1 Kings 17:8 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,  ⁹  Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. 

Elijah was probably the most feared and bold prophet of the New Testament. John the Baptist was the forerunner of Christ, but Elijah was the forerunner of John. Elijah called fire down from heaven, he embarrassed 450 prophets of Baal, he slew them all, and commanded the rain to fall from heaven. But before these events, God sent Elijah to Zarephath

The reason Elijah went to Zarephath was the drought in the land. The reason there was a drought in the land was the command of Elijah. The reason God sent a drought to Israel was the sin of Ahab. “He did more the provoke the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel that were gone before him.” (1 Kings 16:33)

· Sometimes it seems that the reason you are in a difficult situation is because you were following God and God led you there.

· God may never lead you into temptation, but he may lead you into the valley of the shadow of death.

· Some people say “God, Lead Me!” Then they proceed to tell God where to lead them and where not to lead them. The whole purpose of leadership is to take you where you wouldn’t go yourself, to face an enemy that you don’t want to face, and to gain a victory that you never would have won otherwise.

· With the same breath you ask God to take over your life, you also tell your flesh to submit to God. There is no leadership without followership!

· James said, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

¹⁰  So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. 

Ever wonder why God so often picks on “widow women” to do his bidding? Why not some burley, robust man? Why not a wealthy landowner or prince? (Woman with the issue of blood; the widow who cast two mites into the temple offering; the Syrophoenician woman who wanted her daughter healed.) Because the widow woman lives with no cushion in her life. She has learned to utterly depend on God. She has no other recourse.

The first thing Elijah asked for was for her to fetch him a little water in a vessel.

Water the prophet

The prophet cannot live without water. This reference to the prophet is not to exalt the man, Elijah, but to magnify the office that he filled. In a larger sense, it was to keep the Word of God alive in your life. It is a confession of our weakness and his strength, of our utter dependence on God.

2 Corinthians 3:5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

Sometimes we think that God demands too much from us. Do you know how much water the earth demands for its plant life each day? Answer: 914 km³ per day or 914 trillion liters (914,000,000,000,000 L) or 241,450,000,000,000 gallons (US). That’s 500 billion cubic kilometers every year.

That’s why we need to praise him lavishly, abundantly, exceedingly. Keep the spigot turned on full blast. Water the prophet.

Psalm 150:1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. 2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. 3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. 4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. 5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. 6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD

Feed the Prophet

¹¹  And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.  ¹²  And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.  ¹³  And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.

The widow woman was going to do the bidding of the prophet. She hadn’t yet gotten it done when he called out for something more. “Bring me some bread too.”

This struck her as asking a little too much. “I’m okay with getting you some water. But now you are going too far. If I feed you, I am going to die myself and my son along with me. In fact, you are stealing my last meal from me. How could this be the will of God?”

She was more in need of a handout herself than to entertain others.

The flesh will never be able to understand how God works. If you expect your flesh to understand spiritual things, you are taking a long walk off a short pier. It will never happen.

The Apostle Paul told the Galatians: Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

To the Romans he wrote: Romans 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

After you have watered the prophet, you need to understand that you’ve only started to serve him. Now you have to feed him.

Around the world bread is a staple in almost every single diet. Throughout history bread has been recognized as an important part of society’s survival. There have been wars started over the land on which the grains grow that are used to make the breads of a country or region.

· Water represents life; bread represents strength.

· Water represents your love, affection, praise, adoration and worship to God.

· Bread represents giving him your time, your tithes, your offerings, your energy, your relationships, your goals, your dreams, your purposes.

· Water represents how you are feeling towards God; bread represents what you are willing to do for God.

Judas was willing to give Jesus his love and affection; he was not willing to give him is dreams and purposes.

Many people are willing to flirt with Jesus. When it comes to a marriage commitment, they back out of it.

Notice that the woman did not have any bread, but she did have the ingredients to make it. She had the sticks, the flour and the oil. When God asks you for something, you cannot use the excuse that you don’t have it to give. You have all the necessary components to meet his request.

Elijah said, “Bake my cake first!” Do not ask God to wait his turn. He always goes to the front of the line.

Jesus said, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33) Jesus is the first and the last. If he can’t be first in your life, he won’t be the last. I want Jesus to have the last word in my life. But if he is going to have the last word, he’s got to have the first word!

Finally, the miracle shows up!

 ¹⁴  For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth  ^d  rain upon the earth.  ¹⁵  And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. ¹⁶  And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah. 

When you water and feed the prophet, you begin to see the miraculous power of God come to life!

It cannot be any other way. The barrel of meal and the cruse of oil could not be replenished until they were challenged. The blessing of God eludes the takers and the tightwads. It is always on the givers.

Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

The Final Stage of Giving

This final segment of the story reveals the hardest part of the woman’s dealings with the prophet.

17  And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.  18  And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?  19  And he said unto her, Give me thy son.

She was asked to give water. She gave water.

She was asked to give bread. She gave bread at a great sacrifice.

Now she was asked to give her son.

I will never forget the time I left home and went to Bible College. I was excited, confident, determined. I put all of my earthly belongings into the 1962 Pontiac Tempest convertible, backed out of the driveway into Monroe St., waved bye and took off. I left my parents standing there by the house. I never understood how they must have felt until I waved goodbye to my son as he left for Bible College. My mother said that my Dad moped around for a week and would hardly look at my room, let alone go in it. Twenty-eight years later, I felt his pain.

My mother and father also said goodbye to a daughter and son-in-law, along with three grandkids as they left for the country of Uruguay, S. A. in 1976.

God takes us through the water experience and the bread experience so he can lead us to the son experience.

At some point in your life, whether sooner or later, God is going to lead you to the point where you will have to make the toughest decision of your life.

You are going to have to give up the thing that means the most to you. This is not water or bread for God. This is your life for God.

This is the point where anyone who desires the depths of God’s power must go. The great Apostle Paul had to go to this point.

Philippians 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

God’s Remarkable Gift

When you allow God to take you to the depths, he will then take you to the heights.

19 And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.  20  And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?  21  And he stretched  f  himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul come into him again.  22  And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.  23  And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth.  24  And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth. 

The woman did not first express gratitude for the resurrection of her son as you might expect. She first realized that she was in the presence of the man of God. She understood that truth was more important than anything else in her life.

The peace of God comes at the end of the conflict between you and your flesh. When you battle the will of the flesh to the very end, when you refuse to give up the struggle because it is too painful, when something within you will not let you stop, then you will be overwhelmed by the peace that passeth all understanding. Eternal purposes are settled in the crucible of time.

Bro. Kinzie is one of the greatest illustrations of the sacrifice of a dream for the cause of Christ. (Pensacola FL incident.) He gave up his farm. God gave him a world-wide ministry and a loving congregation that he was part of until the day he died.

Zarepheth is Toledo; Sylvania; Perrysburg; Walbridge; Bedford; Fulton County; The prophet is coming to your house. Expect him. Do his bidding. There you will find the miracle that will give ultimate meaning to your life.

d sendeth: Heb. giveth

f stretched: Heb. measured

1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

John Darby’s commentary asks, “Had the Galatians received the Spirit through works done on the principle of law, or through a testimony received by faith? Having begun by the power of the Spirit, would they carry the thing on to perfection by the wretched flesh?

They had suffered for the gospel, for the pure gospel, unadulterated with Judaism and the law: was it then all in vain?

We know how the church began on the Day of Pentecost.

And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

50 And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.

51 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.

52 And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:

53 And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

We know that they were interested in things other than the Holy Spirit, but Jesus brought the attention back to the Spirit.

And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.

5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

We know that they followed through with these instructions of Jesus.

They were all filled with the Holy Ghost, just as Jesus said they would.

This event was in the midst of a feast of the Jews, the Feast of Pentecost. Jesus knew that it would draw attention to the establishment of the New Testament church.

And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?

13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.

14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:

15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.

16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

From that spectacular beginning, the paradigm shifted:

From Law to Grace

From Flesh to Spirit

From the Nation of Israel to the Entire World

From God above us to God within us.

From the blood of lambs to the Blood of The Lamb

From rituals to real

From prophecy projected to prophecy fulfilled

I still don’t think we understand the full significance of this shift. Ezekiel sheds some light on it for us.

Eze. 4:6. Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but BY MY SPIRIT, saith the LORD of hosts.

Again, in Eze. 36:26 he said, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.”

This is the way the church operated after the Day of Pentecost.

Romans 8:14 For as many as are led BY THE SPIRIT of God, they are the sons of God.

1 Cor. 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and BY THE SPIRIT of our God.

And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, BY THE SPIRIT which he hath given us.

It was only a matter of time until the rise of the Age of the Spirit would reach a state where it could no longer be ignored by the world. We are there now.

Holy Spirit’s Reach Studied

Paul Steven Ghiringhelli News - Featured News  

A Los Angeles-based university was awarded a $6.9 million grant this week to establish a Pentecostal and charismatic research center in the birthplace city of American Pentecostalism.  

Feb. 24, 2009 - This week the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles received a $6.9 million grant to study Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity — one of the world’s fastest growing religious movements.

