do but What does the Lord want me to do? Now life had a new Master and a new Motivation. Jesus was their Lord and the Holy Ghost was their Power.
There are three Greek words that are translated “serve” in the NT.
- One means to Worship as Lord and Master
- One means to Render any form of service for someone; to minister to someone.
- One means to be a bond servant and to serve in such a capacity.
So Genuine Christians will “serve the living and true God” by worshiping Him; by rendering acts of service to Him and for Him; and by being as a bond servant to him and serving him with total surrender and submission. Paul wrote that every Believer is to “present his body a Living Sacrifice to God;” such a surrender is only our Reasonable service; it is not too much for God to ask of us; it’s just what we Ought to do. We need to be diligent in this matter of Serving the Lord. We need to serve him with our Sincere Worship; both privately and in public in the house of God. We need to Serve Him by ACTS of devotion; to the Lord personally; to his work on the earth; and to his people! We need to Serve the Lord as a bond servant who is totally submitted to Him and to his Will. “Not MY will, but Thy will be done.”
III. Careful.
They turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, AND “to Wait for his Son from heaven...”
A final proof of their Genuine Christianity was that they were Looking For Jesus to Come in the clouds.
They were Expecting his return.
They were Anticipating his return.
They were Watching for Him and Waiting for Him.
This speaks volumes when it comes to measuring our true devotion to the Lord. Every True Christian will be CAREFUL about how they live here on the earth. Every time the coming of the Lord to take away his church is discussed in the NT, it is coupled with an Exhortation to Righteousness and Holy Living. We cannot be truly Waiting for Jesus to come from heaven if we are not living a holy life here on the earth.
John stated clearly that EVERY Man that has the hope of seeing Jesus Christ come in the clouds and the hope of being changed to be like him, Purifies Himself even as Jesus is Pure. (1 John 3:1-3)
Oh, brothers and sisters, we are living in a very Sinful world; we are living in a very Selfish world. We must not be conformed to this world but we must be Transformed! Transformed by the Blood of Jesus; by the Holy Ghost; by the Word of God.
We must be Converted- Turn to God from Idols;
We must be Committed- Serving the living and true God;
We must be Careful- Waiting for the Son of God to come from heaven.
Paul sent Timothy back to Thessalonica for a short time to strengthen the new believers and help them organize their local assembly. When Timothy rejoined Paul in Corinth and gave him the report of new converts in Thessalonica, Paul was thrilled by the great report and wrote them this first epistle; not only the first to them but the first of all the epistles he wrote.
These two verses (9,10), state briefly the Proof that these Thessalonians were Genuine Christians, even though only a short time had passed from when they had their first exposure to the Gospel of Jesus.
I. Converted.
“How you Turned to God”
That’s what Conversion is! It is a Turning to God.
Turning to God with your Mind; turning to God with your Will; turning to God with your Heart, your spirit, your innermost being; turning to God with your life.
When someone claims they have become a Christian but their life does not Turn To God; they show that they have not been genuinely Converted! So Peter preached in Acts 3:19- Repent and Be Converted! In Acts 15:3 Luke states that when Paul returned to Jerusalem after his Missionary Journey, he “declared the conversion of the Gentiles.” They had Turned TO God.
But there is another part of being converted: They turned “TO God FROM idols.” Just as there was a Turning TO there was necessarily a Turning FROM. How could someone really turn To God without Turning From idols? It’s clear from Scripture that no man can worship idols and still be a true worshiper of the Almighty God. This was an obvious proof that these believers were Genuine Christians, for they Turned From their idols; they stopped worshiping idols; they removed any from their home; they no longer went to the Idolatrous Temple in their town; they did not practice any of the old idolatrous ceremonies anymore.
So it is that when a person becomes a Genuine Christian, they are Converted! They Turn TO God and they Turn FROM Sin, From the world and its pleasures; From the world’s associations and activities; from the desires of the flesh that are directly opposite of God’s holy Word.
The Thessalonians had been Converted.
II. Committed.
They had turned to God from idols “To Serve the living and true God.” To Serve!
This was not just an emotional experience that lasted for a week or two and then faded. This was not just a temporary conversion. They left their idols behind and turned to the Lord, To Serve Him.
They dedicated their entire life to the Lord; they consecrated themselves to Serve Him for the rest of their lives. Now, it was no longer about ME, MYSELF and I; not about what I want to do but What does the Lord want me to do? Now life had a new Master and a new Motivation. Jesus was their Lord and the Holy Ghost was their Power.
There are three Greek words that are translated “serve” in the NT.
- One means to Worship as Lord and Master
- One means to Render any form of service for someone; to minister to someone.
