The Blood

We don’t talk about the blood of Jesus much anymore, but without the blood there is no forgiveness of sins and we would still be in our sins, separated from our Creator with no hope.  Can you totally comprehend what that means?  In different places in God’s Word, we read about the animals that were sacrificed for sins and they were also offered up to God for thank and peace offerings. These animals were to be without any defects whatsoever, read Leviticus 3:1, “And if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offer it of the herd; whether it be a male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the Lord.”

The people offered animals for thank and peace offerings as an expression of gratitude and a means of establishing fellowship with God.  The first time we hear about blood being shed was in the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve sinned and God killed an innocent animal for a covering of their naked bodies, because that was the first time anyone ever felt shame, which is what sin does to us, plus it has other devastating effects on us.  Blood has been shed for sin since the beginning of time.

Then there was the time that Abraham was tested, when God told him to take his son Isaac and sacrifice him, but in that situation God intervened and provided a ram for Abraham to sacrifice because God found him to be faithful; that was another case of innocent blood being shed.  

Then there was the time the Israelites were in bondage in Egypt and the last plague was an innocent lamb being killed and the blood being applied to the top and sides of the doorpost so when the death angel passed over he would see the blood and no one would be harmed in the home because of their obedience and the blood.

Then there was the time when God, because of the rebellion of His people, brought venomous snakes upon them and they cried out to Moses, who in turn cried out to God on their behalf, and God told Moses to build a bronze snake and put it on a pole so when anyone looked up to the snake they would live, even if they were dying.

Now let’s jump ahead to when Jesus was led up a hill called Golgotha and was crucified, died and was buried, and then rose again so when people look to Him with humble, repentant hearts and put their trust in Him they will also live, if they don’t throw away their confidence and end up walking away from the faith they once believed in.

Jesus was also related to as the Lamb of God, read John 1:29-34, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.”  

Jesus was also the perfect sacrifice, the innocent for the guilty, but He, unlike the scapegoat that had to give His life for sins, gave His life freely by His own choice for the sins of everyone.  Read John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

This is great news; Jesus, being innocent who never sinned, shed His blood for the guilty for without the shedding of His blood there is, and can be, no forgiveness of sins, praise the Lord for His saving grace!  God’s Word says that we have all sinned and fell short of the glory of God.  The blood of animals was like a covering over of sins, but the blood of Jesus cleansed and washed away our sins and, though they were red like crimson, they become white as snow when they are covered by the blood of Jesus!!  When we repent, which means we truly desire to turn away from our sins and confess our sins, they are gone, to be remembered no more against us, hallelujah, praise the Lord!  That is what the blood of Jesus was for!!

I have given you something to think about and I pray that you will find forgiveness through His precious shed blood that comes from the Lord and experience His perfect peace, love and joy.  May the good Lord bless you and yours and may you have a super day!!  And don’t forget to thank and praise the Lord for He is worthy!!

Fear

I want to talk about something that we hear very little about in many of our churches today.  It almost seems like a foreign word today when it comes to God.  I would like to talk about the fear of the Lord.  How do we know if we fear the Lord?  This verse might help you, read Proverbs 16:6, “By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.”

The things we hear about most in the church are the love, mercy, grace and forgiveness of God.  While these are all true and without them we could never be right with God, if we have no fear of God before our eyes, won’t we have a tendency to take advantage of Him?  We know that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, but how many believers fear God to the extent that it truly makes a difference in their lives?  How many are hiding secret sins in their lives, coming to church making like everything is fine, praising the Lord and having a good time?  How many are gossiping and how many hold on to bitterness and unforgiveness or how many are having affairs and how many are mistreating their wives?  How many are lying and deceiving others or conniving behind people’s backs?  How many are filled with pride and arrogance?  The list could go on and on and, if you are hiding these sins, this will eventually take place.