Awarded by the John Templeton Foundation, a natural and social sciences philanthropy, the grant is the largest amount ever given towards Pentecostal-charismatic research and will be used to establish the Pentecostal and Charismatic Research Initiative (PCRI) at USC.

“The growth of global Pentecostalism is one of the most remarkable religious transformations of the last century,” said Kimon Sargeant, vice president of human sciences at the John Templeton Foundation.

“The goal of this project is to further a better understanding of its significance in the social sciences in areas ranging from social capital to economic development and more.”

With as many as 600 million Christians worldwide claiming to be Spirit-filled, observers say Pentecostalism’s profound effect on cultures has forced the academic community to take note.

“We are excited that with the continued growth of the charismatic-Pentecostal movement around the world, scholars and universities are continuing to try to understand this phenomenon,” said the Rev. Billy Wilson, executive director of the International Center for Spiritual Renewal and chairman of the Commission on Holy Spirit Empowerment in the 21^st Century, which is examining the future of the Pentecostal-charismatic movement in partnership with Oral Roberts University.

“Our prayer is that this research will not only help people understand the charismatic-Pentecostal movement, but will also help more believers around the world be engaged in the Spirit-filled life,” Wilson said.

USC officials said the initiative would foster social science research in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the former Soviet Union, while continuing to study Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity in Los Angeles.

“Our goal is to inspire research partnerships around the globe and fund projects that will shape the discussion for years to come,” said Donald Miller, executive director of USC’s Center for Religion and Civic Culture and author of Global Pentecostalism: The New Face of Christian Social Engagement.

“We are interested in understanding why Pentecostalism is growing so rapidly, what impact it is having on society and how it is different in various cultural settings.”

With the largest charismatic populations in the “global South,” including nations such as Brazil, Guatemala, Kenya and the Philippines, scholars say the movement is making Christian converts ubiquitous, which in turn affects not just cultures but governments too.

The Pentecostal-charismatic movement “has far-reaching implications for international politics and interactions among religious groups,” said Brie Loskota, program officer at PCRI. “Studying Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity is critical to understanding the ways in which religion shapes our world.”

John Green, senior fellow at the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, agrees that the research initiative will allow for a more in-depth study of global Spirit-filled movements. “It will expand the boundaries of knowledge about these key religious developments that are central to the spread of Christianity in the 21st century,” Green said. —-Paul Steven Ghiringhelli

 I agree with you as far as American or Western Pentecostalism, however I think if one looks at Pentecostalism in other countries one will see that it is the Pentecostals who are making a huge impact especially in missions. Other more traditional denominations are scared to use the gifts and/or cast out demons but this is the very thing that people are looking for in those countries to believe there truly is a God who answers by fire. They do not have the doctors we have or other things… they run to God and He answers their prayers with power. There are so many testimonies of supernatural water, deliverance, salvation, dreams in Muslim countries… the good about Pentecostals is that we are fine with these things happening.

 I believe it is time for the true Pentecostals to rise up.

We have too long looked at ourselves as stepchildren, outsiders, pretenders to the traditional Christian church.

 If God is truly moving in the world today, it is through his Spirit, not through denominational, “orthodox” Christianity.

 1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

 There are those among us who want to return to the old style of Spirit-less church.

Intellectually-driven

Hermeneutically accepted

Socially approved

Culturally relevant

 But this article and this funded-study shows that the relevance of the church has nothing to do with being “green.” It has nothing to do with being accepted with the “ivy-league” mentality.

 If these people wanted to study traditional Christianity, they have more than enough evidences of that to keep them busy for the next decade. They don’t want to study that because nothing is happening in traditional Christianity.

 Indeed, traditional Christianity, evangelicalism, is collapsing. It is going nowhere. People are leaving the mainline denominations by the droves. Methodists dropped by 0.8% in 2008. The UCC was down a full 6% last year. Only about 10% of the 1 billion Catholics in the world attend church regularly.

 August was a month of harvesting in Guyana, South America! In this beautiful, Caribbean cultured country in the north-east corner of South America, we had a Holy Ghost explosion unlike any seen here in many years! In the months preceding our National Crusade the churches of the United Pentecostal Church of Guyana prayed, fasted, gave and did months of outreach in order to have an outpouring of the Holy Ghost. The harvesting was a total corporate effort. Funds for this crusade in the capital city of Georgetown had been sacrificially given at the General Conference of the UPCI in Columbus, Ohio.

The Apostolic Youth Corp from the Youth Division of the UPCI led by our Youth President Shay Mann and a group of 22 other like-minded young adults came and helped canvas almost every area where we have UPC churches in the Georgetown area. While they were here over 8,000 flyers were passed out advertising the crusade. Each of churches got on board and helped with the outreach and mobilization of buses to bring people out to the Holy Ghost Explosion. Evangelist Felix Crowder from Indianapolis, Indiana came in as the special crusade speaker. And then, it happened! On August 6, 7 and 8 the Holy Ghost fell. On the first night we had an attendance of around 700 with 25 receiving the Holy Ghost. On the second night there were around 600 in attendance with 41 receiving the Holy Ghost. Then on the last night with an attendance of around 1,100 we had 46 receive the gift of the Holy Ghost! We also had around 20 that were water baptized in Jesus’ Name! We had 8 more receive the Holy Ghost the Sunday morning following the crusade in the headquarters church bringing all to a total of 120 receiving the Holy Ghost! Thank the Lord Jesus for our own personal Pentecost! We are so very thankful for those who gave to sponsor our crusade. We thank everyone who prayed and fasted with us. We thank every AYCer and the Manns for coming and helping with outreach. We thank Evangelist Crowder for coming and blessing us again with his ministry. And we thank Jesus for pouring out the rivers of the Holy Ghost on Guyana, the “Land of Many Waters”!

The Tallinn church has really been struggling due to a lack of leadership in place, but Andres one of the men in the church just started teaching some Bible studies and has a couple ready for baptism, and is coordinating this effort with Vadim. Through this another home group will be started in Tallinn.

We had a leadership seminar in Riga in January and four people came from the Tallinn church, and three Trinitarian ministers came from three other churches. The three young men have received the revelation of the Oneness of God, and baptism in Jesus’ Name. One of these young men has been seeking after the baptism of the Holy Ghost for a long time. He said that many people prayed for him to receive the Holy Ghost and nothing happened. I felt that this was a great opportunity for the truth to be confirmed to these young men and I stepped out in faith, and in a few minutes that young man was speaking in tongues as God filled him with His Spirit. These men are talking about getting baptized this March in our next seminar.

 So, what do we believe?

Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

I believe in a Gospel that works.

I believe in a church filled with the Spirit of God.

I believe in a prayer-life that is bursting with Holy Ghost power.

The greatest need for Pentecostals is for our practices to catch up with our beliefs!

I can preach only so much about forgiveness. It is time for us to ACT forgiven!

I can preach only so much about worship. It is time for us to reap the benefits of worship and praise!

I believe it is time for us to bind together and pray for revival!

Young people, Men, Women. Form groups and pray

Deuteronomy 4:24 For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.

Hebrews 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.

The fire that destroyed Sister Pat Caudill’s trailer blew out both ends of the trailer. She suffered third degree burns over 70% of her body. Lost her hair, had skin grafts on her face and neck. She lost 90% of the use of her hands.

Fire is one of our most important tools, and holds a prominent place in many ancient philosophies and religions.

The ancient Greeks believed that fire–along with earth, water, and air–was one of the four essential elements that made up the world. We now know that the world is a lot more complicated, with over a hundred elements of matter which can be combined in a tremendous variety of ways. So, what exactly is fire?

Watching a flame dance through the air, you might conclude that fire’s a gas, like oxygen or carbon dioxide. It’s not. Fire can burn fuel that’s a gas, or a liquid, or even a solid–as in the case of glowing charcoal. But the fire itself isn’t any of these things. In fact, fire isn’t any thing at all. It’s not its own type of matter; it’s something that matter can do. Fire is the outward sign that something inside is happening. In the case of Holy Ghost fire, the fire of zeal and joy indicates that there is a reaction to a change happening in the soul!

What makes a fire burn? A fire needs oxygen and some kind of fuel. This fuel–whether it’s candle wax, wood, or gasoline–usually contains big molecules that have carbon atoms inside them. You can think of these molecules as little containers of energy. When they’re allowed to combine with oxygen, this energy is released as heat and light. When faith is released toward God, a fire is going to break out. Like the song says, “It’s all over me and it’s keeping me alive!”

Scientifically speaking, fire is a rapid chemical reaction known as oxidation. Inside a fire, oxygen molecules break bigger molecules apart into carbon dioxide and water vapor. All the heat and light of a fire comes from big, carbon-based molecules combining with oxygen. When the right substances are present, and when the temperature reaches an ignition point, a fire starts. Fire changes whatever it burns into a different substance. That’s why the Bible says that “Our God is a consuming fire.” You cannot experience the one true and living God without a change. “If any man be in Christ Jesus he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new.”

So what is fire? It’s not the fuel or the oxygen or the heat or the light. Fire is what happens between all these things. It’s a chemical reaction. Neither can you put your finger on the form or substance of God. God is a Spirit. God is omnipresent. God is big enough to fill all space, yet he pours himself into a living soul with the greatest of ease.

