“Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” (Romans 14:23)

Whenever God reveals something, He expects us to believe Him and adjust our lives accordingly. What does this mean? It means we trust Him implicitly for all of our needs because He says He will provide (Philippians 4:19).  It means we approach crises with the assurance that God will bring good from them (Romans 8:28). It means we overcome anxiety during stressful situations because God instructs us to bring our requests to Him (Philippians 4:6). It means that we never worry that we are alone because God said He would never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6). It means that, despite what happens in our lives , we will never doubt God’s love because  He  has told us that He loves us with an everlasting love ( Jeremiah 31:3).

            At times we try to justify our lack of faith! We know what God has promised, but we doubt that He will make a practical difference in our life. We are filled with anxiety and excuse ourselves by saying: “I am just a worrier!” We become bitter during crises and reason that “God could not possibly bring anything good out of this pain!” We appeal for help form everyone around us when we have a need; then we explain: “I know God can provide for my needs, but I think I should do everything I can, just in case.” God calls this faithlessness. Faithlessness is sin because it separates us from God. Hebrews 11:6 states, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him.” (“Experience GOD Day by Day” Devotional)

Luke 18:7-8: “And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”

Matthew 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?”

Hebrews 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 do we let go and let God take control? It comes down to trust. Do we trust Him with everything in us? When Jesus was asked which commandment was the greatest, He said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.’ (Matthew 22:36-40). Heart, soul and mind!

There is a reason heart is listed first. Jeremiah said, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”  Jesus stated, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: (Matthew 15:19).” This is why we need to give our heart to Jesus because He is the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2) and then we can have the “Faith of Jesus (Revelation 14:12).”

Pauline Gesare Okemwa wrote in the devotional,“In His Presence,” the following :

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. (Psalm 27:14, NIV)”

The faith of four Hebrew youths speaks to us in the time of crisis. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, stated their faith both in God’s power and providence (Daniel 3:16-18). And then the persecuting king saw a fourth Person, the Son of God, in the fiery furnace with the three young men whom he had thrown in for their refusal to bow to another god. The story of Daniel in the lions’ den also inspires faith.

I have been wanting to understand what faith means in my life as a Christian. At times, I pray and nothing seems to happen. When I read Christ’s comment about mustard seed faith being able to move mountains (Matthew 17:20), I yearn to have that kind of faith. I need faith! I need it to open the doors of heaven as well as doors at my workplace, in my family, in my studies, and in every decision I make.

I keep on praying daily to have the faith that Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had. I need the fourth Person whenever I go. I need His help both for myself and also as I extend my hand to help others have faith in Him.

If we can have faith and walk with God, we will be changed. God will use us to draw many broken hearts to Himself. By faith we can win battles as it is He who arms us with strength for every battle against the enemy. Our battlefields will be changed into fields of blessings.

By faith we will see stumbling blocks turned into stepping stones. These things happen when we know who we are and Who holds us in the palm of His hand. None other than Jesus.

Another reason we need faith is so that we can wait patiently for the answers to our prayers. I like what David said to King Saul before the young man went to fight the giant, Goliath: “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him. . . . All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword, or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s” (1 Samuel 17:32, 47).

For these praying Bible characters, faith was the hand on the key that opened doors for them. But prayer without faith is like a key without a hand to turn it.

Let’s pray with faith as did these Bible characters, and God will open doors for us as well.

Matthew 21:21-22 – “Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”

John 14:13 – “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

Have you ever had to wait for the answer or maybe the answer was something you didn’t expect? He knows what we need and it may not be what we want. He knows what is best for us; we just need to trust in Him!

 “Faith grows strong by coming in conflict with doubts and opposing influences.” (This is why we need to endure and press through because He is there with us carrying us through and) “The experience gained in the trails is more value than the most costly jewels” (Testimonies for the church. EG White)

Woman At The Well

Through the Holy Spirit’s prompting, the story of the Samaritan woman was the first to be written and it happens to be one of my favorites. Some of you may not have a Bible yet, so I have been led to complete the whole story here with a few comments. This woman will meet Jesus for the very first time as some of you may be meeting Him for the first time. (Though the King James Version (KJV) does not capitalize the pronouns, I will be doing that throughout as a sign of respect for Jesus and God).

The story begins in John Chapter 4:1-4 (KJV).  “When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (though Jesus Himself baptized not, but His Disciples,) He left Judaea and departed again to Galilee. And He must needs (of necessity) go through Samaria.” If you are not aware of this already, the Samaritans and the Jews did not get along, to put it mildly. The Jews would make an effort to go around the whole area, even if it took them longer, thus avoiding conflicts.  Jesus, however, told His disciples He must go through Samaria.  

John Chapter 4: 5-10 states, “Then cometh He to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with His journey, sat on the well: and it was about the sixth hour (noon). There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give Me to drink. (For His Disciples were gone away to the city to buy meat.) Then saith the woman of Samaria unto Him, How is it that Thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which I am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give Me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water.”  Jesus is our gift from God that was given to us to redeem us to Himself. You may have heard of John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” Now think about this part of the story, He knew where she was going to be and waited for her just as He waits for you no matter where you are. If Jesus had gone to the city first, she may never have met Him because she may have never been with the other crowds in her situation. He meet us where we are on an individual basis. We just need to talk with Him.

The story continues in John Chapter 4:11-14, “The woman saith unto Him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art Thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her , Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”  Jesus wants to saves us. In Revelation 3:20, He says, “Behold I stand at the door, and knock: if any men hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in unto Him, and will sup with him, and He with Me.” He is our bread and water, life sustaining necessities, which is why He uses these examples to describe Himself.