If you are involved in these sins, or any that I haven’t mentioned, and sit under a pastor that preaches the truth and you are not responding by truly repenting, confessing and turning away from these sins, then you are hardening your hearts.  If you don’t deal with these sins you may get to the point where all you will do is make excuses for them or try to manipulate scriptures so that you can feel good about yourself.  Judas tried to hide his sin while stealing money out of the disciple’s money bag that he was in charge off, then he betrayed Jesus and then he ended up going out and hanging himself, not a good ending to his life.  If he would have just repented, things could have been so much different.

Read what Salomon said about wisdom in Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Sin is enticing but if you have a healthy fear of the Lord and hate sin knowing how destructive it is, than you will try to avoid it like the plague.  Read what Paul says on this subject in Romans 6:1-14, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 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. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”

My pastor that was in the church I went to years ago, kiddingly said it like this, “Should we sin that grace should abound, of course not stupid.”

I heard this said last night from a preacher, it went pretty close to this, ‘With fear and trembling be subject to one another and in the fear of Christ there is only one way to heaven but many ways to hell.’  If you’re hiding your sin and you refuse to deal with it when the Lord’s been dealing with it, you will end up a very miserable person and very ineffective for the Lord.

Look at Peter and David’s example, Peter denied the Lord and David committed adultery and murder but they both had something in common, they both repented of their sin and found love, grace and forgiveness and you can too!! God’s Word says this in 2 Corinthians 7:9-11, “Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.”

If you are in these situations I talked about, go and do likewise.  I hope this has been a help and a blessing and yes this is talking to me also.  May you have a super day and may the good Lord bless you and yours!!

Fighting

Stop fighting the fight that Jesus has already won!!  In other words, stop battling and striving to do what Jesus has already accomplished in you if you have already been born-again.  Shake off the heavy chains that have bound you, for in Christ you have been set free.  Fight the good fight of faith and resist the devil and he will flee from you.  If you are truly born again you have the power of the Holy Spirit in your life and there is no greater power than that. Stand up and be an overcomer and stop making excuses for your actions.  Call sin what God calls it, sin, and repent, which means turn in the other direction and forsake your sin and ask the good Lord to forgive you.

Take inventory of the things you have in your house and get rid of the things that cause you to stumble and fall back into your old lifestyle.  If your old friends are dragging you down then it is time to find new friends, if it’s worldly influence, stop conforming to it.  Stop making up things as a way to get around the sins that you have committed.  Also stop blaming everyone else or saying you made a mistake, or something to that effect, and just own up to it.  You will never get set free unless you admit what you have done and take the blame for it.  Jesus came to give us life because we were dead in our sins and iniquities, yes we were dead spiritually and the Holy Spirit quickened us and made us alive spiritually.  Jesus came and paid the penalty for our sins by allowing himself to be crucified and by shedding His precious blood on our behalf and for all who will truly trust in Him.

Then think of this, how much do you really hate sin knowing that every time you sin you hurt God who is so holy that He cannot even look at sin?  When we learn to hate sin as the Lord hates sin, we will be much more careful of temptation and flee from it far more often and do our best to try to honor God!!  None of us have an excuse to fall into sin because God has provided a way out that we may be able to bear it.

Read what it says in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

Take note as I am typing this I am saying we, because this pertains to me also and I need a reminder to get with it and get it right also.  This is what the footnotes in my Bible says:  “In a culture filled with moral depravity and pressures, Paul gave strong encouragement to the Corinthians about temptation. He said (1) wrong desires and temptations happen to everyone so don’t feel you have been singled out; (2) others have resisted temptation and so can you; (3) any temptation can be resisted because God will help you resist it.  God helps you resist temptation by helping you: (1) Recognize those people and situations that give you trouble; (2) run from anything you know is wrong; (3) choose to do only what is right; (4) pray for God’s help, and (5) seek friends who will help you when you are tempted.  Running from a tempting situation is your first step to victory. (See 2 Timothy 2:22, “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”)

There is victory in Jesus when we press into Him and seek His face and His strength in prayer.  So let’s claim that victory and be overcomers in Him and fight the good fight of faith!!  Something to think about!  May you have a super day!  May the good Lord bless you and yours!!  Don’t forget to thank and praise the Lord!!

The Joy Of Friendships

I would like to talk about friendships and the joy of having a close friend.  If we are truly born-again, we have a true friend.  