We speak of raging fire. Wild fire. Fast fire. Bonfire. Inferno. Blazes. Flames. Conflagration. Combustion. Out-of-control fires cause unbelievable devastation. In the Great Chicago fire of 1871, the so-called “Burnt District,” a map of which appeared in virtually every account of the fire, encompassed an area four miles long and an average of three-quarters of a mile wide—more than two thousand acres—including over twenty-eight miles of streets, 120 miles of sidewalks, and over 2,000 lampposts, along with countless trees, shrubs, and flowering plants in “the Garden City of the West.” Gone were eighteen thousand buildings and some two hundred million dollars in property, about a third of the valuation of the entire city. Around half of this was insured, but the failure of numerous companies cut the actual payments in half again. One hundred thousand Chicagoans lost their homes, an uncounted number their places of work.

When we say that our God is a consuming fire then, it is no small thing.

You cannot adequately tell the story of the Bible without talking about fire. Everywhere you look, you see fire or the evidence of fire.  

The fire of Judgment. Genesis 19:24  “Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven.”

God will judge the world and every person in the world on the last day.

Just because judgment does not happen immediately doesn’t mean that it won’t.

Galatians 6:7 says “Be not deceived, God is not mocked…”

“Foolish men imagine that because judgment for an evil thing is delayed, there is no justice; but only accident here below. Judgment for an evil thing is many times delayed some day or two, some century or two, but it is sure as life, it is sure as death.”  Thomas Carlyle

The fire of sacrifice. Genesis 22:6  “And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.”

A life with no sacrifice for God has no relationship with God.

James said, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” In other words, WE want to be the consuming fire, not God!

Ignite the fire of sacrifice somewhere in your life. Destroy something for God. He will give you back something infinitely more precious.

The fire of the call of God. Exodus 3:2  “And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.”

Fire changes things. The bush may not have been changed, but Moses was. When something strange happens to you, you need to stop and ask if God is trying to get your attention.

Trust God and he will reveal himself to you. Don’t ask for the revelation in order to believe; believe first and you will get the revelation.

The fire of service. Exodus 12:8  “And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.”

Maybe this is where we get the phrase, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

Just a an uncontrolled fire causes judgment or devastation, a fire that is contained improves the quality of life. The Spirit and power of God just makes your life better.

The fire of Revelation. Exodus 13:21  “And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night.”

Israel was in the wilderness without a map or compass. They had to look to God for their direction.

God does not just point the way. God becomes the way. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.”

I believe that the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire were the same pillar. In the daytime, God was concealed. In the night time, however, the cloud disappeared and they saw the fire in the midst of the cloud.

This is a wonderful lesson on the Godhead. 1 Timothy 3:16 says “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

God was manifest in the flesh. The Father was made visible in the Son. When you see Jesus, you see the Father.

John 14:8-9 “Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?”

The fire of demonstration. 1 Kings 18:38  “Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.”

This is one of the most spectacular of the Old Testament miracles. Elijah on one side; the 400 prophets of Baal on the other. Out-numbered 400 to 1. How do you like those odds?

Satan’s greatest boast is that he is in the majority. He plays the numbers game.

God people have always been in the minority.

Guess what? You—plus God—always outnumbers the majority!

The priest of Baal found that out. Their ceremonies were fantastic; their worship was sincere; their intentions were honest. It is just that their God had no response.

Do not challenge God. He will declare himself among the heathen.

God’s New Plan

All of these Old Testament reference to fire is not without purpose. God has always had something in mind.

In the Old Testament, he operated through without a body in signs, wonders and miracles. In the New Testament, he fashioned a body for himself and he operated through the agency of sinless flesh.

Now, his plan is to build a church and inhabit his people with his presence and power.

Ezekiel 36:24-27 says, “For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.

25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”

The only way this could happen is for God—who is a consuming fire—to robe himself in his church. The fire on the outside had to become the fire on the inside.

Jeremiah spoke about it in Jeremiah 20:9. “Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.”

The Psalmist said in Psalm 104:4  “Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire.”  I believe this was a veiled reference to us as his messenger ministers in the church.

Now, let’s go past the major and minor prophets. Let’s go past the 400 year of silence between the testaments. A strange figure comes out of the wilderness. His name was John. The Pharisees called him John the Baptist because he baptized his converts unto repentance.

He had a new message. In Matthew 3:11 we read, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.”

And with fire! We have known the Holy Ghost as living water. Now we need to know him as the fire of God. Fire and water; water and fire. Both in the same experience.

But don’t let this confuse you. God operates in ways we humans find contradictory. Visible and invisible. Heaven and earth. Time and eternity. Flesh and Spirit. The Mighty God in Christ.

But the church had to have something supernatural to compensate for the flesh.

Acts 1:6-8. “When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” 

Now, the challenge was to put this fire in the church.

Acts 2:1-4. “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

There is the fire! It sat upon each of them.

When the Holy Ghost makes his entrance, there is not only a rush of wind, there is a rush of power! It’s the fire that didn’t consume the bush. It’s the fire inside the cloud. It’s the fire shut up on your bones.

It is the fire of judgment on sin.

It is the fire of sacrifice.

It is the fire of the call.

It is the fire of service.

It is the fire of revelation.

It is the fire of demonstration.

There is no way God can operate in you without manifesting himself as a fire. A life-changing, power-giving, miracle-working fire!

One of the things about the fire in the Old Testament. It was never allowed to go out. The tabernacle had fire burning in it continually.

God has never let the fire go out of his tabernacle, the church. In the book of Revelation, John describes Jesus. He tells us where he is and what he looks like.

Revelation 1:12-13. “And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.”

14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

This is why the Pentecostal church gives such emphasis to the infilling of the Holy Ghost. This need for Holy Ghost power is greater today than ever before.

Do you have the fire?

Do you have the power?

Do you have the baptism?

You can have it today!

“Therefore, as through one man sin entered into the world.”

The New England Primer taught it to first graders: “In Adam’s fall, we sinned all.”

Bible scholars have labeled this primary sin as the fall of Adam. The word “fall” emphasizes the fact that Adam once had it all—perfect environment, perfect health, perfect happiness, perfect peace—but ended up with a corrupt earth, a diseased and dying body, emotional gloom and psychological despair, and turmoil in all his relationships. Look at what the scriptures teach again:

• The sin of one man introduced death to the world;
• The sin of one man led to condemnation;
• The disobedience of one man caused many to become sinners;
• The sin of one man caused many to die.

I want to preach to you on this subject: The Fall.

“It is like jumping out of hell into heaven.” That’s the way a cousin who was a member of the army paratroopers described his jumps. The door opens in the side of the aircraft. The rushing air current howls through the fuselage, rips at the clothes, helmets and goggles of the soldiers who are lining up to jump and they hang on so they don’t get blown to the back of the plane. Then, all of a sudden, the turbulence is behind them as one-by-one they jump into a free-fall of peace and quiet. After their chute opens, it’s an easy float down to a soft landing.

Not always.

On November 16th, 1996, 26-year-old Nick Libassi defied death. He jumped out of a plane at 15,000 feet… and fell to the ground without ever opening his parachute.

As he rapidly approached the ground, another man doing the same jump was falling way too close to Nick. As the distance continued to close, they collided a disastrous 500 feet from the ground. While the other jumper was able to get his chute to open and slow his descent, Nick dove headlong into a thick wooded area, sustaining multiple injuries, including a broken femur, pelvis, and a crushed L-1 vertebra. Never losing consciousness, Nick literally crash-landed among the trees and rocks – and somehow managed to live through what for others would clearly have been a fatal fall.

As a result of his accident, however, Nick sustained a spinal cord injury that left him unable to use the lower half of his body. After two weeks in the hospital, Nick began a three-month stay in a rehabilitation unit, relearning how to live his life. Although he was able to progress rapidly through the physical challenges, Nick struggled to accept his life as a person with a disability. He suffered a severe, near-suicidal depression.Eventually, he survived and became a success story, but he came very close to losing it all.

The Anatomy of the Fall

The law of gravity ensures that anything that has no secured mechanism or mooring to hold it in place will fall. Loss of balance, defective equipment, an accident—even a playful push—can cause you to fall. Without wings or a parachute or an engine with a propulsion device, you will not stop in mid-air and maneuver yourself back to safety.

Fear of falling is a basic instinct of life. Babies develop a fear of falling once they have been crawling for about two months. For some people, it is so acute that even to climb a step ladder or get near a high ledge, even if there are rails and guards in place, causes them severe trauma.

Some falls only result in loss of dignity and pride. In fact, we are apt to laugh at people who slip and fall—especially in front of their peers. All of us fell while we were learning to walk or learning to ride a bike. Aside from scrapes and bruises, not much damage was done. But falls from a long distance can cause serious injury—broken bones, punctured skin, massive injuries to major organs, even death. Those who survive these kinds of falls are forever defined by their experience. Many of us know paraplegics or quadriplegics who got that way because of a fall.

