“DEATH SHALL BE NO MORE!”

 Revelation 21:3-4                      (ESV)

“[3] And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of GOD is with man. HE will dwell with them, and they will be HIS people, and GOD HIMSELF will be with them as their GOD. [4] HE will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and “DEATH SHALL BE NO MORE”, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.””

Because of the perfect, sinless LIFE lived by JESUS, we must realize and accept that “DEATH SHALL BE NO MORE”!  The pain of seeing loved ones deteriorate and succumb to old age and death will soon be a thing of the past.  

“DEATH SHALL BE NO MORE”!!!

“WITHDRAW TO DESOLATE PLACES AND PRAY!”

 Luke 5:16                          (ESV)

“[16] But HE would “WITHDRAW TO DESOLATE PLACES AND PRAY”.”

Most people who take the time to read my offerings are aware of the Brain Hemorrhage I experienced in 2007.  Although it has been almost sixteen years ago, I continue being taught lessons from “the valley of the shadow of death”.  

JESUS had just healed a leper in the verses prior to verse sixteen.  Then shortly thereafter HE healed a paralytic man!  But in the midst of HIS MINISTRY, JESUS had to “WITHDRAW TO DESOLATE PLACES AND PRAY”!  GOD in the flesh had the need to be alone with the FATHER and “recharge”, to refocus HIS energies on HIS MISSION!  

Why don’t we understand that if JESUS needed to BE STILL, certainly we need to take time from our busy schedules to “WITHDRAW TO DESOLATE PLACES AND PRAY”?  Certainly we aren’t more capable than THE ALMIGHTY at being capable of keeping our focus on what needs to be done by us?  What is more important for us to do than to “WITHDRAW TO DESOLATE PLACES AND PRAY????

“I CHOSE YOU!”

 John 15:16                                           (ESV)

“[16] You did not choose ME, but “I CHOSE YOU” and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the FATHER IN MY NAME, HE may give it to you.”

JESUS came to earth to PAY the sin debt for HIS CHOSEN.  HE CHOSE US before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4) so NO ONE could build a case as to why they were selected!  Apparently HE says very quickly that “I CHOSE YOU” and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, not to “sit, soak, and sour”!!!

“I CHOSE YOU” is the ONLY reason why any person will spend eternity in HEAVEN!  We must BE STILL long enough to get CLEAR DIRECTIONS where we should be going, but then go into the fields that are white unto harvest (John 4:31-36) remembering that “I CHOSE YOU” for a purpose!!!

“HE DELIGHTED IN ME!”

 Psalm 18:17-21                      (ESV)

    “[17] HE rescued me from my STRONG ENEMY

        and from THOSE WHO HATED ME,

        for THEY WERE TOO MIGHTY for me. 

    [18] They confronted me in the day of my calamity,

        but THE LORD was my support. 

    [19] HE brought me out into a broad place;

        HE rescued me, because “HE DELIGHTED IN ME”.

    [20] The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness;

        according to the cleanness of my hands HE rewarded me. 

    [21] For I have kept the ways of the LORD,

        and have not wickedly departed from my GOD.”

Because JESUS CHOSE me “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4), and “HE DELIGHTED IN ME” even though I was a flawed creation, I have more than HOPE, I have a PROMISE from the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSES to never LEAVE me nor FORSAKE me (Romans 8:31-39)!  

“HE DELIGHTED IN ME” and would NOT leave me in my sinful ways, but drew me close to HIM and will not let me go!!!

“THE LORD OF HOSTS HAS SWORN!”

 Isaiah 14:24-27                     (ESV)

An Oracle Concerning Assyria

    “[24] “THE LORD OF HOSTS HAS SWORN”:

    “As I have planned,

        SO IT SHALL BE,

    and as I have purposed,

        SO IT SHALL STAND, 

    [25] that I will break the Assyrian in MY land,

        and on MY mountains trample him underfoot;

    and his yoke shall depart from them,

        and his burden from their shoulder.”

    [26] This is the purpose that is purposed

        concerning the whole earth,

    and this is the hand that is stretched out

        over all the nations. 

    [27] FOR THE LORD OF HOSTS HAS PURPOSED,

        AND WHO WILL ANNUL IT?

    HIS HAND is stretched out,

        and who will turn it back?”

“WHO AM I?”

 Exodus 3:1-11                        (ESV)

The Burning Bush

“[1] Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of GOD. [2] And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. [3] And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” [4] When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, GOD called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” [5] Then HE said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is Holy ground.” [6] And HE said, “I am the GOD of your father, the GOD of Abraham, the GOD of Isaac, and the GOD of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at GOD.

[7] Then the LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of MY people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, [8] and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. [9] And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to ME, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. [10] Come, I WILL SEND YOU to Pharaoh that you may bring MY people, the children of Israel, OUT OF EGYPT.” [11] But Moses said to GOD, “”WHO AM I” that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?””

