Acorn to Oak Tree

From an Acorn to an Oak

Isaiah 61:1-4 NKJV

" The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And th...e opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” And they shall rebuild the old ruins, They shall raise up the former desolations, And they shall repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations"

A miracle is in progress when we look at a tiny acorn. The miracle in progress lays there totally unnoticed - which makes me wonder how many times I have stepped on one of God’s miracle’s in progress.

It takes spiritual eyes to see a tall oak tree when you are holding a tiny acorn. There is an oak tree inside of every acorn and no one but God can pull that oak out of the seed.

Isaiah 61 says that God’s children grow up and become “oaks of righteousness.” I am so glad that in my early stages of Christian growth that those around me looked at me as an acorn and saw the miracle that God was creating in me and didn't trample me down under foot.

Think about that when you are surrounded by new Christians (and those we hope soon will be) and don't trample on an acorn that God puts in your path. Pick them up gently when they fall and speak life and you will soon see the miracle unfold, the tiny acorn will become a magnificent oak tree for Christ.

 

My ~Aha~ Moment

My ~Aha~ Moment
Conversation with the Lord

Today I thought I would share with you a conversation that I had recently with a ~new to Christ~ young lady in which she ask "What was the one thing that made me realize beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Lord actually sees us and hears our individual prayers".

I honestly had to think long and hard about that as throughout my Christian life the Lord has done so many things that I ask of Him; some of those things feel so trivial to me now that I am frankly much too embarrassed to mention. Yet; answer those prayers He did as well, trivial or not.

But; what was the One thing that was my defining ~Aha~ moment?

And then I knew what it was. Those of you that are pet lovers will completely understand this story while those that are ... not so much ... probably won't get the full impact of the significance of my ~moment~ but I hope you do.

Years ago I had a miniature schnauzer named Buddy. I know ... not very original but it so suited him perfectly because he was absolutely my "buddy", my "pal", my "laugh a moment fuzzy ball of pure joy". If it is any consolation his name was suppose to be "Winston" which is a very dignified and proper name for a schnauzer but Buddy just seemed to describe his personality so much better.

From the moment we brought him home as a tiny little puppy it seemed as if he had always been there and knew the routine of toilet activity. Listen; I have my share of potty training puppy stories and puppies that will eat the finish off the walls if you leave them alone for even a second but Buddy seem to come pre-wired with the do's and don't's of what is acceptable behavior. All of the Lysol wipes, potty pads, carpet cleaner etc. etc. that I purchased prior to bringing him home went unused and stashed under the sink.

Soon we settled into a routine of day to day life. If I got up to get something Buddy followed me. If I went outside for fresh air Buddy went to. When I went to bed Buddy went to bed and when I got up in the morning Buddy got up in the morning. He even insisted that I leave the bathroom door cracked so he could lie on the rug while I took a shower. Secretly; I believe that his favorite time of the day was when I curled up on my chaise lounge to read or watch TV- in which case he also curled up on the chaise and took a nap.

Not so secretly my favorite time of the day was when I gave him his dog bone chew and instead of eating it he walked around with it hanging out of the side of his mouth and I promise you it looked as if he was smoking a cigar. Why I found that so hilarious I have no idea but every time he did it; it just cracked me up. He looked like Humphrey Bogart. So I started calling his dog bone a Bogart. I would say to him "Go get your Bogart ... Humphrey" and off he'd run and come back with it hanging out the side of his mouth and I would laugh every single time.

So; yes. I was completely "gone" over this dog. Completely "over the moon gone" for him. Every day he would make me laugh about something and it feels so very good to laugh just for the pure joy of laughing; doesn't it?

A little before Buddy's third birthday I got up with the alarm and went to make coffee and of course Buddy followed me in the kitchen. While I was waiting on the coffee to perk I said "Humphrey; where is your Bogart this morning"? and off he ran to get it. He came back into the kitchen with it hanging out of the side of his mouth just like he always did- promptly dropped the bone on the floor in front of me and then fell over onto his side. I thought he was just goofing off but just that quickly Buddy had died. No fuss, no muss, no nothing - he just simply died.

Well; it's 5 o'clock in the morning and the Vet's office doesn't open up until 7 am so I just sat on the floor in the kitchen and held him in my lap and cried until I could take him to the Vet. Not of course because I thought there was anything to be done. What can you do with death but just deal with it? But; if I had to deal with it then I demand to know why! Why was this wonderful creature that had brought me so much joy gone at such a young age? How could this happen? How could this be? I wanted answers and the Vet came to the conclusion that Buddy appeared to have suffered a massive heart attack.

