The Greatest Superhero of all time....

Greetings. Enclosed is a study on the greatest hero of all time--Jesus! Let's look at some interesting parallels. Muhammad Ali spoke of himself as the Greatest. Yes, he was an outstanding Boxer and proved it by his record. He fought in the fight of the century against the Heavyweight Champion of that time--Joe Frazier. Anticipation and excitement were built up when the date approached (March 8, 1971). 

Likewise, our Lord Jesus was the greatest of all time. God put on flesh. Dwelt among men and identified himself with them. Went willingly to the cross, suffered, and engaged in the fight of the Millenium. Souls were at stake. Old Testament saints had a front-row seat in watching the promised savior of all time in battle with Satan and his hordes of evil. 

Absorbing the punishment of hell, he broke free and defeated Satan in Hell. He held a parade of his prisoners and took their spoils. He led the Old Testament saints to glory, giving gifts to all and access to a lost paradise--Glory! The Greatest Superhero of all time!

Hope you enjoy this video teaching below. I have enclosed a powerful link that will bless you and aid you further in this study. God bless. 

1-Jesus blood DNA....https://youtu.be/Wi2eFjnPQqY

 

Judas--Wasted potential.

For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take. (Acts 1:20)

Greetings. The word for today is–Don’t waste the potential that’s inside of you. God has given you gifts, skills, and talents. You may ask—What are my gifts? The answer is in God’s word.

The word of God tells us that we have a treasure inside of us. (2 Cor. 4:7) This is good news. When we were born into this world, we carried gifts, skills, and abilities to the table.  Those gifts were enhanced and more were added to us at the new birth. Some who may be reading this may not even realize the precious gift that God has given inside of us.

As we study the life of Judas, he had a couple of gifts in three areas. First, He was talented in administrative duties. Second, he was good in the area of numbers, causing him to be the treasurer of the disciples. Third, he had a talent for business and knew how to close business deals.  

The question to ask is what happened to this talented apostle? He was part of the 12 disciples and was entrusted with the power of God. (Matt 10:1) Somewhere along the line, he got sidetracked. His love for money was his weakness. God had given him many opportunities to repent, but he kept hardening his heart. As we read on, we are going to see how his hardness caused him to lose everything and abort his God-given destiny.   

                                                Your gifts and destiny

Judas forsook his future with God. He was called to be a Bishop and his purpose was to help transform the whole world for the Lord. (Acts 1:20) God could have used his gifts to draw important people to him. ( Prov 18:16) Sadly, this was not to be. Judas fell and his love of money caused him to betray his messiah.

What does this tell us? We have a God-given destiny to fulfill. Don’t abort your future destiny with God. God has put inside of us gifts to help you and others in life. For example, we can see the gift of creating businesses. A gift in that area can help you and your family. It can, also, provide jobs for others. 

Another example is the gift in the area of science and technology. This gift can bring answers to life’s toughest problems. Your gift can be creative and, even, help save lives. All of you reading this post on my blog have a gift. Do you know what it is? God wants to show us our hidden treasures and use us for his glory. 

Prayer–Thank you, Lord, for speaking to me. Lord, show me my gifts, skills, and talents. Help me to use it for your glory. Help me to use it to provide for our needs, family and even bless all the people surrounding me. Help me to pour out all that you have invested in me. Use me as a willing vessel to bring honor and glory to you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Is your church motivating you?

                         

                                                         Pray for your church and Pastor. (1)           

           Is your church motivating you for God? If you are not in a church, you should be. Scriptures commands us to not to forsake the church. (Heb 10:25) The word says that we are the army of the Lord. There is not such thing as an army of one. We need each other.

                         True, some have been hurt in the church. Others have seen the fire leave the church. We are living in strange and interesting times. A popular Christian leader who is well known in the body said that having a sex-change surgery is not sin. Folks, no doubt about it---deception is creeping in the church but that does not give us reason to not fellowship with one another. 

