We all have to be thirsty.
Rev. {21:1} And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the
first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there
was no more sea. {21:2} And I John saw the holy city, new
Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared
as a bride adorned for her husband. {21:3} And I heard a
great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of
God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they
shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them,
[and be] their God. {21:4} And God shall 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. {21:5} And he
that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.
And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and
faithful. {21:6} And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha
and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him
that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
{21:7} He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will
be his God, and he shall be my son. {21:8} But the fearful,
and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and
whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars,
shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and
brimstone: which is the second death.
A new heaven and a new earth- for the first heaven and first earth were passed away. The world as we know it will be no more. A holy city, a new Jerusalem will come down from God out of heaven.
A holy city so special and amazing as a bride is on her wedding day. I've heard tell that on her wedding day adorned in her wedding gown a bride is made to feel as a princess, a queen. Even before wedding gowns brides were given special attention on that day as they were prepared for their grooms. A wedding day is special, incredibly special and here an entire new holy city, a new Jerusalem that has been prepared for us, for those of us that have united with Christ accepting His glorious sacrifice so that we may live in His righteousness.
The tabernacle of God is with men. God will dwell with us! We shall be God's people! How amazing is that? How wondrous is that? Love unlike anything we imagine.
Last night on some tv show I heard one of the actors say- 'How could God allow this to happen?' She was speaking of the tortured life of someone she loved. Where was the blame given to Satan? Where? It was alright and normal to question God but where were the accusations towards Satan? Why didn't she instead say 'Damn Satan for doing this!' People blame God, not Satan, he's just an afterthought, a given while God is the One who is supposed to intervene- and He has but He's intervened for eternity, not now, not for this life.
Soon, 'God shall 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.'
In the new earth there will be no death, no sorrow, no crying, no pain- those things will be done away with.
It's true! Christ died to offer this life to us, all of us if we but repent and confess, accepting Christ's sacrifice and living for Him.
Rev. 'And he
that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.
And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and
faithful. {21:6} And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha
and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him
that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
{21:7} He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will
be his God, and he shall be my son. {21:8} But the fearful,
and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and
whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars,
shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and
brimstone: which is the second death.
Him that is athirst.
He that overcometh.
We need to thrist of the water of life that is found in Christ. We need to overcome this world we live in by living for Christ, in Christ. Overcoming isn't easy no matter what circumstances you find yourself in. On the outside people might think you have everything a person could want but in truth, your life is still to be a life of overcoming. It's harder to overcome a life of ease and riches than it is for a poor, hard working man to overcome. For a rich person living a life of ease they have to overcome their luxuries, their easy existence and it's not easy giving up good things, things that bring us ease and pleasure here on earth now. No wonder Christ said it is easier for a camel to get through an eye of a needle than a rich man to get to heaven. Who ever really thinks about having to overcome a life of ease?
We all have to be thirsty.
We all have to overcome if we are to inherit all God has for us to inherit in Him.
Those who aren't thirsty, those who aren't overcoming but giving in to their lives - those who are fearful, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, whoremongers, sorcerers, idolaters, and liars... they will not inherit the new promised world, they will not take part in the new Jerusalem, in fact they will be blotted out of existence entirely and endure the lake of fire.
May God have mercy upon us all through the Grace of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior! Only by His grace, only through His righteousness can we hope to be saved and it is that hope, that faith in Him that we need, by his mercy.
Amen.
6/10/10
1Co 15:34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not...
Awake to righteousness and sin not.
We believe we awake to righteousness and yet we sin. People like to spout they will sin always, they will never cease from sin. Is there a difference between unrighteousness and sin? Awake to righteousness and sin not. When we are awake to righteousness we are enlightened as to what is right and good. When we are awake to what is right and good we see our sins more clearly. As we see our sins we need to...sin not.
Heb 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
Striving against sin.
1Jn 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous
That ye sin not.
1Jn 5:17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
This answers the earlier question about a difference between unrighteousness and sin. ALL unrighteousness IS sin.
