Today we remember what biblical event?  Yes, Palm Sunday or Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Is the account found in all four Gospels?  Yes.

Do I have anything new to say about it?  No, not really.

I do want us to review a couple of things and then move onto a pressing matter in need of our prayer support.

Let’s hear Mark 11: 1-11

Thank you. 

We have here the story of the public entry Christ made into Jerusalem.

He came into Jerusalem remarkably, first to show that he was not afraid of the power and malice of his enemies in Jerusalem.  He did not steal into the city incognito, as one who was afraid to show his face.

And two, to show that he was not cast down or disquieted at the thoughts of his approaching sufferings.  He came, not only publicly, but cheerfully.

The outside of this triumph was very lean; he rode upon as ass’s colt. 

Christ went upon the water in a borrowed boat (Luke 5:1-3);

ate the Passover in a borrowed chamber (Matt 26:17-19);

was buried in a borrowed sepulcher (Luke 23:50-55)

and here rode on a borrowed ass.

We, as Christians, must not scorn to be beholden one to another, and, when need is, to go borrowing, for our Master did.

He had no rich trappings; they threw their clothes upon the colt, and so he sat upon it.

The disciples furnished Jesus with the best they had, and did not object the spoiling of their clothes when the Lord had need of them.

We must not think the clothes on our backs too dear to part with for the service of Christ, for the clothing of his poor destitute and afflicted members.

Now, concerning this great multitude (or ramble as some may say), we are here told, what they did; according to the best of their capacity, they showed honor to Christ.

They spread their garments in the way that he might ride upon them.

Where on earth did this come from?  Let’s hear about it from 2 Kings 9:12&13

Took every man his garment – This was a ceremony by which they acknowledged Jehu as King.  The ceremony was expressive: “As we put our garments under your feet, so we place every thing under your authority, and acknowledge ourselves your servants.”

We who take Christ for our King must lay our all under his feet; the clothes, in token of our hearts.

How shall we express our respects to Christ?  What honor and what dignity shall be done to him?

When a king comes, something great and magnificent is expected.  But there is nothing of that here.  When Christ appears in his glory, it is in his meekness, not in his majesty.

His temper is very mild.  He is meek to suffer great injuries and indignities for our sake.

He is easy of access, easy to be entreated.  His yoke is easy.  As an evidence of this, his appearance is very mean.

Sitting upon an ass, a creature made not for state, but service.

Not for battles, but for burdens.

Slow in its motions, but sure, and safe and constant.

Our King comes riding, not on a prancing horse, which the timid believer dares not come near.

Or a running horse, which the slow-footed believer cannot keep pace with.

But on a quiet ass, that the poorest of his subjects may not be discouraged in their access to him.

By the way, who lives in Bethany?  Yes, Mary, Martha and Lazarus. 

Do we know that by osmosis, or does the bible tell us so?

Martha complaining that Mary is not helping is found in Luke 10:38-42.

John 11:1-3 clearly says; “Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha”. 

John 12:1-2 says; “Then Jesus six days before the Passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.  There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.”

Please read Mark 11:12-14.

“When they came from Bethany” implies to me they were at Mary, Martha and Lazarus’.  But if they were, why was Jesus hungry?

I get the fact He was fully God and fully man, and His earthy body got tired, dirty and hungry.  But why would the sister let a guest leave the house hungry?

None of my commentaries touch on that, I just wonder about it.

Was it not unreasonable to curse the tree for being fruitless when, as Mark expressly says, “it was not the season for figs”?

The problem is most satisfactorily cleared up in a discussion called “The Barren Fig Tree” published many years ago by W.M. Christie, a Church of Scotland minister in Palestine.

He pointed out first that time of year at which the incident is said to have occurred would be the first days of April.

“Now,” wrote Christie, “the facts connected with the fig tree are these.  Toward the end of March the leaves begin to appear, and in about a week the foliage coating is complete.  Coincident with [this], and sometimes even before, there appears quite a crop of small knobs, not the real figs, but a kind of early forerunner. 

They grow to the size of green almonds, in which condition they are eaten by peasants and others when hungry.  When they come to their own indefinite maturity they drop off.”

These precursors of the true fig are called taqsh in Palestinian Arabic.

Their appearance is a harbinger of the fully formed appearance of the true fig some six weeks later.  So, as Mark says, the time for figs had not yet come.  But if the leaves appear without and taqsh – he knew that “it was an absolutely hopeless, fruitless fig tree” and said as much.

Now let’s hear Mark 11:20-26

Speaking of prayer, we need to talk about Mike Murrell and his family.

As some of you know Mike has been gone from home in his Spring Revival tour.

While he was in Arizona he received word that his wife, Teresa, had moved out.  He was heart broken of course.  There was some hope that she was “running” and would return.

Also, the church board contacted the conference superintendents about a matter, even though they had told Mike they would wait for his return to discuss it.

He continued with his revival services in Illinois, although they would have released him.

So he arrived “home” late Wednesday night, actually early Thursday morning, 12:30 A.M.

Later Thursday morning the Sheriff served him with papers to appear in court on Friday.

Friday he was presented with divorce papers and a no-contact order for Teresa and his daughter, Makayla.

Yesterday, the powers that be of our denomination arrived and Mike surrendered his credentials and was removed from his church.

I can’t begin to imagine his pain, his fear, his hurt, his everything.

What he said next broke my heart, “If you still want me, I’m still planning on coming there for revival.”  I said of course we wanted him to come.

He wanted me to express his deep gratitude for your previous prayers, but needs your continued prayers.

One bright spot in this is that 15 minutes after the district superintendents lest, a job offer came over the phone.  I don’t believe he accepted yet, but it gives him hope and assurance that God wants him to continue to preach.

I’ve put in your bulletins a nice chart of how to pray for other Christians.  The verses all come from Colossians, chapter 1.

Let’s look at it together for a moment.

How to Pray For Other Christians

Colossians chapter one

From The Life Application Study Bible

1. Be thankful for their faith and changed lives (1:3).

2. Ask God to help them know what he wants them to do (1:9).

3. Ask God to give them deep spiritual understanding (1:9).

4. Ask God to help them live for him (1:10).

5. Ask God to give them more knowledge of himself (1:10).

6. Ask God to give them strength for endurance (1:11).

7. Ask God to fill them with joy, strength, and thankfulness (1:11).

How many people in your life could be touched if you prayed in this way?

Let us close in prayer

Resources: The Life Application Study Bible; Matthew Henry’s Commentary; Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible;

Ever feel that what you do for the Lord really isn’t important?  I preach the very best that I can, but our numbers don’t seem to grow.

When Darlene waxes this floor, it takes hours, and its hard work.

Karen spent four hours filling out a form for headquarters; it didn’t seem worth it, did it?

 Mary spends time and effort to put out the newsletter, and we don’t often get comments, good or bad, about it.

Dale has spent days trying to get the deeds for the Ewart property.

Peggy, Andrew and Dennis practice to provide us the best worship possible.

Mike, Andy and Kenton do yeoman’s duty on the building and yard around here.

We all cook, speak, plan and prepare for youth group and camp crossfire.

Yet sometimes I wonder does any of it make a difference?

Yes, I believe it does.  The bible in Colossians 3:22-24 says;

Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. 