The Fall of Adam

A physical fall may result in a life-changing injury. But that’s not the worst kind of fall. There is a fall that will not only change your life today; it will send you into an eternal death. I’m talking about a fall of your character, a fall of your name or reputation, a fall from grace, a fall into sin.

The fall of Adam is one of the basic facts on which Christianity is built. Adam and Eve, our first parents, ate the forbidden fruit in direct disobedience to the command of God. In that one act, the entire human race lost its place in paradise and lost its relationship with God.

The book of Genesis tells us that it was the serpent, Satan, who induced Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. The serpent knew what was going to happen because he had already experienced the first fall. Jesus said, “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” Luke 10:18. He became the leader of the rebellion in heaven. “God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.” 2 Peter 2:4.

People never fall up. They never improve their position by falling. We fall down to sin, not up. We fall down to poverty, down to depression, down to failure, down to our death.

There is something about falling that is disheartening, sad, grievous. Fallen Lucifer. Fallen angels. Fallen Eve. Fallen Adam. But the parade goes on throughout the Bible.

• Saul fell from a high and respected position. He was a king who ended up committing suicide.
• David fell from a position of honor and virtue to that of an adulterer, schemer and murderer.
• Judas fell from a disciple of Christ to the one who betrayed the Master.
• Demos fell from a loyal follower of Paul to a backslider. “Demos hath forsaken me, having loved this present world.”

On and on the sad stories go, even into our own time.

• Huey Long, Richard Nixon, Duke Cunningham, John Edwards, Mark Sanford, Rod Blagojevich, Eliot Spitzer, John Ensign, William Jefferson, all politicians, fell from high offices into public disgrace.
• Fallen business leaders and corrupt corporate executives have decimated thousands of innocent people with their white-collar crimes. Bernard Madoff was just sentenced to 150 years in prison for one of the largest ponzi scheme in U. S. history. Ken Lay and the Enron Corporation, and executives from Xerox Corporation, Merck Pharmaceutical, Global Crossing, Halliburton and a host of others all fell from high perches.
• In the religious world, Jim Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart, Robert Tilton and Ted Haggard all fell into scandals and criminal activity.

All of these are public spectacles that, to one extent or another, have diminished us all. But there are other tragedies that you know personally that are probably worse because you have been directly impacted by their failures.

• A man falls into sin. But he was not just any man. He was someone you looked up to, who meant a lot to you. Someone whose absence now leaves a gaping hole in your life. Someone who didn’t know or didn’t care who might have been deeply wounded by his failure.
• A woman falls into a shameful scandal. She wasn’t just any woman. She was loved, admired, influential, trusted. She had woven her way into the very fibers of your soul. But she forgot who would be hurt by her foolish choices. She gave up a place of high honor for a selfish fling, true love for a vain and superficial moment of fun.

The anatomy of a fall defies logic. Why? Why would a person let go of the good to embrace something so fleeting, so seductive, so cheap? Was it a slip? Was it a flirtation with fate? Was it a momentary loss of sanity? Was it a deliberate step or an unintentional misstep? Was it a costly miscalculation?

Beware of the fatal attraction of Satan. If you fall into his clutches, you will fall farther than you intended to go; he will keep you longer than you intended to stay; you will be damaged more than you thought you would!

But people have different reasons for doing things. It is said that more than twenty people jumped out of the windows of the World Trade Center on 9/11 either because they had no way to get past the floors where the planes crashed into the building or the fire was so intense that they chose to die by jumping rather than burning. I don’t mean to sound shocking, but there may be those here today who honestly feel that you had no other choice than to take the fall for something or someone. You thought you were only choosing the lesser of two evils.

The Chosen Fall

But now I want you to take your mind off of your fall, or off of the fall of someone you loved. I want you to consider the Lord Jesus Christ. In eternity past, he looked at the devastation of sin on his prize creation.

He saw the perfection he created in the Garden of Eden invaded by the serpent. He saw the disobedience of Adam and Eve lead to the corruption of their souls. He knew that his fellowship with them was forever changed. They could not access the tree of life since they were now contaminated with sin.

He had to curse the ground.

Sin and death was now given free reign over divinely created life.

He had to banish Adam and Eve from the Garden and protect the entrance with an angel who wielded a flaming sword.

God was now forced into a dilemma, a choice between judgment and mercy.

On the one hand, His justice would not allow him to overlook sin; on the other hand, his grace would not allow him to eradicate the human race from the earth.

A life for a life; blood for blood; perfect sacrifice for corrupt sin. That was the answer. “And without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins.” Hebrews 9:27.

A perfect sacrifice called for a perfect man. But there was no perfect man.

• “And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.” Ezekiel 22:30.
• “And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor.” Isaiah 59:16.

There was literally no man in existence who could stop the fall of man. If it could not be stopped, all of us were destined to an eternal death. We could not see it. We were blind to the consequences of our fall. But God knew what was ahead of us. He had created a bottomless pit for the devil and his angels. If we shared the fall of Satan, we would share the fate of Satan.

Isaiah 5:14 “Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.”

There was only one solution. God reached back into the infinite resources of his grace and created the perfect sacrifice. He found the perfect man, morally pure, innocent of any transgression, free from even the taint of Adam’s sin.

We speak of the Lord Jesus Christ as though he were a different God. Some call him the second person of the Godhead. Some think of him as the Son—as opposed to the Father—as though they were different persons altogether, assigning them the same attributes as earthly fathers and sons.

But let me go back to the prophecy of Isaiah and read the verse in its entirety. Isaiah 59:16 “And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. 17 For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak.”

John said it like this: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” Verse 14: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

Look at the distance that Jesus—God manifested in the flesh—had to fall. From “The Word was God” to “The Word was made flesh!” From God to Flesh! How far is that fall?

“When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.” Philippians 2:6-8.

Jesus took the fall by choice.

Lucifer looked at man and said, “I fell, so now I am going to make you fall.”

Jesus looked at man and said, “You fell, so now I am going to fall for you!”

He suffered the consequences of your fall in his own body. He shed the blood that you should have shed. He took the punishment that you deserved. He became your substitute, your sacrificial lamb, your scapegoat, your covering, your answer to the wrath of God against sin.

Jesus took your fall. He became the safety net for you. He is your way out!

Romans 5:15 “But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ.

Andre Crouch wrote a song years ago that says it well:

I don’t know why Jesus loved me
I don’t know why He cared
I don’t know why He sacrificed His life
Oh, but I’m glad, so glad He did

He left His mighty throne in glory
To bring to us redemption’s story
Then He died but He rose again
Just for you and me
Oh, but I’m glad, so glad He did.

Where would I be if Jesus didn’t love me?
Where would I be if Jesus didn’t care?
Where would I be if He hadn’t sacrificed His life
Oh, but I’m glad, so glad He did

More Good News

I’ve got more good news for you today. You may have been saved from your fall into sin, but you have worked yourself free from the grasp of heaven. It feels like you are headed back in the same downward direction you were saved from in the first place.

Things have happened.

You have been targeted by Satan.

You’ve listened to his lies.

You’ve let him conjure up false images, false hopes, visions of false successes.

And now you feel yourself falling again.

These days that are so close to the coming of the Lord for his church are especially targeted by Satan for counterattacks on the church.

He wants to make you feel like a failure. He want you to lose hope. He wants you to think you have disappointed God so deeply and so often that you have sealed your fate. It’s only a matter of time until your feet feel the fires of hell. It’s no use. Give up.

David felt that way. But here is what he wrote in Psalm 91:

11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.

“On June 29, 2009, a toddler who survived a 40-metre plunge down a Canadian ravine, landing face-first in a creek, was touched by an angel, said her grandfather.

“An angel must’ve been sitting on her shoulder,” said David Cartier, referring to his two-year-old granddaughter, Cassidy, who suffered a fractured skull in the fall.

“An evening walk by the Blackmud Creek ravine, near 113 Street and 18 Avenue, turned into a nightmare for the tot and her mom Bailey. Cassidy slipped off the edge of a riverbank firefighters described as “nearly 90 degrees.”

“Cartier said he didn’t know exactly how Cassidy fell over the edge. But mom was fast behind, he said, jumping over the edge “without even thinking.” Bailey survived the slide unscathed, but she found little Cassidy face down in the water, bleeding, he said.

“Firefighters summoned to the scene rapelled down the bank to rescue the pair.

Cassidy was strapped to a small-sized backboard and carried in the arms of a firefighter to the top.”

Regardless of how far you’ve fallen and what condition you find yourself in, your rescue is on the way.

If you haven’t heard the trumpet sound yet, you still have time.

God can deliver you from all your entanglements with the world. Some of you think that changing your life is too complicated, too involved. You think you are beyond hope.

Don’t underestimate God!

He can break your fall, regardless of how far you’ve fallen.

And when He finds you, He will not leave you at your low level.

He will raise you up, past your level of acrophobia.

“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:4-6.

(Slide 1 Blank)

(Slide 2) 

“Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”

Revelation 22:20

(Slide 3) How soon will the rapture happen?

(Slide 4) “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.” Matthew 24:32-33

(Slide 5) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,

(Slide 6) with the voice of the archangel,

(Slide 7) and with the trump of God:

(Slide 8) and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

(Slide 9) Then we which are alive and remain

(Slide 10) shall be caught up together with them in the clouds,

(Slide 11) to meet the Lord in the air:

(Slide 12) and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

(Slide 13 a, b, c) How many empty graves will be in these cemeteries?