                        First, we need to realize that there is no such thing as a perfect church. Churches have flaws and, sometimes, we jump to conclusions and see a couple of faults and want to jump ship. Sometimes, we visit a church flowing with the anointing and we get some nice feelings by the Spirit but I can assure you, there are some flaws in the background. If your church has flaws and it is not major then stay. Pray and see how you can make a difference. Is your Pastor lukewarm and the fire has gone out from the church? Pray. Sometimes, we do not see behind the scenes. Maybe your Pastor may be going through a tough trial.

                       When you have a church in which the fire and anointing flows, you want more.Watching God move in his power can be addicting. David experienced it and wanted to bring it outside the sanctuary(Church) walls....

                 O God, thou art my God;early will I seek thee; my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.(PS 63:1-2) 

                       David was so motivated by his fellowship in the sanctuary that he sought God early.God was in his mind constantly and even though, he was in a dry place, he longed for the power to flow.Tests and trials may sap all faith and hope in God but when you go to church, you can get recharged. So, don't go through your tests and trials alone. Go fellowship with other like-minded brethren and get ready to turn it into your testimony and triumph. Praise God! 

(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Peter%27s_Cathedral,_Adelaide#/media/File:StPeter_2179.jpg

Finances got you down? Discover how to pray for your finances.....http://amzn.to/1lyY2BX

Let's go fishing.

                                           Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
           

                           What comes to mind when you see this sign? Pleasure, relaxation or laziness? Whatever your perception is, this sign is important for the body of Christ. Let's look at the following verse below---

                               "He saith unto them,Follow me and I will make you fishers of men."
                                                              (Mat 4:19)   

            As you study the above verse, we see how Jesus captured the attention of his disciples comparing something (Fishing) in the natural into the spiritual (souls of men) As I study this one but very important verse, there is a wealth of knowledge in the area of soul-winning. As I researched some translations, we see some interesting patterns. The Amplified and Amplified Classic Edition (paraphrased) says to let (Jesus) be your guide and teacher in the fishing of men. The common English Version says---I will show you how to fish for people. 
            Soul-winning is the most important thing in the church. It is known as the great commission but few churches do not have a strong evangelistic program much less a vision for their community. Jesus is making a promise to us in Matt 4:19--If we follow him, he will make us a fisher of men. God has a vision for the world. He wants to see souls saved!
          Contrary to tradition, Jesus did not, just, have 12 disciples. There were seventy who were with him. (Luke 10:1). He, also, ministered to thousands of people. That to me is a successful ministry but how do we get to that level of ministering to thousands of people? Taking time to sit at the feet of the master and learn how to fish for the souls of men! The first rule of thumb is to know what we have in Christ Jesus. 

                                       We have an inheritance.

            "Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance.... (Ps 2:8)

                                     Did you know that you can ask the Lord for souls? That is your inheritance! As you study Psalms 2, you will find that the Father made this promise to Jesus, when he arose from the dead. We are joint-heirs with Christ, so this promise relates to us as well. We can ask the Father for souls---Our enemies, our families, co-workers, etc. Have you been asking God for souls? It's time to win souls for the kingdom! 
                                     Next, ask God for wisdom. Why? The word says that he who wins souls is wise (Prov 11:30) In order to win souls, we must have the right bait. When you go out to fish, you need a bait that will attract the fishes so is the same with soul winning. My wife and I spent some time in the children's ministry and we went out into the streets doing shows for the kids. Some would dress up as clowns and distribute candy. Soon, we had an audience around us and we would invite them to church.
                               The youth Pastor had a program called Superchurch and he would spend 5 hours praying in tongues to come up with a show that would arrest their attention. Many children got saved and soon their parents would come to our church. That church had made such an impact on people in the neighborhood that it grew to about 500 in a short time. You want to win souls? Pray for the right bait.


                                           It's time to clean the fishes.


