Category: Think About It

I Know That My Redeemer Lives

(Job 19: 25-27)

I know that my Redeemer and Vindicator lives, and at last He will stand upon the earth; and after my skin, even this body, has been destroyed, then from my flesh or without it I shall see God, whom I, even I, shall see for myself and on my side! And my eyes shall behold Him, and not as a stranger! (Job)

These words which came from Job have indeed resounded throughout the ages, echoing hope and peace to men.  Although Job did not have the written Word in his days, he had a relationship with God in some form or another. He believed in the resurrection of the dead and the hope that sprang from it for the righteous person. His integrity, honesty and devotion for God showed in the way he lived. “I know that my Redeemer and Vindicator lives” overcomes all fear of death; we can confront death with the enthusiasm of hope and faith, with certainty that we will see God on the other side with our own eyes. Death is by no means the end of life, but the beginning of a new life for the believer in Christ. When we shall see Him, as He is, we shall become like Him. The Apostle John says, Beloved, we are now God’s children; it is not yet disclosed what we shall be [hereafter], but we know that when He comes and is manifested, we shall resemble and be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He is (I John 3: 2). Eternity awaits all of us. For many, eternity has brought surprise; but for the believer, it has brought the fulfillment of the hope we have in the promises of God.

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Lest I Forget Your Agony

Just think of Him (YAHSHUA) Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself, so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds. You have not yet struggled and fought agonizingly against sin, nor have you yet resisted and withstood to the point of pouring out your blood (Heb. 12: 3-4). “Just think of Him” is a phrase that demands the action of losing focus of one self: our sufferings, disappointments, failures, because there is Someone Who suffered worse than we have, no matter how intense and difficult our sufferings are. He is our Savior and Lord, YAHSHUA. The letter to the Hebrews opens our understanding when He compares our sufferings to that of YAHSHUA. His sufferings were to keep us from losing heart and fainting in our mind in our own sufferings.  The extent of His sufferings was to the point of having His blood being poured out. No one will ever be able to go through what He suffered, for He not did not suffered and carried the weight of the pains of a few, but of the entire world. Paul in his letter to Timothy said, Constantly keep in mind YAHSHUA the Messiah. (II Tim. 2: 8) He is our source of strength and He is our example. He went before us caring the weight of our sins; He crucified them on the cross, and while His blood was being poured out, He gave us His life. Constantly keeping in mind the Lord YAHSHUA is a way to keep focus on His suffering and to put in perspective our responsibility to Him. We suffer many times because of sin; sins bring consequences soon or later as Paul said, Do not be deceived; God will not allow Himself to be sneered. For whatever a man sows that and that only is what he will reap (Gal. 6:7).  Sometimes it is necessary for God to take us on a trip to Calvary through sufferings in order to witness the extent of the suffering of His Son, so we can understand our position in suffering with Him as His children.

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They Took The First Step

When Moses and the Israelites left Egypt, they faced two walls of great magnitude- the Red Sea in front of them and the Egyptians army behind them. How were they to flee in that predicament? Easy. Fear not; stand still and see the salvation of the Lord which He will work for you today. The Egyptians you have seen today you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest (Exodus 14:13-14). These were Moses’ words to the Israelites. Then the Lord told Moses, Tell the people to go forward. Lift up your rod and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the Israelites shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea (vs. 15b-16). Moses had to lift up his rod, stretch out his hand over the sea, and divide it. These three things Moses had to do for the Israelites to go forward on dry ground. It all depended on him for things to happen and salvation to come to the young nation of Israel. Moses was a doer of the command of YAHWEH. At His command, Moses took the first step and YAHWEH’S power was visible for all to experience their salvation. The Egyptians, as he had said, you see today, you shall never see them again. Israel was saved and the Egyptians came to know and realize that YAHWEH was the Lord, throughout the land, for all those who pursued Israel drowned.

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Strive To Enter By The Narrow Gate

(Luke 13:24-28)

Strive to enter by the narrow gate (door), for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. When once the Master of the house gets up and closes the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door saying, Lord, open to us! He will answer you, I do not know where you come from (Luke 13:24-25).

Strive to enter by the narrow gate is to force oneself through it. That shows how difficult a life of sanctification is. We must press hard upon it, making sure we do not carry anything extras. We can only do that by a self-denial life. The spirit is willing, said YAHSHUA, but the flesh is weak. Wanting to do good but doing the contrary was Paul’s frustration: For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot perform it. For I fail to practice the good deeds I desire to do, but the evil deeds that I do not desire to do are what I am doing. Now if I do what I do not desire to do it is no longer I doing it, but the sin which dwells within me… For I endorse and delight in the Law of God I my inmost self, but I discern in my bodily members a different law at war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner to the law of sin that dwells in my bodily organs (Rom. 7:18-.20, 22-23).

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In Addition To All, Take Up The Shield Of Faith

(Ephesians 6: 10-19)

The writer of the book of Hebrews gives the most definite and solid meanings of faith: the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Heb. 11:1). Who can understand faith, when never gone through difficulties? The measure of faith in one’s life is seen through hard times. Everyone has  certain applied degree of faith outside the spiritual. It is an important ingredient essential to life. Faith removes the doom and gloom of today’s when one has faith for a better tomorrow. Faith is a lifter upper brightening hope in whatever we hope for. But faith is much more than that when its shield is taken up in the spiritual battle field. The Bible says that our struggle is not against flesh and blood. That is, not against humans. It is against the devil and his forces. Paul uses the Roman armor example to symbolize the armor of God’s proficiency in its use in every spiritual battle.