(Slide 14) The Second Coming of Christ

Certain Hebrews 10:37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

Imminent Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

Predicted Acts 1:11 Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

Purposeful Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

Universal Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Transforming Philippians 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Judging Matthew 24:40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

Eternal Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

(Slide 15a, b, c) Three great signs of the second coming of Christ

• The rise of Israel
• The cultural revolution
• Globalism

(Slide 16a, b) First, it is a miracle of the first order to see the rise of Israel.

(Slide 17) We know that Israel was scattered among the nations of the earth

(Slide 18)

• ‘Then the LORD will scatter you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other.’ Deuteronomy 28:64
• Six different books of the Bible predict the scattering of Israel amongst all the nations of the earth.
• Fulfilled in 70 AD when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman Empire and the remaining Jews were scattered to every nation in the world.

(Slide 19) In exile, Israel found no rest.

“Among those nations you will find no repose, no resting place for the sole of your foot. There the LORD will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart. You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life.”

Deuteronomy 28:65-66

(Slide 20) God promised to regather Israel to the their own land

• Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be said, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;

• 15 But, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers. Jeremiah 16:14-15

Here is a prophetic voice: I will bring them again unto the land that I gave unto their fathers.

(Slide 21a, b) This prophecy was fulfilled in our day. On May 14, 1948, the miraculous happened.

The state of Israel was born.

(Slide 22) David Ben Gurion signed Israel’s declaration of independence.

(Slide 23) Long in exile, long suppressed, Jews everywhere rejoiced.

(Slide 24) The prophecy went further. It said the desert would blossom like a rose.

• “He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.” Isaiah 27:6

• “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.” Isaiah 35:1

(Slide 25) But Jerusalem becomes a burden to the world

“Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about… And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces.” Zechariah 12:2-3

Despite Israel’s successes, she immediately reaped an array of enemies. The old feud between Ishmael and Isaac did not go away with the birth of the Jewish state. It only triggered further animosity between the Arabs and the Jews until now it is accepted as a permanent circumstance of history. Consider the following:

(Slide 26) Israel Against the World

Lebanon 3.9 Million

Jordan 6.2 Million

Palestinian 11 Million

Iraq 28.2 Million

Iran 65.9 Million

Egypt 81.7 Million

Syria 19.7 Million

Saudi Arabia 27.6 Million

Yemen 23 Million

Oman 3.2 Million

U. A. E. 4.4 Million

Surrounding nations 274.8 Million!

(Slide 27) Israel’s Population: 7.2 Million

The Arab population surrounding Israel is 38 times larger.

How does Israel survive?

(Slide 28) God fights Israel’s battles

“On that day the LORD will shield those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the Angel of the LORD going before them.” Zechariah 12:8

(Slide 29) Miracles in Battle

There is no end to the stories that have been documented from the battles:

· …of the Egyptian tank commander in the Sinai Desert who surrendered to a vastly inferior Israeli force on the second day of the war, because a desert mirage made him see hundreds of Israeli tanks where there were no more than a dozen;

· …of the Jordanian forces who welcomed the Israeli tanks under the command of Colonel Uri Ram into Shechem on the third day of the war, because faulty communications misled the Arabs into thinking that these were Iraqi tanks come to reinforce them;

· …of the battle for Ammunition Hill on the northern outskirts of Jerusalem, which was captured by an Israeli scout by mistake when he fell into a Jordanian trench in the moonless night at 2:00 o’clock on Tuesday morning and started shooting from the hip (and the fall of Ammunition Hill was the necessary prelude to the capture of the Old City 30 hours later).

(Slide 30) Israel’s Victories

• The 1948–49 War
• The 1956 War
• The 1967 War (The Six-Day War)
• The 1973–74 War (The Yom Kippur War)
• The 1982 War

(Slide 31) In the endtimes, all nations will come against Israel

“For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.“ Zechariah 14:2

(Slide 32) “All nations” includes the United States. Will America turn its back on Israel?

It has already started to happen!

(Slide 33) From Yeshiva World News, America Turns Its Back on Citizens in Israel.

(Slide 34) From the New York Post, May 1, 2009, Jesse Jackson reveals that President Obama will change this nation’s posture toward Israel. We will no longer be an ally they take for granted.

As long as America supports Israel, God will bless us. When we withdraw that support, I believe that we will no longer enjoy the blessings of God.

(Slide 35) The stage is being set for the battle of Armageddon to take place.

“For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. “And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.” Revelation 16:14, 16

(Slide 36) Let us now turn our attention to the second major sign of the coming of Christ: The Cultural Revolution

Does the Bible predict the changes in our society today?

(Slide 37) “As it was in the days of Noah.”

(Slide 38) Question: What was it like in the days of Noah?

•Eating and drinking

•Marrying and giving in marriage

•Building and planting

•Buying and selling

•Unaware of impending doom until the rain began to fall

(Slide 39) “As it was in the days of Lot.”

(Slide 40) Question: What was it like in the days of Lot?

•Eating and drinking

•Buying and selling

•Building and planting

•Perversion

•Rejection of truth

•Unaware until fire and brimstone fell from heaven and destroyed them all

(Slide 41) This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

(Slide 42) For men shall be lovers of their own selves,

(Slide 43) covetous,

(Slide 44) boasters,

(Slide 44a) proud,

(Slide 44b) blasphemers,

(Slide 44c) disobedient to parents,

(Slide 44d) unthankful,

(Slide 44e) unholy,

(Slide 44f) Without natural affection,

(Slide 44g) trucebreakers,

(Slide 44h) false accusers,

(Slide 44i) incontinent,

(Slide 44j) fierce,

(Slide 44k) despisers of those that are good,

(Slide 44l) Traitors,

(Slide 44m) heady,

(Slide 44n) highminded,

(Slide 44o) lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

(Slide 44p) Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

2 Timothy 3:1-5

(Slide 45) The Sexual Freedom Agenda

•Same sex marriage

•Child adoption for gay couples.

•Sexual orientation as a protected class

•Use of media as change agents

•Use of educational system for cultural change

•Passage of “hate crime” laws

•Eventual restriction of religious freedom

(Slide 46) Make no mistake: There is a “gay agenda.” According to a representative website, everything appears to be on track to achieve their demands. This nation is being remade in the image of the antichrist before our very eyes.

(Slide 47) Finally, we come to the third major prophecy: Globalism. The move toward a one-world government.

(Slide 48) Two Prophecies

“And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.” Daniel 2:41-42

“And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Rev. 13:7-8

(Slide 49) Are we ready to accept a one-world government?

(Slide 50 media) Listen to the responses of people who are asked about globalism. There is a noticeable shift away from allegiance to a national flag toward allegiance to a single, global entity.

(Slide 51) The world wants a United Nations

“The world needs the UN. Not because we dare to hope for a world that follows the UN Charter to the letter. But because the UN and the whole “united nations” concept is our best guarantee of security, and our best hope for a better future.”

-Norway Minister of Foreign Affairs

(Slide 52) Not only do we want a one-world government, we want one man who can rule it all. Some people think this is Barack Obama. Whether he is or isn’t, the point is that people are warming up to the idea that some man, somewhere, can lead the world.

(Slide 53) One world government can supposedly solve these problems:

•(Slide 53ba) War between nations

•(Slide 53c) Genocide

•(Slide 53d) Competition between economies

•(Slide 53e) Climate Change (so-called)

•(Slide 53f) Currency exchange

•(Slide 53g) Environmental issues

•(Slide 53h) International legal conflicts

•(Slide 53i) Immigration, extradition, citizenship laws

•(Slide 53j) Resource development and allocation

•(Slide 53k) Poverty, health, famine

•(Slide 53l) Crime

(Slide 54) Is this next? (The mark of the beast.”

(Slide 55) The FDA has already approved the verichip as a medical implant.

(Slide 56) Who can refuse the mark?

“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. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.”

-Revelation 13:16-18

(Slide 57) Many more signs…

•Increase of conflicts between nations

•Rebuilding of the Temple

•Birth of the Red Heifer

•Heart disease number #1 killer

•Great falling away, apostasy

•Frequency of natural disasters

•Pandemics (Swine Flu) without antidotes

•Geometric increase in technology

•Quantum leap forward in travel

•Discrimination and hatred against Christians

•Increase of lawlessness

(Slide 58) It is time to get ready!

•You must be born again.

•Love not the world.

•Purify your heart.

•Love His appearing.

•Do not be deceived.

•Reach out to others.

(SLIDE 1)Revelation 6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;(SLIDE 1b)16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?(SLIDE 2)

What I am about to present to you may prove too much for some people to handle.

(SLIDE 3) I am going to open the trap door to the end of the world and give you a glimpse into undoubtedly the most intense and most frightening things you have ever seen.

(SLIDE 4) Forget Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

(SLIDE 5) Forget the Jewish holocaust.

(SLIDE 6) Forget the tsunami of southeast Asia in 2004.