How? What? Why? Had I not kept up with every conceivable test, inoculation, exam known to veterinary medicine? Had I not fed him the veterinary recommended nutritious diet? Stayed away from giving him "people food"? Given him daily bouts of exercise and free play time? Had him regularly bathed and groom right there at the veterinary office? So; how is it that my beloved dog is dead? The best the Vet could say was that he simply must have had some undetectable heart problem which resulted in a heart attack and that's just that.

Anywho; my dear sweet Buddy was dead and my heart hurt in ways that simply defy explanation. I cried every time he crossed my mind or those unexpected times when it just skips your mind that they are no longer there. You expect them to be lying on the rug when you step out of the shower and when you pull back the curtain and they are not you are reminded all over again that they are gone and they aren't ever coming back.

I am not entirely sure when the idea rooted in my mind to find out definitively that animals go to Heaven and that one day I would see Buddy again. Frankly; I just always assumed that they did. But now I had to know for certain. I was like a mad woman possessed. I Had To Know! I read every Scripture that I could dig up. I spent hours on the Internet reading the arguments of those that were "for" and those that were "against" animals going to Heaven. The decision was so split that it only caused me more anxiety. The more anxious I became the more sadder I became. The more sadder I became the more I cried. It was a vicious circle and more than a few times I seriously considered getting professional help. Surely it is not normal to grieve this much over the loss of a dog?!

But of course, as is often the way, we underestimate the ways in which the Lord will reveal Himself to us and His love for us; don't we?

Left with no where left to turn to discover beyond a shadow of a doubt that our beloved pets go to Heaven; I went to sit out on the back patio and just pray. I cried out to the Lord that I had to know. I told Him of every avenue- including the Bible - that I had looked for the answer and came up confused and unsure. I cried and I poured my heart out to Him. Finally I said "Please Lord please. Tell me that Buddy is in Heaven and one day I will see him again. Please. I have to know".

Sitting out there on the patio there wasn't so much as a hint of a breeze. It had been that way for weeks. Just hot, muggy and still. It was the subject of most every conversation around here.

While I waited sad and quiet for the Lord to speak to my heart; to answer my prayer, all of the sudden a wind blew up. More than a breeze but far from a gale; just a soft warm wind came blowing up out of no where and then there rolling like a tumble weed across the patio was a large tuft of Buddy's hair! and it stopped at my foot and then the wind stopped blowing. There it was so shiny and silvery and I leaned down and picked it up and then I smelled it. It had that same lovely vanilla scented shampoo smell that Buddy had whenever he went to be groomed. But; Buddy had been dead for months and schnauzers do not shed their hair! Nonetheless; there it was. A big tuft of Buddy's bright shiny silver hair smelling like fresh vanilla shampoo and then all I could do was fall on my knees and Praise God right there on the patio!

Jesus; in all of His wondrous Glory and infinite love had heard my prayers and had answered it in a way that left me knowing so many wonderful things. Yes; Jesus hears our individual prayers. Yes; what matters to us matters to Him. Yes; what grieves us also grieves Him. And Yes! Buddy is in Heaven and one day I will see him again. Jesus is taking care of him; just like He'll take care of me when I die. Just as He takes care of me while I am alive. And you too.

There is nothing that escapes the attention of the Lord. Everything about our lives He is completely in tune to. Our hurts, our fears, our joys- all of it. If it effects you then it effects Him. You are not small. You are not insignificant. Jesus loves you so much that He is willing to do anything to win you over to accept the love He has for you.

Why do you resist that love? Why can't you just accept the love that is offered to you so freely?

It isn't weakness when you bend your knee to the Master. It's strength. It takes courage to admit that you aren't doing so well on your own and need help.

If you believe my story - and I hope you will - and you can clearly see in the telling of it the lengths in which Jesus was willing to go to the answer my prayer over a little dog; ask yourself what would He be willing to do for me to accept His Grace and Mercy?

My defining ~Aha~ moment. What will yours be?
In His Service,
~Lazzy~

“Let your beauty be found in “the hidden person of the heart,
with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit,
which is very precious in the sight of God.”
1 Peter 3:4

Creation to Eternity - Part V - Conclusion

God - The Book Part V. Conclusion
Creation To Eternity


The Betrayal and Crucifixion Part 1.

After supper, Jesus walked to a garden called Gethsemane for a time of prayer. His disciples followed Him to this secluded place.

After His prayer, the chief priests and captains of the temple and the elders arrived there, looking for Jesus. Judas, who had just eaten with Him, was leading the group. Judas approached Jesus, greeting Him with a
kiss of betrayal.

Suddenly, Jesus identified himself to the mob by saying, "I AM."

The crowd went backwards and fell to the ground.

After that, Jesus allowed himself to be tied up and brought into the high priest's house.