                        After we set the bait and souls starts to come to Christ, it's time for cleaning. Just as you clean the fish before you eat them, so is the same for souls.  They need to be cleansed. 
Too many Christians are quick to condemn a fellow believer instead of allowing them to sit down and learn the word so that they, too, can experience victory in their lives. (John 15:3) As they learn who they are in Christ and what belongs to them, we can see an increase of disciples and make a difference in our generation. 

When you have Jesus, you have it all!

      

    

   ... we are more than conquerors through him that loved us..

                                                              (Romans 8:37)   

                
                  What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the name----Jesus? A good man? A wise man? To some, a fictional character that may not exist? I've come to tell you that the name of Jesus is more than that. Don't knock it until you try him.
              The word says that taste and see that the Lord is good. I can tell you all day about the apple but if you have not tasted it, you won't know its flavor. Many get angry at God because their prayer was not answered, but I've come to tell you that God, still, answers prayers. The only requirement is that you've got to come by the book---The word of God! 
               Perhaps some that read this think I'm in denial, but I've come to tell you that Jesus is real. When you invite him in your heart, you have it all. How? By this simple word---Wisdom! The world is looking for wisdom. One of the definition of wisdom is getting answers to complex problems.
                The word tells us that Christ is made unto us wisdom.(I Cor 1:30) That means that when you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, he becomes wisdom inside of you. Think of this--You have a genius living inside of you! The word says that you have the mind of Christ. The word Christ means the anointing and we know that its power will break the yoke of the enemy!
                   That doesn't mean that life will be a bed of roses. There will be challenges--There will be tests! Why? Because we live in a fallen world. Many Christians are going under and some wind up in mental institutions---Why? Because they have allowed the circumstances to defeat them! What you don't know can hurt you! The body needs to know what they have in Christ. 
                    That is why the word says---Let this mind be in you! (Phil 2:5) You have to let the mind of Christ rise up and help you in life. How? First, you ask him for wisdom. When you do that, that wisdom that is inside you will rise up and provide answers. Another way is through prayer. Spend some time alone with him. Practice being silent and hearing his voice. 
                      Another way is through confessing the word. The word, itself, has the power to give you wisdom. Get up everyday and confess the mind of Christ. Confess that you are wise. Confess that you are his sheep. As we identify with him, you will see the end result. No matter what you are going through in life, remember God knows the end from the beginning. He will turn your testings into testimonies and make you more than a conqueror! 

Prayer---Lord, thank you for your word. I confess in this day that I have the mind of Christ. I confess that I am his sheep and hear his voice. I am wise and I always make the right decisions. I will not be moved by the circumstances because they are subject to change. Your word is mighty and will change circumstances to conform to your word. I cannot lose because I am more than a conqueror. In Jesus Name---Amen! 

Check out our facebook page---https://www.facebook.com/wordandgrace56

More teaching links---
1-http://wordandgrace.blogspot.com/2015/09/dont-let-circumstances-have-last-word.html
2-http://wordandgrace.blogspot.com/2015/09/find-missing-piece.html

Do you want a new beginning? Ask Jesus into your life...http://wordandgrace.blogspot.com/2012/05/sinners-prayer.html

Bible verses provided by www.biblegateway.com


             

Pastor's notes----02/25/15

                                                                                                                 

                         
                                    http://bit.ly/17yAr0I---See note below (1)



                                             Questions about God!