(Slide 7) Forget World Wars I & II, the Korean War, Vietnam and (SLIDE 8) Iraq. The terrible swift sword of God’s wrath that is about to fall dwarfs every known calamity in history.

The scenes depicted in Revelation are not computer-generated images or superimposed special effects by graphics illustrators. They come straight out of the Word of God. They were written down so they might impact us in the strongest way possible.

What you need to understand is that these things will happen in Toledo, Ohio. We can live with the Taliban in Afghanistan or with (SLIDE 9) suicide bombers in Baghdad or Mosul or Kabal. We can dismiss Chernobyl in Russia or even Katrina in New Orleans.

We won’t care too much about these prophecies until they rip their way down (SLIDE 10) Monroe Street or Sylvania Ave. When (SLIDE 11) Westfield Mall at Franklin Park, or (SLIDE 12) Levis Commons or (SLIDE 13) Fallen Timbers goes up in smoke, that’s when we will get the message. When the fire falls on your familiar, peaceful neighborhood, that’s when you will sit up and take notice. When your factory, your office or your home shatters into a million pieces or when (SLIDE 14) I-475 blows up beneath your mini-van, you will know how serious this is.

Your world is about to be rocked. While you think about what you’re going to have for Sunday dinner, this planet is racing toward destruction.

Let me set the pieces in place for you:

· (SLIDE 15) We are in the middle of an unprecedented global financial meltdown.

· (SLIDE 16) Two rabid dictatorships will soon acquire nuclear weapons.

· (SLIDE 17) Israel has vowed to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities.

· (SLIDE 18) America is on its way to losing its superpower status.

· (SLIDE 19) Biblical morality is despised by our society and is on its way out.

· (SLIDE 20) The exponential growth of technology has made former fantasies possible.

Why should you be concerned with these facts?

Because economic collapse is predicted for the endtimes.

Because war and disaster will happen on a scale unknown to man.

Because man now has the will and intention to use WMD.

Because the Antichrist will rise in a leadership vacuum.

Because widespread social sin and perversity calls for judgment.

Because the mark of the beast is now technologically within reach.

Anyone who is smug and secure in their life needs to take a hard look at Revelation Chapter six. We are not as secure as we think we are.

Revelation Chapter Six has seven seals. Each opened seal reveals events that will occur. I want to deal with the first four seals. They reveal to the world something known as the “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.”

(SLIDE 21) The First Seal

6:1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. 2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

(SLIDE 22) The rider on this white horse has a bow, but no arrows. He has a crown on his head, but this is not Christ as in Rev. 19:11-12.

Using the symbols of Christ, most notably that of a white horse, he will be a Messianic imitation.

With the symbols of peace, he will proclaim a false peace. I Thess. 5:1 The True Christ will have arrows with his bow. Isaiah 45:5.

(SLIDE 23) This rider on the white horse fits the description of Antichrist.

(SLIDE 24) Daniel 7:25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

Revelation 13. 1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?  5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.  6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.  7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.  8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.

a. He will usher in a false peace. Daniel 9:27

b. He will deceive many. Matthew 24:5

c. He will be a conqueror. Daniel 7:25

d. He will force everyone to take his mark.

(SLIDE 25) We tend to think of the mark of the beast as scary—-something that only a crazy person would do. Not true. The mark of the beast will make as much sense as health care insurance and a weekly salary. It will seem stupid not to take it. The pressure to do take the mark will be enormous.

It is time that we wake up and see what is coming.

America’s superpower status is about to be lost.

(SLIDE 26) CNN says our superpower status is on the line.

(SLIDE 27) The German Minister of Finance says it’s over.

(SLIDE 28) Pundits say the financial meltdown will speed us toward global currency.

(SLIDE 29) A new world order is coming.

• One economic system.

• One currency.

• One government.

• One leader.

• One religion.

No more patriotism. No more flag-waving. No more American exceptionalism. No more nationalism.

(SLIDE 30) The world—our world—is on the brink of total chaos.

The United States of America will become like the Confederate States of America. Out of date, obsolete, irrelevant, a piece of history.

(SLIDE 31) The second seal opened.

3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. 4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

(SLIDE 32) The red horse symbolizes unconventional warfare.

(SLIDE 33) He will take peace from the earth. People on earth will kill one another. He possesses a great sword.

(SLIDE 34)A great sword. Nuclear weapons?

(SLIDE 35)Are we in imminent danger of a nuclear holocaust?

(SLIDE 36) Iran could be less than 60 days from having a nuclear bomb.

(SLIDE 37) If Iran is that close, then Israel could be planning a preemptive strike even as we speak.

(SLIDE 38) But, even if there is no nuclear war, we have a dangerous menace in the far east. Red China. They have the world’s largest army.

(SLIDE 39) The number of men in Communist China’s army is 2.3 million, enough to make the blood run to the horses’ bridal.

The white and red horse go together. A false peace always leads to war.

(SLIDE 40) The third seal opened.

5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

(SLIDE 41)1. The black horse speaks of mourning (SLIDE 42) (Jer. 4:28) and (SLIDE 43) famine. Lam. 4:8-9; 5:10) (SLIDE 44) The balances speak of scarcity. A measure of wheat equaled a soldier’s daily supply. A penny was a day’s wages. (Matt. 20:2)

(SLIDE 45) But the famine prophesied of is not agricultural. It is contrived—political. The people of Ethiopia, North Korea, and the Sudan starve today because their leaders divert the food to achieve their own political goals. There is no diplomatic settlement possible here.

We actually live on a very fragile plane of existence. Let me ask you: If you could not go to the supermarket and get groceries, what would you do for food? Go to a restaurant? But they cannot go to their supply houses either. We have no means of food production, no land to grow it on, no way to process it and few of us have the know-how to do any of it anyway. Where will you get milk? Bread? Meat? The earth cannot sustain a population of six billion people without economic power.

(SLIDE 46) The fourth seal opened.

7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. 8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

(SLIDE 47) This last horse has a green color.

(SLIDE 48) Green is the color of environmentalism. Paganism, eastern religions and idolatry birthed the “green movement.” Prayers, rituals, creeds, religious fervor and worship of “Mother Earth” form the basis of the green faith.

(SLIDE 49) Green is also the color of Radical Islam. (SLIDE 50) The jihadists are committed to killing and carnage.

(SLIDE 51) They train night and day to do nothing but kill. (SLIDE 52) There are over 125 billion Muslims in the world. The word “Islam” means to submit. They will be satisfied with nothing less.

(SLIDE 53) The prophecies of the Bible go into much more detail and cover many more subjects than these. But these will be enough to cause people to seek death as a welcome relief to the worldwide devastation and upheaval.

(SLIDE 54) The facts are plain to see:

• Economic disaster.

• Spread of Nuclear weapons.

• Israel in attack mode.

• A weakened America.

• Moral basis of society gone.

• Explosion of technology.

(SLIDE 55) If you are not ready, you will call for the rocks and mountains to fall on you.

If that happens, you will die a sinner’s death.

(SLIDE 56) If you fall on the Rock—the Rock of Christ, you will find his mercy and grace.

(SLIDE 57) Can there be any doubt that we are living in the endtimes?

Luke 21:24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. 25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;  26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

(SLIDE 58) Luke 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

The story of the gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Good Friday represents the darkest day in the history of the world when an angry mob called for the crucifixion of Christ and Roman soldiers carried out the orders of execution.

Illustration on a talk show: “Bewildered” calls in and says: Our Preacher said on Easter that Jesus just swooned on the cross and that the disciples nursed him back to health. What do you think? Swooned is not a conscious state, but a person is not dead.

Answer to bewildered: Beat your pastor with a cat-o-nine tails 39 heavy strokes, nail him to a cross; hang him in the sun for six hours; run a spear through his side; put him in an airless tomb for 36 hours and see what happens.

There should not be any reasonable doubt about the death of Christ. Let’s turn to the scriptures and find out what happened after his death.

Resurrection is a key term that is used in the Bible.

First is the Resurrection of Two Thousand Years Ago

Luke 24:1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. 3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: 5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, 7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. 8 And they remembered his words,

There is more evidence for the resurrection of Christ than for the majority of historical events that we accept as true without question. There is more evidence for the resurrection than the big bang theory. There is more evidence for the resurrection than for evolution. There is more evidence for the resurrection than for Columbus discovering America.

What do we know about the resurrection of Christ?

Here is the evidence cited by the Apostle Paul.

1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

Second is the Resurrection that is Still to Come

Do you really know who you are?  Did you ever have a moment of intense self-consciousness when you became aware of yourself as a living soul? That’s because you are a living soul! When God created man, he breathed into his nostrils and man became a living soul!

Why is that important? Because it puts you into a class above the plants and animals. It even makes you more than just a physical body. In fact, we could even say that you are not a body with a soul, but a soul with a body. The soul is what makes you you; it is what make you unique. The soul will outlive the body. The soul is eternal. And so, after death has destroyed your body, it’s not over.

The dead will rise again—either to eternal life or eternal death.

When we talk about the graves opening up and souls being resurrected, we mean that the real you will be summoned before God, the Righteous Judge, to give an account.