- One means to be a bond servant and to serve in such a capacity.
So Genuine Christians will “serve the living and true God” by worshiping Him; by rendering acts of service to Him and for Him; and by being as a bond servant to him and serving him with total surrender and submission. Paul wrote that every Believer is to “present his body a Living Sacrifice to God;” such a surrender is only our Reasonable service; it is not too much for God to ask of us; it’s just what we Ought to do. We need to be diligent in this matter of Serving the Lord. We need to serve him with our Sincere Worship; both privately and in public in the house of God. We need to Serve Him by ACTS of devotion; to the Lord personally; to his work on the earth; and to his people! We need to Serve the Lord as a bond servant who is totally submitted to Him and to his Will. “Not MY will, but Thy will be done.”
III. Careful.
They turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, AND “to Wait for his Son from heaven...”
A final proof of their Genuine Christianity was that they were Looking For Jesus to Come in the clouds.
They were Expecting his return.
They were Anticipating his return.
They were Watching for Him and Waiting for Him.
This speaks volumes when it comes to measuring our true devotion to the Lord. Every True Christian will be CAREFUL about how they live here on the earth. Every time the coming of the Lord to take away his church is discussed in the NT, it is coupled with an Exhortation to Righteousness and Holy Living. We cannot be truly Waiting for Jesus to come from heaven if we are not living a holy life here on the earth.
John stated clearly that EVERY Man that has the hope of seeing Jesus Christ come in the clouds and the hope of being changed to be like him, Purifies Himself even as Jesus is Pure. (1 John 3:1-3)
Oh, brothers and sisters, we are living in a very Sinful world; we are living in a very Selfish world. We must not be conformed to this world but we must be Transformed! Transformed by the Blood of Jesus; by the Holy Ghost; by the Word of God.
We must be Converted- Turn to God from Idols;
We must be Committed- Serving the living and true God;
We must be Careful- Waiting for the Son of God to come from heaven.
- Published on
God is For Us
Rom. 8: 31
Intro: Here we are again in Romans 8; imagine that! Well, this familiar phrase from vs 31 just keeps ringing in my mind and in my heart: If God Be For Us...Who Can be Against Us. Or in common terms- Since God is For Us who can overcome us? I’m Glad that God is For Us; this is a Fact, not something we hope is true; not something we wish was true; it is True that God IS For Us.
Did you ever notice the first question in vs 31= What shall we say to all these things?
What are the “things” Paul is referring to? He is referring to All The Things he has already discussed in this chapter; and they are an amazing array of Proofs that God is For us. He says- In Light of All these things- God is For Us! Therefore, who can rise up against us and defeat us?
I. God Was For Us Before Creation.
Paul said in vs. 29 that God did FOREKNOW those who would be Saved. Don’t be Confused by the Foreknowledge of God; don’t confuse it with what is commonly known as predestination. God KNEW who would be saved; but he did not DECIDE in advance who COULD be saved. Still, to think that God Knew You before he even created the world is powerful!
Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Nine times in the NT, writers speak of the fact that God Knew Before the Foundation of the world that mankind would need redemption and that Before the Foundation of the world he Planned for our redemption. God was For Us before the world was ever created! How wonderful is that!??
II. God Was For Us At Calvary
I already mentioned that God Knew before creation that we would need redemption and he Planned it Before the foundation of the world. What a great plan!
Paul stated in vs 3 that the Law was Weak through the flesh and could not accomplish full redemption for man. So, God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and condemned sin in the flesh. The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has made us Free from the Law of sin and death.
God was For Us at Calvary! The Father willingly gave up his own Son to be our Sacrifice for Sin. Jesus Christ the Son, willingly gave up his dwelling place in heaven to become a man and live on this earth; he gave himself to the weaknesses of human flesh; to the rejection of his own people; to the suffering and death of the cross; AND all of it because God was For Us.
Without Calvary, we would all be Lost and without hope in this world or in the world to come.
Without Calvary we would all be under the dominion of Satan; under the dominion of Sin; under the curse of eternal torment in the lake of fire.
Do you realize that God was for you before Creation?
Do you realize that God was For you at Calvary?
Why would you doubt his love and goodness now? Why would you doubt his ability to take care of you now?
III. God is For Us in his Providential Care.
Once a person believes in Jesus Christ as the only Savior and Lord, he or she is adopted into the Family of God. We have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba, Father (15). The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we ARE the children of God (16). Right Now- we are the children of God. Do you really think the devil has power and authority over a child of God?
Do you think the devil has the power to plan our life? To dictate what we will do and where we will go and where we will spend our eternity? Come now, what kind of God would make you his child and then allow the devil to rule your life?