                               In life, When Christians share their faith, there is always the question--If God exists, why do we have evil rampant around the world? Recently, I read an article in which Larry King expressed unbelief in God. Two statements that he said was the Holocaust and why does a baby die. I am not a "know it all", but I can search for answers through the word. The word says---We have the mind of Christ. Christ has been made unto us wisdom. Wisdom is the ability to answer questions and solve problems. Before we proceed, let's get one thing straight. I like Larry King. I don't agree with some of his points of views but I find his talk show interesting, and,at times,entertaining.                
                                 To be fair, he had some legitimate questions. He questioned God for the evil that has been happening in the world. Why would a loving and all-knowing God allow evil. Well, if I had the opportunity to talk to Mr. King, I would invite him to be born-again. Without a born-again experience, what I have to say from the word of God would be gibberish and he would have a hard time understanding it. (I Cor 2:14)
                              Notwithstanding, I would give it a shot and show him where it all began, It began in the garden of Eden. Adam was given this world by God (Ps 115:16) God entrusted Adam with the care of this world. We, all know, what happened. Adam bowed his knees unto Satan with his disobedience and what was garden of Eden became a fallen world under the control of Satan,
                          Furthermore, Satan blinded men through sin that they could not come to God, Sin opens the door to disaster. Let's start with the Holocaust. Concerning the Holocaust, let me take you thousands of years back when the Jews said that the blood of Jesus be upon themselves and children as a curse. (Matt 27:25) Mr. King, God did not have anything to do with the Holocaust. The Jews,in their hatred of the Lord Jesus, pronounced a curse that would haunt them for centuries,
                           Concerning the fact that God would allow a baby to die. The word says that my people die for lack of knowledge.(Hosea 4:6) The answer to that is in the word. When people pray and follow the laws of faith, miracles happen. God, also, has a plan for his people--- the Jews. When God took Ezekiel and gave him a vision of the future, he took him to a valley of dry bones.
                                 Why dry bones? Because God knew in his wisdom that his people would pronounce a curse upon themselves, So, he spoke his word in these dry bones and created a miracle. His people became the nation of Israel. (Eze 37:1-14) So, if that is not cause for you, Mr, King, to believe in God, I don't know what it will take.
                                   Jesus is the answer to every problem and need. Jesus became the second and last Adam so that we can enjoy God's best on earth and be assured of our salvation. (I Cor 15:44-47, Deut 11:21) God had to respect man's decision to give this earth to Satan through free will. So, in his wisdom, God became a man through Jesus Christ to open the door to Salvation.
                              Yes, we will have problems. Problems are a fact of life, but the good news is that we can find the answers we need by having a born-again experience and studying his word. I pray that maybe this blog will find itself in your hands, Mr.King, and you will find God in your life before it is too late. To those who are born again, let us pray that Mr.King and others like him find out that God is real and loves them all.

Link---http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/watchman-on-the-wall/48466-atheist-larry-king-needs-a-prophetic-word-from-god-right-now

(1) Permission was granted with the request to let all know that the copyright holder Angela George neither endorses nor agrees with the point of view listed above.

Sentados en los lugares Celestiales.

Bienaventurado el varón que no anduvo en consejo de malos, Ni estuvo en camino de pecadores, Ni en silla de escarnecedores se ha sentado;
           (Salmos 1:1) 