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Acts 14:14 But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:15 And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

It is not surprising that there are people today who do not believe this. There were people in Bible days that didn’t believe it either. Paul wrote to the Corinthians about this and countered their arguments:

I Corinthians 15:12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.  16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

What is the main reason why people reject this truth? Because it is unscientific? Mythical? Illogical? Unreasonable? No. Not really. The real reason is because it is way too frightening to think about. It scares a lot of people to think they will be held accountable for their actions. It is much more convenient to think that they will simply cease to exist; that they will never have to answer for lies, fraud, crimes, unfaithfulness…all the shame they caused.

But I have a solemn obligation to preach the Word.

Here is what the Bible says about the last judgment.

Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

On the other hand, those who are ready to go can look forward to the day when they will be raised up in the resurrection.

2 Timothy 4:6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

But you can enjoy your resurrection now!

There is an experience you can have in this life.  It is called the baptism of the Holy Ghost.  (Acts 2:1-4;John 3:3-5)

John 4:13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that 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.

The baptism of the Holy Ghost is essentially God’s Spirit coming to live inside of you. We receive it by faith. But, God does not leave it only in the realm of faith. God has transformed it into an actual experience. You will feel something when the Holy Spirit enters. You may laugh; you may shake; you may leap for joy; you may dance.

There is one confirming evidence that you will have that is common all—you will speak with other tongues as the Spirit gives the evidence, just like the Day of Pentecost.

You may wonder why you need to receive the Holy Ghost.

Because Jesus said, “Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me…”

It is your “Now Resurrection.”

But let me tell you of another connection.

There is a connection between the Holy Ghost baptism and the resurrection you will experience when Christ comes to claim his church.

Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

The greatest experience you will ever have in this life is the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Do you have it today? It is available for you the moment you believe.

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. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

So, there are three resurrections:

The Resurrection of Christ: A fact of history. Your Resurrection: A fact of the future. Your Spiritual Resurrection: A possibility of the present.  Your spiritual resurrection is the one you can do something about today!

The Dark Ages were not the source of judgment, punishment and retribution. The very concept of justice fills the pages of the Word of God.

Romans 2:1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. ² But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. ³ And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? ⁴ Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? ⁵ But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; ⁶ Who will render to every man according to his deeds: ⁷ To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: ⁸ But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, ⁹ Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;

There is no denying of the fact that God has, does and will administer unassailable judgment at the last day. His righteousness demands it, his Holy Word calls for it, and the blood of all the victims of unjust acts throughout the annals of history require it.

Sin will be judged. Injustice will be avenged. Wrongdoers will be held accountable for the crimes that they never had to pay for in this life.

2 Peter 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; ⁵ And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; ⁶ And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;

Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

What kind of sins will be judged in the last day?

Galations 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, ²⁰ Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, ²¹ Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galations 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. ⁸ For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption;

I think these scriptures serve as a sufficient warning, or reminder, that no sinner will be exempt from the wrath of God.

With this in mind, let me guide you to a specific instance in the Bible of a certain sin and its punishment.

Deuteronomy 21:18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: ¹⁹ Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; ²⁰ And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. ²¹ And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

This is Old Testament law.

It was a absolute, zero tolerance system.

And all the men of the city lined up with stones in their hands to throw them on the victim who had been judged by his own parents.

Some of these men may have tried to help this young man. They may have hired him to do odd jobs for them and knew he was worthless. The youth may have even stolen from them in the past. They were ready to do their job. Word may have gotten around in the city that a stoning was about to take place. People may have crowded around the gate to see the spectacle.

Now, I want to take you to another instance of a young man who was guilty of the same offenses as the rebellious son in Deuteronomy.

Luke 15:11 And he said, A certain man had two sons: ¹² And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. ¹³ And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. ¹⁴ And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. ¹⁵ And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. ¹⁶ And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. ¹⁷ And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! ¹⁸ I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, ¹⁹ And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. ²⁰ And he arose, and came to his father.

Maybe this would have been a good time for someone to stop this young man and remind him of the scripture in Deuteronomy 21.

Hey, boy! Don’t go home. They are lined up waiting to stone you to death. You are making a huge mistake. Turn around and go back into the world. They hate you back home. They don’t want you back.

If anyone fits the profile of the stoning victim in Deuteronomy, it’s you. You are disobedient. Stubborn. Rebellious. A drunkard. A glutton. You won’t listen to anyone. If anyone deserved to be stoned to death, it’s you.

The church despises you. Your older brother never wants to see you again. You’ve reproached them, hurt them, offended them and they will never accept you.

That’s what might have been said. That’s even what you would expect God to have said based on his commandments and judgments in the Old Testament.

But let me read to you what really happened.

Luke 15:20 But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. ²¹ And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. ²² But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: ²³ And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: ²⁴ For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

But where are the stones? Where is the line up of the elders?

It was a totally different reaction than anyone would have anticipated. No blood for blood. No spite for spite. No eye for eye or tooth for tooth. Something has totally changed in the economy of God.

• It’s confession.
• Acceptance of blame.
• Contrition.
• Meekness.
• It’s forgiveness. Healing. Love. Acceptance.

I want you to get the picture here. The father was probably not out in the country on a big estate. Most farmers had their fields out from the city, but they lived behind the city walls. The father saw his son afar off and did not wait until the young man arrived at the gates where the elders were. He ran to him and fell on his neck.

Why did he fall on his neck? It was to cover him. To be a protection for him. To send a message to those who were ready to throw stones, “If you are going to get to my son, you’re going to have to go through me.”

• The father covered the son.
• The innocent protected the guilty.
• The sinless one stood between the sinner and his punishment.

Do you know what the Bible says?

1 John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: ² And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

The word propitiation means “covering.”

Our Savior comes running to us and covers us with himself.

Judgment is sure. Punishment is certain. There is no recall of the commandments against sin. The difference is that Jesus has determined to receive our stoning in himself.

Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. ⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

First, we must understand that the church was instituted by Christ

Matthew 16:18 is the foundational text for the church. A close study of this verse reveals a number of vital concepts relative to the church. “Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

• · “Upon this rock” refers to the foundational truth of the church: the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter the man was not the rock. The revelation of the identity of Christ was the rock.
• · “I” identifies the foundational designer of the church as Jesus Christ. It is not a man-made organization.
• · The foundational process of the church is growth. Jesus said, “I will build… .” The church was not meant to stagnate and dwindle to nothing, but it is destined to live, to be vibrant, and to fill all the earth.
• · The foundational ownership is shown in the word my. The entire structure has the name of the Owner stamped upon it. This clear ownership gives Christ every prerogative to govern His church as He wills.
• · The foundational plan for the church is simply shown in the use of the word church. It is a called-out assembly of believers, set apart for a special mission in life.
• · Finally, the foundational promise is one of eternal life. “And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” The old nemesis of death does not have any power to stop the church from being established and spreading to the four corners of the earth.

Who may be a member of this church?

The answer to this question is I Corinthians 12:13: “For by Church one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”

Thus, membership has nothing to do with nationality, color, social or economic status, or anyother carnal factor. Anyone may become a part of Christ’s church. Admission into the church is by the new birth (John 3:5). We see it happening throughout the book of Acts. Acts 2:38 gives the specific steps for entrance into the church. “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

The church is a spiritual body, but it is also a group of people.

The only way the church can remain alive and function is for the people to stay in contact with each other, support each other and cooperate with each other.

Because of this, the writer to the Hebrews said that we should not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. Let me get down to a practical level here.

• I believe we should come to church on a regular basis.
• Unless a member is sick or working, he or she should be in church.
• I believe we receive strength and ministry in church that we cannot receive anywhere else.
• The church is where we hear the word of God preached and taught.
• The church is where we enter into worship and praise together.
• The church is where we fellowship with like-minded people.
• The church is our family.

1 Corinthians 12:14-27

“I want you to think about how all this makes you more significant, not less. A body isn’t just a single part blown up into something huge. It’s all the different-but-similar parts arranged and functioning together. If Foot said, “I’m not elegant like Hand, embellished with rings; I guess I don’t belong to this body,” would that make it so? If Ear said, “I’m not beautiful like Eye, limpid and expressive; I don’t deserve a place on the head,” would you want to remove it from the body? If the body was all eye, how could it hear? If all ear, how could it smell? As it is, we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it.

^19–24But I also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of. An enormous eye or a gigantic hand wouldn’t be a body, but a monster. What we have is one body with many parts, each its proper size and in its proper place. No part is important on its own. Can you imagine Eye telling Hand, “Get lost; I don’t need you”? Or, Head telling Foot, “You’re fired; your job has been phased out”? As a matter of fact, in practice it works the other way—the “lower” the part, the more basic, and therefore necessary. You can live without an eye, for instance, but not without a stomach. When it’s a part of your own body you are concerned with, it makes no difference whether the part is visible or clothed, higher or lower. You give it dignity and honor just as it is, without comparisons. If anything, you have more concern for the lower parts than the higher. If you had to choose, wouldn’t you prefer good digestion to full-bodied hair?

^25–26The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don’t, the parts we see and the parts we don’t. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance.

^27–31You are Christ’s body—that’s who you are! You must never forget this.

 It is amazing what we can do together, rather than separately.