Awake to righteousness and sin not.
If any man sin... we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. We do sin but to excuse sin is not allowed. We cannot accept sin as being a normal part of life. We cannot become complacent in our sinning. We have to AWAKE to righteousness and sin not. We have to strive against sin. Jesus Christ is the only true Righteous One, our Advocate with the Father, we need to go to Him always as our Advocate even as we strive against sin- even as we continue to allow ourselves to be awakened and don't prefer the darkness. Awake we can see our unrighteousness, asleep we cannot see our sin so that we can sin not. Don't condone sin, recognize the evil it is and never forget the evil of sin. Awake to righteousness.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior may we AWAKE to righteousness preferring light to darkness, preferring truth to lies, preferring righteousness to unrighteousnes, preferring not sinning to sinning, all through our Savior!
Amen.
Mat 8:18 Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side.
Mat 8:21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
Jesus was ready to leave and those who had spent time listening to Him didn't want Him to go, so much so that they were ready to follow Him. The people knew this was a very special man, He spoke as none other had ever spoke. The hearts of the people were pricked inside their chests. The words weren't spoken offhandedly, the words weren't spoken pompously. Each word that fell from the lips of the Savior held meaning and those hearing these words of the kingdom were touched in ways they'd never been touched before. Have you ever heard a stirring message? Did you ever listen to someone and want to hear more? Perhaps an eloquent Pastor has spoken God's word in such a way you felt the need for more and wished the sermon would go on and on. So often we hear all about people falling asleep during church, children fidgeting, all the people there enduring the hour or so message out of a sense of duty. We have seldom heard of people eager to go to church, people looking forward to the time spent learning more of God, church goers actually wanting the sermon to not end. Yet here Jesus had much to say and many listeners, many who didn't want to leave the presence of the Lord. However- Jesus in His message had preached this…
Mat 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Mat 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Mat 6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Mat 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
These were the words the people listening to Jesus heard, this was all part of His glorious message.
Do you think this man was contemplating all the messages of Jesus? Or was He dazzled by the many miracles Jesus performed that day after He'd spoken?
Mat 8:16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick
Just picture the scene- you're there right there to witness first hand the Savior healing people left and right- people you know, people you don't know. Miracle after miracle coming from this amazing, unique man! This amazing teacher speaking in such a way that you'd never heard before- with true authority. How absolutely life changing! No wonder people were telling Jesus they wanted to follow Him.
Now let's read this again--
Mat 8:21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
Suffer me first to go bury my father.
The obvious is that His father has died or is dying, right? Honestly we don't know when He died, or why this man was there with Jesus when His father died. Had his father been ill and someone come to where this man was to tell him his father died? It doesn't seem too logical does it. To have a father on his death bed and not plead with Jesus to revive him- is that logical? It is suspected that the man had a very old father and though he wasn't dead the man knew that sooner than later he would die and it was his duty to remain with his father until then.
What was Jesus' reply to this man?
Mat 8:22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.
Let the dead bury their dead.
How can the dead bury the dead? The dead can't bury the dead because they are dead…but the SPIRITUALLY dead can bury the dead, yes?
Jesus would NEVER be disrespectful, or promote disrespect in a son to a father, Jesus was all about children honoring their parents. Jesus would have understood the customs of burying the dead- the old testament spoke of Abraham burying Sarah, Jacob burying Rachel, Joseph burying Jacob…
Gen 50:5 My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die: in my grave which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again.
Gen 50:6 And Pharaoh said, Go up, and bury thy father, according as he made thee swear.
Gen 50:10 And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days.
Yes, Jesus would know all about burying the dead and wouldn't even hint at it being wrong to burying your father, except this man's father must not have been dead- or else he wouldn't have been there listening and watching Jesus as He preached and performed miracle after miracle. The expectation of someone dying isn't the way we are to live. We should NOT live our lives around the fact that our parents will die, or that anyone we love will die. We can't let the fact of death- however old someone is, ancient or young still- impact our lives taking from us living for our Savior.