In this next section of John 4, the conversation continues between the Jesus and the woman. “The woman saith unto Him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus saith unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that sadist thou truly. The woman saith unto Him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet” (John 4:15-19). Oh, He is so much more as she will find out! Notice He KNOWS her. He knows who she is and what she has done. The reason she is by herself and drawing water at noon is because of the situation Jesus described. But He does not turn away from her nor cease speaking with her. She then brings up one of the other situations of why the Samaritans were separated from the Jews.

Continuing with John 4:20 she says, “Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men aught to worship.” Jesus warns of following the traditions of men. He said, “Howbeit in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” We must be on guard ourselves so that we are not following tradition and doctrines that are not Bible based. In this situation it is true that the temple was a place to worship but the Jewish leaders were saying that it was the only place to worship where as she was saying form the very first the Samaritans had worshipped on the mountain. So Jesus answers her with astonishing information. “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe Me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:21-24). Jesus is letting her know that there will be no need to go to the Jerusalem temple services because He is her and our sacrifice. Ephesian 2:18 says, “For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.”  He took our place on the cross to bring us back to the Father after Adam and Eve’s sin separated us from Him. Jesus is our Mediator, our High Priest, and our Savior and He tells her so, “The woman saith unto Him, I know that the Messias cometh which is called the Christ: when He is come, He will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am He” (John 4:25, 26). Can you imagine her joy as she realizes that He is not just a prophet, He is someone they have been waiting for from the very beginning of creation. This JOY is waiting for you, all you need to do is accept Jesus and, “That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:15).

Continuing on, “And upon this came His disciples, marveled that He talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? Or Why talkest thou with her? The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that I ever did: Is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city and came unto Him” (John 4: 27-30). Jesus knew just who he was to meet at the well and even though she was a woman, a Samaritan and in a sinful situation, He chose her to talk to first. He chooses us, too.  And just as he said to His Disciples, follow Me; He says the same to you. He says, “Henceforth I call you not servants: for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends: for all that I have head of My Father I have made known to you” (John 16:15).

The last portion of John 4: 39- 42 states, “ And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on Him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto Him, they besought Him that He would tarry with them: and He abode there two days. And many more believed because of His own word; And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.” Did you catch that? They said because they heard Him themselves they believed. There is only one way to know our Jesus. Spend time in the Bible. Reading the Word of God will show you The Father and Jesus Christ.  Jesus says, “Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself: but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works” (John14:10). When we choose to follow Jesus, we not only become one with Him, but with the Father, also.

Isn’t that amazing? We are covered with Jesus’ righteousness when we choose Him and the Father gives us His Spirit through Jesus thus becoming one with them. He prayed for us in John 17:21, “That they all may be one; as Thou Father , art in Me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me.” If you have not taken the time to read John 17, I highly recommend it. Jesus prays for us. He is about to be betrayed by one of His disciples and go through horrendous treatment culminating in His death on the cross and He prayed for us. When I really think about this, I almost cry. He is so focused on us and saving us from this world that according to 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness: but is longsuffering to us-ward. Not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Jesus is coming soon all you need do is look around at the world today. He is holding off right now because he is waiting to save as many as possible and that includes you.

John 7:38 – He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
John 7:37 – In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

Isaiah 12:3 – Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
Isaiah 44:3 – For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
Revelation 22:17 – 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.

So Come to the Well

“And Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe Me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father. Ye worship you know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is for the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:21-24).

When we read the verses prior to this the woman said, “Our fathers worshipped in the mountain; but ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship” (John 4:20). But Jesus replied “true worshippers shall worship God the father in spirit and in truth.”

Some would say that you need to go to church and confess which is what the Jews were saying at the time. As matter of fact, we have churches saying that now. But Jesus was letting her know that was not what was required, Jesus is our High Priest and He is the only one to forgive us. We need to have a relationship with Him.  That doesn’t mean we don’t need to get together  for church (Hebrews 10:25 and Proverbs 27:17) but true worship is from the heart and mind . “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). The question is do we believe He can do what He says He can do.  Jesus says, “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment: and I will not blot his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father, and His angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” (Revelation 3:5-6).

In John 15:7, Jesus states, “If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” And the latter part of John 15:5 states”…for without Me ye can do nothing.”  So when we ask for forgiveness of our Lord, Jesus, He will cover us with His righteousness (Isaiah 61:10 and Revelation 19:8) and forgive us—our slate is wiped clean. For “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more” (Jeremiah 31:33-34 and Hebrews 10:16-17). So the wonderful thing is that we do not have to dwell on past sins (the devil’s weapon) because when we truly repent with our whole heart, our record is clean. We just need to believe Jesus!

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not Walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12

Jesus Is Our Light

“I am come a Light into the world, that whosoever believeth on Me should not abide in the darkness” (John 12:46).

Perhaps you have heard the verse “Thy word is a Lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). This verse could just as easily have “word” capitalized. Why? Because Jesus is the Word. Have you ever read the first five verses of John?  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended (over powered) it not.”

When John speaks of the “life” being the “light” of men, we have to remember he is saying that those who accept Jesus have life and light. How do we know this? It’s because we are all under a death sentence in this sinful world. Romans 6:23 puts it this way, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” And Romans 3: 23 states “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” So we being sinful have fallen under the death sentence and the only way out is through Jesus.

This is why I wanted you to meet Him. He will give us life when we choose Him. 1 John 5:11-12 states, “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.”  Jesus Himself said this, “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.” I just love the Bible. It shows us everything we need to know, all we have to do is seek Jesus in the word He gave us.