Al leer esto,me pongo a pensar. ¿Hacia dónde nos sentamos ? Sé que la palabra dice que estoy sentado en lugares celestiales en Cristo Jesús , pero si no tenemos cuidado , podemos estar sentado en el asiento equivocado. Cuando era niño , al crecer en Nueva York, solíamos jugar a un juego llamado sillas musicales . Escuchamos  un disco y tieniamos 5 personas caminando por 4 sillas. Cuando la música se paraba , uno de ellos se quedaron fuera .
                       En el reino del Senor, no es asi. El Senor tiene una silla para mi y para ti. Hay sillas a monton. En el mundo, la gente son egoista. Le preocupa el "YO" y lo demas se queda afuera. Por eso, tenemos que aprender a renovar nuestro entendimiento. Cuando uno se pasa con gente del mundo y que no estan sirviendo a Dios, uno puede ser influido a cambiar su manera de pensar.  Muchas veces, tenemos que hacer cambios radicales en nuestras relaciones personales.
                        Jesús enseñó este principio con la hija de Jairo. Muchas gente atacan el declarar las cosas que no son como si fueran. Pues, vamos al ejemplo maximo.Veamos el ejemplo de Jesus. El  hizo una declaración de fe ( 1 ). Vino a una niña  que estaba muerta, pero no llamó asi. ¿Por qué? Porque vio en su mente la niña sana. Sí, era un hecho que se murio , pero Jesús estaba hablando de esas cosas que no son como si fuesen ( 2 ) . Una fuerte evidencia de que la palabra de Dios puede cambiar las circunstancias .
                             Sin embargo, algunas personas se reían de él . Ellos estaban sentados en el asiento de los escarnecedores,con su sarcasmo y su burla.¿Qué hizo Jesús ?  Él hizo algo radical. Los echó afuera a todos.  Muy lejos de la imagen de lo que el mundo tiene de Jesús. Esa accion, logicamente, ofendio a esa gente, pero a Jesus no le importaba. Mas lo importaba que la niña resucitara de los muertos y fuera sana.
                         La incredulidad es como una enfermedad . Si usted va a una iglesia donde el pastor abraza la incredulidad y la religión , eso puede debilitar su fe y si usted no tiene cuidado , estaras sentado en el asiento equivocado. Jesús sabía donde estaba sentado . Tenía confianza en la palabra y no le preocupaba lo que lo que pensaran los demas.
                             Era evidente en esto porque su fe empezó a trabajar y dar los resultados finales. Él sabía cual era su lugar con el Padre , y por eso es importante estar sentados con él . En este dia, deje de jugar sillas musicales con el mundo. Mantengase sentado(a) en la silla celestial.

Referencias: (1)  Marcos 5:22-23, 35-42 (2) Heb 11:3
Retrato courtesy de  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Seat_Tirumalai_Nayak.jpg                          
                   

To Hell and back!

                         "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matt 12:40)


                            In our last devotional, we saw how sin had hardened Jonah's heart. How he was so comfortable in his disobedience that he fell asleep and did not notice a storm coming his way. In spite of the circumstances of life, Jonah was hard headed and would not repent. To make a long story short, he was thrown overboard from the ship where he was traveling and swallowed by a fish (Most likely a whale).
                            It is interesting that our Lord Jesus compared himself to Jonah. Jonah was in the belly of the whale 3 days and 3 nights. Can you imagine the "hell" that he was going through? A world of darkness and his skin decaying with the digestive juices inside the whale's belly? No doubt, Jonah was in constant pain and agony. 
                     In the midst of his agony, he cried out to God. He made his peace with him and God gave the whale heartburn and he winded up spitting  Jonah out to shore. Our Lord Jesus went through a similar experience but on a most intense level. He was in hell 3 days and 3 nights. The fact of the matter is that Jesus was not buried underground as some would conclude in Matt 12:40 because he was buried in a cave, but this speaks of hell.(1) Jesus went into hell. Why? To pay for our sins and rescue the Old testament saints 
                   My favorite boxer is Muhammad Ali. He used the power of confession to his advantage. He would talk and intimidate his opponents on a consistent basis. After a while, he would wind up beating them. When he fought George Foreman, he used the technique called rope-a-dope. George Foreman, who was the most feared fighter of his time, was punching at Ali's body constantly until he got tired. Ali had taken all of his punches and now it was his turn. Brilliantly attacking a worn out Foreman, Ali made his move and decked him to win the Heavyweight championship of the world! 
                       Rope-a-dope is nothing new. Our Lord Jesus did a "rope-a-dope" with the devil. He took his best punches in hell. When the time was up, Jesus attacked and defeated Satan and his legions of hell,but that was not all. The saints had a front row seat on the fight of the millennium and winded up leaving with the champion, but not before Jesus paraded them on display showing their defeat. It was better than the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade! (2)
                          In looking at the life of Jonah and Jesus, what was their secret? What brought them out of their hell and agony? Praise and thanksgiving! In both cases, they used the power of praise to blast the hell out of their lives!  Glory to God! So, friends, rejoice. I don't know what private "hell" you are going through, but Jesus can get you out of it. Just ask the Father to deliver you and start thanking him for the victory! Your test will be your testimony and God will be glorified in your life. God bless! 