It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

For us it might read: Members of a little country church outside of Grinnell; work with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.  In all you do, do it with all your heart, because you are working for the Lord, not for men.

Tell me about the book of Acts.  Fifth book in the New Testament. Written by Luke, a Gentile physician.  To give an accurate account of the birth and growth of the Christian church.

Key people are; Peter, Paul, John, Stephen and Timothy.

But what about Julius, Paul’s nephew, Jason, Lydia, James, Rhoda, Cornelius, Ananias, the five deacons and the crippled man?  Not so familiar?  Let’s look into their stories.

Julius’ story from Acts 27:1, 3,

When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment.

The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs.

The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping.  But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan.  He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land.  The rest were to get there on planks or on pieces of the ship.  In this way everyone reached land in safety.

Use of the pronoun we in verse one indicates that Luke accompanied Paul on this journey.

Julius, a Roman centurion, was assigned to guard Paul.  Obviously he had to remain close to Paul at all times.  Through this contact, Julius developed a respect for Paul.   How would your character look, up close and personal?

The soldiers would pay with their own lives if any of their prisoners escaped.  Their instinctive reaction was to kill the prisoners so they wouldn’t get away.

Julius, the centurion, was impressed with Paul and wanted to save his life.  Julius was the highest ranking official; therefore, he could make this decision.  This act preserved Paul for his later ministry in Rome.

God used Julius to preserve Paul’s life in this moment so he could complete the work God had for him to do.

In Acts 12:1-17 we hear of Rhoda.

Herod’s plan undoubtedly was to execute Peter, but the believers were praying for Peter’s safety.  The earnest prayer of the church significantly affected the outcome of these events.  Prayer changes things, so pray often and with confidence.

The prayers of the group of believers were answered, even as they prayed.  But when the answer arrived at the door, they didn’t believe it.

We should be people of faith who believe that God answers the prayers of those who seek his will.  When you pray, believe you’ll get an answer.  And when the answer comes, don’t be surprised; be thankful!

Just to clarify, The James in verse 17 (Tell James and the brothers about this) was Jesus’ brother, who became a leader in the Jerusalem church. 

The James who was killed in verse 2 was John’s brother; we knew them as the ‘Sons of Thunder’. 

John Mark wrote the Gospel of Mark.  His mother’s house was large enough to accommodate a meeting of many believers.  An upstairs room in this house may have been the location of Jesus’ last supper with his disciples.

I want us to be sure to hear the rest of the story.  Verses 18 & 19 say; In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter.  After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed.

Under Roman law, guards who allowed a prisoner to escape were subject to the same punishment the prisoner was to receive.  Thus these 16 guards were sentenced to death.

Why did God allow James, one of the original 12 disciples, to die and yet miraculously save Peter?

One man escaped, through no fault of the guards, and 16 guards died.  

Life is full of difficult questions like these, and they cannot possibly be answered in this life time because we do not see all that God sees. 

As people of faith we know that God will help us use our suffering to strengthen us and glorify him.  We must walk by faith and not by sight. (1 Cor. 5:7)

Please allow me my aside here – Paul and Silas were in prison and about midnight they were singing hymns when an earthquake shook the prison doors open and everybody’s chains came loose. 

The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.

He preferred suicide to being killed by his authority.  And the rest of this story?  You will have to read Acts 16 to find out!

Let’s be reminded of Ananias – Acts 9:1-16

“Not him, Lord; that’s impossible.  He could never become a Christian!”  In essence, that’s what Ananias said when God told him of Saul’s conversion.  After all, Saul had pursued believers to their death.

Despite these understandable feelings, Ananias obeyed God and ministered to Saul.  We must not limit God—he can do anything.  We must obey and follow God’s leading, even when he leads us to difficult people and places.

Got any difficult people in your life who need Jesus?  Pray believing and pray often for them, then follow God’s instructions when they arrive.  God may have a miracle planned if you trust and obey.

Before we hear the full story of Lydia, the “we” in verse 13 would have been Luke, the author of the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts, Paul, Silas and Timothy. 

Also, inscribed on the arches outside the city of Philippi was a prohibition against bringing an unrecognized religion into the city; therefore, the prayer meeting was held outside the city, beside the river.

Acts16:12-15

Following the Holy Spirit’s leading, Paul made his first evangelistic contact in Philippi with a small group of women gathered at the river.

Paul never allowed gender or cultural boundaries to keep him from preaching the gospel.  He preached to these women and Lydia, an influential merchant, believed.

She opened her home to Paul and his companions, and from there he lead many to Christ and founded a church in Philippi.  God often worked in and through women in the early church.

We don’t have time to read all the rest of the stories; I’ve listed them in your bulletin; but here’s a teaser. 

After his healing, the crippled man from chapter 3, praised God.  As the crowds gathered to see what was happening, Peter used the opportunity to tell many about Jesus.

Everyone has heard of Stephen, and many know of Philip, but there were five other men chosen to be deacons in chapter 6.  They not only laid the foundation for service in the church, but their hard work also gave the apostles the time they needed to preach the gospel.

Cornelius’ example in chapter 10 showed Peter that the gospel was for all people, Jews and Gentiles.

James in chapter 15 took command of the Jerusalem council and had the courage and discernment to help form a decision that would affect literally millions of Christians over many generations.

Jason in chapter 17 risked his life for the gospel by allowing Paul to stay in his home.  He stood up for what was true and right, even though he faced persecution for it.

And finally Paul’s nephew in chapter 23 saved Paul’s life by telling officials of a murder plot.

Still think what you do for our Lord is not important?  Think again.  In these final days we must remain strong and faithful to the cause we have been called to.

Let us pray.

Reference: Life Application Study Bible

How’s your prayer list looking?

Short and sweet?  NO?

Long and almost overwhelming?

I’m not always sure what or how to pray for all the people in Japan.  They need so much, all the basics; water, food, shelter, clothing and hope.  And there are so many of them.

Even to build the most basic of shelters will take years.

 The hurricane Katrina people will testify to the years it takes to rebuild and the post traumatic syndrome that follows.

And what about the situation in Libya?  What will our ultimate commitment be there?

I feel we’re being stretched a bit thin by Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan already.

The people of Haiti still need help.

 And we can all make a list of what we need right here in the USA; our economy, unemployment or underemployment, education, roads, taxes and health insurance.

And the list goes on.

 Then we add our personal list of prayer needs, and it can seem overwhelming.

 What are we suppose to do?  Yes, pray.

 Pray without ceasing – for a refresher let’s hear 1 Thes. 5:12-18 please.

 “Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.  Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.  Live in peace with each other. 

And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.  Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

            Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

 Not to add more to your prayer plate, just a reminder. Respect, love, peace, warn, encourage, help, patience, kindness, joyfulness and giving thanks.  Make you think of any other bible verse?

How about Galatians 5:22-23?  “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.”

Verse 17 of 1 Thessalonians 5, referred me to Luke 18:1-8, let’s hear that now.

           “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.  He said: ‘In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men.  And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, “Grant me justice against my adversary.”

            For some time he refused.  But finally he said to himself, “even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!”’