We are reminded in vs 4 and 5 and 9 and 11 and 14 and 15 and 16 that God’s Holy Spirit has come to dwell within us; to lead us and guide us in life; to transform our minds and to quicken our mortal bodies.
We are also told in vs.17 that we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ; and that even though we suffer in this life we will be Glorified Together with Christ.
We are told that the “sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed in us.” (18)
We are told in vs. 26 that the Spirit of God “helpeth our infirmities;” that the Spirit of God actually will Pray through us in those times we face situations that we don’t even know How to pray about them.
Finally, we are told in vs. 28 that “all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to his purpose.”
God is For us in Providential Care. He has given us his Spirit to dwell in us and lead us in life.
He has promised us Glory that will far outweigh any sufferings we endure in this life. He has promised that Everything that happens to us here in this life, both good and bad, will ultimately work for our good by his power and might. God was for us before Creation; God was for us at Calvary; God is for us in his Providential Care... and
IV. God is For Us in His Conquering Love.
At vs. 31, Paul looks back over the previous 30 verses and says, “Wow, what shall we say in light of All those things? Here’s what we’ll say- Since God is for us, who can be against us?”
God Loved us so much he refused to spare his own Son;
God loves us so much that he freely gives us all things.
God loves us so much that NOTHING can separate us from his love.
Not tribulation; distress; persecution; famine; nakedness; peril; sword; death; life; angels; principalities; powers; things present; things to come; height; depth; or any other creature.
God is For us in his conquering love. His love conquers all our foes; his love conquers all our fears; his love conquers Satan and sin; his love conquers even death.
God is For Us!
Rom. 8: 31
Intro: Here we are again in Romans 8; imagine that! Well, this familiar phrase from vs 31 just keeps ringing in my mind and in my heart: If God Be For Us...Who Can be Against Us. Or in common terms- Since God is For Us who can overcome us? I’m Glad that God is For Us; this is a Fact, not something we hope is true; not something we wish was true; it is True that God IS For Us.
Did you ever notice the first question in vs 31= What shall we say to all these things?
What are the “things” Paul is referring to? He is referring to All The Things he has already discussed in this chapter; and they are an amazing array of Proofs that God is For us. He says- In Light of All these things- God is For Us! Therefore, who can rise up against us and defeat us?
I. God Was For Us Before Creation.
Paul said in vs. 29 that God did FOREKNOW those who would be Saved. Don’t be Confused by the Foreknowledge of God; don’t confuse it with what is commonly known as predestination. God KNEW who would be saved; but he did not DECIDE in advance who COULD be saved. Still, to think that God Knew You before he even created the world is powerful!
Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Nine times in the NT, writers speak of the fact that God Knew Before the Foundation of the world that mankind would need redemption and that Before the Foundation of the world he Planned for our redemption. God was For Us before the world was ever created! How wonderful is that!??
II. God Was For Us At Calvary
I already mentioned that God Knew before creation that we would need redemption and he Planned it Before the foundation of the world. What a great plan!
Paul stated in vs 3 that the Law was Weak through the flesh and could not accomplish full redemption for man. So, God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and condemned sin in the flesh. The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has made us Free from the Law of sin and death.
God was For Us at Calvary! The Father willingly gave up his own Son to be our Sacrifice for Sin. Jesus Christ the Son, willingly gave up his dwelling place in heaven to become a man and live on this earth; he gave himself to the weaknesses of human flesh; to the rejection of his own people; to the suffering and death of the cross; AND all of it because God was For Us.
Without Calvary, we would all be Lost and without hope in this world or in the world to come.
Without Calvary we would all be under the dominion of Satan; under the dominion of Sin; under the curse of eternal torment in the lake of fire.
Do you realize that God was for you before Creation?
Do you realize that God was For you at Calvary?
Why would you doubt his love and goodness now? Why would you doubt his ability to take care of you now?
III. God is For Us in his Providential Care.
Once a person believes in Jesus Christ as the only Savior and Lord, he or she is adopted into the Family of God. We have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba, Father (15). The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we ARE the children of God (16). Right Now- we are the children of God. Do you really think the devil has power and authority over a child of God?
Do you think the devil has the power to plan our life? To dictate what we will do and where we will go and where we will spend our eternity? Come now, what kind of God would make you his child and then allow the devil to rule your life?
We are reminded in vs 4 and 5 and 9 and 11 and 14 and 15 and 16 that God’s Holy Spirit has come to dwell within us; to lead us and guide us in life; to transform our minds and to quicken our mortal bodies.
We are also told in vs.17 that we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ; and that even though we suffer in this life we will be Glorified Together with Christ.
