"And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go." (John 11:43-44).
Jesus had received the news that His friend, Lazarus, was very sick. When Jesus arrived, Lazarus had already been dead four days. It would seem that if Jesus really cared about Lazarus, He would have gotten there in time to heal him. Mary and Martha, Lazarus' sisters, questioned Jesus about how late He was at arriving. Jesus told them to roll the stone away from the tomb. They were reluctant to do so, because he was beginning to smell. They rolled the stone away, and Jesus told Him to come forth. Lazarus walked out of the tomb. He was alive! This man was dead four days, and at the word of Jesus, he walked out of the grave! He was still bound in the grave clothes and had to be loosed.
Do you feel you are in a grave of despair? Do you feel your situation is hopeless? Do you feel there is no way out? Does it seem you are dead and dry? Has it been awhile since you have truly felt alive? Troubles, trials, problems, stress, worries, fear, sin, and despair make us feel buried. If we stay in that situation, we wonder if we will ever be free again.
Jesus is calling you forth today. He is calling you to life, joy, peace, healing, hope, faith, victory, and deliverance. You must make come forth from your situation and make the step toward Him. Don't stay in the grave clothes, but lay them aside and come forth. You don't have to stay in that condition. You don't have to stay in the tomb; dead with no hope. You don't have to stay bound in those grave clothes. Jesus made a way out for you. He came to set you free and give you life more abundantly.
"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." (John 8:36).
Will you stay in your dead situation, because it seems that is the only choice you have, or will you do as Lazarus did, and Come Forth? Jesus is calling.
"In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live. Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying,
I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD. And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake." (2 Kings 20:1-6).
Hezekiah was given some very sad, depressing news. This news didn't just come from a doctor. It came from a prophet of God. This was a serious situation for Hezekiah. He would die soon. He did not know when, but he knew it would be soon. His life would soon be over. Most people aren't given this chance to know when their life will end.
What if you were told today that this would be your last day on this earth? What if you were told that before sunrise tomorrow, you would be in eternity? What would you do? How would you respond? How would you spend your last day on earth? Hezekiah spent his time praying.
"And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:39-43).
This Scripture talks about three men. Two were criminals; thieves. One was the Son of God. All these men were spending their last day on earth together. One thief mocked Jesus and accused Him. This was his last chance for hope and he pushed Jesus away. He did not reach out for help in this desperate moment of his life. The other thief used his last breaths receiving Christ's forgiveness and love for him. Jesus used His last day showing forgiveness and kindness for this thief, the soldiers and all who would call upon His name.
"When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep." (Acts 7:54-60).
Stephen knew this would be his last day. He was being stoned to death for standing for the truth and not backing down. He spent his last moments focusing His eyes on Jesus and forgiving those who were taking his life. He was not blaming, cursing, or wallowing in self-pity. He spent his last day as a witness to those around him.
"And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. " (Acts 16:23-25).
Paul and Silas were in prison for preaching the Gospel and knew the possibility of death any minute. They were in a desperate situation. They weren't crying, moaning or complaining. They didn't blame God for allowing them to be in prison for preaching in Jesus' name. They didn't allow their circumstances to shift their focus. They used what could have been their last day to sing praises to the Lord. What a testimony!
What if you knew this would be your last day on earth? How would you spend it? What would you do? What if you knew Jesus would return today? Would that change the way you spend this day?
We do not know when Jesus will return. We do not know when our last day will be. Live every day focused on Jesus and witnessing to others; showing kindness and forgiveness to all, whether we think they deserve it or not. We never know when that time will come. We must be ready at all times.
But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works. (Psalm 73:28).
When you sit in a chair, do you check under it to make sure all four legs are there and will support your weight, or do you fear that the chair will fall with you and cause you hurt? When you put the key in your car ignition, do you trust the car will start or do you doubt that it will start and get you to your destination? When you set the alarm clock before you go to bed at night, do you trust it will wake you up at the programmed time, or do you doubt it's ability to function properly; causing you to over-sleep?
Of course, you trust each of these things to do what they are designed to do. If you did not trust the chair, you would not sit in it. If you did not trust the car, you would take it to a mechanic to be fixed. If you did not trust the alarm clock, you would get a new one.
The reason you have a trust in these things is because they have proven trustworthy time after time. They are dependable and reliable; and when they are no longer trustworthy, they are replaced with items that can be trusted.