            And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says.  And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night?  Will he keep putting them off?  I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.  However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

 To persist in prayer and not give up does not mean endless repetition or painfully long prayer sessions.  Always praying means keeping our requests constantly before God as we live for him day by day, believing he will answer.

When we live by faith, we are not to give up.  God may delay answering, but his delays always have good reasons.  As we persist in prayer we grow in character, faith and hope.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love. 

(1 Cor. 13:13)

Is there another prayer scripture that comes to mind?  How about 2 Chronicles 7:13-16?

            “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.  Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.  I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever.  My eyes and my heart will always be there.”

In chapter six, Solomon asked God to make provisions for the people when they sinned.  God answered with four conditions for forgiveness: (1) humble yourself by admitting your sins, (2) pray to God, asking for forgiveness, (3) seek God continually, and (4) turn from sinful behavior.

True repentance is more than talk—it is changed behavior.  Whether we sin individually, as a group, or as a nation, following these steps will lead to forgiveness.  God will answer our earnest prayers.

And God’s response to our earnest prayers?  He will: (1) hear, (2) forgive, and (3) heal.

Quite a bargain I think.

Speaking of healing, does that make you think of any scripture?  How about Jeremiah 8:21 – 9:1?

“Since my people are crushed, I am crushed;

            I mourn, and horror grips me.

Is there no balm in Gilead?

            Is there no physician there?

Why then is there no healing

            for the wound of my people?

Oh, that my head were a spring of water

            and my eyes a fountain of tears!

I would weep day and night

            for the slain of my people.”

These words vividly portray Jeremiah’s emotion as he watched his people reject God.

He responded with anguish to a world dying in sin.

We watch the same world still dying in sin, still rejecting God.  But how often is our heart broken for our lost friends and neighbors, our lost world?

Only when we have Jeremiah’s kind of passionate concern will we be moved to help.  We must begin by asking God to break our hearts for the world he loves.

Gilead was famous for its healing balm (medicine).  Verse 22 (Is there no balm in Gilead?  Is there no physician there?) is a rhetorical question.

The obvious answer is, “yes—God,” but Israel was not applying the “balm”; they were not obeying the Lord.

Although the people’s spiritual sickness was still very deep, it could be healed.  But the people refused the medicine.  God could heal their self-inflicted wounds, but he would not force his healing on them.

Speaking of God not forcing himself on anyone, does that make you think of another scripture?  Yes, Rev. 3:20.  Jesus is speaking and says; “Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”

Always the gentleman, our Jesus.

Ready for a little rabbit trail?  I had not seen this before, or at least not retained it.

Think of Joseph, coat of many colors Joseph.  One of 12 sons of Jacob, and loved by is brothers.  Well….he was one of twelve, but not loved by all his brothers.  They sold him into slavery, not with Reuben’s permission. He planned to return Joseph to their father unharmed.  

Gen. 37:25 says; “As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead.  Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.”

That is of course how God got Joseph to Egypt and in the position to save his father, those loving brothers and the entire family during the famine that was to come.

Does myrrh make you think of anything?  The three wise men of course, bringing gold, frankincense and myrrh to Joseph, Mary and Jesus.  (Matt. 2:11) 

Well, that’s a bit off track, but do you see how wonderfully things fit together for those of us who love Jesus?

So we’re back to our long prayer lists and perhaps our waning hope and faith.

Ephesians 6:10-18 please.

            “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

            Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

            Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

            In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”

Put on the full armor of God, be alert and always keep on praying. 

I close today with Habakkuk 3:17-19 –

“Though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit is on the vines;

though the produce of the olive fails, and the fields yield no food;

though the flock is cut off from the fold, and there is no herd in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the Lord;

I will exult in the God of my salvation.

God, the Lord, is my strength;

He makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

And makes me tread upon the heights.”

Let us pray.

Reference: The Life Application Study Bible

1 Thes. 5:12-18 – starts with “Now we ask you” and ends with “you in Christ Jesus.”

                                                                        Page 837

2 Chronicles 7:13-16 – starts with “When I” and ends with “always be there.”

Page  312

Jeremiah 8:21 – 9:1 – starts with “Since my” and ends with “of my people.”

                                                                        Page 541

Luke 18:1-8 – starts with “Then Jesus” and ends with “on the earth?”

                                                                        Page 742

Eph. 6:10-16 – starts with “Finally: and ends with “all the saints”.

                                                                        Page 830

Habakkuk 3:17-19 and Life Application Topic “Prayer in the Face of Trouble” please.

                                                                        Page 1129

(Holding up my bible) I believe this to be the Word of God, Holy Spirit inspired, infallible and without error.  Amen?

 And I am thankful today that it does not say; do not grieve, or do not mourn.

 Let’s hear what 1 Thess. 4:13 does say;

“Brothers and Sisters, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.”

 “Fall asleep” here refers to believers who have died and whose souls are in heaven.  Paul says simply that we are not to grieve like those who have no hope.  He doesn’t say, “don’t grieve.”

 And that’s a blessing to me, how about to you?

 We all loose loved ones, friends, neighbors, co-workers or classmates.  And as Christians we are allowed to grieve that loss.

 When you think of mourning, what bible verses do you think of?  Let’s see how many I have listed you can come up with.

 Rev. 21:4 – He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

 Isa. 61:2-3 – To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.  They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

 Jer. 31:13 – Then maidens will dance and be glad, young men and old as well.  I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.

 Ecc. 3:4 – A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.

 Matt. 5:4 – Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

 Rom. 12:9-16 – Love must be sincere.  Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves.  Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.  Live in harmony with one another.  Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.  Do not be conceited.

In Genesis, chapter 50, we read – When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.  Joseph threw himself upon his father and wept over him and kissed him.

 In the Old Testament the term “gathered to his people” signifies more than mere burial; it refers to life with one’s people after death.

 I don’t know about you, but that’s how I think about heaven.  I sometime think of the loved ones already there and how good it will be to see them again.

 Joseph’s grief was sincere; he wept and entered a long period of mourning, consisting of seventy days and then several more weeks as he carried Jacob’s remains back to Canaan for the burial.

 It is not abnormal or wrong to grieve weeks or even months over the death of someone very close to us.

 Now let’s talk about hope.  In whom is your hope?  Yes, Jesus.

 And what do you hope for?

 What are some hope scriptures you can think of?

 1 Cor. 13:13 – And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of theses is love.

 Col. 1:12 – To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

 Heb. 10:23 – Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

 Heb. 11:1 – Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

 1 Tim. 4-9-10 – This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.

 1 Tim. 6:17 – Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

 Titus 1:1-3 – Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness—a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and at his appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior.

 Psalms 42:5 – Why are you downcast, O my soul?  Why so disturbed within me?  Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

 Psalms 147:11 – The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.

 Isa. 40:31 – But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

 Jer. 29:11 – For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

 Lamentations 3:21-24 – Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

 Rom. 5:4-5 – We rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

 Rom. 8:24-25 – For in this hope we were saved.  But hope that is seen is no hope at all.  Who hopes for what he already has?  But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

 Rom. 12:12 – Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  (There is a whole sermon right there, that verse cries out to me to be preached!)