A Believer who lives far away from society can be used by ALMIGHTY GOD to reach multitudes!!!  Moses was “keeping the flock” of his father-in-law Jethro, and came upon Mt. Horeb, the mountain of GOD!  Mt. Horeb is in desolate place, there is very little tourist attractions nearby!  It is HERE that ALMIGHTY GOD chose to speak to Moses about delivering HIS Children from Egyptian captivity, a place where there are very few distractions!

Moses had been reared in Pharaohs house.  The daughter of Pharaoh “found” Moses floating in a basket because his mother didn’t want him to be killed by the Egyptian authorities.  So GOD used the daughter of Pharaoh to raise up HIS CHOSEN vessel to deliver HIS Children from their captors!  

When GOD told Moses about HIS PLAN, Moses had a LOT of questions!  The most obvious one was “WHO AM I” to do what YOU speak of?  I killed an Egyptian and fled to Midian escaping the wrath of Pharaoh.  Now you want me to go back and tell the newest Pharaoh to let YOUR people go???  But GODS PLAN doesn’t have to “make sense”, it just needs to be followed!  

When THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSES wants an instrument to HIS to perform a task, he is usually in a spot where his objections are FUTILE!  Indeed Moses did DELIVER the Israelites from Egyptian captivity, but it was ONLY because GOD was in it!  “WHO AM I” was answered by ALMIGHTY GOD with because of WHO I AM!!!

“YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN!”

 

1 Corinthians 6:19-20                            (ESV)

“[19] Or do you not know that YOUR BODY is a temple of the HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU, WHOM you have from GOD? “YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN”, [20] for you were BOUGHT WITH A PRICE. So GLORIFY GOD IN YOUR BODY.”

So often it is easiest to NOT remember that “YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN”, but that I was BOUGHT WITH A PRICE!  I am so vile and detestable that it required GOD IN THE FLESH to redeem my soul.  JESUS, the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSES (Colossians 1:16), yielded HIS body as the Sacrificial Substitute for me and all mankind on the cross of Calvary, ONCE AND FOR ALL!

When I think that I know what is best in fulfilling HIS PLAN for my life, I need to remember that “YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN” and perform the tasks that draw honor and Glory to CHRIST!  After all, “YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN”, I belong to JESUS!!!

“HE IS A NEW CREATION!”

 2 Corinthians 5:16-17                (ESV)

“[16] From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded CHRIST according to the flesh, we regard HIM thus no longer. [17] Therefore, IF ANYONE IS IN CHRIST, “HE IS A NEW CREATION”. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Even someone who has been through as much as I have health wise, it is paramount that I REMEMBER what I was and what JESUS has delivered me from!  While it is TRUE that before the Brain Hemorrhage I was extremely “in charge”!  Since the DIVINE INTERVENTION I am quite reserved (comparatively) and find myself at times trying NOT to return to the “old man”!

For me it is easy to say “HE IS A NEW CREATION” for the changes in my personality are immensely evident.  Some things were quite easy to release, while others took a few years.  But I AM IN CHRIST and I will GLORY in that transformation.  “HE IS A NEW CREATION” is something that JESUS CHRIST Created and I am forever grateful!!!

“BECOMING CONCEITED?”

 2 Corinthians 12:7-10                (ESV)

“[7] So to keep me from “BECOMING CONCEITED” because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. [8] Three times I pleaded with the LORD about this, that it should leave me. [9] But HE said to me, “MY GRACE is sufficient for you, for MY POWER is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of CHRIST may rest upon me. [10] For the sake of CHRIST, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, THEN I AM STRONG.”

To get down to the TRUTH of the matter, as a father I probably spent more money on my children’s worldly escapades than I ever invested in their SPIRITUAL growth.  What was I REALLY more interested in SEEING, their worldly success or their ETERNAL growth and success?

Imagine if the amount of money being spent on sports, from kids sports to professional sports, was invested into the furthering of the Gospel?  Since ALMIGHTY GOD BLESSES us with even the breaths we breathe, shouldn’t we understand that we are entrusted by our CREATOR with our resources to further HIS purposes, not on earthly matters?  Do we have ETERNAL perspectives when allocating resources entrusted to us by our HEAVENLY FATHER?  Where do we BELIEVE those resources originate from?

One dictionary says that the word CONCEITED means “having an excessively favorable opinion of one's abilities, appearance, etc.”!  The Apostle Paul wanted to have “a thorn in the flesh” removed from him because it was causing him discomfort.  JESUS told him “MY GRACE is sufficient for you, for MY POWER is made perfect in weakness.”!  Shouldn’t we long more for MY GRACE and MY POWER than we long for worldly things??  

FATHER IN HEAVEN, cause me to seek MY GRACE and MY POWER and refrain from “BECOMING CONCEITED” with temporal things!!!

“HOW CAN THESE THINGS BE?”