We are told that the “sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed in us.” (18)
We are told in vs. 26 that the Spirit of God “helpeth our infirmities;” that the Spirit of God actually will Pray through us in those times we face situations that we don’t even know How to pray about them.
Finally, we are told in vs. 28 that “all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to his purpose.”
God is For us in Providential Care. He has given us his Spirit to dwell in us and lead us in life.
He has promised us Glory that will far outweigh any sufferings we endure in this life. He has promised that Everything that happens to us here in this life, both good and bad, will ultimately work for our good by his power and might. God was for us before Creation; God was for us at Calvary; God is for us in his Providential Care... and
IV. God is For Us in His Conquering Love.
At vs. 31, Paul looks back over the previous 30 verses and says, “Wow, what shall we say in light of All those things? Here’s what we’ll say- Since God is for us, who can be against us?”
God Loved us so much he refused to spare his own Son;
God loves us so much that he freely gives us all things.
God loves us so much that NOTHING can separate us from his love.
Not tribulation; distress; persecution; famine; nakedness; peril; sword; death; life; angels; principalities; powers; things present; things to come; height; depth; or any other creature.
God is For us in his conquering love. His love conquers all our foes; his love conquers all our fears; his love conquers Satan and sin; his love conquers even death.
God is For Us!
- Published on
Behind and Before
Isaiah 52:12
Intro: This chapter contains some amazing and powerful prophecies concerning Christ, the Messiah and Deliverer or Israel. It also contains some tremendous prophecies concerning Israel’s final deliverance and redemption. God promised to Redeem Jerusalem and show his might in the sight of all the nations of the world. In the midst of this great prophecy, God told his people that they would not have to flee from their enemies any more; they would go forth with power and victory. God made this promise to them: The Lord will go Before You, And the God of Israel will be your rereward.
The word rereward is an obsolete English word that means Rear Guard; so God promised that he would go Behind his People and Before his people. Well, this is great news for we are leaving an old year Behind, and we have a new year Before us. We need God to be Behind Us and Before Us.
I. The Foes that are Behind
Even though we make a big deal about a new year; “celebrate” out the old year and “celebrate” in the new one; the fact is much of the Old Year goes with us into the new one. Its true that we not only turn over a new page on a calendar, we actually start a whole new calendar, BUT the Past often pursues us into the Present.
The Failures that are Behind would love to pursue us into this new year. The devil rejoices when a Christian suffers failure; whether it be in a business; in a relationship; in a financial venture; in a job or career; and especially if there has been a Failure in a Spiritual area of life. The devil would like nothing better than to bring the Foe of Failure from Behind you into the new year. However, the Lord has promised to go Behind us. He will deal with those failures in our past year IF WE WILL LET HIM.
You need not be pursued into the new year by your failures.
The Sins that are Behind us would love to pursue us into the new year. The devil rejoices when a Christian sins; and we all know that we are not immune to sin. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” I have not allowed sin to conquer my soul this past year, but I know that I have come short of the glory of God; the best God wanted of me and for me. Those sins are pursuing us from behind but the Lord promised to go Behind us; he will deal with those sins if we will allow him to. Why go into a new year pursued by sins from the past one? If we confess our sins, Jesus is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we sin, we have an advocate with God the Father, Jesus Christ.
Even the Mistakes that are Behind us would love to pursue us into the new year.
There are words we said that were terrible mistakes.
There were things we did that were terrible mistakes.
There were decisions we made that were terrible mistakes.
Most of those terrible mistakes were unintentional; we certainly didn’t mean for that to happen.
That we Meant no harm makes little difference, for Life often punishes blunders as if they were crimes. Its kind of like Fire that burns and destroys whether it is started by accident or on purpose.
Don’t allow those mistakes to pursue you into the new year. The Lord promised to go Behind you, so allow him to deal with those mistakes and do everything in your power to Make them Right! Those Foes that are behind us can handled by our Great God.
II. The Fears that are Before Us.
When we enter a new year we are sailing out into uncharted waters. I’m reminded of Israel as they prepared to cross the Jordan river and enter the land of Canaan. Joshua gave them strict instructions to follow the Ark of God so they would know how to proceed, “for (Joshua said) ye have not passed this way heretofore.”
We have never actually been down the path the new year will bring us and because of that we have Fear of that which is before us.
The future is definitely Uncertain. No one of us knows what tomorrow holds; we certainly do not know what the month of January holds and we definitely do not and can not know what the year of 2019 holds for us. There are fears of uncertainty.
There are fears of the surprises that will come our way. We love those good surprises, but we dread those other kind!