Continuing on in John, he speaks about John the Baptist coming before Jesus to let people know Jesus was coming soon and to get ready. Sounds like what we REALLY need to do today because He is coming soon for us! John 1: 6-9 says this, “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. (If you read “He Gave us His Son” and the Bible verses provided, you’ll find more about John and who he was to Jesus.) The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through Him might believe. He (John) was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”

In this verse, John is speaking about life through the breath of life given to all people. We are made by Him because remember ‘without Him was not any thing made that was made.” He brings us into this world and it does not take long for the influences of Satan to enter into the picture to turn us away from our source of light and life.  Verse 10 and 11 have this to say, “ He was in the world , and the world was made by Him, and the world knew (recognized) Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.”  When I think about the time I was furthest away from Him, how disappointed He must have been that I was not taking His invitation–the gift of salvation. I thank the Lord that He did not give up me. As a matter of fact, I heard a sermon yesterday regarding this verse in Revelation 3:20 which states, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in unto him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” You see He not only stands at the door and knocks but He is talking to you. Not only do we need to open the door of our heart to Him, but we have to open our ears to hear Him. He is the only one with the spiritual food we need to make it through any situation we may encounter. He promises to be with us, too. John 14:18 says, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you” and Matthew 28:20 says, “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” There are so many wonderful promises when we choose Him. Only through Him we can receive the Light that will disperse the darkness.

We know that God Gave His only Son (John 3:16). There is a song that goes through my head all the time. Perhaps you have sung it yourself. The third verse goes like this,

“And when I think that God, his Son not sparing,

Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in.

That on the cross, my burdens gladly bearing,

He bled and died to take away my sins” (How Great Thou Art, Hymn).

The last line states “He bled and died,” because we needed both His blood and His death to overcome this world. But did you ever stop to thoroughly consider what else Jesus did for us? Remember, Jesus is the Word (Revelation 19:13) and the “Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1-2) and He chose to step down from heaven to become one of us. It is through Him, we become one with He and the Father (Hebrews 2:5-11). He and the Father were One from the beginning (Isaiah 44:6 and Isaiah 57:15) and they still are at this time, but there was a time when they were separated. How devastating that must have been for Jesus, not to feel the Father with Him right before His death on the cross. Remember, God cannot be where sin is and Jesus took ALL our sins from the beginning time to the future end of time on His shoulders, and He never sinned! The weight must have been tremendous, so tremendous if fact, He cried out to the Father (Matthew 27:46). Jesus was separated from the Father for a short time, a feeling He had never felt before. It must have seemed like an eternity to Him. And He did that for us! His life is an example and His death allows us to overcome everything in this world. Below are some of the gifts Jesus bestowed on us.

He gives us power to overcome Satan’s manipulations

Jesus was tempted as we are. In Matthew 4: 1-11, we read just how Jesus was tempted. Jesus overcame by using Scripture. That is how He was able to continue to be One with the Father. If we never read His word, how can we ever hope to stand against Satan’s manipulations? Remember the devil has had many years to practice his craft and he wants to draw us away from our Lord.

When we sin, we are pushing the Holy Spirit away. Jesus said this, “Nevertheless it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you” (John 16:7). “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom  the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26). Ephesians 4:30 states, “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye were sealed unto the day of redemption” (See Outreach Bible Study Corner and see the Unpardonable Sin).

Through the Holy Spirit, we become one with the Father and Jesus because they are One (John 17:21). Jesus will never leave us. He is always trying to reach us saying, “Behold I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in unto him, and will sup with him and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20). We can trust His word, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and earth” (Matthew 28:18). And John 8: 31-32 has this to say, “Then said Jesus unto the Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Did you catch that? He said “if ye continue in My word” which means we can surely separate ourselves from Him when we do not continue in His Word. It is our choice. So, if we are truly sorry and repent, He comes even closer to us to give us the strength and the power to overcome using His words. He said, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). And this is one of many things that Jesus did for us when He died for us!

He forgives our sins.

1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” From the beginning, God has had a plan in place just in case our first parents sinned (Genesis 3:15). Our God had such love for us that if they chose wrongly, He would send someone to die in our place. Adam and Eve had no idea our replacement sacrifice would be God’s only Son. The forgiveness we receive comes from Jesus covering our sins with His sinless life and death. We will never be sinless but because we have Jesus, our advocate and mediator; when God sees us, He sees His Son’s righteousness. Revelation 19:8 states, “And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.” And this brings us to the next wonderful thing Jesus did for us.

He gives us His righteousness.

2 Corinthians 5:21 reads, “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” Jesus promises, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation: but is passed from death into life” (John 5:24). When we truly accept Jesus as our Savior, He gives us eternal life. God’s promises are all through the Bible, starting with the Sanctuary service. The Lamb (Revelation 13:8, a warning), the High Priest (Hebrews 9:11-12), the shew bread (John 6:35), the light of the candle sticks (John 8:12), the burnt offering (Hebrews 9:13-15), the laver (1 John 1:5-7), were all shadows of what Jesus was to accomplish for us.

He is our Mercy Seat

Romans 3:23-26 says this, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (a Mercy Seat) through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through forbearance of God; To declare, I  say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”  And John 5:22 states this, “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son.” As stated above, John 5:24 is a powerful promise. Jesus has already determined our fate as our judge and He promises that if we truly love Him and the Father, we have nothing to fear.  As John 1:12 states, “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.”

He took our place!