 1 Thess. 1:2-3 – We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.  We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

 1 Thess. 5:8-11 – But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.  For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.  He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.  Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Wrap-up with Titus 2:11-14 – For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.  It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

 But you, man of God, but you, woman of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.  Fight the good fight of the faith.  Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 

 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.  To him be honor and might forever.  Amen!  1 Tim. 6:11-16

Close with – 1 Cor. 15:50-58

I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.  Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. 

For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.  For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.  When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

 “Where, O death, is your victory?  Where, O death, is your sting?”  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

But thanks be to God!  He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm.  Let nothing move you.  Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

 Dale read Life Application Topic of Hope from page 848 –

            “Several years ago, the southern half of Yellowstone National Park was consumed by a forest fire; thousands of acres of virgin forest burned to the ground.  The resulting devastation looked like a moonscape where nothing could live.  Some feared that the disaster would have irreversible ecological impact.  However, the first shots of green started with the very first rain, days after the fire.  As the years have passed, there has been an incredible rebirth from the ashes and devastation.  New life in dead places—isn’t that what God does in, to, and for us?

Prayer – May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  (Rom. 15:13)

Resources: The Full Life Study Bible & The Wesley Study Bible.

Anyone remember what scripture passage I preached from last Sunday?

Yes, Romans 10:9-15.

And the focus of those scriptures was?

Yes, Salvation. 

How many times in five verses was it mentioned?

Yes, three. 

And what was the punctuation following each reference?

Yes, a period.

Verse 9 – That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Verse 10 – For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

Verse 13 – “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

 Today I want us to look closer at some of the Names of the Lord.

Jehovah-Jireh: The Lord who Provides – Gen. 22:13-14

            Notice the parallel between the ram offered on the altar as a substitute for Isaac and Christ offered on the cross as a substitute for us.  Whereas God stopped Abraham from sacrificing his son, God did not spare his own Son, Jesus, from dying on the cross.  If Jesus had lived, the rest of humankind would have died.  God sent his only Son to die for us so that we could be spared from the eternal death we deserve and instead receive eternal life.

            John 3:16-17 – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Jehovah-Nissi: The Lord our Banner – Exodus 17:10-16

            Moses and Aaron are of course brothers, we learn that in Exodus 4:14 when God said; “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite?”   And their sister was?  Miriam (Ex 15:20 – Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister.)

            Hur was a companion of Moses and is first mentioned here and again in Ex 24:14 where Moses says; “Wait here for us until we come back to you.  Aaron and Hur are with you, and anyone involved in a dispute can go to them.”

Jehovah-Shalom: The Lord is Peace – Judges 6:20-24a

            Why was Gideon afraid of seeing an angel?  Because the Israelites believed that no one could see God and live.  Evidently Gideon thought this also applied to angels.

            And God’s answer?  Peace

            What did Jesus say when he rebuked the wind?  “Peace!  Be Still!” (Mark 4:39)

            From John 14:27, Jesus says; “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.”

            Romans 12:18 tells us; “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

Jehovah-Shammah: The Lord who is Present – Ezekiel 48:35

            The pressures of everyday life may persuade us to focus on the here and now and thus forget God.  That is why worship is so important; it takes our eyes off our current worries, gives us a glimpse of God’s holiness, and allows us to look toward his future kingdom.  God’s presence makes everything glorious, and worship brings us into his presence.

Jehovah-Rapha: The Lord who Heals – Exodus 15:25b-26

            God promised that if the people obeyed him they would not suffer from the diseases that plagued the Egyptians.  Little did they know that many of the moral laws he later gave them were designed to keep them free from sickness.  If we want God to care for us, we need to submit to his directions for living.

Lord of Lords – Rev. 19:16

            This title indicates our God’s sovereignty.  Most of the world is worshiping the beast, the Antichrist, whom they believe has all power and authority.  Then suddenly out of heaven rides Christ and his army of angels—the “King of kings, and Lord of lords.”  His entrance signals the end of the false powers!

King of Kings – 1 Tim. 6:15 please also read 1 Tim. 1:17

            Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever.  Amen (1Tim. 1:17)   

Alpha and Omega – Rev. 1:8

Who is, and who was, and who is to come

Almighty

            Wow!  Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.  The Lord God is the beginning and the end.  God the Father is the eternal Lord and Ruler of the past, present, and future.  Without him you have nothing that is eternal, nothing that can change your life, nothing that can save you from sin.

            Is the Lord your reason for living, the “Alpha and Omega” of your life?

Emmanuel (Immanuel) – Matt. 1:22-23

            Jesus was to be called Emmanuel (God with us), as predicted by Isaiah the prophet.  Jesus was God in the flesh; thus God was literally among us.  Through the Holy Spirit, God is present today in the life of every believer. 

Lamb of God – John 1:29

            Every morning and evening, a lamb was sacrificed in the temple for the sins of the people.  Isaiah 53:7 prophesied that the Messiah, God’s servant, would be led to the slaughter like a lamb.  To pay the penalty for sin, a life had to be given—and God chose to provide the sacrifice himself.

            The sins of the world were removed when Jesus died as the perfect sacrifice.  This is the way our sins are forgiven.  The “sin of the world” means everyone’s sin, the sin of each individual.  Jesus paid the price of your sin by his death.

Bright Morning Star – Rev. 22:16

Offspring of David

            Jesus is both David’s root and his descendant (“offspring”).  As the Creator of all, he existed long before David.  As a human, however, he was one of David’s direct descendants.   As the Messiah, he is the “bright and morning star,” the light of salvation to all.

Rabboni – John 20:15-18

            I love this passage.  You can feel Mary’s frantic search, her pleading.  “Just tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”  Jesus had driven seven demons from Mary, and she worshiped Jesus.

            Mary’s faith was not complicated, but it was direct and genuine.  She was more eager to believe and obey than to understand everything.  Jesus honored her childlike faith by appearing to her first and by entrusting her with the first message of his resurrection.

Good Shepherd – John 10:11

            In contrast to the thief who takes life, Jesus gives life.  The life he gives right now is abundantly richer and fuller.  It is eternal yet it begins immediately.  Life in Christ is lived on a higher plane because of his overflowing forgiveness, love and guidance.

 Author & Finisher of our faith – Hebrews 12:1-3

(& perfecter)

            Got any half finished projects around your home?  Books with bookmarks still in them?  Yarn still around the knitting needles or crochet hook?  Half finished homework?

            The “great cloud of witnesses” are the believers who have gone before us.  Their faithfulness is a constant encouragement to us.  We do not struggle alone, and we are not the first to struggle with the problems we face.  Others have run the race and won, and their witness stirs us to run and win also.  What an inspiring heritage we have!

            God does not leave us undone.  He is the perfecter or finisher of our faith.  If we keep at it, we will see the finish line.       

 Word of Life – 1 John 1:1-4

            John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, opens his first letter to the churches much as he opened his Gospel, emphasizing that Christ (“the Word of life”) is eternal. That God came into the world as a man. And that he, John, was an eyewitness to Jesus’ life.  And that Jesus brings light and life.

Bread of life – John 6:47-51

            As used here, believes means “continues to believe.”  We do not believe merely once, we keep on believing in and trusting Jesus.

            How can Jesus give us his flesh as bread to eat?  To eat living bread means to accept Christ into our lives and become united with him.  We are united with Christ in two ways: (1) by believing in his death and resurrection and (2) by devoting ourselves to living as he requires, depending on his teaching for guidance, and trusting in the Holy Spirit for power.