This man wanted to follow Jesus but also was living his life in the expectation of his father's death. That man had NO way to know who long his father would live. Often some of the most frail old people seem to hold on a lot longer than expected. When the man told Jesus he wanted to bury his father before following Jesus this was telling Jesus that there was something in the man's life that he put before God. I've already said that honoring your mother and father wasn't the issue here, but we aren't to put anything or anyone before following God.
Jesus even said a man was to leave his parents…
Mat 19:5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
Jesus also had this to say…
Mat 10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
Mat 10:35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
Mat 10:36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
Mat 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
Mat 10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
Mat 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
We are to love NONE above God. God first and foremost then our fellow man.
Jesus said this…
Mat 8:22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.
If we choose to let LIFE get in the way of a life with Christ we are spiritually dead! If we are spiritually dead we might as well bury the dead and not concern ourselves with following Christ as a second thought.
It's true! We have to understand this!!! We have to!
If we choose to let ANYTHING in our life get in the way of a life lived for CHRIST we are spiritually dead!
So many things will call us away from God. So many things will beckon to us with their logic, with their compassionate heart strings, with their family ties, with their allure so great it's all but impossible to resist. The devil will stop at nothing to keep us from God and he'll use anything to get us to put Jesus second in our lives, or third, or fourth…and so on just as long as we don't put Him first and foremost. Life with all its intricate little and big ways will interfere at every turn. Just when we are choosing God first life will throw another curveball at us and when we are hit by that curveball it will be with the intention of knocking us out of the game, out of a life with Christ truly being first.
Let the dead bury their dead. Choose to be among the living, for we are only really alive in Christ! As long as Christ is first in all that we do in life we are living! Whenever we choose to do anything without Christ first we are dead- spiritually dead.
Let the dead bury their dead.
By the grace and mercy of our Savior may we not be among the dead burying their dead!
In His love, in His righteousness, in His kingdom!
Amen!
first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there
was no more sea. {21:2} And I John saw the holy city, new
Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared
as a bride adorned for her husband. {21:3} And I heard a
great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of
God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they
shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them,
[and be] their God. {21:4} And God shall 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. {21:5} And he
that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.
And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and
faithful. {21:6} And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha
and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him
that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
{21:7} He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will
be his God, and he shall be my son. {21:8} But the fearful,
and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and
whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars,
shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and
brimstone: which is the second death.
A new heaven and a new earth- for the first heaven and first earth were passed away. The world as we know it will be no more. A holy city, a new Jerusalem will come down from God out of heaven.
A holy city so special and amazing as a bride is on her wedding day. I've heard tell that on her wedding day adorned in her wedding gown a bride is made to feel as a princess, a queen. Even before wedding gowns brides were given special attention on that day as they were prepared for their grooms. A wedding day is special, incredibly special and here an entire new holy city, a new Jerusalem that has been prepared for us, for those of us that have united with Christ accepting His glorious sacrifice so that we may live in His righteousness.
The tabernacle of God is with men. God will dwell with us! We shall be God's people! How amazing is that? How wondrous is that? Love unlike anything we imagine.
Last night on some tv show I heard one of the actors say- 'How could God allow this to happen?' She was speaking of the tortured life of someone she loved. Where was the blame given to Satan? Where? It was alright and normal to question God but where were the accusations towards Satan? Why didn't she instead say 'Damn Satan for doing this!' People blame God, not Satan, he's just an afterthought, a given while God is the One who is supposed to intervene- and He has but He's intervened for eternity, not now, not for this life.
Soon, 'God shall 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.'
In the new earth there will be no death, no sorrow, no crying, no pain- those things will be done away with.
It's true! Christ died to offer this life to us, all of us if we but repent and confess, accepting Christ's sacrifice and living for Him.
Rev. 'And he
that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.