Bible verses provided by www.biblegateway.com
Bible references: Jonah 2 and Ps 16: 9-11

(1) Eph 4:9 and Eph 4:8
(2) Col 2:15 
                     

Estan tus problemas hablandote?

"Al día siguiente, cuando salieron de Betania, tuvo hambre.

 Y viendo de lejos una higuera que tenía hojas, fue a ver si tal vez hallaba en ella algo; pero cuando llegó a ella, nada halló sino hojas, pues no era tiempo de higos.  Entonces Jesús dijo a la higuera: Nunca jamás coma nadie fruto de ti. Y lo oyeron sus discípulos." (Mark 11:12-14) 

Esta es la pregunta que debe preguntarte en este día. Nuestros problemas nos están hablando día y noche. Nuestra sociedad está llena de estrés y ansiedad. No es  extraño que los ataques al corazón es el primero en la lista de salud, pero hay buena noticias. La Biblia tiene todas las respuestas a nuestros problemas.

                       Al leer Marcos 11:12-14, Jesús empezo su dia con malas noticias. Él queria desayuno y tenia hambre. En los tiempos biblicos, se comian higueras. Esas higueras eran muy delicioso y popular. Ahora, en este tiempo, vamos a un Hardees o McDonald para el desayuno y comemos un poco de tocino, huevos y café. Un buen desayuno nos puede costar como $5 o mas dolares! 

                    ¿ Imaginate no ir al Hardees porque tienes tu carro danado? Imaginates que tienes una llanta mala y al momento de arreglarlo, no puedes comer su desayuno porque es muy tarde. Tienes que apresurarte para ir al trabajo. Eso es un mal día!

                           Jesús no fue la excepción. Quería encontrar unos deliciosos higueras, pero no estaban allí. Si lees esto detenidamente--La higuera le hablo. Le dijo que no tenia higueras. Dice la palabra que Jesus le contesto y le hablo------- le dijo que no habra higos para usted. Esa palabra era tan fuerte que se fue a la raíz del árbol y lo seco. 

                         ¿Estas atravezando por un desafío financiero? Aunque lo creas o no, la falta de plata le está hablando. Has recibido un informe malo para la salud? La falta le esta hablando. En este día, le animo a que renueves tu entendimiento a la Palabra de Dios. Responde a la falta con la palabra para ir profundo a la raíz de su problema y darte la victoria --- Que Dios los bendiga!  

                  

                                     
                                          Retrato de una Higuera--                 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ficus_carica_Panasc%C3%A8.jpg

 Versos courtesia de www.biblegateway.com

The unjust judge!

                       " Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:  And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;

 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

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

                         (Luke 18:2-8)

                       

                  This story has been preached in many churches. We see a widow who is determined to get justice and wears out this judge in her plea, finally getting her petition answered. A wonderful story with a happy ending, but unfortunately, one that has been misunderstood in the field of prayer. What I like is that it compares prayer to a courtroom setting and God is the judge of all things.

             The word of God tells us that Satan is the accuser of the Brethren. He goes to the court of heaven accusing us day and night before the father. (1) What should be our approach when we go to the court of heaven in prayer? The word says to enter his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise. Why? Because, we have the best attorney that money can buy. We have Jesus!

              In looking at this passage, I want to point out the gross misunderstanding of God and prayer! We think that if we continue to ask and ask that eventually, God is going to get tired of us and wind up giving us what we ask. Nothing could be further than the truth.

                First of all, how dare we compare the Judge of the earth to a unjust Judge? Luke 18:7-8 denotes this contrast. He said that God will avenge them speedily, in other words, we don't have to wear him down with our crying and groveling. Why? It's already done. (2) God has given us all things that pertains unto life. (II Peter 1:3) 

               So, we can walk in that courtroom, give thanks, as well as praise to God for our promises, then look at Satan and say----In your face! Why? Because Jesus has won our case. His evidence? His hands and body indicating our salvation and precious promises for us! 