The temple officers struck the blindfolded Jesus and then said, "Prophesy you holy man. Who hit you?" The temple officers who held Jesus ridiculed Him and spit in His face. And when they had blindfolded Him, they punched Him and slapped Him on the face, and then said, "Prophesy you holy man. Who hit you?"

Early the next morning, the crowd led Jesus to the Roman governor, Pilate. And they began to accuse Him, saying, "We found this fellow corrupting our Jewish nation."

But after questioning Jesus, Pilate told the chief priests, the rulers and the people; "He has done nothing worthy of death. I'll just order Him to be beaten and then release Him."

But they called out all at once, saying, "Get rid of this man. Crucify Him. Crucify Him."

Pilate, wanting to satisfy the people, had Jesus brutally whipped, and then turned Him over to be crucified.

The soldiers pushed a crown of thorns onto Jesus' head, and then put a purple robe on Him. Mocking Him, and beating Him with their fists.
  
The Roman soldiers braided a mock crown of thorns, placing it on His head, and they put a purple robe on Him. They said, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they beat Him with their fists.

Afterwards they took Jesus and led Him away, making Him carry a wooden cross up to a place called Calvary, also known as Golgotha or the place of a skull.


The Betrayal and Crucifixion Part 2


There in the same area, where many years before God had told Abraham to sacrifice his only beloved son Isaac, they nailed Jesus, God's only beloved son, to the cross.

As they did this, Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; they don't know what they are doing."

While Jesus hung between two criminals who were also being executed, soldiers took His clothes, gambling for His robe, which fulfilled the prophetic words spoken by David.

For three hours, the people watched. The rulers with them mocked Jesus, saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God ."

Then a darkness came on the land which stayed for three more hours as the prophet's words were fulfilled: "The Lord laid the sins of us all on Him."

Jesus then cried out with a loud voice, saying, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?"

Jesus, knowing that everything was now accomplished, fulfilled scripture when He said, "I thirst."

The soldiers ridiculed Jesus as they offered Him vinegar by saying, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."

Jesus tasted the vinegar, then called out, "It is finished. Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." Then He bowed His head, and let His spirit go.

As He died, the sun darkened and the earth quaked, and the thick veil of the Temple ripped down the middle.

Now when the Roman captain in charge saw what happened, he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God."

Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two thieves who were hanging on the crosses beside Jesus.

But when the soldiers saw that Jesus was already dead, they didn't break His legs. Instead, one of them pierced His side with a spear, allowing blood and water to pour out.

All of this happened so that the Scriptures would be fulfilled: "None of His bones will be broken," and "They shall look on Him whom they pierced."

Afterwards, two believers (Joseph and Nicodemus) took Jesus' body, wound it in linen grave clothes dipped in spices, and laid His body in a tomb. Then, as requested by the Jewish leaders, the tomb was sealed and guarded by Roman soldiers.


Resurrection to Eternity


Now, after three days, there was a great earthquake, and an angel of the Lord rolled back the stone from the tomb's door. In fright, the Roman soldiers trembled and then ran away. When followers of Jesus came to the tomb and saw the stone moved, they were confused.

Suddenly, two men stood by them in shining garments, saying, "Why are you looking for the living among the dead? He is not here, He is risen. Remember how He told you before that He must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and the third day rise again?"

Then they remembered His words.

The same day in the evening, Jesus came to the disciples and stood among them and said, "Peace to you."

But they were terrified, thinking that they were seeing a spirit.

So He said, "Look at my hands and my feet, it is really Me. Touch me and see, for a spirit doesn't have flesh and bones, like you see I have. Everything happened as I told you it would because all the writings that described me in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, had to be fulfilled."

Then He opened their understanding, saying, "It is written in the Scriptures that Christ must suffer and rise from the dead the third day; and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in His name
among all nations. And you have seen these things."

Jesus continued appearing to many people, showing them that He was alive, which gave infallible proof of His resurrection. And He instructed His disciples, "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel."

At the end of forty days, Jesus announced to His disciples, "You shall receive power after the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall tell others about Me, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth."

As they watched, Jesus was taken up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight. Two men in white clothing said, "Why are you standing there staring up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was just taken up into heaven, shall come back again in the same manner as you saw Him go."


Resurrection to Eternity Part 2

So the followers of Jesus went throughout the land, preaching and baptizing, telling everyone that Christ the Savior was risen from the dead. They showed in the Scriptures how by Adam came sin and death, but by Jesus Christ came forgiveness and the resurrection of the dead.

Christians, dead or alive, will one day be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
 
They told how one day all the new bodies of those who have trusted God and believed in Jesus as their Lord and Savior will be raised from the dead and, together with those who are alive, will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

God's book also says that Heaven will open, and Jesus will return to earth as the conquering King and righteous Judge.

And the name written on his clothes will be KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. And the armies which are in heaven will follow him upon white horses.