I would like you to think about what Jesus said as He was teaching about the vine and the branches in John 15:7-16, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”

Jesus could have called us His slaves or His servants, which we should be but here He called us friends; it is hard to imagine the King of kings and the Lord of lords would call us His friends!  Just think, He left heaven to come down to earth to be our sacrificial Lamb because without the shedding of blood there could be no forgiveness of sins; and it had to be a perfect sacrifice and He was the perfect man who had no sin.  His love was so great that He became the perfect sacrifice for our sins, read verse 13 again, it is great news, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

Jesus suffered agonizing pain all because He chose to.  He was beaten, whipped, spat upon, slapped, mocked, bruised and, as if that wasn’t enough, He was nailed to a cross by His hands and feet, suffering for our sins while the soldiers bartered for His clothes, and that wasn’t enough, He felt like his Father had forsaken Him.  He willingly died and was buried; but the good news was, He rose again to be the Savior of the world and this same Jesus calls us His friends.  Even in our sinful state; filthy, dirty and disgusting, Jesus still loved us even when we were His enemies and He could have destroyed all who did all the terrible things that were done to him, but He still said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”  And, the awesome thing about all this is that the invitation to know Him personally is still valid.

He says this in Matthew 11:27-30, “All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

A wooden yoke that was put on an ox was very heavy, especially when it was attached to a cart that was loaded down with hay, wood or other materials and then when it was removed it must have felt real good.  This is similar to people that are loaded down with sin, sickness, pain or problems; what they need is a true friend that can set them free of their sins, can heal their sicknesses, relieve their pain and help them with their problems and Jesus can do all these things and far more.  He can turn your depression into joy and give you perfect peace and love, where can you find a better friend than that?

Now please read this in Revelations 22:12-17, “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”

The invitation is still there for everyone to come, just like when Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well.  So, if you are thirsty, come and receive what the Lord Jesus has for you.  When you repent and put your trust in Him, He will be one that sticks closer than a brother.  He will be a real true friend. Something to think about and may the good Lord bless you and yours and may you have a super day!!   

Repent

I like to come back to this subject often because it is essential that everyone repent of their sins.  No one has an excuse for not repenting when we sin, for God’s Word tell us that we have all sinned and fell short of the glory of God.  We all have stood condemned before God because of the sin we were born with.  When we repent of our sins and ask the Lord to forgive us we are doing what He wants us to do. Do you know that the angels rejoice over every sinner that repents and asks forgiveness?    

There are three Parables in Luke 15: read 15:1-7, “Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. And he spake this parable unto them, saying, What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”

Then read Luke 15:8-10, “Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”

The third one is about the lost son, if you want to read that.  It is in Luke 15 also, it starts in verse 11 and ends in verse 32.  All of these speak of repentance.  I want you to know that God is a loving God and His mercy endures forever, He is full of grace and truth and there is rejoicing in heaven over one lost sinner that repents, turning from their sins, and receives Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  There is only one way to get to God or heaven and that is through Jesus Christ, God’s beloved Son.

Jesus said this in John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

I know that some people teach that there are other ways to get to heaven, but there is only one way, and that is through Jesus!!  Hey, praise God that He was willing to send Jesus down to walk amongst us, and praise Jesus for His sacrificial death on the cross for our sins.  It was the innocent for the guilty, a Man who knew no sin took the sins of the world on His shoulders and was willing to die a horrible death so that we could be forgiven, when we repent and ask for forgiveness.  Just think of this, He took the punishment that we deserved, the cross He bore should have been ours, but He willingly suffered for us, in our place shedding His blood and dying, He was buried then He rose from the grave. 

This is something to get excited about, God could have condemned us but instead He poured forth His mercy and grace, praise the Lord!!  The Bible says without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins, no forgiveness, and it could only be done through a perfect sacrifice and Jesus was the Lamb of God, the perfect sacrifice satisfying the wrath of God and now He sits at the right hand of God; this is the good news.  I hope this has been an encouragement to you and I hope you have a super day!!  May the good Lord bless you and yours!!