There are fears of the Trials that may come our way; the reversals we may experience; the sorrows that may overwhelm us and on it goes.
But Remember today- God has promised to Go both Behind and Before Us.
- God Behind Us Is our Comfort!
He forgives our sins; his blood covers our trespasses; he understands our weakness and our frailty; he loves us in spite of our mistakes; he gives us a New Chance; A Fresh Opportunity; He Keeps our Enemies at Bay.
You know the saying, “I’ve Got your Back?” Well, it’s really true about our God, He really does have our back.
When the people of Israel were trapped at the Red Sea, the army of Egypt came up behind them to over take and over come them. In Ex 14 we read that the cloud of God’s glory that was Before Israel, removed and went Behind them and stayed between them and the Egyptian army all that night so that the warriors of Pharaoh could not come near the Israelites. So it is that God does Go Behind Us and God behind us is our Comfort.
- God Before Us is our Confidence.
Goes before us to Clear the way. In the words of an old song: “When in service for my Lord, dark may be the night, but I’ll cling more close to him, he will give me light; Satan’s snares may vex my soul, turn my thoughts aside, But My Lord Goes AHEAD, Leads whate’er betide...When in valleys low I look toward the mountain height. And behold my Savior there LEADING in the Fight.” He Goes Before!
In Mt. 28, women came to the tomb of Jesus hoping to anoint his body with spices. When they arrived, the stone was rolled away and an angel said to them, “go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him” He goes before you!
That’s why Paul said in Rom 8, If God be For Us, Who can be against us?
If God Go Before Us; who can be against us? God Behind and Before! God Behind us is our Comfort and God Before Us is our Confidence.
So that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
The Lord is my helper, I will not fear what 2019 may bring my way.
Isaiah 52:12
Intro: This chapter contains some amazing and powerful prophecies concerning Christ, the Messiah and Deliverer or Israel. It also contains some tremendous prophecies concerning Israel’s final deliverance and redemption. God promised to Redeem Jerusalem and show his might in the sight of all the nations of the world. In the midst of this great prophecy, God told his people that they would not have to flee from their enemies any more; they would go forth with power and victory. God made this promise to them: The Lord will go Before You, And the God of Israel will be your rereward.
The word rereward is an obsolete English word that means Rear Guard; so God promised that he would go Behind his People and Before his people. Well, this is great news for we are leaving an old year Behind, and we have a new year Before us. We need God to be Behind Us and Before Us.
I. The Foes that are Behind
Even though we make a big deal about a new year; “celebrate” out the old year and “celebrate” in the new one; the fact is much of the Old Year goes with us into the new one. Its true that we not only turn over a new page on a calendar, we actually start a whole new calendar, BUT the Past often pursues us into the Present.
The Failures that are Behind would love to pursue us into this new year. The devil rejoices when a Christian suffers failure; whether it be in a business; in a relationship; in a financial venture; in a job or career; and especially if there has been a Failure in a Spiritual area of life. The devil would like nothing better than to bring the Foe of Failure from Behind you into the new year. However, the Lord has promised to go Behind us. He will deal with those failures in our past year IF WE WILL LET HIM.
You need not be pursued into the new year by your failures.
The Sins that are Behind us would love to pursue us into the new year. The devil rejoices when a Christian sins; and we all know that we are not immune to sin. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” I have not allowed sin to conquer my soul this past year, but I know that I have come short of the glory of God; the best God wanted of me and for me. Those sins are pursuing us from behind but the Lord promised to go Behind us; he will deal with those sins if we will allow him to. Why go into a new year pursued by sins from the past one? If we confess our sins, Jesus is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we sin, we have an advocate with God the Father, Jesus Christ.
Even the Mistakes that are Behind us would love to pursue us into the new year.
There are words we said that were terrible mistakes.
There were things we did that were terrible mistakes.
There were decisions we made that were terrible mistakes.
Most of those terrible mistakes were unintentional; we certainly didn’t mean for that to happen.
That we Meant no harm makes little difference, for Life often punishes blunders as if they were crimes. Its kind of like Fire that burns and destroys whether it is started by accident or on purpose.
Don’t allow those mistakes to pursue you into the new year. The Lord promised to go Behind you, so allow him to deal with those mistakes and do everything in your power to Make them Right! Those Foes that are behind us can handled by our Great God.
II. The Fears that are Before Us.
When we enter a new year we are sailing out into uncharted waters. I’m reminded of Israel as they prepared to cross the Jordan river and enter the land of Canaan. Joshua gave them strict instructions to follow the Ark of God so they would know how to proceed, “for (Joshua said) ye have not passed this way heretofore.”
We have never actually been down the path the new year will bring us and because of that we have Fear of that which is before us.