Jesus will stand on the Mount of Olives (just as the prophet Zechariah said), and the mountain will divide. And Christ will reign over all the earth. But when a thousand years expire, Satan will once more go out to deceive the nations, but fire will come down from God and devour those who follow Satan.

Then finally, Satan, the deceiver, will be thrown into the lake of fire and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

And then, in front of a great white throne, the dead, both small and great, will stand before God; and who ever is not found written in the Book of Life will be thrown into the lake of fire.

We will all stand before God, the great white throne judgment; and who ever is not found written in the Book of Life will be thrown into the lake of fire. 

But in a new heaven and a new earth, God will be with His people. And God will wipe away all tears from their eyes. And there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away. And there shall be no night and no need for candles, nor light from the sun; because the glory of God and the lamb will be the light; and They shall reign for ever and ever.

And the Tree of Life will be there and the curse on mankind will be gone.

Jesus says, "Let those who are thirsty come. Let them freely drink the water of life. Behold, I come quickly; blessed are they who obey My words.

He that hears My word, and believes on Him that sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not be condemned; but is passed from death unto life."

This is God's Story for You.

This is God's Story for Them.

You know this story; have known it most all of your life. But what about those people that don't know it?

I fully admit that I am not the door to door kind of person. It's really not in my nature to go out and ring a stranger's doorbell and say: Can I share something with you? Two thumbs up for those that can but it just isn't me.

Still; opportunities come up everyday for each of us to share this Story ...  in Part or in Whole.

Facing an Non-Believer is a difficult task at best.

Coming from a scientific background and through the trials of a lifetime I have found that, at least for me, it is much easier to reach out to some people on a Scientific level than it is to try and reach them on a Religious level.

I want you to look at this Questionaire that I will be including in the final segment.

In fact I encourage you and want you! to feel completely comfortable to print it out in several copies and keep them on hand. The next time you are confronted with a Non-Believer just give it to them to look over at their leisure and reach their own conclusions.

At the very least you will be setting them up to do a little investigative work on their own. Supernaturally you are setting them up for the Holy Spirit to minister to them as they study these questions.

You may never know if you have reached them on some level- but you can take great comfort in knowing that you tried. Which is all that God really expects of us.

To know God's Story

To Believe it

To try and live a good life

To Share it with others.

It is my hope that while reading this you will have come to better understand Your place in the Kingdom of God. You are Important and You Matter greatly in the furtherment of spreading the Word of God.

Let our hearts join with the Heart of Jesus Christ that no man be left behind. That we will feel the pain that He feels when one leaves this planet unsaved.

Until we each, in our appointed time, unite with Our Saviour, I wish you a life filled with the Peace that surpasses all understanding!

Dr. Angel Koerner Ph.D

Creation to Eternity - Part IV.

God - The Book Part IV.
Creation To Eternity


Prophets Describe the Savior

After forty years in the desert, the Israelites, known also as Jews, entered the promised land of Canaan. Although the inhabitants of Canaan knew of God's mighty miracles for the Jews, they rejected Jehovah as God, and fought against the Children of Israel. But God protected the Jews as they resettled in the land promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Once a year the appointed High Priest went behind a sacred veil which separated the people from the Holy presence of God.
 
The Lord ordained priests to oversee the animal sacrifices and to lead in worship. There the priest represented the whole nation before the Lord.

After many years, the Israelites crowned a king, David, whom God called,  "A man after my own heart."

God spoke to the Jews through David and other godly men, called prophets, reminding them to be holy as a witness to all nations. When the Israelites sinned, the Lord warned Israel through these prophets, that if they continued to sin, He would allow a foreign nation to overrun their country.

In spite of these warnings, Israel was disobedient and rebelled against God, rejecting His laws and killing the prophets who testified against them.

Finally, after eight hundred years of rebellion, Israel was taken out of her own land and was made captive in the nations of Assyria and Babylon.

But God continued to speak through prophets during the Jews' captivity. Some of the messages were calls to repentance, while others were prophecies about the Savior who would come to rescue sinful mankind.

The prophet Micah foretold the exact city where the Savior would be born and described His eternal nature saying, "Out of Bethlehem shall the one come who will rule in Israel, whose existence is from old, from everlasting."

God even revealed that the coming Savior would descend from the royal line of David. Through the writings of the prophet Malachi, the Lord described a special messenger who would announce the coming Savior and prepare the people to receive Him.


Prophets Describe the Savior (Part 2)


Zechariah prophesied, "O daughter of Jerusalem: Behold, your King comes to you: He is righteous and has salvation; humble, and riding on the foal of an donkey."

King David described how the Savior Himself would know in advance that one of His close friends, with whom He ate bread, would betray Him.

And Zechariah even recorded that the price of the betrayal would be thirty pieces of silver.