And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and
faithful. {21:6} And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha
and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him
that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
{21:7} He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will
be his God, and he shall be my son. {21:8} But the fearful,
and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and
whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars,
shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and
brimstone: which is the second death.
Him that is athirst.
He that overcometh.
We need to thrist of the water of life that is found in Christ. We need to overcome this world we live in by living for Christ, in Christ. Overcoming isn't easy no matter what circumstances you find yourself in. On the outside people might think you have everything a person could want but in truth, your life is still to be a life of overcoming. It's harder to overcome a life of ease and riches than it is for a poor, hard working man to overcome. For a rich person living a life of ease they have to overcome their luxuries, their easy existence and it's not easy giving up good things, things that bring us ease and pleasure here on earth now. No wonder Christ said it is easier for a camel to get through an eye of a needle than a rich man to get to heaven. Who ever really thinks about having to overcome a life of ease?
We all have to be thirsty.
We all have to overcome if we are to inherit all God has for us to inherit in Him.
Those who aren't thirsty, those who aren't overcoming but giving in to their lives - those who are fearful, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, whoremongers, sorcerers, idolaters, and liars... they will not inherit the new promised world, they will not take part in the new Jerusalem, in fact they will be blotted out of existence entirely and endure the lake of fire.
May God have mercy upon us all through the Grace of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior! Only by His grace, only through His righteousness can we hope to be saved and it is that hope, that faith in Him that we need, by his mercy.
Amen.
6/10/10
1Co 15:34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not...
Awake to righteousness and sin not.
We believe we awake to righteousness and yet we sin. People like to spout they will sin always, they will never cease from sin. Is there a difference between unrighteousness and sin? Awake to righteousness and sin not. When we are awake to righteousness we are enlightened as to what is right and good. When we are awake to what is right and good we see our sins more clearly. As we see our sins we need to...sin not.
Heb 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
Striving against sin.
1Jn 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous
That ye sin not.
1Jn 5:17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
This answers the earlier question about a difference between unrighteousness and sin. ALL unrighteousness IS sin.
Awake to righteousness and sin not.
If any man sin... we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. We do sin but to excuse sin is not allowed. We cannot accept sin as being a normal part of life. We cannot become complacent in our sinning. We have to AWAKE to righteousness and sin not. We have to strive against sin. Jesus Christ is the only true Righteous One, our Advocate with the Father, we need to go to Him always as our Advocate even as we strive against sin- even as we continue to allow ourselves to be awakened and don't prefer the darkness. Awake we can see our unrighteousness, asleep we cannot see our sin so that we can sin not. Don't condone sin, recognize the evil it is and never forget the evil of sin. Awake to righteousness.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior may we AWAKE to righteousness preferring light to darkness, preferring truth to lies, preferring righteousness to unrighteousnes, preferring not sinning to sinning, all through our Savior!
Amen.
Mat 8:18 Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side.
Mat 8:21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
Jesus was ready to leave and those who had spent time listening to Him didn't want Him to go, so much so that they were ready to follow Him. The people knew this was a very special man, He spoke as none other had ever spoke. The hearts of the people were pricked inside their chests. The words weren't spoken offhandedly, the words weren't spoken pompously. Each word that fell from the lips of the Savior held meaning and those hearing these words of the kingdom were touched in ways they'd never been touched before. Have you ever heard a stirring message? Did you ever listen to someone and want to hear more? Perhaps an eloquent Pastor has spoken God's word in such a way you felt the need for more and wished the sermon would go on and on. So often we hear all about people falling asleep during church, children fidgeting, all the people there enduring the hour or so message out of a sense of duty. We have seldom heard of people eager to go to church, people looking forward to the time spent learning more of God, church goers actually wanting the sermon to not end. Yet here Jesus had much to say and many listeners, many who didn't want to leave the presence of the Lord. However- Jesus in His message had preached this…
Mat 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Mat 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Mat 6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Mat 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
These were the words the people listening to Jesus heard, this was all part of His glorious message.