The future is definitely Uncertain. No one of us knows what tomorrow holds; we certainly do not know what the month of January holds and we definitely do not and can not know what the year of 2019 holds for us. There are fears of uncertainty.
There are fears of the surprises that will come our way. We love those good surprises, but we dread those other kind!
There are fears of the Trials that may come our way; the reversals we may experience; the sorrows that may overwhelm us and on it goes.
But Remember today- God has promised to Go both Behind and Before Us.
- God Behind Us Is our Comfort!
He forgives our sins; his blood covers our trespasses; he understands our weakness and our frailty; he loves us in spite of our mistakes; he gives us a New Chance; A Fresh Opportunity; He Keeps our Enemies at Bay.
You know the saying, “I’ve Got your Back?” Well, it’s really true about our God, He really does have our back.
When the people of Israel were trapped at the Red Sea, the army of Egypt came up behind them to over take and over come them. In Ex 14 we read that the cloud of God’s glory that was Before Israel, removed and went Behind them and stayed between them and the Egyptian army all that night so that the warriors of Pharaoh could not come near the Israelites. So it is that God does Go Behind Us and God behind us is our Comfort.
- God Before Us is our Confidence.
Goes before us to Clear the way. In the words of an old song: “When in service for my Lord, dark may be the night, but I’ll cling more close to him, he will give me light; Satan’s snares may vex my soul, turn my thoughts aside, But My Lord Goes AHEAD, Leads whate’er betide...When in valleys low I look toward the mountain height. And behold my Savior there LEADING in the Fight.” He Goes Before!
In Mt. 28, women came to the tomb of Jesus hoping to anoint his body with spices. When they arrived, the stone was rolled away and an angel said to them, “go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him” He goes before you!
That’s why Paul said in Rom 8, If God be For Us, Who can be against us?
If God Go Before Us; who can be against us? God Behind and Before! God Behind us is our Comfort and God Before Us is our Confidence.
So that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
The Lord is my helper, I will not fear what 2019 may bring my way.
- Published on
The Way to Victory
Rom. 6:6-13
Intro: Romans chapters 6,7,& 8 are some of the most powerful doctrinal chapters in the entire NT when it comes to the Christian life; to matters of sanctification; to the issue of Full and Real Victory in the Christian life.
God is interested in the Victory of every Christian. God has made it abundantly clear the true Christian life is NOT to be one of constant defeat; one where we constantly feel like we are taking one step forward and then two backward; one where we feel like we never accomplish real victory over sin; real victory over the world; real victory over the flesh; real and abiding victory in our Christian life.
So I’m going to tackle what I call the Way to Victory that I see presented in Rom. 6 by the great apostle Paul. I think this way to victory revolves around three key words: Know; Reckon; and Yield.
I. The Foundation That Must be Laid
Rom. 6:6 KNOWING This- that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Here is the Foundation that Must be Laid in order for a Christian to live in real Victory.
It’s the foundation of Calvary; the foundation of the Cross of Jesus Christ; the foundation of KNOWING that Jesus Christ Did die for the sins of every man and every woman who would ever live on this earth; KNOWING that when Jesus cried out It is Finished and he gave his spirit up into the hands of the Father, Our Sin was crucified with him; the sin in our nature was crucified with him; our Old Man was crucified with Him; the “body” of sin was destroyed; (not talking about a physical body; not the body of Jesus or anyone else; but the body of sin; the totality of sin; the bulk of sin; the mass of sin that covered the human race). The body of sin was destroyed; Sin’s power was destroyed; sin’s authority was revoked; sin’s dominion was broken.
You and I have to KNOW That this is True. We have to be absolutely Convinced Our Sin was crucified with Jesus; that we are no longer required to “serve sin.” Jesus already Laid the Foundation to Victory for us!
Vs. 7 says “he that is dead is freed from sin.” When we were crucified with Christ; when our sin was crucified with him; sin’s power and dominion over us Died. We died with Christ and vs 8 reminds that we also Rose from the dead with Christ and that sin and death no more have dominion over us.
Think about it- Do you KNOW that all sin was crucified with Christ? Do you know that YOUR sins were crucified with Jesus and when you trusted Jesus for your own salvation, you died with him.
There was Substitution.
HE actually, physically died in our place on Calvary; we were the sinners, he was holy; we were the guilty, he was sinless; he took our place and died FOR us- Do You KNOW That?
There is Identification.
We who have repented and taken Jesus as our personal Savior can truly say that WE died with Him on the Cross. Our sins were there; our sinful nature was there; our failures were there; our rebellion was there; and as soon as the HG convicted us and we were saved- it became an established fact that You and I were crucified with Him.