 Proverbs 18:10 – The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and are safe.

 Proverbs 18:10 – The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and are safe.

 Joel 2:32 – And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Acts 2:21 – And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Romans 10:13 – For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Don’t let the world complicate it.  Don’t let your fear, or doubt, or unbelief stop you.

 Call on the name of the Lord and be saved!

 Let us pray.

Resources: The Life Application Study Bible & biblestudy.org.

What day do we celebrate tomorrow?  Yes, Presidents Day.

Who’s two birthdays do we celebrate?  Yes, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington’s.

Congratulations to those who have the day off.  I pray you a productive day.

So it would make perfect sense to talk today about leaders, especially Holy Leaders.  And that is what I planned to do.  I had the title, had some quotes, had the scripture readings and had a list of the presidents to see how many you could remember. 

Then a ray of Son-shine, S-O-N-shine entered my life and I really want to talk about Jesus and His love for us.  You see since Friday, January 14^th I’ve had a burden in my spirit.  I blamed it on too little chocolate, too much chocolate, short hours at work, too many hours home with Curtis.  I blamed it on too many book reports and exams to do, and too few book reports and exams getting done.

Then God’s grace got a hold of me yesterday and I realized I had lost sight of Jesus.  And when we allow our eyes to get distracted, we can get burdened.

Remind me again, what does John 3:17 say Jesus came to do?  Yes, to save the world. 

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” (John 3:17 NIV)

Not because of Him, but through Him.  More specifically through His blood shed at Calvary. 

Romans chapter 10, verses 9-15 is our scripture today.  May we hear it please?

“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.  As the Scripture says, ‘Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.’ For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him, for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?  And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?  And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?  And how can they preach unless they are sent?

As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’”

Thank you.

Trust me, my feet are not beautiful.  They no longer match in length or width and my surgery scar would scare small children.  But no matter, it’s not my feet that are important; it’s the good news I proclaim that matters.

 Amen?

Everyone in God’s house today that believes it; please repeat after me, “Jesus is Lord.” 

Can you do better than that?  “Jesus is Lord!”

How about; “Jesus is my Lord.”

How about; Jesus is my Lord.” 

JESUS IS MY LORD!!!

God’s holy word says, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’ (which you just did) and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

 And there is a period there.  “You will be saved.”

 Yes, we had a good time at our membership classes.  And some good food too!

I loved getting to baptize Darlene, Josh and Cloe.

 But the Holy and infallible word of God says; “It is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”  

 And it’s another period.  “And are saved” period, and “You will be saved”, period.

 Believe, confess, period.  Let’s not make it so complicated that we scare people off.  Or allow Satan to convince a sinner it’s too hard for them to be saved.

 “As the Scripture says, ‘Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.’”

Not put to shame today, tomorrow, or on the Day of Judgment before Jesus the Christ.

 Romans 14:10 tells us; “For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.” But we who put our trust in Jesus will never be put to shame.

 “For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile” – young or old, color of skin, accent of speech.  Remember, it’s a matter of heart faith and mouth confession.

 “the same Lord is Lord of all” – Hallelujah!!  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Heb. 13:8)  Jesus, who came not to condemn the world, but to save the world, is the same Lord of all.  Amen?

 “and richly blesses all who call on him” – He’s not a miser, He’s not thrifty (might I say He’s not Dutch?!?!)  Jesus will richly bless all who call on Him.

 I am not a prosperity preacher; I don’t believe Jesus will put a million dollars in your bank account.  I do believe He will bless you.  Bless you because of your faith.

 And this reminds me of Luke 6:37-38, may her hear it now, please.

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged.  Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you.  A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.  For with measure you use, it will be measured to you.” 

 “for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord “– not we who are perfect, or we who think that we are, not only the Methodist, or the Catholics, or the Lutherans.  God’s Holy Word says; EVERYONE. 

 Everyone who calls on the name of Lord -

The Lord of Lords,    The King of Kings,   Emmanuel,    Alpha & Omega,

Bishop of our Souls,            Mighty Counselor,    Jehovah Jireh,         

Jehovah Nissi,          Jehovah Shalom,     Jehovah Shammah,            

Lamb of God,            Morning Star,                        Prince of Peace,      Rabbi,

Redeemer,    Savior,            Shepherd,      the Word.

Call on the name of the Lord!

 “will be saved.” – it’s another period!  Three times in five verses we hear about being saved, do you think we should get that?

 Verse 9 – you will be saved, verse 10 – and are saved, verse 13 – will be saved.

And there are three periods.  I have underlined them in my bible.

 We believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths, and God will think about it.  He will weigh our good works and our evil deeds.  He’ll project our potential.

 NO!!!  Saved!  You will be saved! And are saved! Will be saved!

 “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?” – If the sinner does not believe Jesus was born of a virgin, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried, descended to the dead, and rose again, how can they call on Him?

 “And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?” – God’s Holy Word is not speaking of the Native in a foreign land here.  He’s talking about your neighbor, co-worker, or perhaps a family member. 

 How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?  If we don’t speak the name of Jesus to them, how can they believe?  And if they can’t believe, how can they be saved?  And if they are not saved, where will they spend eternity?  

 How do we answer Jesus when He asks us, “Why didn’t you speak My name to them?”

 “And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” – I don’t believe God means soap box on the corner preaching here.  I believe He means doing a kindness, offering to help, giving freely.  Our good works come from the overflow of Jesus in our lives.

 What does Matthew 25:37-40 tell us about the righteous standing before Jesus?

“Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and fee you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’  The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’”

 Whatever you did to the least of them, you did to me, Jesus.  Or you didn’t do. 

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is _____ (love). 1 Corn. 13:13

 “A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34) 

Love is patient.         Love is kind.              Love does not envy. 

Love does not boast.           Love is not proud.     Love is not rude.      

Love is not self-seeking.     Love is not easily angered.            

Love keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil.          Love rejoices with the truth.                       

Love always protects.          Love always trusts.              Love always hopes. 

Love always perseveres.    Love never fails. (1 Corn. 13:4-8)

 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.  The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself.  There is no commandment greater than these. (Mark 12:30-31)

“Whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’.  Love does no harm to its neighbor.  Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”  (Romans 13:9-10)

 Dale, please read for us the Life Application Topic of Marks of a Christian from page 1382.

“Love is routinely preached.  But the litmus test of this love is whether it is genuine or hypocritical, out of self-interest or putting others ‘ well-being first.

            Wesley’s general rules of ‘doing no harm, avoiding evil, and doing good of every possible sort’ are ways to help us practice love in our lives.  For Wesley, faith and works are two sides of the same coin.

            Wesley’s ‘going on to perfection’ requires the practice of spiritual disciplines.  Love is expressed in works of piety, our devotion to God, works of mercy, and our compassionate treatment of others.”

 Thank you Dale.

 Believe in your heart, confess with your mouth, call on the Name of Jesus, and love your neighbor as yourself.  Doing this I believe we will hear, “Well done good and faithful servant.”  (Matt. 25:23)

Let us pray.

Resources: Life Application Study Bible & The Wesley Study Bible

Love is a many splendor thing.