'Jesus was whipped, tortured, and then crucified, for our sins".
  
Through the prophet Isaiah, God foretold that the coming Savior would be tortured, by whipping, and that His face would be spat upon.

David described the method of execution as "piercing the Savior's hands and feet, yet not breaking any of His bones."

That the Savior would say, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?", and that onlookers would laugh and ridicule the Savior, saying, "He believed that the Lord would deliver him."

David also wrote that "the Savior's bones would be out of joint and in His thirst He would be given vinegar to drink," and that the Savior's persecutors would "divide His clothes among them, and gamble for His
robe."

Isaiah said that onlookers would be "astonished" when they saw how the Savior's face was disfigured from the torture.

The prophecies in God's book even describe how one day, David's descendants, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, would "look at the Savior whom they had pierced."

And all this was written in the Scriptures many hundreds of years before the Savior came.


The Ministry of Jesus Christ


After seventy years of captivity, the Lord allowed His people to come back to the land of Israel. Only a small group chose to return, but they as well as Jews elsewhere, still lived under the rule of other nations...

Five hundred years later, when Rome ruled Israel, two young Jews named Joseph and Mary, both descendants of the royal line of David, planned to marry. But before they came together, Mary became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit of God.

Then an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Joseph, Don't worry about taking Mary as your wife: for the child in her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. The child is the Son of God. And when she gives birth to this son, you must name Him 'Jesus', which means Savior, for He will save His people from their sins."

This happened as the prophet Isaiah had foretold, The Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin will bare a son, and they will call Him Emmanuel, which means God with us."

In a city called Bethlehem, Jesus was born in a stable. 

Joseph and Mary had to travel to the city of Bethlehem for a census and to pay taxes. And while there, Mary gave birth to her firstborn son whom they named Jesus. So, as prophesied, Jesus was born in Bethlehem to a descendant of King David.

And in the same country, there were shepherds watching over their flocks at night. And the angel of the Lord came to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were very frightened. Then the angel said, "Don't be afraid: for I bring good news of great joy, for all people. Today a Savior was born for you which is Christ the Lord."

And the child grew, becoming strong in spirit; and the grace of God was on Him. Jesus matured, increasing in wisdom and in favor with God and man.


Jesus Grows in Grace and Spirit


Now when Jesus was about thirty years of age, a man named John the Baptist came preaching and baptizing in the wilderness, saying, "Repent: Prepare yourselves for the Lord."

John was the messenger the prophets had foretold would announce the coming of the Savior. Then Jesus came to the Jordan river to be baptized by John. And when John saw Jesus coming, he said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world."

And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up out of the water, and the heavens opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descend like a dove and light on Him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Then, after Jesus spent forty days in the desert, Satan, who had successfully tempted Eve in the Garden, tried ways of tempting Jesus - but Jesus would not sin.

Finally, Satan took Jesus to an especially high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. Then Satan said, "All these things I will give to you, if you will fall down and worship me."

Jesus answered, "Get away from me, Satan: because God has written that, you shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve."

While Jesus, the son of God, lived on earth in the form of a man, He was tempted in all the same ways we are, yet He never sinned.

So, where Adam failed, Jesus succeeded. This showed that Jesus indeed could be the Savior of mankind--the lamb sent from God.

Jesus revealed himself as the promised Savior in many ways, including performing countless miracles. At a wedding feast, He changed water into wine. He healed a man who had been lame for thirty-eight years.

Jesus cured a man with Leprosy, saying, "Be clean." And immediately the leprosy left him.  A man full of leprosy - an untouchable - saw Jesus and fell on his face, saying, "Lord, if You want to, You can make me clean."

Jesus then reached out his hand and touched him, saying, "Be clean." And immediately the leprosy left him.

Jesus brought sight to a man who had been blind from birth.

One woman, who for twelve years had a disease which doctors could not heal, reached out and touched Jesus' robe. He turned, saying, "Daughter, be comforted. Your faith has made you well; go in peace."

Those suffering from different kinds of diseases were brought to Him, and He healed them all.

Jesus called twelve men together, asking them to follow Him. He gave them power and authority over devils, and He sent these disciples out to preach about the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.

His fame went everywhere, and great crowds came together to hear Him teach and to be healed of their diseases.

When a gathering of five thousand people needed food, Jesus prayed over a young boy's lunch of bread and fish. The food was miraculously multiplied, so that it fed the whole throng, with twelve baskets left over.

But the people kept asking for more proof that Jesus was from God. They said, "Our forefathers ate manna in the desert. It is written in the Scriptures, He gave them bread from heaven to eat."

Jesus replied, "The bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

The people said, "Lord, give us this bread all the time."