This is an accomplished fact and we must KNOW IT; accept is as true; believe it trust in it.
II. The Decision that Must be Made.
Vs. 11- Likewise RECKON ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Once you lay the foundation by KNOWING- you must make the decision of Reckoning.
This word reckon has to do with our accepting the work of God in our heart, in our inner man, and in our soul.
There must be Personalization.
I must account MYSELF dead to sin; not someone else; ME. I must trust the work of Jesus Christ for ME; I must have faith in the work of Jesus for ME. It Was for me; it Is for me.
There must be Application.
I must live my human life, my physical life, with the understanding that I am dead to sin. Sin no longer Has Dominion over me like it one time did; Sin no longer has the authority to control me like it once did; it can only dominate me and control me IF I ALLOW IT TO.
Vs. 12 gives us this strong command- LET NOT SIN REIGN in your mortal body that you should obey it in its lusts.
We must make the Decision that we will live our human life with the understanding that we are Dead to Sin and Alive to God. It’s true that I was once Alive to Sin and dead to God; but NOW I am dead to sin and alive to God. We must practice in our Life what we KNOW To be True.
There is a foundation to be laid- Knowing what Jesus did for us.
There is a decision to be made; Reckoning our life to hid in Christ; in his death and in his resurrection.
III. The Price that Must be Paid.
Vs. 13- Neither Yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin; but yield yourselves unto God as those that are Alive from the dead and yield your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
YIELD- Yes, there is a Price to be Paid to have real and full Victory. You and I must Yield our Will to the Lord; we must Surrender our will to the Lord; we must consecrate our entire being and life to the Lord.
Now that I KNOW my old nature and its sin has been crucified with Christ;
Now that I have God’s Spirit dwelling in and working in my spirit;
Now that I have reckoned myself dead to sin and that decision has been made;
Now I must submit to the Spirit of God on a Daily Basis. I must consecrate my entire being, Spirit, Soul and Body, to living for the Lord.
You and I must refuse to allow the old man to rule our lives; we must willingly surrender to the Spirit of God and allow Him to lead us into righteousness.
One writer used this illustration:
The Captain of a ship became a tyrant. He disobeyed the owner, he mistreated the crew, he broke the Naval laws, so finally the crew rose up and officially replaced him with the First Mate, according to the requirements of the law. The old captain was placed in the hold of the ship while the new captain assumed his duties on deck. The old Captain was alive and still on the ship, and he tried every method he could think of to regain his position as Captain. He would yell out commands to any of the crew that came within the reach of his voice; but they had a new Captain and the old Captain Had NO real authority anymore so they Ignored him and refused to Obey him.
So it is that the Old Captain of our life has been demoted and put in the hold (so to speak). He blusters and threatens; he still tries to issue commands; he wants to regain his lost position; but I refuse to listen to him; he no longer has authority in my life; I ignore him and refuse to obey him.
For, Paul says in vs. 14- Sin SHALL not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law but under Grace.
Sin calls out for recognition but Grace rules;
Sin cries out for our submission and obedience but Grace rules;
Sin threatens and blusters and tries to cause Fear; but Grace Rules.
There is a Way to Victory!
Lay the Foundation- Know what Jesus already did for you; Make the Decision- Reckon yourself dead to sin and alive to God; Pay the Price-Yield to righteousness!
Rom. 6:6-13
Intro: Romans chapters 6,7,& 8 are some of the most powerful doctrinal chapters in the entire NT when it comes to the Christian life; to matters of sanctification; to the issue of Full and Real Victory in the Christian life.
God is interested in the Victory of every Christian. God has made it abundantly clear the true Christian life is NOT to be one of constant defeat; one where we constantly feel like we are taking one step forward and then two backward; one where we feel like we never accomplish real victory over sin; real victory over the world; real victory over the flesh; real and abiding victory in our Christian life.
So I’m going to tackle what I call the Way to Victory that I see presented in Rom. 6 by the great apostle Paul. I think this way to victory revolves around three key words: Know; Reckon; and Yield.
I. The Foundation That Must be Laid
Rom. 6:6 KNOWING This- that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Here is the Foundation that Must be Laid in order for a Christian to live in real Victory.
It’s the foundation of Calvary; the foundation of the Cross of Jesus Christ; the foundation of KNOWING that Jesus Christ Did die for the sins of every man and every woman who would ever live on this earth; KNOWING that when Jesus cried out It is Finished and he gave his spirit up into the hands of the Father, Our Sin was crucified with him; the sin in our nature was crucified with him; our Old Man was crucified with Him; the “body” of sin was destroyed; (not talking about a physical body; not the body of Jesus or anyone else; but the body of sin; the totality of sin; the bulk of sin; the mass of sin that covered the human race). The body of sin was destroyed; Sin’s power was destroyed; sin’s authority was revoked; sin’s dominion was broken.