There is tough love and toxic love.

Love means never having to say you are sorry.  Sorry, but I reject that one.

Hallmark would like you to think love is …..? (cards)

Brachs and R.S….? (chocolate)

Corner floral shop ….? (flowers)

Restaurant…..? (food/meal)

Discount store…..? (anything you buy from them)

Do you suppose the bible has anything to say about love?  Sure it does!!

Let’s refresh our memories by hearing John 3:16 –

            For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

So to show us his love God sent flowers.  No?  A card?  No?  Chocolates?  No?

Took us to a great buffet?  No?

He gave us his son.  His one and only Son.  And what did Jesus give?

Yes, his life.  His very life.

And like any gift, what is the cost to us?  Nothing!  Jesus gave his life, on our behalf, and it cost us nothing. 

And it costs us everything.  Salvation is free, free to all who will accept it. 

Living a holy life takes the rest of our lives, and it costs us obedience to God’s will, seeking justice and wisdom.  Not saying things, when we want to so badly.  Perhaps it means not hitting someone, or even giving them “the look”.

By the way, what does John 3:17 say?  “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

Did King David love Bathsheba? Lust was first I think.  David was not at war with his army, and Bathsheba was taking a bath outdoors.  Not a good mixture do you think? (2 Sam. 11)

Lust led to adultery, adultery to a pregnancy, pregnancy to murder, murder to the death of a son, death to grief.

Yet even in their grief, and perhaps because of it, King David loved Bathsheba.

2 Samuel 13:24-25 tells us: “Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba and he went to her and lay with her.  She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon.  The Lord loved him;”

And who was born in the line of Solomon?  Yes, Christ Jesus.  I don’t like that my spiritual heritage has deceit, adultery, and murder in it, but it does.  The bible is full of real people, living real lives, and sometimes it’s messy.

Before we leave King David, it is believed that he wrote Psalm 51 during or shortly after this time.  And he wrote Psalm 32 to express the joy he felt after he was forgiven.

King David & Bathsheba’s story is quite different than Romans 5:3-5; let’s hear it now – “We rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”

God’s love, poured into our hearts, by the Holy Spirit, whom God has given us.

More gifts, more love, more free things to those who choose to believe in Jesus and Christ and Lord.

Another love story from the bible?  Abraham and Sarah had one son, and his name was….?  (Isaac)

Isaac married ….?  (Rebekah)

And Genesis 24:67 says – “Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah.  So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.”

They had never met, they didn’t grow up together, it was an arranged marriage.

But Isaac loved her and she gave him comfort when his mother died.

Another?  When the turn came for Esther to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested.  And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her.  Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins.  So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen.  (Esther 2)

Another?  We’ll hear the reading, then you tell me who it’s about.

“Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you.  Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay.  Your people will be my people and your God my God.  Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried.  May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”  (Ruth 1:16-17)

Who was speaking?  Ruth

Who was hearing?  Naomi

And the happy ending of the story?  “So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife.  Then he went to her, and the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.  The women said to Naomi: ‘Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer.  May he become famous throughout Israel!  He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age.  For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.’”

Now for fun – you tell me your favorite bible verses about love, and I’ll see if I’ve got them on my list.

Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  Deut. 6:5

Jesus replied: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it; “Love your neighbor as yourself.’  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  Matt. 22:37-40; Mark 12:28

Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.  1 Corn. 13:4-8

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love.   1 Corinthians 13:13

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Eph. 4:2

 “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.  Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.    Gal. 5:22

But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.  Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.  Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.   Luke 6:27-28 & 35-36

Love must be sincere.  Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves.  Romans 12:9-10

If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?  Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.     1 John 3:17-18

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.     1 John 4:7

Love your neighbor as yourself.  Love does no harm to its neighbor.  Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.    Romans 13:9b-10

We close today with our Life Application topic from the Wesley Study Bible, Loving God, page 1310.

            Love is such an easy word to say and such a hard thing to do.  Ultimately love shows itself not by declarations of affection but by the service we render to the one we profess to love, especially service that inconveniences us or that calls for sacrifice.  What is true in expressions of human love is equally true of our love for God.  Jesus put the matter quite simply: If we love him, we will keep his commandments (John 14:15).  This is the kind of practical Christianity that characterizes the Wesleyan tradition at its best.

Let us pray.

Resources: Life Application Study Bible & The Wesley Study Bible

GUILTY!!!  You are guilty!  I am guilty!  Guilty of sin. 

Romans 6:23 says; “For the wages of sin is _____.”   DEATH!!! 

The penalty is death!  Blood must be shed. 

What are we going to do? 

Cry out to Jesus!  Accept the salvation offered by Jesus, our Christ.  

Thank God there is not a period after the word death.  It is a semi-colon and the rest of the verse reads, “but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  Amen?  

As Jesus died upon the cross at Calvary, did he curse you? 

No!  He said; “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

(Luke 23:34)

            John 3:17 says what?  “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

            “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Rom. 8:1)

            Jesus came to save us, each of us and us as a race and country.

            In the glorious moment of conversion we are justified, regenerated, adopted, receive initial sanctification and receive the witness of the Holy Spirit into our new lives.  Hallelujah!!!

            In the past weeks we’ve looked at sin, temptation, salvation and sanctification.  Today our topic is justification.

            Justification is by faith, but it is a special kind of saving faith in Jesus Christ as Savior (Rom. 3:22).  Salvation is not by faith in Christ as Creator or as our Example or Teacher, but in Christ as Savior. (107)

             Let’s look at our Wesleyan Core Term, Justification, from page 1373.  Dale please –

            Wesley agreed with the Protestant Reformers that justification is making our relationship with God right through Jesus Christ.

            But Wesley understood justification in a particular way: God’s mercy and grace, shown in the suffering and death of Jesus on our behalf, pardons our sins and restores our capacity for love of God and neighbor.

            This occurs in the exercise of faith that is a gift from God to actively trust in Jesus and receive God’s pardon and acceptance. 

It results in a renewal of the image of God in us that had been damaged by sin, so that we might begin lifelong growth in Christ-likeness as the Holy Spirit enables us to love God and neighbor.

What God has done for us (justification) and what God does in us (sanctification) are together a part of God’s work of restoring the whole of creation back into right relationship to God.

Thank you Dale.

Justification is a judicial act by a judge.  And who will our judge be?

Yes, Jesus Christ.  Romans 14:10-13 says;

            For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.  It is written: “’As surely as I live’, says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.’”

            So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

            Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another.  Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.

            And again in 2 Corinthians 5:10 – For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

            Each person is accountable to Christ, not primarily to each other.  While we, the church, must be uncompromising in our stand against activities expressly forbidden by Scripture (adultery, homosexuality, murder or theft to name a few), we must not create additional rules and regulations and give them equal standing with God’s Law.

            When we stand before God’s court of justice (“judgment seat”), we won’t be worried about what our Christian neighbor has done.

            In the first major work of grace (justification), Christ declares you free from your sinful past.  In the second major work of God’s grace (entire sanctification), He delivers you from your sinful nature.  And in the third major work of God’s grace (glorification), He delivers you from the presence of sin and the unintentional failures of your humanity.