              Bear in mind that for each promise, Satan will fight you so that you can give up and walk away. I remember hearing about inheritances that would take years before they were given to the right parties. We have an inheritance with the Lord and we don't have to settle for red tape.

                   Yes, God has its seasons, but when we get kingdom minded---All will change. We don't have to worry about time because God has no time. We can be in a area of expectancy and see his promises come to pass at any time. Do you visualize yourself with God's promises? Then, stop asking him and expect a breakthrough. Your lawyer Jesus Christ has won your case! God bless.

Scriptures--

 (1) Rev 12:10

 (2) II Peter 1:3

Bible verses provided by www.biblegateway.com

                   

Pastor's Post---March 2, 2015

                                                  Behold the lamb!

" And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!"
                  (John 1:36)


                              What comes to mind when you hear the word--Lamb of God? Is it just a phrase or a deep meaning that hits close to the heart. We, all, know that Jesus is the lamb of God, but what is implied behind those words? Let's look at some highlights of Exodus 12:1-10----

• A lamb was chosen out of the flock. It had to be without defects or blemish. It, also, had to be a firstborn. (Exo 12:5)
• It was to be set aside for a couple of days and be put under observation.(Exo 12:3-6)
• It had to be shared with others. (Exo 12:4)
• It had to be roasted in fire. (Exo 12:8)
• No leftovers. You had to eat the whole lamb. Whatever was left was burned in the fire. (Exo 12:8-10) 

                 LAMB CHOSEN OUT OF THE FLOCK---Jesus was called the second and last Adam (I Cor 15:45). He was without defect or blemish. He had never sinned and is called the firstborn of the church and assembly of God. Why? Because he started the church. He, also, was the first man to enter heaven. 

                PUT UNDER OBSERVATION---When you hear the words--"Behold, the lamb of God", it implies to stare. When you stare at something, you see some details of that object. Some may be good and some bad, but with Jesus, all that you see in him is good. We need to stop and meditate on what things he has given to us. 

               SHARED WITH OTHERS---When you read Exo 12:4, it says if the household is too small, invite your neighbor over for dinner. God is more than enough. His salvation and his benefits is too much for us to keep it for ourselves. We need to share his gifts and blessings with others. A lost and hurting world wants answers. Jesus can provide what they need!

                ROASTED WITH FIRE-----The lamb had to be cooked and well done. Jesus said that he would spend three days and nights in the heart of the earth.(Matt 12:40) You may reason--It means that Jesus was buried and would raise again. When we think of buried, we think of being below the earth in our western thinking. 

                       The Bible says that he was buried in a cave, not under the earth. This implies, something, deeper. Friends, did you know that the deeper you dig in the earth, the hotter it becomes----It is a scientific fact! Years ago, some Russian scientists wanted to do some research and dig below the earth, now mind you, this was around the '60's when atheism was running high. What they found was, not, only that it got hotter but their equipment went haywire. They saw some spirits that began to manifest themselves along with the noises of people in agony.

        Needless to say, their thinking was changed and now they are saved.(A link to that story is provided below.) Friends, what Jesus was saying was that he would suffer the torments of the fires of hell and then rise up again--Hallelujah! Jesus did not finish his sacrifice on the cross,  he finished it in hell. When Jesus said at the cross---It is finished! He was claiming victory and speaking of those things that are not as though they were!

               NO LEFTOVERS---They had to eat the whole lamb. The eyes, the stomach, the livers, the ears, etc. You may feel repulsed, but get ready to put on your dancing shoes and give a shout to God. When they ate the following items, they got healed--

'

• The eyes---The blind received their sight.
• The ears-- The deaf can hear
• The stomach--Diabetics are healed
• The liver---Liver disease being healed and so on...

             PS 105:37 says that there was not a feeble one among them. Feeble in the Hebrew means sick. So, as they ate the lamb and obeyed God, they got healed. I like the Cecil DeMille's movie,The Ten Commandments, done in 1956. It was well-made for that time, but one thing that I saw was that some scenes were not in line with the word.