 John 3:1-15                                (ESV)

You Must Be Born Again

“[1] Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. [2] This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from GOD, for no one can do these signs that you do unless GOD is with him.” [3] JESUS answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of GOD.” [4] Nicodemus said to HIM, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” [5] JESUS answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the SPIRIT, he cannot enter the kingdom of GOD. [6] That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the SPIRIT is spirit. [7] Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ [8] The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the SPIRIT.”

[9] Nicodemus said to HIM, “HOW CAN THESE THINGS BE?” [10] JESUS answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? [11] Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. [12] If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? [13] No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the SON of MAN. [14] And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the SON of MAN be lifted up, [15] that whoever believes in HIM may have eternal life.” 

Because of the length of the text of the focal Scriptures, my comments will be brief.  

In this case, JESUS is speaking with Nicodemus due to Nicodemus coming to JESUS by night and wanting JESUS to confirm that HE was from GOD.  At least at this moment he was inquiring, Nicodemus could not SEE because his EYES had not been OPENED!  “HOW CAN THESE THINGS BE?” wasn’t a invalid question, I believe Nicodemus really wanted to KNOW!  The fact that he couldn’t SEE was something that could NOT happen unless DIVINE INTERVENTION was made!  

ONLY when ALMIGHTY GOD CHOOSES someone and OPENS their EYES can they know “HOW CAN THESE THINGS BE?”  

“WAIT ON THE LORD!”

 Psalms 27:11-14                  (KJV)

“11 Teach me THY WAY, O LORD, and LEAD ME IN A PLAIN PATH, because of mine enemies. 12 DELIVER ME NOT OVER UNTO UNTO THE WILL OF MINE ENEMIES: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. 

     13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 14 “WAIT ON THE LORD”: be of good courage, and HE shall strengthen thine heart: WAIT, I SAY, ON THE LORD.”

Briefly this morning, FAR TOO OFTEN “this world” attempts to get the activities of our lives in a pace that we can’t appreciate THE DELIVERANCE provided to us by OUR CREATOR!  TEACH ME, O LORD, to “WAIT ON THE LORD” and don’t let me get caught up in the busyness of the enemy!!!

“THE JAILER!”

Acts 16:29-30                        (ESV)

“[29] And “THE JAILER” called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. [30] Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?””

Being charged with being “THE JAILER” might not have been a glorious occupation during the time that the book of Acts was written?  Normally “THE JAILER” was tasked with securing the prisoners, and when unsuccessful in the efforts, he might have to pay with his own freedom, possibly even death!  

“THE JAILER” was in a precarious situation!  The prisoners he was left in charge of had been broken out of jail by the HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD and he was left with no idea what to do now?  He drew his sword to preparing to end his life when Paul yelled at him to not do that.  He later reported to Paul and the other prisoners “The magistrates have sent to let you go” (Acts 16:36), but they wouldn’t leave.  Acts 16:39 says “So they (the magistrates) came and APOLOGIZED to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city”!  

From being shackled in the inner prison to being APOLOGIZED to by their captors is a rather HUGE transformation.  Nothing can compare to the FREEDOM that is found by placing TRUST in JESUS!  “THE JAILER” became a SAINT very quickly, and his family as well!  He was undoubtedly CHOSEN before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4) but his EYES weren’t OPENED until the timing was correct!  

Are you still “THE JAILER”, or are you a SAINT???

“TELL THE ROCK!”

 Numbers 20:2-13                        (ESV)

The Waters of Meribah

“[2] Now there was no water for the congregation. And they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. [3] And the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Would that we had perished when our brothers perished before the LORD! [4] Why have you brought the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle? [5] And why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.” [6] Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD APPEARED TO THEM, [7] and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, [8] “Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and “TELL THE ROCK” before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.” [9] And Moses took the staff from before the LORD, as HE commanded him.

Moses Strikes the Rock

[10] Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” [11] And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. [12] And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “BECAUSE YOU DID NOT BELIEVE IN ME, TO UPHOLD ME AS HOLY IN THE EYES OF THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL, THEREFORE YOU SHALL NOT BRING THIS ASSEMBLY INTO THE LAND THAT I HAVE GIVEN THEM.” [13] These are the waters of Meribah, where the people of Israel quarreled with the LORD, and through them HE showed HIMSELF HOLY.”

There are times when we need to LISTEN to THE LORD and do precisely what HE instructs us to do!  Moses and Aaron did NOT do what they were instructed, and their disobedience had a cost!  

All they had to do was “TELL THE ROCK” to produce water, but they didn’t listen to the instructions of ALMIGHTY GOD and they were held accountable for their disobedience.  

We serve a HOLY GOD, and we must remember that when we act on HIS behalf!  Striking a rock might be more demonstrative, but it wasn’t what THE HOLY GOD instructed them to do!  We MUST do precisely what ALMIGHTY GOD instructs us to do, even when we are offered seemingly better options!  “TELL THE ROCK” is the ONLY OPTION when GOD gives that as HIS PLAN!!!