He died the second death that sinner’s deserve. The second death is total (see Revelation 20:10-15) but because Jesus was sinless (1 John 3:5) and took our sins on Him, death could not hold Him. The Father resurrected Him. Through Jesus Christ and HIS righteousness He bestows on us, we can be sure of our resurrection, also. “Yet in a little while, and the world seeth Me no more: but ye see Me; because I live, ye shall live also” (John 14:19). Jesus is saying the world cannot see Him because they do not know Him. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not” (1 John 3:1 and see John 1:10-12). So, not only was He speaking of His death on the cross, but also, that the world did not know Him and would “see Him no more”. Romans 5:8 (ESV) states, “But God shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” If we have accepted Jesus and we die in Him, He calls it a “sleep” (John 11:11). And because it is temporary, He will come again to bring us home with Him (John 14 1-3) because we are not of this world when we put away worldly things (John 17:14). 

He ransomed us.

Isaiah 35:10 says, “And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” And 1 Timothy 2:5-6 states this, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” Notice it says “one mediator between God and men…Christ Jesus.” We need to be, oh, so careful that we do not allow someone to usurp the place of Jesus. And there are some religions that do just that. When we accept Jesus, we are redeemed through His sacrifice and only He is worthy and has the authority to act on our behalf in front of our Father God (Matthew 28:18). He is the only One that can save us!

He gives us His peace

John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Did you know giving us His peace cost Him? Isaiah 53:5, “But He was wounded for our transgression, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.” This peace we receive is sometimes hard to explain. When we have it, we want everyone to experience it, because joy fills the heart. Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” On a personal note, I do not fear what is happening in the world because Jesus told us what was going to happen (Matthew 24 and the book of Revelation). I do not fear death, because when He wakes me up when He comes again, the next face I see is His. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”  

On a side note, remember Jesus will NOT step foot one this earth again. Many shall be deceived in the last days because there will be impersonators, even Satan will do so at the end of time. If you have not read Matthew 24 yet, I invite you to do so now. Notice in verses 22-27, Jesus warns, “And except those days be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.   Behold I have told you before (in advance). Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he (the Messiah) is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall the Son of man be.” Notice it says” if it were possible” the very elect could be deceived. The only way we can be sure we will not be deceived is through Jesus and His word. If you do not know Him and His word, how can you possibly know truth from lies?

He gives us His faith

“Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). Revelation 14:12 states this, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Romans 12:3 states, “For I say unto you, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” (also see Galatians 2:16). We still have the choice whether to have faith in Jesus and when we choose Him, He gives us His faith. Think about it. The faith of Jesus is the faith we need, because it was unbreakable and, oh, so strong. He had so much faith in our Father that He was sinless and was able to endure the cross for us. Many times in Jesus ministry, He said, “Thy faith has made thee whole” (Mark 5:34; 10:52, and Luke 17:19). The wholeness was not only physical, it was spiritually, too. They had to believe in Jesus or they could never have become whole and that takes faith!

He gives us everlasting life  

Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” His promises are sure and He tells us what is waiting for us. A New Heaven and New Earth (Revelation 21:1-3), No more sorrow or death (Revelation 21:4), and glimpse of what heaven will be like in Revelation 22. We have the promise of eternal life (John 3:16). And quoting this verse again, Jesus said in John 14:19, “Yet a little while, and the world seeth Me no more (see above), but ye see Me: because I live, ye shall live also.” The time is now (tomorrow is never guaranteed) to accept Him as our Savior, so we can “see” Him and embrace these promises!

Did you know that right before Jesus was betrayed, He prayed? He was about to go to the cross and He prayed for us! Jesus glorified the Father first and always, but He also prayed for His disciples and us. I find that truly amazing that He loved us so much, He was thinking of all His people—His family. Here is His prayer in John, Chapter 17.

John 17:1-2, “These words spake Jesus, and lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee: As Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him.”

Jesus is given the power to give us eternal life when we choose to know Him and accept His gift. We know this because Matthew 28:18 states, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth.”

 There are those that want to lessen Jesus’ status. From the beginning, we see that God was going to send someone to save us–His Son (see Genesis 3:15 and Isaiah 9:6). John 14:6 reads, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by Me.” When we say that Jesus was just a prophet or a created being, such as an angel, we change who He is and what He has done for us. In order to take away every single person’s sin, it had to be someone infinitely higher than a created being because we are created in Their (God and Jesus’s) image (Genesis 1:26).

Let’s continue Jesus’ prayer in John 17:3-4 which says, “And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent. I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do.”

Remember that the Father and Son are One. They are united. If we go back to John 14:9-10, Jesus was speaking with one of His disciples. “Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Phillip? He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father: and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father and the Father in Me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself: but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works.” Jesus was always glorifying the Father (see John 11:40-43).

But even more, Jesus stated in His prayer, “And now, O Father, glorify Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was” (John 17:5). Jesus was there before the world was and we can see this in verses such as, John 1:1-3 and Revelation 19:11-13. He is the promised Seed from the beginning in Genesis 3:15. And John 3:16 whom many know by heart states, “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.”  We need to know our Jesus to believe and trust in Him, because verse 18 states, “He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”  And verse 36 states, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth (will stay) on him.”

Jesus continues to glorify the Father in His prayer in John 17:6-8, “I have manifested Thy name unto the men which Thou gavest Me out of the world: thine they were, and Thou gavest them Me; and they have kept Thy word.  Now they have known that all things whatsoever Thou hast given Me are of Thee. For I have given unto them the words which Thou gavest Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from Thee, and they have believed that Thou didst send Me.”