You and I have to KNOW That this is True. We have to be absolutely Convinced Our Sin was crucified with Jesus; that we are no longer required to “serve sin.” Jesus already Laid the Foundation to Victory for us!
Vs. 7 says “he that is dead is freed from sin.” When we were crucified with Christ; when our sin was crucified with him; sin’s power and dominion over us Died. We died with Christ and vs 8 reminds that we also Rose from the dead with Christ and that sin and death no more have dominion over us.
Think about it- Do you KNOW that all sin was crucified with Christ? Do you know that YOUR sins were crucified with Jesus and when you trusted Jesus for your own salvation, you died with him.
There was Substitution.
HE actually, physically died in our place on Calvary; we were the sinners, he was holy; we were the guilty, he was sinless; he took our place and died FOR us- Do You KNOW That?
There is Identification.
We who have repented and taken Jesus as our personal Savior can truly say that WE died with Him on the Cross. Our sins were there; our sinful nature was there; our failures were there; our rebellion was there; and as soon as the HG convicted us and we were saved- it became an established fact that You and I were crucified with Him.
This is an accomplished fact and we must KNOW IT; accept is as true; believe it trust in it.
II. The Decision that Must be Made.
Vs. 11- Likewise RECKON ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Once you lay the foundation by KNOWING- you must make the decision of Reckoning.
This word reckon has to do with our accepting the work of God in our heart, in our inner man, and in our soul.
There must be Personalization.
I must account MYSELF dead to sin; not someone else; ME. I must trust the work of Jesus Christ for ME; I must have faith in the work of Jesus for ME. It Was for me; it Is for me.
There must be Application.
I must live my human life, my physical life, with the understanding that I am dead to sin. Sin no longer Has Dominion over me like it one time did; Sin no longer has the authority to control me like it once did; it can only dominate me and control me IF I ALLOW IT TO.
Vs. 12 gives us this strong command- LET NOT SIN REIGN in your mortal body that you should obey it in its lusts.
We must make the Decision that we will live our human life with the understanding that we are Dead to Sin and Alive to God. It’s true that I was once Alive to Sin and dead to God; but NOW I am dead to sin and alive to God. We must practice in our Life what we KNOW To be True.
There is a foundation to be laid- Knowing what Jesus did for us.
There is a decision to be made; Reckoning our life to hid in Christ; in his death and in his resurrection.
III. The Price that Must be Paid.
Vs. 13- Neither Yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin; but yield yourselves unto God as those that are Alive from the dead and yield your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
YIELD- Yes, there is a Price to be Paid to have real and full Victory. You and I must Yield our Will to the Lord; we must Surrender our will to the Lord; we must consecrate our entire being and life to the Lord.
Now that I KNOW my old nature and its sin has been crucified with Christ;
Now that I have God’s Spirit dwelling in and working in my spirit;
Now that I have reckoned myself dead to sin and that decision has been made;
Now I must submit to the Spirit of God on a Daily Basis. I must consecrate my entire being, Spirit, Soul and Body, to living for the Lord.
You and I must refuse to allow the old man to rule our lives; we must willingly surrender to the Spirit of God and allow Him to lead us into righteousness.
One writer used this illustration:
The Captain of a ship became a tyrant. He disobeyed the owner, he mistreated the crew, he broke the Naval laws, so finally the crew rose up and officially replaced him with the First Mate, according to the requirements of the law. The old captain was placed in the hold of the ship while the new captain assumed his duties on deck. The old Captain was alive and still on the ship, and he tried every method he could think of to regain his position as Captain. He would yell out commands to any of the crew that came within the reach of his voice; but they had a new Captain and the old Captain Had NO real authority anymore so they Ignored him and refused to Obey him.
So it is that the Old Captain of our life has been demoted and put in the hold (so to speak). He blusters and threatens; he still tries to issue commands; he wants to regain his lost position; but I refuse to listen to him; he no longer has authority in my life; I ignore him and refuse to obey him.
For, Paul says in vs. 14- Sin SHALL not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law but under Grace.
Sin calls out for recognition but Grace rules;
Sin cries out for our submission and obedience but Grace rules;
Sin threatens and blusters and tries to cause Fear; but Grace Rules.
There is a Way to Victory!
Lay the Foundation- Know what Jesus already did for you; Make the Decision- Reckon yourself dead to sin and alive to God; Pay the Price-Yield to righteousness!