 ³ O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.

¹⁸ Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

²⁰ For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

¹ And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ² And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, ^[1]

⁹ For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.

⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, ⁵ Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) ⁶ And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

¹⁷ 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.

Isolation

What happens when we withdraw, pull away or isolate ourselves from the flock? Animals that travel in herds, flocks or packs do so instinctively. Togetherness provides them with protection from predators. A predator lies in wait until a little calf falls behind and doesn’t keep up with the rest. Or, he waits until he sees a member of the herd get sick, weary and the herd abandons him. That gives the predator the opportunity to pounce on the loner who cannot be supported by his brothers and sisters.

1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: ⁹ Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

The church is where you need to be when you are spiritually sick, weak, troubled, discouraged, lonely, hurting and devastated by life.

When someone is struggling, the church is obligated to show mercy, reach out in love, and forgive the repentant one who has sinned.

¹ Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. ² Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ

Today, it may be someone you like who needs the church. It may be someone you don’t like. But remember, tomorrow, it may be you. Or, it may be me.

^{Galatians 5:13} For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. ¹⁴ For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. ¹⁵ But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.^[2]

When someone comes into our midst who needs love and forgiveness, they must not receive judgment and condemnation.

Some may say, but what kind of example for the rest of us do they set by their bad behavior? To that I ask, “What kind of example do we set by showing judgment and condemnation?

I refuse to consign anyone to eternal punishment. If someone is lost, let it be in spite of our best efforts to keep it from happening. Jude says,

²⁰ But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, ²¹ Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. ²² And of some have compassion, making a difference: ²³ And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. ²⁴ Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, ²⁵ To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever.^† Amen.

^[3]

• Together, we can survive.
• Together, we can win.
• Together, we can please God.
• Together, we can attempt great things.
• Together, we can accomplish great things.
• Together.

^[1]The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version.) (Ac 2:1-2). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[2]The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version.) (Ga 5:13-15). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^† A Greek word occurs that is not directly translated in the King James Version.
Greek Strongs: 165

^[3]The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version.) (Jud 20-25). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Hebrews 10:1-6 “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. ² For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. ³ But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. ⁴ For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. ⁵ Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: ⁶ In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.

Hebrews 10:19-23 “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; ²¹ And having an high priest over the house of God; ²² Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

From its storied and cryptic past, the mere mention of the word blood unleashes a floodtide of images, thoughts, feelings and concepts. Blood holds a place in the culture of mankind unlike no other. Our literature reeks with references to blood. We hear of violent murders, ritualistic mutilation of bodies, slaughter and genocide. We hear of vampires myths, of blood sacrifices—both animals and humans—and satanic ceremonies involving bloodshed.

All of this, whether intended for shock value or to hand down tribal legends, has its basis in truth. The blood covenant has been used for centuries as a means by which any two people, families, tribes, villages or towns could enter into a binding unending agreement. Covenant between two persons could end with the death of a participant on either side.

The American Indians would cut the thumb and join thumbs together to make blood brothers. In the east most often the cut would be somewhere on the forearm, in all cases the cut would be in place where at a casual glance anyone could see a scar that indicated the bearer was in covenant.

Ancient weddings were considered covenant ceremonies. The cut made during the covenant ceremony would be treated in such a way as to produce a scar when healed. The modern day wedding rings are replacements for the scars that would have been part of the ceremony.

The word “covenant” in Hebrew means literally means a cut-where-blood-flows. It created a binding agreement, more powerful than a contract or agreement, and was to be forever - the life span of the participants. The Blood Covenant was holy, sacred—to violate the covenant would mean death. It represented the ultimate insurance of loyalty and fidelity.

There were variances of rituals but the common base was a cut-where-blood-flows and the mingling of these two bloods by the cuts being rubbed against each other. A cup of wine would be held under the cuts to catch the dripping blood which was stirred into the wine by an officiating priest, then each participant would drink from the cup. In many cases the witnesses to the covenant would also drink from the cup of the blood and wine. In the minds of the covenant participants they had became one blood and one identity with each other. They would give each other their children to raise in utter confidence that the covenant partner would raise the child as their own.

Grasping and understanding the relationship between Jesus Christ and the individual believer can only be achieved by a firm understanding of covenant. The Bible is divided into two covenants the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. If the very subject matter of the two books is covenant, then the believer needs a clear understanding of just what a covenant is and what a covenant is not. A covenant is a permanent lifelong agreement with no escape clause. Covenant is used to join people, families and tribes to each other with terms that can not be altered or nullified.

Now, it begins to dawn on us what really happened at the cross as described in Hebrews 10:19-23 “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh.”

The shed blood of Jesus Christ, with full power to implement and total desire to execute, sealed the Almighty God to the redemption of lost mankind. He did not leave his most sacred and solemn vow to the shifting sands of verbiage, or artwork, or promises. He did not commit his eternal purpose to paper and ink which could be shredded, burned or altered.

Colossians 1:12-14 says, “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: ¹³ Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: ¹⁴ In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.”

And so, we sing:

Would you be free from the burden of sin?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you over evil a victory win?
There’s wonderful power in the blood.

There is power, power, wonder working power
In the blood of the Lamb;
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb.

The “power in the blood” means the absolute authority that a covenant has over the circumstances and the personalities of life. When you speak of the blood of Jesus, you speak of authority. When you speak of the blood of Jesus, you speak of an eternal covenant that cannot be reversed by Satan. It is our rock, our wedding ring, our sacrifice forever.

But the covenant aspect of the blood of Jesus is only part of the story. There is something else that happens when the blood is applied, something that deals with the mind, the heart and the conscience. Along with the power of the blood to forge a new relationship with God, there is also a cleansing, washing and sin-remitting quality of the blood. This feature of the blood is spelled out in Colossians 1:14: “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” Even the forgiveness of sins!

The full impact of the blood, then, is this: You have entered into a covenant relationship with the God of the universe and you have been absolved of all your sin, your moral debt, your shame and your guilt.

The first thing Jesus does by his blood is secure you to himself. He gives you the assurance that he is in charge of your life and that you are protected from your enemies. No one can break through the barrier of his blood. No one can destroy the covenant that he established with you through the cross.

Romans 8:35-39 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. ³⁷ Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. ³⁸ For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, ³⁹ Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The second thing the blood of Jesus does for you after he secures you is to cleanse you from sin. The closest I can come to explaining is this: It is like calling 911 and being admitted to the hospital, knowing that the bill will be completely covered by insurance. Now that you’re there, you can submit to any test, any procedure, any surgery and any treatment that will fix your problem. God is not interested in taking you to heaven in all your sin and shame. His intention is to bind you to him and then use all of his power and authority to cleanse you and set you free.

Hebrews 9:13-14 says, “For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: ¹⁴ How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

Not only do we need security, we need healing. Our need goes beyond salvation from sin; we need to be cleansed from sin. We not only need our downward slide to be stopped, we need it to be reversed. We need the blood of Jesus to reach into our souls and begin to wash away the dirt, the grime and the stains of a misspent life. We need him to correct the disfigurement and distortion of our transgressions.

• We need emotional healing.
• We need psychological healing.
• We need a healing for our painful memories of abuse, neglect, mistreatment, rejection and abandonment.
• We need a restoration to relationships torn apart by the ravages of sin.
• We need our hatred, our bitterness, our resentment and our anger to be thoroughly washed away.
• We need the guilt we bear for horrible decisions in our past to be expunged.
• We need the shame we feel for the hurt we inflicted on others to be lifted from our souls.

Would you be free from your passion and pride?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide;

Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Sin stains are lost in its life giving flow.
There’s wonderful power in the blood.

There is power, power, wonder working power
In the blood of the Lamb;
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb.

It’s all in the blood of Jesus.

It’s no where else but in the blood of Jesus.

You will not find this kind of security and cleansing from any other source.

You will not find it in medication or drugs.

You will not find it in a bottle.

You will not find it on the psychiatrist’s couch.

You will not find it in self-help and will power.

You will not find it in more sin and more sin.

You will not find it by running away.

You will not find it by entering into yet another relationship.

You will not find it in suicide.

You will only find it in the blood of Jesus.

That blood. That sinless blood.

Not the blood of bulls and goats.

Not the blood of murder and mayhem.

Not the 50,000 deaths of the American Revolutionary War.

Not that blood.

Not the 646,000 casualties of the Civil War.

Not that blood.

Not the 320,000 death and wounded of WWI or the 1.1 million casualties of WWII.

Not that blood.

Not the 211,000 American soldiers who died in Vietnam.

Not that blood.

Not the 4,221 casualties of the war in Iraq.

Not that blood.

None of those deaths will suffice to remove the penalty of your sins.

1 Peter 1:18 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; ¹⁹ But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

One blood. One man. One death. One cross.

For whom?

For one man, one person. If you had been the only sinner in the world, he would have died for you.

Alas, and did my Savior bleed,
And did my Sov’reign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?

At the cross, at the cross
Where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!

2. Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity, grace unknown,
And love beyond degree!

3. Well might the sun in darkness hide,
And shut his glories in,
When Christ the mighty Maker died
For man, the creature’s sin.

5. But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe;
Here, Lord, I give myself away,
‘Tis all that I can do.