            Justification, forgiveness, and adoption refer to the change in relation to God.  Regeneration and sanctification refer to the change in the spiritual nature. (118)

Justification has these gracious results in the life of the believer:

1) The sense of condemnation for sins committed is removed. 

Romans 8:1 – There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

2) Peace with God is established.

            Romans 5:1 – Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;

3) The believer is saved from the coming judicial wrath of God and will never face forgiven sins before the judgment throne of God. (116)

            Romans 5:9 – Much more then, being now justifies by Christ’s blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

4) The believer becomes an heir of eternal life.

            Titus 3:7 – that being justified by God’s grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Let us pray.

Resources: God’s Great Salvation by Wesley Duewel; Life Application Study Bible;

I was embarrassed to sit before the board of education and admit I did not know what it was or meant.  They smiled and said not to worry and I would understand before I left the conference.     

Some of you have known about it and understood it for years.  For that one person, like me, who may not understand, I preach this sermon today. 

I thought it best to start with the Wesley Core Term, Sanctification from page 149 of the Wesley Study Bible.  Dale please –

The laws by which God binds the people of Israel in covenant are intended to sanctify them, that is, to set them apart from all other peoples. 

The purpose of their sanctification is that they might be “a priestly kingdom and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6), representing God to the other nations and those nations to God.

Throughout church history, Christians have generally followed the NT’s tendency to focus on the call to love God with all of our being (Deut 6:6) and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Lev 19:18).

Correspondingly, John Wesley often characterizes the sanctified Christian life as a life of “the pure love of God and man; the loving God with all our heart and soul, and our neighbor as ourselves”.

            Now I don’t want anyone to panic, we don’t all have to take a vow of poverty and enter a monastery or go live a secluded life somewhere to be sanctified.

            Sanctification is the act or process by which something or someone is made holy.  The words sanctification and holiness come from the same Hebrew and Greek words, and are found in both the Old and New Testaments.

            Initial sanctification is a glorious aspect of the new birth.  At the moment when the Spirit creates us a new creature in Christ Jesus, and our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, at that very moment we are cleansed from the depravity which we acquired by all our personal sinful acts from our birth until that moment.

            Initial sanctification is called “the washing of rebirth”. 

We hear about it in Titus 3.3-7

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures.  We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating and hating one another.

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.  He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

Initial sanctification cleanses from our past.  This initial sanctification results in a life of holy love begun in the heart, a life of victory over the practice of sin, and a life cleansed from the pollution of the world. 

            It is holiness begun, holy living initiated.  The believer lives a life of separation from sin.  

            The former sinner is now a new creature with new grace to live a new life.  They are now able to say “no” to ungodliness and worldly passions.   They are able to live self-controlled, upright, godly lives in the unholy environment that surrounds them.

            The power of sin over the believer is broken and, instead, the power of the Spirit enables the person to live a holy life.  Sin now has no reigning power. 

            Romans 6:11-14 tells us;

Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.  Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.  Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness. 

For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

 For sin shall not be your master!  Amen?  Amen!! 

Sanctification, we do not earn it or deserve it, it is by grace. (215)

            Initial sanctification cleanses from the depravity of our forgiven sins.

It does not cleanse us from our inherited depravity which we, in common with all humanity, have inherited from our foreparents, Adam and Eve.

            You are not guilty for having an unholy nature.  You were born that way. 

            You are not guilty for not being indwelt by the Spirit.  You were born that way.

            Therefore, you cannot be forgiven for these aspects of your condition. 

  You can only be forgiven for those things for which you are personally responsible. 

            What you need now is a cleansing from the nature you inherited.  That is full cleansing or entire sanctification.

            In entire sanctification The Spirit gives inner cleansing, inner empowering, inner fullness of love, the fruit of the Spirit, and spiritual rest. (221)

It is the second major event in your experience of God’s holiness, the holiness you derived from God the Holy Spirit. 

            As you go on in the life of holiness, you may realize repeatedly that you have made a mistake, have fallen short of what you intended to be or do.

            Repeatedly, God will show you new light on how to live a more holy life.  The Holy Spirit is the One who will give you this increasing light, for He leads you in the life of holiness.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 we hear; “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.  May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it.”

What bible verse dose “whole spirit, soul, and body” remind you of?  Yes, Deut. 6:5 – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

            Has your soul been longing for a deeper cleansing? a more mighty infilling of the Holy Spirit?

            As you read the accounts of the early church in the book of Acts, or as you read Paul’s testimony in his letters of how powerfully the Spirit worked in his life, do you long for an experience more like the Bible describes?

That deep longing and hunger is God’s gift to you.  It shows how personally God loves you. 

God does not want you to be satisfied with anything less than;

His fullest salvation;           

His entire sanctification of your inner nature,   

His mighty empowering abiding and

His filling you day by day.                         

The Holy Spirit gives you that heart hunger to lead you into God’s satisfying, sanctifying fullness. (234)

            Do not hunger for the seemingly spectacular outward details in the testimonies of others.  These vary from person to person.

           Hunger for the deep inner reality that is the essential ongoing basis of all your future spiritual victoriousness and all God’s presence and working in and through you.

                   Matthew 5:6 – “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

                   Psalm 107:9 – “He satisfies the thirsty, and fills the hungry with good things.”

                   John 7:37-39 – “’If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’ By this he meant the Spirit.”

                   Isaiah 55:1-2 – “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters…Come…Come…your soul will delight in the richest of fare.”

We close with responsive reading – Sanctification

We instructed you how to live in order to please God.

Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.

It is God’s will that you should be sanctified.

Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.

Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness.

Rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life.

Offer the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness.

When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.

What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of?

Those things result in death!

 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.

References: The Wesley Study Bible; God’s Great Salvation by Wesley Duewel

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.  May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.”

Titus 3.3-7

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures.  We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating and hating one another.

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.  He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

Romans 6:11-14 

Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.  Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.  Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness. 

For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

Matthew 5:6 – “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

Psalm 107:9 – “He satisfies the thirsty, and fills the hungry with good things.”

John 7:37-39 – “’If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’ By this he meant the Spirit.”

Isaiah 55:1-2 – “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters… Come…Come…your soul will delight in the richest of fare.”

            Sin is a nature which is unlike God, it is a spiritual hindrance to the Christian, and which becomes a source of our sinful acts.  It motivates, expresses its desires, and inclines toward sinful deeds.

            The aspects of sin are expressed in two repeated heart-cries common to people of all nations.

            First, “I have sinned”.  While chronologically each one of us is born with the sin nature and later reaches the age of accountability, yet in returning to God and receiving His salvation each of us first realizes the need of forgiveness and usually only later realizes the need of cleansing.

            Our cry as a guilty sinner convicted by the Holy Spirit and repenting sincerely before God is, “I have sinned,” “I did,” “I spoke,” “I thought.”

            We ask ourselves, “Why did I do it?” “Why did I say that?” “Why did I think that way?”  So the heart-cry of the sinner is, “Alas, I have sinned.”

            Then, “I am unclean!” Even sinners may at times realize that they are

very sinful, unclean in nature, and unholy.  However, until a person repents, the Spirit chiefly convicts of sinful committed acts.

            After the person has repented and been wonderfully forgiven by God’s grace and has received new life in Christ, they often are so full of joy from their assurance of God’s forgiveness and their new relation with Christ that they may not sense any further spiritual need for some time.