Do you think this man was contemplating all the messages of Jesus? Or was He dazzled by the many miracles Jesus performed that day after He'd spoken?
Mat 8:16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick
Just picture the scene- you're there right there to witness first hand the Savior healing people left and right- people you know, people you don't know. Miracle after miracle coming from this amazing, unique man! This amazing teacher speaking in such a way that you'd never heard before- with true authority. How absolutely life changing! No wonder people were telling Jesus they wanted to follow Him.
Now let's read this again--
Mat 8:21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
Suffer me first to go bury my father.
The obvious is that His father has died or is dying, right? Honestly we don't know when He died, or why this man was there with Jesus when His father died. Had his father been ill and someone come to where this man was to tell him his father died? It doesn't seem too logical does it. To have a father on his death bed and not plead with Jesus to revive him- is that logical? It is suspected that the man had a very old father and though he wasn't dead the man knew that sooner than later he would die and it was his duty to remain with his father until then.
What was Jesus' reply to this man?
Mat 8:22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.
Let the dead bury their dead.
How can the dead bury the dead? The dead can't bury the dead because they are dead…but the SPIRITUALLY dead can bury the dead, yes?
Jesus would NEVER be disrespectful, or promote disrespect in a son to a father, Jesus was all about children honoring their parents. Jesus would have understood the customs of burying the dead- the old testament spoke of Abraham burying Sarah, Jacob burying Rachel, Joseph burying Jacob…
Gen 50:5 My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die: in my grave which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again.
Gen 50:6 And Pharaoh said, Go up, and bury thy father, according as he made thee swear.
Gen 50:10 And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days.
Yes, Jesus would know all about burying the dead and wouldn't even hint at it being wrong to burying your father, except this man's father must not have been dead- or else he wouldn't have been there listening and watching Jesus as He preached and performed miracle after miracle. The expectation of someone dying isn't the way we are to live. We should NOT live our lives around the fact that our parents will die, or that anyone we love will die. We can't let the fact of death- however old someone is, ancient or young still- impact our lives taking from us living for our Savior.
This man wanted to follow Jesus but also was living his life in the expectation of his father's death. That man had NO way to know who long his father would live. Often some of the most frail old people seem to hold on a lot longer than expected. When the man told Jesus he wanted to bury his father before following Jesus this was telling Jesus that there was something in the man's life that he put before God. I've already said that honoring your mother and father wasn't the issue here, but we aren't to put anything or anyone before following God.
Jesus even said a man was to leave his parents…
Mat 19:5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
Jesus also had this to say…
Mat 10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
Mat 10:35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
Mat 10:36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
Mat 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
Mat 10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
Mat 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
We are to love NONE above God. God first and foremost then our fellow man.
Jesus said this…
Mat 8:22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.
If we choose to let LIFE get in the way of a life with Christ we are spiritually dead! If we are spiritually dead we might as well bury the dead and not concern ourselves with following Christ as a second thought.
It's true! We have to understand this!!! We have to!
If we choose to let ANYTHING in our life get in the way of a life lived for CHRIST we are spiritually dead!
So many things will call us away from God. So many things will beckon to us with their logic, with their compassionate heart strings, with their family ties, with their allure so great it's all but impossible to resist. The devil will stop at nothing to keep us from God and he'll use anything to get us to put Jesus second in our lives, or third, or fourth…and so on just as long as we don't put Him first and foremost. Life with all its intricate little and big ways will interfere at every turn. Just when we are choosing God first life will throw another curveball at us and when we are hit by that curveball it will be with the intention of knocking us out of the game, out of a life with Christ truly being first.
Let the dead bury their dead. Choose to be among the living, for we are only really alive in Christ! As long as Christ is first in all that we do in life we are living! Whenever we choose to do anything without Christ first we are dead- spiritually dead.
Let the dead bury their dead.
By the grace and mercy of our Savior may we not be among the dead burying their dead!
In His love, in His righteousness, in His kingdom!
Amen!