Jesus answered, "I am the bread of life: he that comes to Me shall never hunger; he that believes on Me shall never thirst." Jesus prophesied that He must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and then be raised from the dead on the third day.

Most of the religious and political leaders rejected Jesus' teaching. However, one, a Pharisee called Nicodemus, came to Jesus at night, seeking truth.

Jesus told him, "Unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Nicodemus asked, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter his mother's womb a second time and be born?"

Jesus explained, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. You should not be so amazed that I said, "You must be born again."

Nicodemus said to Him, "How can these things be?"

Jesus scolded him for teaching others about religion when he didn't understand spiritual truths himself. Then Jesus explained spiritual birth. "For God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son,
that who ever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world; He sent Him so that the world might be saved.

The real condemnation is this: light came into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. He who believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he who does not believe on the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of God remains on him."

Finally Nicodemus understood and believed.

To a foreign woman, Jesus said, "Whoever drinks the water that I give shall never thirst; it shall be a well of water within him, springing up into everlasting life."

The woman said, "I know that the Messiah will come, who will be called Christ. When He comes, He will tell us everything."

Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am that Messiah."

Later, Jesus taught the people, saying, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and follow Me. For what does it benefit a person if he gains the wealth of the whole world and loses his own soul?

Watch out! Beware of greed: for a person's life does not consist in the abundance of the things which he owns, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting, and said, "What are we going to do? This man is performing so many miracles. If we let Him continue, everyone will believe on Him: and then the Romans revoke our right to control the people."

Meanwhile, Jesus taught with great authority. He went into the temple and threw out the merchants who were inside, buying and selling. He said to them, "It is written in the Scriptures, My house is the house of prayer: but you have made it a den of thieves."

And He taught saying, "This is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who believes on the Son may have everlasting life, and I will raise up from the grave those who believe. But there are some of you who do not believe. Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that did not believe, and who would betray Him.

So there was a split among the people because of Him. Among the chief rulers, many believed on Him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess their belief since they were afraid they might be expelled
from their religious meeting places. They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

Jesus taught, saying, "I am the light of the world: whoever follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."  Most of the religious leaders looked for a way to destroy Jesus, but could not find one, because all the people were anxious to hear Him when He spoke.

Jesus continued teaching in the Temple, saying, "I am the light of the world: whoever follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

And He said to those who believed on Him, "If you continue living as I tell you, then you are indeed My disciples. You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed. I am the door; if any man comes to God through Me, he shall be saved. I am the Good Shepherd: the Good Shepherd gives his life for the sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall any man snatch them out of My hand."

After three years of teaching, Jesus instructed His disciples to bring Him a certain young donkey, one that had never been ridden, and He sat on it. Then as He rode toward Jerusalem, a huge crowd began to rejoice and loudly praise God for all the mighty works which they had seen.

They called out, "Hosanna! Blessed be the King that comes in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest."

But when Jesus neared the city, he looked at it and cried over it because the people still did not recognize him as the promised Savior.

Satan entered into Judas, one of Jesus' twelve disciples, and Judas betrayed Jesus.   

Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus' twelve disciples, and Judas conspired with the chief priests and captains about how he might betray Jesus. They were glad, and agreed to give him thirty pieces of silver to inform them of a time and a place they could capture Jesus when there were no crowds around Him.

Jesus knew that His hour to die had come, so He gathered His disciples together for a Passover dinner. As they ate, Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, gave it to them, saying, "Take, eat: this is My body, broken for you. This do in remembrance of Me."

And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks, he gave it to them; and they all drank. And He said to them, "This is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins. But I say unto you, I will not any more drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it again with you in My Father's kingdom."

Jesus said, "Don't let yourselves be upset: you believe in God, believe also in Me. In my Father's house are many mansions, and I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again to get you, so that you can be with Me. And you know where I am going and you know the way to get there."

But Thomas said, "Lord, we don't know where you're going, so how could we know the way?"

Jesus answered, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father except through me."

That evening, Jesus also warned the disciples of difficult times to come. He said, "If the world hates you, remember that it hated Me before it hated you. He that hates Me, hates My Father also."

Lazarus Came Forth & So Did Others

~ Lazarus ~
John 11:1-45

Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha, were friends of Jesus. When Lazarus fell ill, his sisters sent a message to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick." When Jesus heard the news, he waited two more days before going to Lazarus' hometown of Bethany. Jesus knew that he would do a great miracle for God's glory and, therefore, he was not in a hurry.

When Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had already been dead and in the tomb for four days. When Martha discovered that Jesus was on his way, she went out to meet him. "Lord," she said, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

Jesus told Martha, "Your brother will rise again." But Martha thought he was talking about the final resurrection of the dead.

Then Jesus said these important words: "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die."

