“Hear, O LORD!”

 Psalm 27:7                       (ESV)

      “[7] Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud;

        be gracious to me and answer me!”

“THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED!”

 Mark 9:42-48                         (ESV)

Temptations to Sin

“[42] “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in ME to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. [43] And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. [45] And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. [47] And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of GOD with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, [48] ‘where their worm does not die and “THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED”.’”

JESUS had a way of saying the precise point HE was making with the precision and exactness that transcended what mankind had ever experienced!  In the focal passage of Scripture above, when JESUS tells us “THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED” it is stating that the torment will not lessen for eternity!  The pain from NOT surrendering to HIS call will not reduce when we are consumed!  We will never burn up, but will burn ETERNALLY, FOREVER AND FOREVER!!!

We CANNOT fathom the GRUESOMENESS of the punishment that hell will bring with it.  If we could, we would most likely stand before everyone proclaiming that they MUST turn from their ways and surrender to JESUS!  We can’t imagine ETERNITY with GOD, but we certainly don’t want to think about a place where “THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED”!!!

“JESUS SAID UNTO HER!”

 John 4:25-26                       (ESV)

“[25] The woman said to HIM, “I know that Messiah is coming (HE WHO is called CHRIST). When HE comes, HE will tell us all things.” [26] “JESUS SAID UNTO HER”, “I WHO speak to you am HE.””

One of my favorite Messages of THE BIBLE is in John 4 when JESUS meets the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well and OPENS her EYES to SEE her lostness, and eventually her salvation and transformation.  She couldn’t SEE this at first, but when her EYES were OPENED she was able recognize that her deliverance from the captivity of her past and poor choices was being addressed only when “JESUS SAID UNTO HER”, “I WHO speak to you am HE”!  

The woman at the well wasn’t what most people would consider an upstanding woman.  She had been married FIVE TIMES (John 4:18) and the man she was living with at the time she wasn’t married to!  And why did JESUS send HIS disciples to go find food leaving HIMSELF to be alone with her???  One would think that a “man of GOD” would not subject HIMSELF to any temptation that would arise from the situation that presented itself from the situation. However JESUS wasn’t a “man of GOD”, HE IS GOD and HE knew that the woman at the well needed to be addressed in private and that was taken care of by THE CREATOR!  JESUS “knew” what she needed, even though she was yet to know herself!

When “JESUS SAID UNTO HER” what HE did, the woman’s life was totally and completely changed!  When JESUS told her “I WHO speak to you AM HE” the MESSAGE was plain that HE was THE MESSIAH, the ONE WHO is the CHRIST”!  

HE, JESUS, is still THE CHRIST, but HE hasn’t OPENED the EYES of a lot of people in “this world” yet.  Until “JESUS SAID UNTO HER” that HE needs to be alone with you and HE removes ALL encumbrances, you probably won’t listen to HIM, but this woman DID listen to HIM!  The woman at the well was CHOSEN, even though she wasn’t the ideal candidate for THE KING OF KINGS to be addressing!  When “JESUS SAID UNTO HER”, she was moved to listen, because she was speaking to THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSES!!!

Why is it that we find ourselves TOO BUSY when JESUS speaks to us???

“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!!!