               On one scene, when the Jews came out of Egypt, you see them in rags and some on crutches. It was a different scene as far as God's word was concerned. God had a different perspective ---They were healed and came out with silver and gold! This is far better than Cecil DeMille's version! When we got out of Egypt, which symbolizes the world, we have all we need in Jesus. So, think on these things as you hear the word----Behold the lamb of God! God bless!

Bible verses provided by biblegateway

Picture provided by...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:German_ewe_grazing_closeup.jpg

Sounds of hell link..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iPIXq_jGMQ

     

A look at Biblical finances!

Money!, a photo by yomanimus on Flickr.

Special thanks for yomanimus for allowing his photo to be on my website!


MANY IN THE BODY OF CHRIST IS SUFFERING FROM FINANCIAL LACK !

As a minister, I have seen many Christians go thru financial lack. Lack of finances has strained relationships. They have broken up marriages. Many have winded up with health problems because of the lack of finances. I am burdened for these precious saints, and I wish that I could write a check to cover all of these needs, but I can't. I can, nonetheless, provide some thought on how to deal with testings in this area.

JESUS SUFFERED FROM FINANCIAL LACK!

Our Lord Jesus, believe it or not, suffered from financial lack. He was asked if he paid taxes. (Matt 17:24) The good thing about Jesus is that he knew where to get the money to pay his taxes. He told Peter to pull up the first fish, and there, he would find the money to, not only, pay his taxes but Peter's. (Matt 17:25-27)
Yes, there are times when the word says that men will give to our bosom if we give to the Lord. I agree with that and have seen it happen in my own life, but sometimes, we have to go get it. The word says the principal thing is Wisdom.(Prov 4:7) Wisdom is the first thing we should seek God for in prayer. Sometimes, our circumstances can, so, overwhelm us. When this happens, we need to take a deep breath and be calm. The next step is to start to seek the Lord for wisdom.

WHY THE TITHE?

Many Christians fail to see the importance of tithing. The Tithe is a commandment of the Lord. Many a Christian justify themselves and make excuses. They overlook this very important commandment. In Malachi, chapter 3, we see how God demands this act of obedience from his people.
I will take this a little further! Upon reading Malachi 3, you will find God saying that his people have robbed him in TITHES AND OFFERINGS! Not only is the tithe important, but the offering too. When you read the accounts in the Old Testament, God told his people not to come to him empty-handed! Let's establish one thing-Tithing is mandatory, but the amount of the offering is left up to the Believer. (II Cor 9:7)
Why give? So, that there may be money available to supply the needs of the church. Not only is the church responsible to support their Pastor and leadership, but to help others in need. Reading the book of Acts, we saw how the church had its needs supplied because the people gave liberally. Tradition says that the church was poor, but God's word says the opposite.
I know of a Pastor of a big church, who not only, helps his flock financially but has helped employ people of his own church creating businesses. The true church is supposed to be the answer, not the problem. Too many bad apples has misappropriated the churches funds and have given Christianity a bad name. Thank God that we still have honest and upright ministers that try to help others and make a difference.

STOP BLAMING GOD!

This may come as a shock to you, but stop blaming GOD!! He is not to blame for your problems. Who's to blame? First, ourselves. Sometimes, we confuse our feelings for God and wind up making the wrong decisions in life. For example, we see an ad promising a quick pathway to wealth. Then, we see how that company pressure us by saying that this is a limited time offer. We pray about it and charge the card without really hearing from God. Months have passed by. What happened to that promise of wealth? You have been duped and out of money!
The word of God says that all of God's promises are Yea and Amen. (II Cor. 1:20) God has given us precious, and wonderful promises to get us through the testings of life. Bear in mind Malachi 3, when he says that he will open the windows of heaven! They are ours, but we have to learn how to possess them. Are you possessing God's promises? God willing, we will do some more studying on this important subject.