            However, as they continue in their Christian life, they sooner or later become aware of a remaining sinfulness in their nature that was not cleansed away at the time of their new birth.

            They know that they are a child of God, and they love the Lord.  But they may be perplexed or even dismayed to find something within them tends at times to draw back from doing God’s will.

            By the Spirit’s help, they are able to subdue the inner tendency, but sometimes it is a real inner struggle.

            The believer now at times feels the Holy Spirit’s conviction—not mainly because of committed acts, but because of their inner sinfulness, inner resistance and rebelliousness.

            They realize that part of their nature is not holy in the sight of God.  Their cry now is not, “I did,” but “I am.”

            “I am not holy,” “I am unclean,” “I am so spiritually weak I need more power,” “I am so helpless in myself,” “I am defeated within even though I may not show it from my actions.”

            This is conviction of the sinful nature, the realization that more of the Spirit’s cleansing, more of the Spirit’s power is truly needed.

            There are two major moments in salvation.  In the first, the Holy Spirit in His patient love and faithfulness may repeatedly knock on the sinner’s heart’s door or reprove and convict of sins. 

This may continue over a period of days, months, or even years before the sinner truly repents of their sins and experiences full, clear, assured forgiveness of sins.

            Sometimes the primary struggle is not one of obedience, but, rather, of faith. 

This is especially true in those who have not come from a Christian home or who were followers of another religion or sect.  In those cases, it may require considerable time before Christ’s truth is understood and all doubts answered by Scripture.

            It may be that as God’s light and God’s truth were received, the person accepted one aspect after another—it was a series of steps of faith before full faith was received. 

Or perhaps a series of steps of obedience before the last sin was confessed or the last act of restitution was taken.

            In such cases, the person may hardly be aware of the exact moment of the new birth because they were receiving and walking in one aspect of God’s light after another.

            However, usually persons are very aware of the time when the burden of sin was gone and they knew their sins were forgiven and they were now children of God. 

In either case, there is always a definite moment when the new birth becomes real.  Many a person records and remembers that exact day or occasion when faith and obedience touched God.  Thank God, it is knowable and real.

            In a similar way, a born-again Christian may feel the Holy Spirit’s conviction of need for inner cleansing and may come repeatedly and partially respond on various occasions before the time comes when their consecration and surrender becomes total, or before they actually by faith claim full cleansing through the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

            This is particularly true when the person has not had clear teaching on the experience of entire sanctification through the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

            Multitudes of true Christians who love the Lord have a vague awareness that God surely has a deeper victory for them than they have ever received. As yet they have not understood or believed that this definite experience of full cleansing and true fullness of the Spirit is biblical, obtainable, and knowable in this life.

            They are loyal to the Lord and to the doctrine they have been taught, but they are still aware of inner defeat.  They cannot help but long for something deeper, higher, more complete, and more victorious. 

            That inner longing and sense of partial dissatisfaction is God’s gift.  We were created to be filled with the Spirit.  We are never spiritually all God wants us to be.   And until we are fully cleansed and filled by the Spirit, the Spirit lovingly reminds us of this.

            God does not want us to be totally satisfied until we have experienced all for which Christ died on the cross.  “Jesus also suffered outside the gate to make the people holy through His own blood” (Heb. 13:12).

            1 Thessalonians 5:23-24: “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.  May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.”

            On the other hand, there are wonderful Christians who have never clearly understood God’s provision for their cleansing and infilling.  But after the new birth they have hungered for more of God’s purity and power, and have yielded themselves to God—perhaps repeatedly.

            They have sensed God’s meeting them as they have reached out to Him, and God has met their heart-cry as He faithfully responded to their longing and walking in His light.

            They may not have been aware that they had a definite new, deeper experience with God.  They may have felt they had a series of deeper experiences.  But the time did come in their walk with the Lord when their surrender in love and faith became total, and God met their need. 

Now as they receive clearer teaching they may say, “Why that is exactly what God did for me!  Now I recognize how it is described by God’s Word.  Now I know what to call it.  Praise God!  That experience is already real in my life!”

            The second major work in salvation by the grace of God is this work of the Holy Spirit in cleansing the innermost nature, and then taking complete possession of our cleansed temple and filling it with His holy being, His love, and His power. 

            1 Corinthians 3:16 tells us: “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?”

            Also from 1 Corinthians we hear in chapter 6, verses 19 & 20: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own, you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body.”

God’s Spirit does not indwell your flesh and bones but indwells your spirit, which of course inhabits your body as a part of your total personality.  As the Jewish temple had a holy place, so you are to keep your body pure. 

There was also an inner room of the temple called the Most Holy Place, where the Holy Spirit resided, as symbolized by God’s Shekinah glory over the Ark of the Covenant.  Even so, within your body your spirit resides, and God’s Spirit lives in your spirit as the Shekinah indwelt the Most Holy Place.

            The second major work of God’s redemptive grace in us may be called entire sanctification, for that is the basis of all the Holy Spirit does at this time—He cleanses completely.  Thus the first work of grace is often called justification, or the forgiveness of sins, for that is the basis of all that God does in the new birth. 

            Or instead of entire sanctification, the second major moment experience may be called the fullness of the Spirit, since all the cleansing and the infilling and the empowering is done by the Holy Spirit.  When He cleanses away all the hindrances, He can now fill you completely.

            From 1 John 1:7 we hear: “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”

            The Spirit then makes and keeps you holy as you live for God and walk obediently in His light.  Holiness is not a substance which you receive.  It is a quality of the Holy Spirit’s nature which He imparts to you as He fills you.

            Holiness is not an “it” which God gives you.  It is a spiritual state of your nature which results from the Spirit’s filling you.  It is not merely cleansing from sin, it is all the Spirit’s presence, power, and fruit filling you.

            “Now pastor”, you might say.  “You’ve put a pretty big piece of spiritual meat on our plate here.  Not all of us are familiar with being born-again, sanctification, justification or holiness.  What are we suppose to do now?”

            Ask God to meet you right where you are, right now.  Do you want more?  More victory, more power, more answered prayers.  Do you have loved ones you want to see saved?  Healings you need?

            It is ours for the asking.   

Perhaps you are like the father of the demon-possessed boy who said, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mk 9:24)  

            Start where you are. Admitting you are sinful is first, asking God’s forgiveness is next.  Then receive his love and grace and begin to walk in your new life.  Ask for God’s guidance, protection, mercy and grace often.

            Remember, he is more willing to give than we are to ask.  James 4:2 plainly states, “You do not have, because you do not ask God.”

            Ask.  Ask believing.  Ask for more of the Holy Spirit.  Ask for victory over sin.  Ask for answered prayers.  Ask for salvation for your loved ones.  Ask for healing.  We can’t out ask God.

            Then receive His answer.  Yes, no or the hardest of all, wait.

            We walk by faith and not by sight.  Let us pray.

Resources: “God’s Great Salvation” by Wesley L. Duewel; Life Application Study Bible.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24: “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.  May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.”

1 Corinthians 3:16 

“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?”

             1 Corinthians 6:19 & 20

 “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own, you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body.”

            1 John 1:7

 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”