After Jesus glorifies the Father He turned His attention to the disciples in His prayer. John 17:9-12, “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given Me: for they are Thine. And all Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine: and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through Thine own name those whom Thou hast given Me, and that they may be one, as We are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Thy name: those that Thou gavest Me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.”

Judas was going to betray Jesus very soon after this prayer. Jesus gave Judas an opportunity to repent and not do this horrible act when they had the last supper together (John 13:26-31).

John 17:13-16 “And now come I to Thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Thy word: and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”

We need Jesus to give us His joy and He promises to do just that in John 15:10-11, “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.”

John 17:17-20, “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth. As Thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me.”

When I realized that our Lord Jesus included me (and us) in His prayer, it brought me to tears. Here He was about to be beaten, mocked, spit on, slapped and ultimately hanged on the cross with nails in His hands and feet, and He was thinking not only of His disciples but we that believe on Him as well. He loves us so much!

John 17:21-26, “And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me. Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me: for Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world.  O righteous Father, the world hath not known Thee, but I have known Thee, and these have known that Thou hast sent Me. And I have declared unto them Thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

The word “perfect” is a word many debate in the Bible. Such verses as the one above or this one from Mathew 6:48 which states, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as you Father which is in heaven is perfect.”  This was a word that I took a closer look at because we know from Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  In the instance above regarding “perfect” and the one in Matthew, the word LOVE is there, also. As in all verses, we should never just look at one verse and try to interpret it. In the case of Matthew’s verses, we need to read the preceding verses to find the “perfectness” in love. Mathew 6:43-48, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, an sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if you salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Jesus’ prayer was for us to “be made perfect in one”, that is, to be one with Jesus and therefore, we will also be one with the Father who is LOVE (1 John 4:7-13).

“¹The LORD is my Shepherd I shall not want. ²He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. ³He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. ⁴Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. ⁵Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil: my cup runneth over. ⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for ever (Psalm 23:1-6).

One of the things (and there are just too many to name) I love about the Lord is when He is the one who leads in whatever endeavor we may undertake. I had the pleasure of teaching the first lesson in His Sabbath School this past Sabbath. I could feel the Holy Spirit’s presence throughout all the individuals who were attending. While teaching the lesson, we were learning from one another. If you would like to download the lesson plan (the panel discussion is great, too), click here.

~ The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want~

Other translations will say “be in need or not have need of anything” and this is true. He provides all that we need.  We should never “want” anything but Jesus, our Shepherd. We can trust Him to take care of us. Philippians 4:19 states, “But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Hear what Jesus, our Shepherd, has to say to us in John 10:14-16 which reads, “I am the good Shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold, and one Shepherd.”

~ He maketh me to lie down in green pastures~

Our group focused on the word “maketh” because it almost sounds as if we have no choice in the matter. But when we thought about it, we started thinking about where David was in his walk with the Lord. There were times in our own lives that our fathers or mothers had to say to us, stay in this spot for your own good. The choice was still ours to follow those instructions, but if we got it wrong; we are made to stay somewhere until we learn our lesson. This may be what David was referring to in his Psalm; in essence, stay here in the “green pastures” and learn of Me (Matthew 11:29).  Additionally, “green pastures” suggest plenty of food for the sheep. Jesus is our daily bread, after all, John 6:35 states, “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst.” Which brings us to the waters…

~ He leadeth me beside the still waters~

One thing I thought about was Revelation 17:15 which compares waters to peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. From David’s point of view, after being pursued relentlessly, the still waters were a wonderful respite. What comes to mind is peacefulness, and Jesus promises to give us His peace (John 14:27). But then there is also this from our Shepherd, John 4:10 and 14, “¹⁰Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give Me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water.” And “¹⁴But whosoever drinketh of the water I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

~ He restoreth my soul~

The renewing or restoring of our soul is in His hands. Only He can do it because our hearts are deceitful above all things (Jeremiah 17:9). We need Jesus to change us and make us new. Romans 12:2 states, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” And 2 Corinthians 5:17 reads, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Things change—we change.

~ He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake~

Now He can lead us on the right paths. He will help us stay the path, but we need to take His corrections when we stray from His side. The Shepherd’s staff is there to lead us, correct us, and keep us moving in the right direction. Hebrews 12:6-7 states, “For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourageth every son whom He receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chaseneth not?”

With Jesus, all paths lead to righteousness because; guess what, it is HIS righteousness that is given to us. Our righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), so we have to have Jesus’ righteousness to cover us. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For He (God) hath made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”  So we need His righteousness or we are lost.

One thing I did prior to teaching was look up “His name’s sake.” And it means for the sake of showing His abilities and His character. So the right paths will show just who He is and what He will do for you and me.

~ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death~

There will be hills and valleys in our lives. But when the valleys come, are we prepared because we know Jesus, our Shepherd, is by our side? This is what Psalm 23 is all about. The only way to be prepared is to allow Him to lead us in every aspect of our lives and to listen when He calls. Yes, there are times that it becomes difficult to hear Him. We allow whatever storm we are dealing with to drown out His voice, but like Peter did when he was sinking—call on Jesus (Matthew 14:29-30).

~ I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me~

Now we transition to the next section of the Psalm, that of knowing He is with us.  We can then have no fear in anything.  Do you have a fear of something? Is it because you are afraid that He can’t handle what you are fearful of or that it is something you have to handle yourself? I ask you how powerful is our God? There is nothing that He can’t do (Luke 1:37). Even death should not be fearful because when we have accepted our Shepherd, We receive everlasting life. There is one verse that says be fearful and that is found in Matthew 10:28 which reads, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” 

Again, when we have Jesus, our Shepherd, He protects and helps us. But even if our life is taken, we can rest assured of Him and His promise of everlasting life (John 3:16).

~ Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me~

The Shepherd’s rod and staff show authority and are used to defend the sheep. They also were used for leading straying sheep back into the fold. It is a comforting thought that He is always with us and when we fall or stray from His side, He is there to pick us back up or find us. Matthew 18:11-13, “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than that of the ninety and nine which went not astray.”

~ Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over~

One question raised was, why would the Shepherd prepare a table in front of his enemies? Doesn’t He want to protect us? In David’s culture, the anointing of oil was for and honored guests so the enemies would see that he was favored. We came to the conclusion, that this feast and the anointing were showing the glory of God. God gives us the riches of His glory (Romans 9:23) even when we are in adversity or in front of our enemies. How we handle the prepared table, the anointing, and the cup running over makes a difference. The fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-26) need to shine at times like this and just maybe some of those enemies will turn to the Lord.

~ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life~

The lesson guide brought out something about this verse. It stated that the original verb for “follow” is a much stronger one and the text should use the word “pursue.”  I like the idea that our Shepherd will pursue us. After all didn’t He say he would leave the ninety and nine  who hadn’t strayed to get the one who did?

~ And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for ever~

The idea of dwelling in the house of the Lord is not only that we will have everlasting life in His house, but also through our life we shall dwell in His house. Psalm 92:13 states, “Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.” And this one, “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made  with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Corinthians 5:1). We need to dwell in the house of the Lord continually, and we can do this when we accept our Shepherd.

Let’s end with one individual’s overview of Psalm 23. Read it again with the mind set of just what Jesus (our Shepherd) is doing in David’s life and will do in ours, too. Think about the timeline of the things listed, remembering that our God is a God of order. First, we choose the Shepherd and He gives abundantly (Ephesians 3:19-20). Second, He corrects us when needed by taking us to Him (in green pastures) to learn of Him (Psalm 46:10) and will give us peace and living water (beside the still waters) (see Philippians 4:6-7 and Revelation 22:17). He renews (restores) us (Romans 12:2). He then can lead us in the right paths (paths of righteousness) and we will not fear the valley of the shadow of death because we KNOW He is with us (Matthew 28:20). He has His rod (Revelation 2:27) and staff to protect and save us from the evilness that may come our way. He can, in turn, prepare that table before our enemies, anoint us, and make our cups to overflow with the goodness and grace of our Lord, because he made sure we can stand and not waiver when we came to know Him previously. And sometimes even some those enemies can see and believe. Also, once we are His, He will never leave nor forsake us (Hebrew 13:5) and He will be there knocking on the door (Revelation 3:20) to our heart when we fall (surely goodness and mercy following us) which leads to repentance so that He can take us home (John 14:1-3 and Revelation 21:1-2).

Old Testament past

Moses was speaking with the Israelites here in Deuteronomy 6:1-8, which states “Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: That thou mightiest fear (honor) the LORD thy God, to keep all His statutes and commandments, which I commanded thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words , which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou riseth up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.”

 If only the Israelites had followed the words of Moses that came from God, they would have prospered just as God promised.  But as we get further in the Bible, we see that they didn’t remember and do. They forgot the teaching and ended up in idol worship and more. So when we have the Word in our hearts, we stay close to God.  Notice we have them as “frontlets between the eyes.” Meaning our thoughts are focused on the Lord and our actions (hand) will show that we are the children of God.

Jesus’s time to Present

When tempted by the enemy, Jesus uses the words from Deuteronomy. Matthew 4:1 states, “Then was Jesus led of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.”  Why do you suppose that is? For Jesus to be our Savior He needed to know what we go through. “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weakness, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15, NKJV). He knows us and what we go through. He knows our struggle and He covers us with His righteousness.

Continuing on, Matthew 4:2-4 says, “And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward an hungered.” (When we are at our weakest the devil will come to tempt us, too.) “And when the tempter came to Him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Words from Deuteronomy 8:3).

If we break this down, we see that the devil wanted to cause doubt with the word “if” and he wanted Jesus to prove Himself. If Jesus had done that, He would have been relying on His own self or in His own strength. His hunger for food would have been more important than our Father. Our Father would not have been glorified in what He sent His Son to do for us. We would have been lost.  

Matthew 4:5-7, “Then the devil taketh Him up into the holy city, and setteth Him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto Him, If thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down: for it is written, He shall give His angels charge concerning Thee: and in their hands they shall bear Thee up, lest Thou at any time dash Thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”(Words from Deuteronomy 6:16).  Jesus knew the Father would take care of Him and He did not need to prove it. Why tempt God if you already know He will be there for you. When you tempt God isn’t that showing just a bit of doubt in His ability to take care of you?  

Matthew 4:8-10, “Again, the devil taketh Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto Him, All these things will I give Thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.” (Words from Deuteronomy 6:13). Here is the real reason for the devil’s temptation—worship. That is what Satan wanted from the beginning (see Isaiah 14:12-15). If he could not get it in heaven he wanted it here on earth.

Notice in each of these temptations, Jesus does not get into a lengthy discussion with the devil. Jesus just quotes the Scripture and leaves it at that. If only Eve had hid the Word of God in her heart and just said, God said not to eat of that tree and left it at that how different this world would be. Jesus’s answer to the temptations shows that He had the Word in His heart and was able to access it to ward off the temptations of Satan. When Jesus died on the cross for us all, the devil realized he only had a short time before he was destroyed so he is coming after the children of God. How do you hurt a father? Simple, you hurt his children. The devil will try to separate us from our Father God.  He will try, by any means, to get us to sin. Emotions such as anger and jealousy (see Gen 4-6-8), pride and arrogance (see the story of Samson – Judges Chapter 16), and jealousy and fear (see 1 Samuel 18:1-12) are just a few examples of the devils tools he will use get us to sin and, therefore, separate us from God.