Martha then went and told Mary that Jesus wanted to see her. Jesus had not yet entered the village, most likely to avoid stirring up the crowd and calling attention to himself. The town of Bethany was not far from Jerusalem where the Jewish leaders were plotting against Jesus.

When Mary met Jesus she was grieving with strong emotion over her brother's death. The Jews with her were also weeping and mourning. Deeply moved by their grief, Jesus wept with them.

Jesus then went to the tomb of Lazarus with Mary, Martha and the rest of the mourners. There he asked them to remove the stone that covered the hillside burial place. Jesus looked up to heaven and prayed to his Father, closing with these words: "Lazarus, come out!" When Lazarus came out of the tomb, Jesus told the people to remove his grave clothes.

As a result of this incredible miracle, many people put their faith in Jesus.

• Jesus also raised from dead,
Jairus' daughter
 (Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:41-42; Luke 8:52-56)
 and a widow's son
 (Luke 7:11-15).

Others who were raised from the dead in the Bible:

In 1 Kings 17:22 Elijah raised a boy from the dead.
In 2 Kings 4:34-35 Elisha raised a boy from the dead.
In 2 Kings 13:20-21 Elisha's bones raised a man from the dead.
In Acts 9:40-41 Peter raised a woman from the dead.
In Acts 20:9-20 Paul raised a man from the dead.

• Through the raising of Lazarus, Jesus showed the disciples, and the world, that he had power over death. Many believed that Jesus was the Son of God and they put their faith in him after seeing this miracle. It is absolutely essential to our faith as Christians that we believe in the resurrection from the dead.

• In this story of Lazarus, Jesus speaks one of the most powerful messages ever: "Whoever believes in me, Jesus Christ, receives spiritual life that even physical death can never take away."

• Jesus revealed his compassion for people through a genuine display of emotion. Even though he knew that Lazarus would live, he was still moved to weep with the ones he loved. Jesus cared about their sorrow. He was not timid to show emotion and we should not be ashamed to express our true feelings to God. Like Martha and Mary, we can be transparent with God because he cares for us.

• Jesus waited to travel to Bethany because he knew already that Lazarus would be dead and that he would perform an amazing miracle there, for the glory of God. Many times we wait for the Lord in the midst of a terrible situation and wonder why he doesn't respond more quickly. Often God allows our situation to go from bad to worse because he's planning to do something powerful and wonderful; he has a purpose that will bring even greater glory to God.

Are you in a difficult trial? Do you feel like God is delaying much too long to answer your need? Do you trust God even in the delay? Remember the story of Lazarus. Your situation could not be any worse than his! Trust that God must have a purpose for your trial, and that he will bring glory to himself through it.


What Did Lazarus See?

Most of us, especially Christians, have spent some time wondering what heaven will be like. Wouldn't you have been eager to know just what Lazarus saw during those four days he ventured into the afterlife?
Curiously, the Bible doesn't reveal what Lazarus saw after his death and before Jesus raised him back to life. But it does make plain one very important truth about heaven. We know from the Bible that the chief priests later tried to kill Lazarus and that's pretty much it.

Let's think about this whole thing for a minute from a personal perspective.

One of your best friends has died. Inconsolable, you cry not only at his funeral, but for days afterward. Then another friend of the deceased comes to visit. He starts saying strange things. You listen to him intently, because your friends' sisters have great respect for him, but you can't grasp what he means.

Finally, he commands that the grave be opened. The sisters protest, but the man is adamant. He prays loudly, looking up to heaven, then after several seconds, your dead friend walks out of his grave - alive!

Nowhere in Scripture do we learn what Lazarus saw after he died. If you knew him, wouldn't you have asked him? Wouldn't you want to know what happens after your heart beats for the last time? Wouldn't you pester your friend until he told you everything he saw?



What Became of Lazarus
The Plot to Kill a Dead Man

Lazarus is mentioned again in John 12:10-12: "So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him." (NIV)

Whether Lazarus told his neighbors about heaven is only speculation. Perhaps Jesus commanded him to be silent about it. The fact remained, however, that he had been dead and now was alive again.

Lazarus' very presence - walking, talking, laughing, eating and drinking, embracing his family — was a cold slap in the face to the chief priests and elders. How could they credibly deny that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah when he had raised a man from the dead?

They had to do something. They couldn't dismiss this event as a magician's trick The man had been dead and in his tomb four days. Everyone in the tiny village of Bethany had seen this miracle with their own eyes and the whole countryside was buzzing about it.

Did the chief priests follow through with their plans to kill Lazarus? The Bible doesn't tell us what happened to him after Jesus' crucifixion. He's never mentioned again.



The Parable of: The Rich Man & Lazarus
A Different Lazarus but a Greater Miracle!

The story of the Rich Man and Lazarus is found only in the gospel according to Luke (16:19-31) and is the clearest picture anywhere in Scripture of the afterlife.