Can you trust yourself to guide you through this life and into eternity with Christ? Can you trust this world's counsel to bring you to victory? Can you trust the influences of those around you? The answer to all of these questions is, "No". These will deceive, distract and disappoint. They cannot be trusted. Trust is something few people have in this world now. It seems people trust no one. They have been lied to, betrayed, hurt, and disappointed, so the trust is gone.
Only the Lord can be trusted. He is trustworthy. He will never fail. He will never disappoint. He will always come through for you. He will always be there with you. He can be trusted. He should be trusted. Whatever your need is today, trust Him. Whatever you are waiting for, trust Him. He is dependable, reliable and faithful. He will never let you down. Even when you don't understand the way things are working in your life, trust Him. Even when it doesn't make sense, trust Him. Even when it isn't easy, trust Him. Even when it seems to be taking too long, trust Him. Even when it doesn't seem fair, trust Him. Even when your way seems easier, trust Him. No matter what, trust Him.
Will you trust Him today?
"Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not." (Luke 12:40).
Remember the childhood game we all played called "Hide and Seek"? One person would close their eyes and count to a specific number while everyone else found a hiding place. When the counting was done, the person counting would say, "Ready or not, here I come!" They would then proceed to look for all those who had hidden.
The Bible has many Scriptures to let us know that Jesus is coming very soon. We do not know when He will appear to take us home with Him. Only those who are truly born again will be able to go with Him. It isn't enough to go to church, or even pray once in awhile. It isn't enough to be a good person. It isn't enough to believe there is a God. There will be so many who will assume they will go with Him based on false teachings or beliefs that they are a good person. Being good is the right way to live, but it isn't enough. You must be born again. All sins must be confessed and repented of. Jesus' blood must be applied to those sins, then you must live a sold out life to Christ every day.
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9-10).
When Jesus returns, we will have no warning. We will not hear Him counting and know that He is ready to come. We must be ready at all times. When He returns, He will not wait for anyone to make last minute preparations. He will not wait for anyone to get ready and make things right. When He returns, it will happen in the twinkling of an eye.
"In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." (1 Corinthians 15:52).
Are you ready for His return? When you hear that Jesus could come before you finish reading this, how do you feel? Are you excited? Are you nervous? Are you scared? Are you happy? What is your reaction? In all actuality, He could come before you finish reading this. He will not wait for last minute preparations. Make things right while you still have time.
Confess your sins, repent of those sins, turn from those sins, and ask Jesus to save you. Then, whenever He returns for you, you will be ready. He is coming. There are people who will tell you that He is not coming. Don't be deceived. He is coming when we least expect Him. Be watching. Be ready.
Ready or not, He's coming!!!
"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;" (Philippians 3:10).
We often will have someone ask us if we know a particular person. This person usually has a reason for asking us this question. Perhaps they want us to introduce them to that person. Maybe they want to know more about that person. It could be that they need a favor from that person and need us to help with it. They might know that person and want to tell us something about them and need to know if we know them. No matter the reason for asking this question, we have all been asked it in one form or another.
What if I asked you if you know a particular movie star. Well, you know what his name is. You know what he looks like. You may know what his wife's name is. Depending on how much we have listened to the news, read articles, and researched, you might know how many children he has, what their names are, what his favorite food is, if he has any pets, what his hobbies are, and so on. Knowing all of these things; however, only allows you to know about him. They do not cause you to know him personally. You could call his agent and tell them who we are, and we would not be allowed to speak with the movie star, because there is no personal relationship with him. You might tell the agent, "But I know his name, his favorite color, his favorite food, his wife's name, his children's names, his birthdate, and so on", the agent will tell you "goodbye" because you do not know him; you only know about him.
How many people today know about Jesus? They have heard or read that He loves us and died on the cross for our sins. They may know that He rose again on the third day and is coming back for us someday. Perhaps they were taught of the miracles that He performed that are recorded in the Bible. Maybe they can tell you details about His ministry while He was here on this earth. Doesn't that mean they know Him?
Absolutely not!!!!!!!! Paul said in this passage that He wanted to know Christ. Paul had not met Jesus in the flesh, but had an encounter with him on the road to Damascus.
"And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do." ( Acts 9:1-6).