The Future Events

We’ll start with Matt 10:16-22 in which Jesus states to His disciples, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye there for wise as serpents, and harmless of doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for My sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.  But when they deliver you up, take no thought how and what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. And brother shall deliver up brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all for My name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”

Some may say but wait, this was for their time (only one of the disciples was not put to death, however; they did try to kill him by boiling him in oil). Of course, we also know about the dark ages, in which people were turning on each other (you can read Foxes Book of Martyrs for more information). We have strong warnings that this will happen in the last days before Jesus comes. “And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed” (Revelation 13:15). “Speak” in this case is a law that passes and “cause” is using force. Think about this a minute. If there is a law wouldn’t some think that enforcing that law is the correct action even if it was against a friend or family member?

The next verses are more telling, “And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast or the number of his name.” In other words, he forces all to agree (the right hand is used to shake hands) or they will think that they are in the right (thinking is in the forehead correct?).

At this point we realize that some, for fear of their own lives, might turn on one another. That is what was happening back with the inquisitions. Even some families were not safe in that because they turned each other. This is why a total reliance on our Savior is so important, and the only way to have total trust is to study the Word which points to Jesus.

Now let’s go back to the question: Why is it important to have the Word of God in our hearts? First, if the Word is not there, we would not know our Jesus. Second, we cannot stand in these last days without Jesus by our side. WE need Him to strengthen us for the times of trouble even now, but even more so in the last days of earth. And third, if we are to be one of those that are brought before the governors or kings, how can the Holy Spirit access what we do not have? We need to hide His words in our hearts. That is why studying the Word, now, is so very important!

Perhaps you have heard of this doctrine, that if God is Love (which we know He is, see 1 John 4:8), then He did not destroy the Earth with the flood, the antediluvian world did. But I ask then, where was God’s judgement in this scenario? They may say that the judgement was placed in the Antediluvian’s hands. As I contemplated this doctrine, my thoughts were that it does not make sense. John 5:22 reads, “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all Judgment unto the Son:”, and of course we know from John 1:1-3 and Revelation 19:13 that Jesus is God because the Father and Jesus are one (see John 17:22). 

Matthew 7:1-3 states, “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you.” So if we take judgment out of God’s hands, it becomes self-will, does it not?

Let’s see what happens when judgment is given to self, shall we? Genesis 3:4-6, “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die. For God doth know that in the day that ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her and he did eat.”  

Did the antediluvian cause the flood to happen? If so, how did they cause it, by fracking or some other form of digging going on or what about the rain? It had never rained until then. Here again, my thoughts turned to the judgement set down in Genesis 6:3 which states,  “And the Lord  said , My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.” Here God set the judgment and the time. However, maybe because God knows the future; He knew when that would happen once the people destroyed the earth enough for it to flood. So they caused the rain and the breaking up of the earth to make it flood? Hmmm.

Genesis 6:13 reads, “And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence through them, and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.”  The next verses 14-16 explain the building of the ark to His specifications. One of the things brought up was that the Hebrew word for destroy in this context different and has a different meaning. So I tried to look it up and found this website which explains the first section of the verse that, yes, the people were destroying themselves, but the last portion of the verse states that God destroys with the earth. And then we read Genesis 6:17 and which makes it crystal clear just Who was in control. “And, behold, I, even I, do bring the flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and everything that is in the earth shall die” (Genesis 6:17). 

A danger lies in when we take a portion or just one verse and create something without looking forward or behind the verse in question. For instance, John 8:15, Jesus states, “Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.” So someone might say see—Jesus does not judge so we must be judges of ourselves. Really?  Let’s go back to the verses before and after. John 8:12-18, “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. The Pharisees therefore said unto Him, Thou bearest record of Thyself: Thy record is not true. Jesus answered ad said unto them, Though I bear record of Myself, yet My record is true; for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.  Ye judge after the flesh: I judge no man. And yet if I judge, My judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent Me. It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of Myself, and the Father that sent Me beareth witness of Me.”  If Jesus had been the judging others as these Pharisees had, that could have led to a sinful nature (see Matthew 7:1-2) and Satan would have won. As a man Jesus went to the cross sinless and paid the price for our sins.

Taking judgment out of the hands of God leads to many other questions. One such question is if we are judges of self why the need for the covenant “bow” that God established?  Genesis 9:9-15 reads, “And, behold, I establish My covenant with you, and with your seed after you; and with every living thing creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of beast of the earth with you: from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. And I will establish My covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of the flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. And God said, this is the token of the covenant  which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a token of a covenant between Me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that a bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.”

When judgment is taken out of the hands of God, a person’s line of thought may take this route. If we are judges of self and we know we are carnal and the heart deceitful above all things (Jeremiah 17:9), we may even take Jesus’ sacrifice right out of the picture. Folks, this is what the Pharisees did by relying on themselves (their own judgment) thinking their works brought them salvation. They took the Messiah right out of the picture.  That is why they did not recognize Him when He came even though they were preaching Him in their synagogues. Do we do the same? Do we rely on self instead of coming to the Lord? If in the beginning Eve came and asked the Lord what the serpent (devil) meant…  

Once again, I agree that God is love but there comes a time when sin is so great and the cup of wrath is so full that destruction is the only way to eradicate the sin (Revelation 14:9-10). Genesis 6:5-6 states, “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord (He was sorry) that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart.” He loves, yes, but He also knew every man’s heart that is why only Noah “found grace in the eyes of the Lord.”