Actually the concept of life after death originates in Judaism. Job was the earliest to mention it (Job 19:25-27), but David, Isaiah, Daniel and others also wrote about the life that comes after death as a reward for righteousness. Daniel was the first to clarify that the unrighteous will also rise from the grave, and it's from his explanation (Dan 12:2) that we've come to understand that everyone ever born lives forever. (Bodies are killed or wear out and expire but spirits, the repositories of life, are eternal.)

An angel explained to Daniel that while all rise from the grave, for some the 2nd life brings everlasting reward and for others everlasting shame and contempt. And in Revelation 20 we're told that for the unsaved, their return from the grave is for the purpose of judgment for their behavior while living. John wrote there about the 2nd death, actually a conscious state of eternal and solitary separation from God accompanied by never ending  torment, as the outcome of this judgment. Christians think of this as "hell" but as we'll learn from the Rich Man and Lazarus it's really much worse.


What's The Story?

Here's a summary of the story.

A rich man lived in the lap of luxury, while a beggar (Lazarus) languished outside his gate hoping for table scraps. In due time they both died. Angels carried Lazarus to "Abraham's side (bosom)" a popular Jewish term in that day for the abode of the dead, also called Paradise. Jesus promised one of the men being crucified with Him that they would meet there before the end of the day. The Hebrew name for this place is Sheol, while the Greeks called it Hades from which the English word Hell is derived. The rich man also went there upon dying, but while Lazarus was being comforted, the rich man was in constant torment. Asking Abraham for relief, he was informed that while they were within sight and speaking distance of each other, they were actually in two different areas and there was no way to cross from one to the other. (Luke 16:19-26)

The rich man then asked Abraham to send Lazarus back to warn his brothers, still alive, to change their opinion about the need for a savior (Read Repent and be Saved) so as to avoid coming there, but Abraham refused, saying, "They have Moses and the Prophets (the Bible), let them listen to them." "No", said the rich man, "But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent." Abraham responded, "If they will not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead." (Luke 16:27-31)


What's The Point?

And there's the whole point of the story.
Three points actually:

The only place to secure your eternal destiny is here on earth before you die. The rich man never asked for a 2nd chance for himself, only that his brothers be warned while they were still living so they could avoid sharing his fate. Having experienced the alternative, there's no way he would have turned down an opportunity to join Abraham and Lazarus if one existed for him. Abraham made it clear that it was impossible to cross from either area to the other. The Bible contains all the facts you need to make an informed decision about eternity and is the Lord's chosen method for bringing His children to Salvation.

Grace Through Faith

Before the cross, those who had died in faith of a coming Savior as the Scriptures taught them went to a temporary place of comfort to rest until in the fullness of time their Redeemer's shed blood finally erased the penalty for their sins. This is the place called Abraham's bosom in the passage.

When Jesus came to Sheol after His death on the cross, he commended them for their faith (1 Ptr. 4:6) and took them to Heaven (Matt 27:52-53). His crucifixion had removed the final obstacle to their entry into God's presence. All who have died in faith since the cross go straight into the Lord's presence (2 Cor 5:7-8) where they await reunion with their resurrection bodies (1 Thes. 4:16). They are the only group of believers more anxious for the Rapture of the Church than we are (Romans 8:18-23).

The unsaved dead will continue to languish with the rich man until the end of the Millennium when they too are raised, judged, and then banished to a place of eternal torment, but this time in utter separation and darkness (Revelation 20:15).

Many in the liberal church, in cults, the New Age and in the Eastern religions speak of another chance to reconcile with God following physical death. Some even promote reincarnation into a series of lives through which people work their way toward perfection, eventually earning their place with God or even becoming a god. The Bible speaks of no such things, teaching instead that "man is destined to die once and after that to face judgment" (Hebr. 9:27). The Lord's own words in the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus confirm this.


Trick Or Treat?

What a great trick of our enemy, persuading supposedly learned theologians to teach their biblically ignorant followers to ignore the clear admonitions of Scripture and seek an alternate way, only to discover after it's too late that they were misled. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it. (Matt 7:13-14). In the context of these 2 verses all are seeking the path to salvation, but only a few find it. Most choose the complex over the simple, the wide over the small, the broad over the narrow.

Here's the simple, small and narrow truth.

God, Who created us, requires us to live by His law. Sin is the violation of God's law and the penalty is death. Because you sin you can't avoid the penalty, but because He loves you so much Jesus offered to die in your place. God agreed to this and has issued you a full pardon. You need only ask to be forgiven of all your sins, past present and future and receive your pardon. When you do your eternal destiny changes from torment to paradise, from separation to union, from death to life.

Period. End of Story.
Any Questions?
I thought not ...