Saul persecuted and killed Christians. He did not regard Christ at all. On this day, as he was going to deliver letters of execution for more Christians, he encountered the Lord. He had such an experience that day that he was radically changed. Even his name was changed from Saul to Paul. Paul then became an apostle who was in authority over many churches in that day. He had a relationship with the Lord that few have had. Yet, he says that he wants to know Christ. Not only that, (if that weren't enough), he wanted to know the fellowship of His suffering and be made conformable (or changed) unto His death. Paul felt he didn't know Christ like he should have. Where does that leave you and I?
If you truly know someone, you know what makes them happy, sad or upset. You know their likes and dislikes. You do what you can to make them happy and avoid doing what hurts, disappoints or upsets them. You recognize their voice above all others. You want to spend time with them. You want to learn more about them every day. You think about them all throughout the day. You introduce your friends to them and want everyone to meet them.
Does this sound like the relationship you have with Christ? Do you know Him, or just know about Him by what you have heard others say or read what they have written about Him? Do you take others' word for it, or do you have a personal relationship with Him? Don't just know about Him. That isn't enough. How sad it will be on Judgment day when this life is over to stand before Him and say, "But I knew all about You. I knew what grandma said about You. I remember what the preacher said about You. I remember what I heard on tv or read on the internet about You." He will say, "But you didn't know Me". There is a huge difference.
So, do you know about Him, or do you know Him? You can know Him today. Open your heart to Him and invite Him into your heart. Ask Him to change your heart and life and save you from your sins. Begin a wonderful relationship with Him right now. It's the best decision you can ever make! Don't delay. You are not promised tomorrow. He loves you and is waiting for you!
"Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified" (Matthew 27:22).
Jesus had been brought to Pilate to be crucified. In this passage, Pilate was asking the people what he needed to do with Jesus. They all said, "Crucify Him". This question that Pilate asked the people needs to be asked to everyone today. "What shall I do with Jesus?" There are only two options: either disobey or ignore Him completely, or accept and follow Him completely.
"And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions." (Matthew 19:16-22).
"From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." (John 6:66-69).
These passage show us there were people who walked away from Jesus because they did not like what He had to say. They liked living their lives their way, and didn't want to change anything. They wanted to be with Him as long as things were going their way, but when the truth came forth, they decided they didn't want any part of it, so they walked away. They chose to ignore and disobey Him, and as a result, walked away from Him. How sad.
So, what will you do with Jesus? Will you love Him, obey Him, trust Him, follow Him, serve Him, depend on Him, learn from Him, listen to Him, and honor Him? This is who He is looking for. He is looking for those who have faith to believe Him and obey Him no matter what. He only has your best interest at heart. He is not out to "get you". He will not hurt you. He will not disappoint you. He only does good things.
Will you obey Him today? Will you accept Him as your Savior today? Will you invite Him into your heart and ask Him to forgive your sins? He lived a sinless life, died on the cross for your sins, took stripes on His back for your healing, rose again on the third day to give you hope of eternal life in Heaven. Don't ignore His love and sacrifice for you. Turn to Him today.
"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20).
Will you let Him in? Will you accept His call today? What will you do with Jesus?
"For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26).
Jesus asked a very serious, thought-provoking question in this passage. This question was simple and to the point. He was simply asking, what good is it if we gain everything this world has to offer, (fame, fortune, homes, cars, jewels, money, temptations, relationships, lifestyles, habits, sins of any kind, etc.) yet lose our soul and spend eternity in Hell.
He is saying that nothing is gained if the soul is lost. He goes on to say, what would you give in exchange for your soul? In other words, are you willing to live your way, doing your thing, gaining your riches, and neglect your soul? Are you willing to exchange your soul for what the world calls fun? When you live in sin, you are exchanging that lifestyle for your soul. So, what you are saying is, this temporary lifestyle is more important and means more to you than where your soul will spend eternity.
Satan tries to tempt us to fall into sin, and when we do, we have just exchanged that sin for our eternal soul. Nothing in this world is more important than our soul. Our soul should be the most important focus. We should keep our focus on keeping our soul pure and sin out of our lives. Sin always leads to destruction. It will doom the soul. Follow the Lord, and preserve your soul. Follow the world and lose your soul. It's that simple.
Nothing is worth losing your soul for. Nothing is worth going to Hell for.