Other Bible examples come to mind. I think of the earth swallowing up those people who spoke against God and Moses (Numbers 16:32-34). I think about the sinfulness of Sodom and Gomorrah that was so great fire and brimstone rained down upon them (Genesis 18: 20). I think of Jesus separating the wheat from the chaff and the chaff is reserved for the fire (Luke 3:17). Not to mention Revelation 20, regarding the judgment and the end of the Satan, his angels, and the wicked. Matthew 10:28 states, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (emphasis added). Yes, God is a loving God but as Romans 1:18 states, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;” and in the end and as we have read in the above verses, God goes against His character (Isaiah 28:21) to complete the salvation promise established from the beginning (Genesis 3:15).

Thank the Lord that we do not have to be judges of ourselves because we have the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:9-11 states, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God” and if we stay the course; the final judgment will not be a fearful prospect because Daniel 7:22 says that judgement will be “in favor of the saints of the Most High.”   

Is there life after death? That question was asked of me recently by someone I did not know and I must admit I hesitated in answering and here is why. There is only one answer to that question and that is with Bible Truth as shown above, but so many others are following false doctrine these days. The individual wanted a yes or no answer but if I had answered “yes” and left it at that, would the individual think I was a spiritualist or have some other doctrine?

In this instance it’s a “yes” with a caveat. It is only when our Lord Jesus comes to get us and bring us home that there is life after death. But because some individuals believe a person goes to heaven or hell right away, still others may believe there is a purgatory before heaven or hell, or still others think there are ghosts (their loved ones in limbo here on earth before moving on), I hesitated to just say “yes” without clarification. All these other doctrines are not Biblical and amount to immortality for the soul. The Bible clearly states there is only one immortal being and that is God. 1 Timothy 6:14-16 reads, “That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: Which in His times He shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality dwelling in the light which no man approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

The deceitfulness of Satan is such that many believe that life after death means that when a person dies, he or she will ascend to heaven right then. Really? That is not what the Bible teaches and we either believe what the Scripture says, or we don’t. There is no in between.

 So, let’s think this through, if a family member is in heaven looking down on us, how happy would they really be if one of their family members was suffering? And why if they were happy and comfortable would Jesus then bring them down to this earth to raise them up to heaven if they were already there to begin with?

Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 states, “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.”

So let’s go to the story of Lazarus. I would say if there was life immediately after death Lazarus would have said something about it later. John 11: 1-4 reads, “Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother was sick.) Therefore the sisters sent unto Him, saying, Lord, behold, He whom thou lovest is sick. When Jesus heard that, He said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.”

When we choose Jesus as our Savior, His gifts to us are amazing. We can fully trust in His promises. Our sickness is the sin that wants to control our lives, but with our Lord Jesus we can overcome. He became like us and went through what we go through to give us the gift of peace (see Isaiah 53:5). Jesus said, “These things I have spoken unto you, that ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Continuing on, John 11:5-10 says, “Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When He had heard therefore that he was sick, He abode two days still in the same place where He was. Then after that He saith to His disciples, Let us go into Judea again. His disciples say unto Him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and thou goest thither again.” Jesus was always teaching the disciples and so, “Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumblelth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him” (also see Isaiah 8:20).

Jesus is the Light of the world and people needed to see and hear Him in order to believe. Continuing on in verses 11-20, “These things said He: and after that He saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said His disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.  Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that He had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent that ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him. Then said Thomas, which is call Didymus, unto his fellow-disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with Him. Then when Jesus came, He found the he had lain in the grave four days already. Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem about fifteen furlongs off: And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him: but Mary sat still in the house.”

 This same Mary who sat at Jesus feet and as stated above anointed His feet and wiped them with her hair did not go out to meet Jesus. Why? (Carlos Perla speaks her of “Disappointments” – Desert Cove Church Live Stream – September 4th, 2021 to see other sermons, click into Sermons on this website).

Continuing on in verses 21-29, “Then Martha said unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto Hm, I know that He shall rise again in the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto Him, yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee. As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto Him.”

When we have losses or things that trouble our souls, Jesus calls us to Him.  That is what he is all about. He loves us so much that he will help us through our troubles. He promises us this with the words, “Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest…” (Matthew 11:28).

Verses 30-44, “Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met Him. The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, goeth unto the grave to weep there. Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying unto Him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping and the Jews also weeping which came with her, He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled (deeply moved), And said where have they laid him? They said unto Him come and see. Jesus wept.  Then said the Jews, Behold how He loved him! And some of them said, could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? Jesus therefore again groaning in Himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.

Jesus said, Take away the stone. Martha, the sister of Him that was dead, saith unto Him: Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. Jesus Saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? And they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up His Eyes, and said, Father, I thank Thee that thou hast heard Me. And I knew that Thou hearest Me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that Thou hast sent Me. And when He thus had spoken, He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus come forth.”

Notice that previously Martha had said that she would see her brother again but was thinking later at the resurrection at the end of time. So by the statement of Martha, Lazarus was one of the individuals covered by Jesus’ righteousness. So if Lazarus went straight to heaven, wouldn’t Jesus have said Lazarus come down and why if he was already in heaven would Jesus bring him back to this sinful world once again.

Verse 45, “And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes: and his face was bound with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did believed on Him.”

It is always nice to have Bible references to look up.