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When the Door of Mercy Will Be Shut

(Matt. 25: 21-41; Amos 7:8)

The Lord spoke to the Prophet Amos saying, I will not pass by and spare them anymore. He was finished warning the nation of Israel, due to their hardness of heart. In their exit from Egypt, Israel experienced God’s protection in every way they needed. They escaped all the plagues applied to Egypt, and even the last one, which was the death of all the firstborn sons. By the blood of the sacrificial lamb, upon the doorpost of their houses, their sons were spared from death. That was a token or a sign that when God saw the blood He would “Pass over” the nation of Israel and no plague would destroy them. God’s mercy is available in the opportunities that come to us. Its door has been opened for a long time for all to enter because our God is longsuffering. He desires that all be saved. There is no limit to His mercy while its door is opened. God’s mercy is such that can never be compared to human’s mercy in the fullest extent of it. Webster dictionary describes mercy as: refraining from punishing offenders, enemies, persons in one’s power; kindness in excess of what may be expected or demanded by fairness; forbearance and compassion; the power to forgive, clemency, etc.

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The Upper Room

(II Kings 4)

The upper room was a chamber built above the houses to serve as guest rooms and a place for activities and privacy for families.

Chapter four of II Kings offers a woman’s beautiful story of faith and courage. She displayed her faith and courage after the loss of her son to death. That was the only son she had, for her husband was an old man and a very special child; he was the son the Prophet Elisha promised her in return for her kindness shown to him. This Shunammite woman never realized that that upper room she had built for the Prophet, was one day a refuge in her time of trouble. It is said that “What goes around, comes around.” An act or a word of kindness finds their way back to the one who blesses others. Even though her emotional pain was great, her faith was greater. It compelled her to seek life from the one who had promised her a son. At his death she knew exactly what to do: The upper room where she had received the promise of a son, was to be the place where he would receive his life back. It was the place where God was going to manifest Himself through resurrection power. She carried her son up there and left him lying on the prophet’s bed and left in a hurry to see the prophet. He lived about twenty miles away. She pressed on seeking life for her son, redeeming her time by not stopping to greet anyone. She kept her pain to herself until she met Elisha, the prophet. In anguish of soul, she started by asking him a question, Did I desire a son of my lord? Did I not say, Do not deceive me? As the Lord lives and as my soul lives, I will not leave you. And Elisha arose and followed her (vs.28,30).

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Only Faith Activated Through Love

(Galatians 5:6; I John 4:7-9; James 2: 14-18)

What is the use, my brethren, for anyone to profess to have faith if he has no works? Can [such] faith save him? (James 2:14)  The Word of God describes faith as the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Heb. 11:1).  Faith is the pillar of hope. They exist hand in hand. But faith without the activation of love, which compels one to reach out, is according to James, dead. James asked Can faith without work save a person? Paul said, if I have [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing (I Cor. 13:2b). YAHSHUA told the disciples, If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to yonder place, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you (Matt. 17: 20). “Faith like a grain of mustard” is enough to move mountains when empowered by love. It is not the size that matters, but the completion of faith in love.

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Why was the Holy Spirit sent to the Upper Room and not to the Temple

Before our Lord YAHSHUA went back to heaven He promised the disciples His presence to be with them always. So deep was His love for humankind. He said, I am with you all the days to the close and consummation of the age (Matt. 28: 20b). In His priestly prayer, He prayed His desire that those whom God had entrusted Him may be with Him where He is (John 17:24a). God the Son came into this world and physically displayed God’s love for men. When He had fulfilled all that He had come to do, He then sent His Holy Spirit to abide in those who would trust and receive His gift of salvation. One can never measure God’s gift toward men. It just grows beyond men’s life on earth. Amazing gift! For the disciples to receive the promised Holy Spirit, He instructed them where they should be in order to receive Him. He said, And behold, I will send forth upon you what My Father has promised: but remain in the city [Jerusalem] until you are clothed with power from on high (Luke 24:49). The upper room was the place where His Spirit was to descend upon them. A new chapter of God’s book was opened for men to know and follow His instructions. That was a new era, a new dispensation- the new covenant- the covenant of blood which included people from the entire world. Christendom was then born. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

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For They Did Not Know

(Genesis 7: 11-13, 23; Matthews 24: 37-39; I Thessalonians 5:3)

For just in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah went into the ark, and they did not know or understand until the flood came and swept them all away….(Matt. 24: 38-39)

They did not know, consequently, they suffered. The phrase, They did not know implies lack of knowledge about something. Or does it? One can hear something without giving heed, or paying attention to, or not believing it. YAHSHUA uses this as an illustration in Matthews 7: 24-27. He said, So everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts upon them will be like a sensible man who built his house upon the rock. And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them will be like a stupid man who built his house upon the sand. And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house and it fell and great and complete was the fall of it. These two men heard the message. One acted upon it and was saved; the other ignored and suffered the consequences because his heart was hard. They both heard, they both had a choice to accept or not, and both made their decision.

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